The Papua New Guinea Government will push for New Zealand to include a clause on fruit picking in a Bilateral Trade Agreement for both Pacific Islands Forum member nations.
Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru said the current number of Papua New Guineans going for New Zealand for fruit picking, work, and study is less than smaller Pacific Island member states.
He raised this with his New Zealand counterpart at a Bilateral Trade Meeting at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru last month.
“Yes, I told them that Papua New Guinea is dissatisfied with number of Papua New Guineans working and schooling in New Zealand, and also in Australia in that matter,” Maru said.
“Two years ago seven Papua New Guineans were doing fruit picking and Vanuatu having 1,200, it is a total joke, and I have express it in the strongest terms that they are treating us with content because we are a bigger island state and bigger market compared to smaller islands states.”
Maru added that both countries do not have bilateral trade agreement on fruit picking to dictate what numbers are sent annually, compared to the current ad-hoc basis.
The country’s trade minister also stated that learning from New Zealand’s poultry and dairy farm, tourism and bio-security measures will be high on the agenda when discussion are held for a bilateral trade agreement.
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