Envoy urges lifting PNG products to world standards

By ANCILLA WRAKUALE
IN order to meet the export market demand, PNG products have to be of world standard and quality, head of European Union (EU) delegation ambassador Martin Dihm said.
Dihm said it was important to enhance the quality and reliability of PNG products to enter competitive foreign market.
“The EU is convinced that trade is one of the most powerful engines of economic development of PNG’s international trade in several ways,” Dihm said.
He said increasing the quality and compliance control could have a direct impact on the PNG economy by increasing export and opening new international markets where quality controls were mandatory.
Dhim was speaking yesterday at the arrival of the first international shipment of laboratory equipment at National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA) at Kila Kila in NCD.
This activity falls under the component two of the EU-funded K11 million through its trade related assistance to PNG.
The project comprises three components which are: the trade policy formulation and implementation; the quality control infrastructure; and export promotion activities.
Other direct beneficiaries from this component includes National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, National Agricultural Research Institute and PNG Customs.
Meanwhile, managing director of NAQIA, Andrew Yamanea thanked  EU for the support, adding that the new equipment bought through the trade-related assistance will help them conduct necessary food quality test to ensure that PNG export best products.
Under the programme, NAQIA has received laboratory equipment that allows it to perform veterinary inspection role with high reliability and accuracy.
Other equipment would be used for NAQIA field work towards plant protection.
The institution also received training of veteran officers in the field of quality management and food safety management systems for provincial officers.
Meanwhile, Dhim said there would be other shipments coming both by air and ship in the coming weeks, for a total budget of more than K2.5 million.