Ela Motors to construct boat factory at 11 Mile in Lae

Ela Motors, a leading automotive and marine distributor in Papua New Guinea has officiated a ground breaking ceremony to commence construction of a state-of-the-art boat manufacturing facility in Lae, Morobe Province.

The new facility located at 11 Mile within Lae City is set to enhance Ela Motors' production capabilities. Currently, the company manufactures approximately 1,200 boats annually. With the new factory, Ela Motors aims to more than double its output to over 3,000 boats per year, catering to the growing demand in the PNG market and potentially expanding to regional markets.

The establishment of the new factory is expected to create employment opportunities for 100 staff members and contractors, contributing to the local economy and providing more jobs for people living in Lae.

At the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge expressed his support for the project, highlighting the suitability of Lae as an economic hub and the resilience of Ela Motors' Toyota and Yamaha brands in navigating the country's rugged terrains and challenging seas.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Lae MP John Rosso, who was also at the ceremony, welcomed the development, emphasizing the positive impact on job creation and the strengthening of economic ties between Papua New Guinea and Japan.

“It’s no easy task to create 100 jobs for any company. One employed Papua New Guinea person feeds close to 10 people in a household, so the 100 jobs will benefit approximately 1000 to 2000 people. On behalf of the people of Lae, Morobe Province and Papua New Guinea I would like to sincerely thank you Ela Motors for choosing Lae for this boat factory,” Rosso said.

The Japanese Ambassador to PNG, His Excellency Hisanobu Mochizuki, who traveled to Lae to witness this event, also highlighted that the establishment of the boat factory stressed the deepening bilateral relations between the two nations, especially with PNG ready to celebrate its 50th Independence Day in four months.

“This year marks an historic milestone, the 50th Independence Anniversary of Papua New Guinea. Let me emphasize that it is also the anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Papua New Guinea,” the Japanese Ambassador said.

The Ela Motors CEO Masaru Mikami assured stakeholders present at the event, of the company's commitment to producing high-quality boats meeting international standards.

Ela Motors was established in Papua New Guinea since 1963, and remains one of the top employers of Papua New Guineans, and a key contributor to the nation's economic development.