Female staff in tuna firms benefit: PM

MORE than 10,000 women working in tuna factories are benefiting from the lucrative tuna markets in the European Union, says Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
He said the EU market was the largest recipient of PNG’s tuna, valued at around US$140 million (K437m) annually.
Opposition Leader Don Polye had asked O’Neill about the economic benefit of hosting the three-day African Caribbean Pacific meeting in Port Moresby
O’Neill said the tuna industry was a substantial employment area for women working in tuna factories who directly looked after their families.
“That is why it is crucial that ACP and PNG continue to maintain a relationship with EU where we have preferential access to their markets,” he said.
“And this allows us to provide employment to locals to be able to look after their families as well.”
O’Neill said PNG was one of a few countries which had a partnership agreement with the EU.
“We have that partnership that enables our products like coffee, copra and others to have access to EU markets,” he said. “And having preferential treatment to EU market is why we have a very good tuna industry in the country.”