The Papua New Guinea Government has given the Fijian Government an ultimatum to reverse its ban of PNG made products or it will impose restrictions on their goods.
The deadline is end of this month to uplift the ban of Ox and Palm and other products.
In a letter from PNG’s Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister, Richard Maru, dated August, 22, in response to Fiji’s Trade Minister, Faiyaz Siddiq Koya’s letter (August 15), the Minister highlighted that Fiji’s response was unclear.
They did not clearly explain why Fiji continuously restricts PNG’s competitive products declared for personal consumption and for sampling purposes, said Maru.
In that same letter, Minister Maru stated that Minister Koya’s ill advice that the restrictions were normal biosecurity measures and not a trade matter is unjustifiable and unacceptable.
He added that Fiji’s actions to deter trading of goods over the years created unnecessary barriers for PNG’s goods to enter Fiji’s market. That it is also unfair when PNG allows Fijian products into our bigger market while they place undesirable restrictions on ours.
“Following Fiji’s claim of biosecurity risk as the cause, I have requested an advice from the National Agriculture Quarantine & Inspection Authority of Papua New Guinea,” stated Maru.
“Their advice contained in a formal letter to me on 18 August confirms that as far as NAQIA PNG is concerned, there is no technical or scientific basis, nor any biosecurity risk, for Fiji to restrict our goods. To date, Fiji has not communicated to NAQIA or the PNG Government on the reason for the restrictions.”
He said Hugo Canning has revealed that they have acceptable quality assurance and quality control programs that include HACCCP audit system, microbial testing at a private laboratory, disinfection of premises and equipment, potable water system which is regularly tested by PNG Water Board and protective gear for the staff, amongst others.
Minister Maru said both NAQIA and Hugo Canning have expressed that the meat and ingredients used in the production of corned beef are imported solely from Australia under strict quality control by the company and certification process by authorities of both countries.
They further revealed that PNG’s import requirements of beef from Australia are no different from Fiji’s.
Even without an established biosecurity pathway that Fiji is claiming, there is no real biosecurity threat to Fiji for Ox & Palm to be consumed there, said the Minister.
Minister Maru said other countries like Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and New Zealand do not have established biosecurity pathways with PNG and yet have been allowing Ox & Palm into their countries in both household and commercial quantities.