Prime Minister Peter O&rsquO’Neill visited the Convention Centre construction site to inspect the progress and meet the people working to finish the project.
Manager and ambassador of China to Papua New Guinea, Li Ruiyou, was on the ground to show him around.
The Convention Centre is expected to be completed by September next year.
It is located in Waigani, next to the grounds where the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture was held.
Construction began in 2012 but work on the multi-million kina project was halted back in July last year after Chinese workers were attacked.
The project commenced in May this year. This was the first time for Prime Minister Peter O&rsquO’Neill to officially visit the construction site.
With 10 months till the estimated time of completion, the Prime Minister urged workers to do their best to get the centre completed on schedule.
He said the facility, once completed, will be used to host meetings and forums such as APEC in 2018, as well as enhancing Port Moresby’s image as one of the fastest growing cities in the Pacific.
Mr Ruiyou said the Convention Centre is a friendship project between the government of China and Papua New Guinea.
It is the biggest aid project in South Pacific. Papua New Guinean and Chinese traditional cultures are well-combined into the design.
The total construction area is 9, 875 square metres. It will house at least 4 different-sized conference halls, including a 700-seat main conference hall.
It will serve as a temporary office for the Prime Minister, containing executive offices, a multi-purpose hall, journalist rooms, dining rooms and kitchens, as well as an art gallery and an outdoor car park.
Currently, 50 Chinese engineers and 120 local employees are constructing the building. The implementation agencies are the National Planning and Monitoring Department and the National Museum and Art Gallery.
The entire project is said to be about 60 per cent complete.
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