CIC fines firms

 By ZACHERY PER

TWO coffee processing companies in Goroka were fined a total of K7000 for attempting to process sub-standard parchment coffee beans.

Coffee inspectors with the Coffee Industry Corporation’s industry regulation and compliance division confiscated 73 bags of sub-standard parchment coffee bags from Coffee Connections and Goroka Coffee Producers and fined them K5000 and K2000 respectively.

Industry regulation and compliance manager Sam Menanga yesterday confirmed the penalties imposed on the two companies, saying they breached the coffee regulations and guidelines as stipulated under the CIC Act.

He said people in the coffee trade were rushing to process coffee because of the current high price and forgot the regulation and guidelines CIC had provided for them to maintain the quality of coffee.

“We want to help them (processors and exporters) to get premium price for their coffee. Such attitude to process substandard coffee will drive the PNG Coffee Industry to get low price,” Menanga said.

“We want to help the industry grow and need cooperation from these people.”

He called on traders and processors to comply with the regulations to produce quality coffee. 

He said the coffee inspectors were doing what they were supposed to do to check coffee for their quality.

Menanga said CIC was committed to assist coffee traders to produce quality coffee to attract niche market in the world.

“However, such attitude to produce sub-standard coffee beans would only derail the industry’s potential to attract niche market for premium price.

CIC chief executive Anton Benjamin condemned such actions by processors, stating that if they were found to continue the practice their trading license would be revoked or cancelled.

Coffee Connections managing director Henry Ame when approached yesterday said these were some wet coffee that he bought from Chimbu and were left in the shed for a long period of time.