Ox and Palm war takes a new twist

The disagreement between PNG and Fiji regarding the trading of Ox & Palm between the two countries has taken a new twist.

This was after the National Agriculture Quarantine & Inspection Authority (NAQIA) of Papua New Guinea wrote to PNG’s Trade Commerce & Industry Minister, Richard Maru advising him that as far as the Authority is concerned, Ox & Palm does not possess any bio-security risk to Fiji as claimed by Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) and its Trade Minister.

NAQIA revealed that Fiji does not have in place an established biosecurity pathway (or import protocol) for PNG’s Ox & Palm and that there is no real biosecurity threat to Fiji.

“The advice from NAQIA has now confirmed that Fiji’s true reason for not allowing Ox & Palm into Fiji is not because of bio-security reasons but using bio-security as a cover to hide the real reason, which is the fear that the entry of Ox & Palm into Fiji has the potential to wipe off their corned beef industry “Island beef” brand which has failed miserable to penetrate the PNG market because it does not match the taste of the popular PNG Ox & Palm,” said Richard Maru, Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry .  

This is protection at its worst by Fiji while aggressively taking advantage of the bigger PNG market by flooding its products to PNG   under its trade preferences under the MSG Trade Agreement.

NAQIA revealed that: “Given the facts, the confiscation and detention of travellers accompanied Ox & Palm corned beef for personal consumption despite lawfully declaring it on arrival in the incoming passenger cards by BAF does not appear to be based on any substantive biosecurity (animal or plant pest or disease) issue and cannot be interpreted as such. If there are some other SPS related matter such as hygiene, food safety and food standards  which they may rightfully be concerned about then they have an obligation to transparently advise PNG under the WTO SPS Agreement rules so that it can be subjected to Customs dutiable goods controls and requirements.

Around 2004 or 2005, Fiji Quarantine Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sugar and Land Resettlement (now BAF) conducted a country visit to PNG and audited the Hugo Canning as part of their import risk assessment BUT NO outcome of the audit was produced to PNG’s NAQIA on whether there is a biosecurity threat.

“If Fiji’s intention is to protect its local industry, it will also be fair that it is implemented in accordance with the multilateral trading system rules as expressed by the binding WTO agreement,” Maru said.

“We have made substantial commitments under the MFTA to open up more trade and investment opportunities with the MSG countries, and the Pacific region as a whole and these arrangements benefit the people of all countries, including Fiji, with the view to encourage intra-trade and investment to transform economies and lives.”

Meanwhile, NAQIA said in order to resolve these issues, it now seeks formal communication of the following from Fiji:

1.            The specific technical basis for considering that Ox & Palm canned corned beef and processed Trukai rice may present unacceptable biosecurity or broader SPS threats to Fiji including reports of previous import risks assessment audit that Fiji BAF has conducted in PNG.

2.            A technical dossier detailing Fiji’s status for OIE-listed pests and diseases.

Author: 
Charles Yapumi