The Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimanra speaking at the Trade and Investment Mission to PNG earlier last week. Photo: MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
By MAIKA BOLATIKI
Fiji and Papua New Guinea Prime Ministers, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama and Peter O’Neill have agreed to stop the reliance on importing goods from Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking earlier this week during the Trade and Investment dinner at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby Commodore Bainima said: “We have the capabilities to build on our own businesses and create new opportunities.
“My government shares the same vision as PNG. We must no longer allow our people to be subjected to pay enormous prices for goods when sitting here in this room are possible manufacturers and producers for the same goods that we import.
“We both must stop our reliance on importing goods from Australia and New Zealand.”
The Prime Minister said both countries had agreed to create opportunities to boost trade, improve infrastructure and provide employment opportunities.
“At the same time we must work towards the empowerment of ordinary citizens as we cannot move for change if our ordinary citizens are left behind.”
Prime Minister O’Neill in supporting his Fiji counterpart said that it was time the two countries act to stop this reliance that had been going for years.
He said that the opportunity for talks provided by the Fiji Trade and Investment Seminar for business representatives should pave the way for more two-way investments.
PNG has taken the lead with the success of its LNG project which is now 80 per cent complete and would be able to deliver gas to customers from Japan, China and Taiwan.
PNG Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Richard Maru said that this would prove beyond all doubt that the Government of PNG could deliver world class projects.
The Prime Minister said it was time that PNG and Fiji be united in getting Australia and New Zealand products out of their way .