Japan eyes PNG products

JAPAN will become a market for PNG’s agriculture, mineral, forestry and fisheries products following the signing of an agreement last Friday in Port Moresby.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi signed the agreement with Prime Minister James Marape during a two-day visit to the country last week.
Marape welcomed the deal saying it would also bring more Japanese businesses to the country.
“We have now signed a statement of intent to consolidate our relationship with Japan further and especially for Japan to be a specialised country where produce from PNG will find a market in Japan,” Marape said.
“We are now opening up market accessibility to Japan in the understanding that we have signed so that our agricultural produce, mineral produce, oil and gas, timber and marine resources can find specific markets in Japan.”
Marape urged Papua New Guineans to work harder as the Government was looking for markets.
“That’s why we are subsidising coffee so that growers are getting good prices for coffee, cocoa and copra,” he said.
“In as far as timber is concerned, we will set up a national export agency to also go into timber business and he (Motegi) (will) send Japanese companies to work in our special economic zones.”
Marape said maintaining the country’s relationship with global economic superpower was important.
He said Japan, the third biggest economic superpower, shared a strong partnership with PNG with more than K4 billion in assistance.