Biosecurity to protect imports and exports

THE import and export of agricultural products will be protected following the launching of a national biosecurity policy in Port Moresby on Friday.
National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (Naqia) managing director Joel Alu said the country lacked a proper system to protect agricultural commodities from diseases and pests.
“Today, you will notice a lot of illegal products sold in shopping centers and even market in rural areas,which are consumed by people because we did not have the right tool to protect protects we (import),” he said.
Alu said while the country had regulatory authorities such as the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC), Customs, Health Department, National Capital District Commission and Naqia, there were no policy for them to collectively regulate imported commodities.
It is why some imported products sold in supermarkets and shops had no labels or had foreign-language labels.
The new biosecurity policy, therefore, will help the regulatory bodies to improve the trading system and ensure ban illegal goods.
“This new policy will help us and our partners such as the Transport Industry, Customs, Finance Department, ICCC and others to address a lot of cross-cutting issues in the sector,” Alu said.
“It is the workable plan for Naqia and agriculture sector to create laws to protect our agricultural commodities from being impacted with diseases.”
Agriculture Minister John Simon said it would protect plant and animal health while facilitating trade and prioritising scarce resources.
“It is projected that agriculture-bases businesses will experience significant growth in the coming years,” he said.
“It also contributes to the business confidence and investment certainty in the country.”