By Nadia Marai in Port Moresby

The Ox and Palm ‘trade war’, as it has been referred to by regional news outlets, between Papua New Guinea and Fiji was heightened this week with PNG’s Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry saying Fiji lied about the products biosecurity risks.

While addressing Parliament on Monday Maru said, “I have confirmed in writing from the National Agriculture Quarantine & Inspection Authority (NAQIA) that there are no biosecurity risks, if there is, the Fijian government has never communicated such finding.’’

According to regional news reports the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) claimed PNG’s Ox and Palm was a biosecurity risk.

However, Maru said the NAQIA of Papua New Guinea has revealed that Fiji does not have an established biosecurity pathway (or import protocol) for PNG’s Ox & Palm so there is no real biosecurity threat to Fiji.

Loop PNG reported that Fiji’s biosecurity risks and therefore ban on Ox and Palm into the country is only a “cover” to  stop competition with Fiji’s Island Beef brand.

Agreements breached

“In our view Fiji breached some of the international agreements, including the World trade Organisation (WTO) agreements and MSG TA2 agreements,” said Maru.

He said PNG would not be tolerating such impediments to trade.

“Fiji has been very unfair in its trade practices and the government will not tolerate this anymore. We are going to put our foot down and take them to the appropriate forums to deal with Fiji.”

It has been almost two-weeks since PNG’s looming ultimatum to Fiji to respond to the issue.

• Pacific trade war looms as PNG warns Fiji to shape up

Papua New Guinea has threatened to stop trading with Fiji because of “unnecessary” trade restrictions on PNG products.

Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru has warned Fiji that it should expect “a serious trade war” if it fails to explain satisfactorily why it is refusing to allow PNG products to the country.

The products include PNG’s corned beef brand Ox & Palm and Trukai Rice.

“Over the last 10 years, [trade] ministers before me had tried their best to push Fiji to remove the ban on Ox and Palm and Trukai,’’ Maru said.

“This never eventuated, now is the time to take action’’.

Last year, PNG exported K16.6 million (NZ$7.2 million) worth of products to Fiji. It imported K52.2 million (NZ$22.9 million) worth of Fiji goods –a trade deficit of K35.60 million (NZ$15.6 million).

In 2014, PNG exported K4.4 million (NZ$1.93 million) worth of goods to Fiji while importing K48. 6 million (NZ$21.3 million).

Three months ago, Maru wrote to Fiji’s minister for tourism, trade and industry seeking clarification on the restrictions. No response was received.

‘No show’
“Also at the Melanesian Spearhead Group trade ministers meeting this year in Port Vila, I had arranged a meeting with the [Fiji] minister but he failed to show up,” Maru said.

“I was told by one of the officials later that they had received my later and they will respond as soon as possible, but this had no eventuated.”

Minister Maru said PNG had allowed Fiji to have an increase in trade with PNG for a long time and trade volumes were increasing for Fiji.

“We have allowed Fiji to have a long trade surplus with PNG for a long time and trade volumes are increasing. It’s not about the volume – it’s the principle.

“If you want to come and enjoy our open market you must do the same to us.’’

He said the PNG government would again write to Fiji’s minister for tourism, trade and industry “expressing our concerns”.

PNG is now giving Fiji 14 days to respond or a full trade war will be declared in the coming weeks.

Nadia Marai is a final-year student journalist from the University of Papua New Guinea. She visited New Zealand earlier this year on a Pacific Cooperation Foundation exchange.

About 10ha of land has been allocated to West Papuan refugees to resettle at Red Hills in the Papua New Guinean capital Port Moresby suburb of Gerehu.

The land was secured through consultations between the traditional land owners, the West Papua Relief Association and the National Capital District Commission with the assistance of NCD Governor Powes Parkop.

Governor Parkop, long a supporter of West Papuan issues stretching back to when he was a lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea, said NCDC was implementing a government decision made in 2010 to resettle the refugees.

The West Papua Relief Association has been working to resettle all West Papuan communities living around Port Moresby and to later consider ways to settle other refugees living outside capital and in other provinces.

The association won approval from NCD Commission on 20 December 2013 for the resettlement.

Most West Papuans have been living in Port Moresby for decades but without land rights.

They have previously faced eviction from their places of residence.

More than 200 West Papuan families who have lived in various locations are Port Moresby will now live in these allocated land.

They now have a proper and permanent place to settle but with the little they have, they have appealed to the government and NGOs to step in and help them buy building materials to construct homes.

They also plan to build a school and a church which will help build and strengthen the community.

• West Papuan refugees in PNG: On way to citizenship?

Since the termination of the academic year at the University of Papua New Guinea earlier this month most students have left Waigani campus and returned to their home provinces.

Others have remained in the capital of Port Moresby to look for part-time employment to help themselves and their families with living costs as confusion still mars the academic year.

The UPNG administration has advised all 2016-registered students to re-enrol next year.

The 2016 year was cancelled after two months of protests and class boycotts by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who decisively won a no-confidence vote earlier this week.

A revised 2017 re-enrolment form will be made available online on the UPNG website for continuing and first year students to re-enrol, university sources said.

Currently on the ground students have been turned away at the university’s main entrance gate and have not been allowed access into the campus.

Student queries
A few of the non-academic staff and administration officers have been attending to students’ queries at the university’s drill hall.

Most students have complained about the approach by the administration to not allow students back in to complete their clearance and sort out the necessary paper work.

The students are also seeking information about re-enrolling next year as most are still confused over whether they will need to re-apply, re-enrol and what procedures they will need to follow for returning next year to continue their studies.

In contrast, the University of Technology in Lae, Morobe Province, will not close.

The university management decided to continue to see its academic year right through to December.

Classes are expected to resume on August 29.

Unitech’s chancellor, Sir Albert Nagora Bogan, and vice-chancellor, Dr Albert Schram, said in an announcement that the commencement date was a tentative one pending the approval of the academic board.

‘’With the resumption on August 29, another K8 million will be spent, which has not been budgeted for,’’ the statement said.

Unitech’s administration is adamant that classes will resume and the academic year will continue.

UPNG abandons 2016 academic year

Media staff have been threatened and harassed by supporters of Western Province Governor Ati Wobiro, provincial administrator Madowa Gumoi and Fly Care Foundation chairman Norman May, drawing protests over a free press.

The three co-accused were found guilty of conspiring to misappropriate public funds, fraud and abuse of office by the National Court on Tuesday.

The media staff from the Post-Courier, The National and PNG Loop were at the Supreme and National court at Waigani yesterday when the three lost their bail application and were transferred to Bomana prison near the capital of Port Moresby.

The media staff, including two journalists and Post-Courier chief photographer Tarami Legei, were threatened by supporters of the co-accused when Legei started taking pictures of them in the prison vehicle.

The supporters threatened the photographer and tried to strip him of his camera but were stopped by court security guards.

The supporters verbally abused the journalists, saying their governor was “not a thief”.

The reporters told the supporters of the co-accused that they were just doing their job but they were still being intimidated by the crowd.

The police arrived later but the assailants had already fled the scene.

Media Council protest
The Media Council of Papua New Guinea made a statement today, condemning the attack on the newsmen.

Council president Alexander Rheeney, who is also editor in chief of the Post-Courier, urged the public to respect the role of journalists and photographers in Papua New Guinea.

“The harassment and attacks directed at the media personnel at the court precinct on Wednesday were unwarranted and unacceptable,” he said in the statement.

“The Media Council of PNG condemns the actions of those who do not seem to understand the role of the media, especially the need for the media to ensure leaders, including politicians, are accountable to their constituencies and are transparent in the eyes of the people.”

Rheeney thanked the court security and the police for their quick action.

Two women journalists were threatened and abused in Papua New Guinea during recent protests by university students calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neil to step down as Prime minister.

One of the journalists was abused and threatened by police officers when she was at a police station asking questions, the other was threatened and kicked when police opened fire on University of Papua New Guinea’s students on June 8 to break up a peaceful protest.

Earlier Media Council of PNG protest