Fiji’s Trade Minister Faiyaz Siddiq Koya

Fiji will be arriving in Port Moresby for trade talks

A team of officials from Fiji’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and Biosecurity Authority, will be arriving in Port Moresby over the weekend to meet with officials from PNG to iron out issues that sparked the trade impasse. The issue between PNG and Fiji is over Ox & Palm and other PNG Made products.

This was revealed in a letter dated 21st September, 2016, from Minister Siddiq Koya to PNG’s Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Richard Maru.

Maru welcomes Fiji’s inspection

He welcomes the response by Fiji’s Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister, Faiyaz Siddiq Koya, to send two officials from its Biosecurity Authority to PNG to meet with officials from the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA).

Minister Maru said the meet will urgently resolve pending issues regarding the opening of the biosecurity pathway between Fiji and PNG for Ox & Palm, Snax biscuits and Trukai Rice to be exported to Fiji without any more restrictions.

PNG gives Fiji ultimatum on ban

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.