Port Moresby skyline continues to change

Captions: 1.  Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane unveils a plaque commemorating the opening of the new Tango Department Store assisted by Malaysian High Commissioner 2. Tango Department Store owner Teetee Wong takes Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane on a tour of the new Tango Department Store 3. Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane cuts a ribbon to official open the new Tango Department Store as Sir Brian Bell and shop owner Nellie Tan

Port Moresby’s changing skyline continued yesterday with the opening of the three-storey Tango Department Store by Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane.
The shop, which will be open seven days a week, features an in-house playground for children on the third floor.
The day had been a long time in coming since the previous shop, in the very same location next to the Brian Bell Plaza at Boroko, caught fire in 2005.
Since then, the company has been continuing operations as TST Shopping Centre, on the third floor of Ori Lavi Haus within a 500 square metre space.
“We have been busy building what you see in front of you today – a three level department store with 6, 000 square metres floor space,” said Tango spokesperson Cindy Tan at the opening.
“Many of these interior furnishings are proudly Papua New Guinean-made.
“For example our show cases, clothing racks, gift shop and flower display shelves, material stands, accessory display racks and cashier counters are all proudly produced by our carpenters.
“From the rubbles of TST Shopping Centre to the newly-finished Tango Department Store, this has been a highly-anticipated moment for our company.”
Sir Paulias commended the company for making use of local companies.
“I am pleased to note that the brainchild and expertise behind the design, and the building itself, is that of our very own local construction and engineering companies,” he said.
“I am told that over 65% of the materials used in the construction of the building were either produced or found within Papua New Guinea, utilising local expertise and know how.
“Also, over 90% of the employees here are Papua New Guineans.
“Investment of such, I must say, is very much appreciated and welcomed.
“It is commendable to see foreign investors utilising our local expertise and at the same time, providing majority of the employment opportunities to Papua New Guineans.
“For this I commend Kuntila No. 4 Company Ltd, and Mr TeeTee Wong, for having confidence in, and supporting, our locally-based companies.
“Such undertakings, and the outcomes, further demonstrates confidence that, as Papua New Guineans, we too have the ability to achieve outstanding results in whatever professions we are in.
“This act alone, to engage local expertise, has saved the company millions of Kina, which could easily have gone overseas, but was retained within our local companies and within the country.”
The first floor has a wide range of household items and some furniture, a hardware section together with gardening and fishing supplies, an electronics section, a small supermarket for shoppers on the go, an airconditioned foodbar and a bakery/
The second floor has clothing for the whole family and for all lifestyles, hair and body care products, perfumes, shoes and sandals, bags and suitcases, towels and sheets, tailoring supplies and a broad range of materials.
The third floor has school uniforms, stationery, flowers, a local craft gift shop, an in-house playground, toys, big boy push toys, bicycles, baby prams and cots.
A Nike and Puma shop will be located next to the craft shop and, besides the retail unit, Tango’s wholesale unit operates from the third floor as well.