PNG Trade Minister says PNG wasted enough time talking to Fiji

Fiji has relented to pressure from Papua New Guinea and is allowing PNG-produced corned beef, biscuit and rice to enter the market.

But Papua New Guinea Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru said Fiji should put this in writing to make it official.

Fiji’s Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism and Lands Faiyaz Koya said Ox and Palm corned beef, Trukai rice and Lae biscuit would be allowed into Fiji.

Koya said in a statement that this included imports for commercial purposes from PNG.

Following discussions with Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, he said they were ready to facilitate the commercial imports of Ox and Palm Corned Beef, Trukai Rice and Lae Biscuit into Fiji.

It followed a warning from Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru to cut trade ties with Fiji if it continued to ban the three PNG products.

However, when contacted for comments, Maru told The National that: “He (Koya) should write to me and advise me officially.”

Maru had said PNG had “wasted enough time talking to Fiji”.

“We have wasted 15 years to get this corrected. It’s time to make some serious, hard stance. I have written to him (Koya) but he has never responded.

“I have always tried to follow protocol in dealing with this trade matter but they have never responded. I do not want to talk with him on that anymore.”

Last month, the BAF issued a statement outlining conditions which had to be complied with if Trukai Rice, Ox and Palm corned beef and Lae Biscuits were to be brought to Fiji. PacNews/PNG Today