Starting next week Tuesday, Jul 11 to Friday, July 14, 2023 in Lae, Morobe province the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) will host a four-day workshop where stakeholders from Government, private sector and donor government and agencies will congregate to finalize the framework and construction of the country’s first since decolonization, Biosecurity Bill.
“It will be a historical event signifying another leap turn in our journey since Independence,” says NAQIA managing director, Mr. Joel Alu.
Agriculture Minister and Goroka MP, Hon. Aiye Tambua will open the work shop on Tuesday. He is determined to bring the bill to Parliament for enactment sooner rather than later.
In April, 2020 Prime Minister, James Marape tasked NAQIA to undertake and develop a biosecurity policy for the country taking into consideration socio-economic development agenda and PNG’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity including unique flora and fauna.
Following this, a Biosecurity Policy Stakeholders Consultation conference was held at the Forest Research Institute in Lae between 7-8th September in 2021 where over 200 participants from the Northern and Highlands regions comprising reps from both government and private sectors as well as reps from donor governments and international agencies congregated and laid the framework for the biosecurity policy.
Similar Consultation Conferences were later held for the Southern and New Guinea Islands regions respectively that year.
Within a short nine (9) months period, the NAQIA team were able to officially launch the country’s first-ever Biosecurity Policy 2022-2032 in Port Moresby on June 26 last year, a notably hectic period when the country was going through the 11th National General Elections.
Twelve (12) months on and this biosecurity policy is now set to be finalized in Lae into the construct of a Biosecurity Bill (legislation) to go before Parliament for enactment.
Since taking office on May 30, 2019, Prime Minister James Marape’s government has passed about 150 amendments and legislations
