Central Papua Port Lacks Capacity, Gibran Steps In

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming inspected the Commercial Dock at Nabire Port in Central Papua Province on Monday (20/4/2026), amid concerns over the limited capacity of the main port that serves as the lifeline for logistics distribution in Central Papua.

Nabire Port itself is highly strategic as it acts as the primary entry point for supplies of essential goods, construction materials, and the distribution of commodities to various areas in Central Papua. Unfortunately, the port is hampered by capacity limitations, which impede the distribution of goods and people.

During the Vice President’s inspection, the port management explained that the current dock length is unable to accommodate passenger ships and cargo ships simultaneously. As a result, when a passenger ship docks, cargo ships must wait outside the port area. This situation is seen as potentially hindering the distribution of essential needs, given that Nabire Port is the main logistics supply route for eight surrounding districts.

The Head of the Class II Nabire Port Service Unit Office, Ewanggen Kokoya, revealed that the current dock length is about 227 metres with a width of 12 metres, while the ships served range from 177 metres to 144 metres in length. This condition causes limited berthing space, so when a passenger ship docks, cargo ships must wait outside because simultaneous berthing is not possible.

Ewanggen also explained that the port’s facilities capacity is currently inadequate to handle large-sized containers.

“Because the containers we unload are already 40 feet, Mr Vice President. So it’s not possible for them to pass each other,” he added.