Quality control can boost export, says Maru

A QUALITY testing centre should be established in Papua New Guinea to improve standards for exported products, Minister of National Planning and Monitoring Richard Maru says.
Maru said that this would also improve the quality of other products that had the potential to be exported to Europe.
“In my last role as trade minister, we have been negotiating with the European Union to establish a quality-testing centre in the country,” Maru said.
“We need to have an independent testing centre in  the country so we can test all our products to ensure that they meet European standards.
“I would like to see the centre established in one of our universities so that our young student scientists can understand the standards and be trained to develop our products to that standard so we can access European markets without problems.”
EU Ambassador Ioannis Giogkarakis-Argyropuolos said EU’s import standards was an opportunity for Papua New Guinea to “improve the quality” of its exports.
“Under our Economic Partnership Agreement, Europe provides quota free and duty free access to all Papua New Guinea products.
“The European Union is a market of 500 million consumers and they are demanding in terms of standards and it is competitive. I believe that this an opportunity for Papua New Guinea to improve the standard of our exports quality.”