Vendors, producers receive training

ABOUT 40 vendors and producers of locally made handicraft using natural material in East New Britain have been urged to sell products that meet Australian and New Zealand quarantine requirements.
ENB is the first province to start training key people producing and selling baskets, carvings, jewellery, bilums, mats and other handicraft sold directly to tourists.
This culminates from the launch of a country guide in Port Moresby last month.
Maku Gifts, in partnership with the ENB Tourism Authority, are hosting the training funded and conducted by Phama (Pacific Horticultural and Agriculture Market Access) programme.
Phama country manager Sidney Suma said the training was to help vendors increase their sales, with Phama to assist in meeting quarantine requirements.
He told trainees that every item that reached the border should go through thorough inspection
“Goods need to be declared and if not, you can face the law which attracts a penalty of A$200  (about K500) at the border or higher,” Suma said. Phama has produced and released a quarantine video, which will be shown on cruise ships.
The same message on the video will be issued at ports like Rabaul and Alotau.
“If you are selling items to tourists, tell them to declare it when they enter Australia,” Suma told the vendors.
The training is in response to the need to improve local products at the craft markets, tour sites and street markets, and quarantine risk-free for tourists on cruise ships.