Marape grateful to UN for trade policy

PRIME Minister James Marape has acknowledged the support of the European Union in the first Trade Related Assistance Project (Trap) which resulted in the formulation of Papua New Guinea’s first National Trade Policy.
Marape made the acknowledgement during a meeting with EU resident representative Ioannis Giokarakis Argyropoulos at his Sir Manasupe Haus office recently.
Marape said Trap also included capacity building assistance to the National Fisheries Authority, PNG Customs and other trade facilitation institutions.
“The purchase of laboratory equipment for the University of Technology’s national analytical and testing laboratory at the cost of K2.4 million under the second phase of the Trap is also very welcome,” Marape said.
“The equipment would greatly address the need for comprehensive quality assurance and product testing thereby improving competitiveness of PNG exports to targeted overseas markets.”
Marape said diplomatic relations with the EU were established in 1977 with their office set up inPort Moresby.
Every two years, since 2014, political dialogue is strengthened through the PNG-EU high-level political dialogue.
Marape also informed Argyropoulos that the trade functions under his regime had reverted to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the ministerial portfolio had been renamed as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade.