Association against proposed oil palm agency

 Oil palm growers are urging the government not to proceed with the establishment of the PNG Oil Palm Board as the state’s regulatory, monitoring and licensing agency.

Popondetta Oil Palm Growers Association chairman Dickson Daima said the Agriculture Minister Tommy Tomscoll should not proceed with the establishment of the proposed board.

He said the Oil Palm Industry Corporation (OPIC), in operation for the past 22 years, has been doing well without any direct government support.

Daima urged Tomscoll to involve oil palm growers when working on drafting legislative frame work for the sector.

“We need to be consulted to give our suggestions and opinions and to ensure that it is the best way forward for all of us to benefit,” Daima said.

“As we already know with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and any other form of tax, the tax are added and charged to the consumers and collected by the government. 

“In our case, growers will continue to pay this tax indirectly through this export levy, not the milling companies. Levies collected will be held by the government and may not be sufficiently and equally distributed to each province to support us. 

“I am sure the 20,000 plus smallholder oil palm growers in Papua New Guinea will not agree to pay extra levies and taxes.”