Experiences of Papua New Guinea and other

Pacific Island Countries in leveraging resources

for Risk Assessments

SIDNEY SUMA, Developing Country Expert

Papua New Guinea

Undertaking Risk Assessments

RAs are predominately undertaken by the Biosecurity or Quarantine Authority of the

Ministry of Agriculture

Agriculture and Public (Environmental) Health personal do separate RA on Food Safety but

may undertake joint verification visit

Ministry of Environment, Forestry and other entities such as industry groups may participate

or assist in the RA, e.g. Oil Palm, Cocoa, Coffee Industry

Types of Resource Constraints associated with

Risk Assessments

Three main resource constraints are:

(i) Financial,

(ii) Technical capacity including human resources, facilities and utilities,

(iii) Accessibility and exchange of both official and useful information.

Leveraging resources for RA - Financial

Implementation of cost recovery or user-pay policy for RA and related costs

Donor funded projects

Import Permit Applications/Market Access request (keep cost down by the

interested party undertaking most for preliminary work)

Leveraging Resources - Technical

Market Access Applications

Donor funded bilateral or regional projects with RA components or activities

Regional organization project, e.g. PAPP, Regional fruit fly programme

Use of Training opportunities to undertake RA, e.g. IMPEXTEK program of SPC,

Container Hygiene, Regional Fruit Fly Program, PHAMA, RTFP, etc

Use of RA models developed by other technical bodies, use of CABI PRA

module, PPPO regional PRA model

Use of technical expertise from the private, NGOs, or industry bodies, e.g.

PNG-OPRA, CIC, CCIL, NARI and others

Leveraging resources - Information

Use of RA reports of RA conducted by third parties…e.g, taro mite PR,

Newcastle disease, invasive ants, Newcastle of poultry, etc.

Membership or accessibility of professional societies, technical sharing and

information exchange networks, APPS, AES, PestNet, CABI, ISSG, Aliens-L, PII

ProMed, etc…

Information generated from regional projects and surveillance activities, Fruit

fly project, Avian Influenza, PAPP, etc…

Market Access submissions

Challenges

Policy and Regulatory support – all RA done by entities other the competent authority need CA approval

Current laws don’t necessary support or provide a mechanism for third party RAs

Lack of inter-agency coordination and cooperation

Reluctance of the CA to engage the stakeholders – limited consultation and participation

Increasing trade volumes

Inadequate documented procedures

Difficulties or undue pleasure in applying user-pay policy

Lessons learnt

Any form or level of RA is better than no RA

Prior approval or permission from the CA before undertaking or considering

third party RA is crucial.

Use of training of opportunities to undertake real RA

Application of user-pay policy

Thank you

Inputs of colleagues in PNG and Solomon Islands

Photograph credits to SPC-Land Resources Division