The Final Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) Meeting of the Project for Capacity Development in Port Policy and Administration Phase 2

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Transport (DOT) has been working collaboratively to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of port policy and administration in the “Project for Capacity Development of Department of Transport in Port Policy and Administration Phase 2”. The final Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) Meeting was held in Port Moresby on 19^th February 2025 to verify the overall progress of the Project and discuss how to ensure the sustainability of the newly-developed Port Information Database after the project completion.

The project is instrumental in building the DoT's capacity to lay a strong foundation to plan and implement evidence-based port policies and administration. Phase 2 of the project focused on creating a robust and up-to-date port statistics database through On-the-Job training, workshops and seminars on data collection, database management, and data analysis. As a result, the project has achieved a remarkable outcome, culminating in a comprehensive Port Information Database. This Port Information Database includes Port Basic Information, Port Related Information Database, and Port Reference Information Database, covering locations, facility information such as length of berth and mooring facility, trade and other information about more than 400 ports in PNG.

The key achievements of the meeting were the agreement to establish a data management committee, ensuring the database's ongoing management and sustainability. This committee will play a crucial role in coordinating relevant agencies to sustainably update the database and decide rules on data sharing, which enables GoPNG to utilize the Port Information Database for formulating evidence-based policy.

JICA's commitment to capacity building has empowered the DoT to take ownership of port policy and administration through managing and analyzing the database and to ensure the long-term and strategic development of PNG's maritime sector. Special thanks to DOT, relevant agencies such as PNG PCL and NMSA, and JICA expert team for their coordination and efforts which have led us to the success of the project.