The Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) will be hosting an industry-wide consultation tomorrow in Port Moresby on its regulatory policy guidelines (RPG).
The forum is the fourth of a nationwide discussion on improving the underlying parameters for the integrity and function of the industry over the last 41 years, and sustaining the industry operational efficiency and viability up until the present day.
General manager for industry operations, Steven Tumae, says the last review on the RPGs was carried out in 1976.
He added that regulating and reviewing guidelines was part and parcel to make it relevant to current changes facing the industry.
“It is a living document that will be amended as and when it becomes necessary to meet the emerging new business environment. CIC has been mandated to regulate the industry so that we maintain our competitive edge on the quality of coffee we produce.”
Long-time coffee administrator Ricky Mitio said it was timely for this review to counteract changes in the global coffee market and the emerging new business challenges facing stakeholders involved in the value chain of the PNG coffee industry.
“PNG has to respond by re-organising its industry so the maximum benefit coming from these markets is filtered down to the growers.”
He said the main sector in the value chain of the PNG coffee industry that needs to be sorted is the coffee buying sector. It is currently unregulated and does enormous damage to the industry in terms of compromising quality.
He says that this will be addressed in the new RPG once all is finalised.
Mitio further explained that the industry was commercial-driven and all business operators were looking for regulatory policy guidelines that provide “even playing field” for all involved to fully participate and grow the industry.
“It’s the good governance and duty of care of the industry that matters.”
He said operators did not want too many rules that obstruct business flow or detrimental to the efficiency of the private sector, but provide a conducive environment for investors.
Mitio led a team of CIC officials who conducted the first forum in Eastern Highlands on 13th September 2017, in Western Highlands, for the upper Highlands regional consultative forum last week as well as a similar forum for stakeholders in Morobe Province the previous week.
The Port Moresby Forum will be held at the Gateway Hotel.
(Loop file pic)