PNG, Australia sign agreement to review forestry sector

Papua New Guinea’s Forest Authority (PNGFA) has successfully signed a cooperative memorandum of understanding with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to review and reform the forestry sector.

Forestry Minister Salio Waipo said with the re-signing of the MoU in Canberra on February 17, both governments are embarking on transforming the sector and fostering greater cooperative collaboration on common shared values of promoting economic development in the region.

He said he commends the PNGFA management and board on successfully negotiating and agreeing to key platforms to reform the forest sector.

“Specifically, the forestry legislative reviews, reviewing the regulatory framework for forest carbon, technical advice to promote downstream processing and market access to Australia, building capacity to establish promote the advancement of timber testing and new forest products as a result of increasing technical support to Forest Research Institute, among others,” he said.

“The MoU is a partnership understanding between PNGFA and the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry which will promote, strengthen and implement the joint decision of both partners to maintain close cooperation to support the advancement of the forestry sector and the forest industries of Australia and PNG.”  Waipo said the MoU is the start of a greater reform for the forest sector in years to come.

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