Trade war progress welcomed

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, September 11, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)



LEADER of the Opposition Don Polye has welcomed progress thus far with the recent trade war saga between the National Government and Fiji, regarding restrictions placed on Papua New Guinean products from ending up of Fijian shelves.

Mr Polye said, in response to a released statement of the arrivals of senior officials from Fiji to sort out the issue within this month as sign of a much better approach in solving the issue at the senior technical level.

“Firstly the issue should not have been politicised, argued, and debated on over the media which is an embarrassment.”

“When you have issues like this arising you get a technical team, technocrats involved in this a solve it- without having to come to the media.”

“Papua New Guinea should have gone to Fiji or vice versa to find common ground on this issue, because both countries do have interests. It should have been addressed on the technical level, which would then lead to ministers to iron it out,” Polye said

Trade Commerce & Industry Minister, Richard Maru, welcomed Fiji’s Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister, Faiyaz Siddiq Koya response to two officials from its Biosecurity Authority () to PNG to meet with officials from the National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA) of PNG and urgently resolve any pending issues regarding the opening of the biosecurity pathway between Fiji and PNG for Ox & Palm, Snacks Biscuits and Trukai Rice to be exported to Fiji without further restrictions.

In a letter to Mr Koya, Minister Maru thanked Koya for his commitment to send Fiji’s BAF Executive Chair, Mr Xavier Riyaz Khan and Fiji’s Trade Commissioner to PNG, Mr Navitalai Tuivuniwai to Port Moresby to meet with PNG’s Technical Team which includes officers from NAQIA, the Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry and PNG Manufacturers of the products concerned to sort out any issues that is still pending.

“We assure you of our highest level of co-operation when your team comes to Port Moresby so we can resolve the issues amicably. It is in both our interest to get a speedy resolution to the trade impasse so I request that your team comes this month to get the face to face dialogue underway without any more delay,” the minister’s letter read.

“Your team should use this opportunity to discuss any trade issues that you would like to have with our team and vice versa.”

Meanwhile, Fiji’s Trade Minister is optimistic that the discussions between Fiji’s Biosecurity Authority and PNG’s NAQIA will resolve the matter and open discussions on a range of other commodities of trade for both countries.

With primary sector export trade in the Pacific Islands Region dominated by the three key Melanesian countries of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Fiji- the recent trade war rhetoric in the secondary export sector is evidence of market positioning in the region’s big three.

The Pacific Islands Trade Report 2010-2014 showed Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji share close to 90 percent of total revenue earned by the Pacific Islands region for the export of primary products worldwide.

In 2014, the total value of primary sector exports from the Pacific amounted to US$ 3.97 billion of which Papua New Guinea earned a significant US$ 2.2 billion, followed by Solomon Islands (US$ 659.8 million) and Fiji (US$ 637.2 million).