THE inclusion of the Lautoka Port in the Sea Container Hygiene System (SCHS) means good news for Fijian exporters to Australia.
A press statement by the Australian High Commission in Suva said the initiative was a win for business because it would reduce delays and costs for exports from Lautoka.
Under the SCHS, sea containers are cleaned at recognised SCHS facilities prior to them being transported to the port for hygienic storage until they were loaded in accordance with required protocols.
With ongoing compliance, external sea container inspections on arrival could reduce to as low as 5 per cent, resulting in cost savings for Fijian businesses and faster movement of containers at ports.
Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) CEO Michael Bartlett welcomed the announcement.
“BAF has been working hard over the last few years to extend the SCHS to Lautoka Port and improve processes for exporters.,” he said.
“The SCHS has already been successfully implemented at the Port of Suva. High compliance has resulted in container inspections into Australia under the system being reduced by 95 per cent in recent years.
“This has led to reduced costs for Fijian exporters. We’re pleased to extend these benefits to the Port of Lautoka. BAF will continue to work with the Australian Government to explore new ways to facilitate trade, while managing biosecurity risks.”
Australia’s Charge d’Affaires in Fiji, Stuart Watts, said an important element of the Vuvale Partnership was supporting increased trade between Australia and Fiji.
“This is a practical example of an improvement, enabling high-quality Fijian exports to get on to Australian shelves more quickly, and with lower costs to exporters,” he said.
“We congratulate the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji and port authorities for all their hard work to secure this accreditation.”
Fiji Australia Business Council president Vera Chute also welcomed the announcement, saying the council had been advocating for improvements to container processing times for Fijian exports.
The SCHS is a voluntary biosecurity agreement developed by industry in collaboration with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries.
