Oil palm industry to be regulated: Maneke

THE oil palm industry will soon have a new legislative and regulatory framework to guide key players, says Oil Palm Minister Francis Maneke.
“As we know, the oil palm industry is a very old one with the legislation covering the industry only an extension service legislation. We will have to do more consultation to work on the legislation, policy and framework which is now halfway done,” he said.
Maneke said he was working on a 100-day plan which included developing legislation, a new policy and regulatory framework to drive the industry.
He revealed this yesterday in Parliament, in response to Alotau MP Ricky Morris’s questions about introducing a regulatory framework to protect the rights of workers in the oil palm industry.
“In order to prosper, we really have to see to the legislation, policy and regulation. That is the missing link that we’re working on today,” Maneke said.
Morris noted that oil palm was a major agricultural industry in the country as 83 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s oil palm, was operated by Sime Darby, through New Britain Palm Oil Limited.
“In 2014, the minimum wage was set at K3.50 per hour which was to be reviewed after three years but unfortunately, we have turned a blind eye to this and not adjusted the rate,” he said.
Morris added that the minimum wage determination had also exempted agricultural companies and denied Papua New Guineans who work in the industry.
“The Prime Minister wants to drive the agriculture industry, so we need to motivate and incentivise the people who make this industry work,” he said.
Morris said foreign milling companies had become the default regulators in the industry, leaving the Oil Palm Industry Corporation (OPIC) out of the picture and this was because the body did not have any (legal/regulatory) powers to regulate the industry.
“The industry needs an urgent legal policy framework to govern its operations which are the OPIC Authority Bill and Oil Palm Management Bill,” he said.