Govt urged to debate policies

 THE Government must debate polices regarding the vegetable import ban, Goroka MP Bire Kimisopa says.

He said since Agriculture Minister Tommy Tomscoll’s decision to ban the import of vegetables from overseas, there had been a lot of discussion and public comments made.

“I highlighted before that while the original objective of stimulating local production was laudable, the implementation process was abysmal,” Kimisopa said.

“Since issuing my statement, the minister has seen fit to suggest that the reason for the decision is one of bio-security, to keep pests out of PNG. 

“This suggestion is laughable as imports have been taking place for years and any impact of pests would have been obvious long before this point in time.”

He said the minister’s decision to let in produce from an extended number of countries puts PNG at greater bio-security risk.

“The granting of an effective monopoly to one importer, from one region, in one foreign country also defied logic and was overturned by intervention of the prime minister,” he said.

“The prime minister’s intervention has engendered some sanity into the situation.” 

Kimisopa said many commentators raised concern the need for more extension services to increase vegetable production, guarantee quality and supply and the need to effect some radical changes to the cost of the supply chain.

“In Goroka and Mt Hagen, we have good quality vegetables for sale but by the time they reach Port Moresby, they are more costly than imported vegetables and quality has deteriorated,” he said.

“Let us have dialogue on how to reduce supply chain costs and improve shipment times.

“Why not arrange for Air Niugini to operate at cost cargo services from the highlands to Port Moresby as a service to the nation.  

“The Minister should take a holistic approach to solve the problem and support growers.