Quarantine-Free Access To Aust Remain Elusive: Exporters Tell
The Australian authorities are actively seeking to expand a sea container hygiene system in Lautoka Port.
The comment, from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, followed concerns from manufacturers who cried foul over reneging on an earlier agreement.
Sea container hygiene system
In 2018, a sea container hygiene system was introduced in Suva.
However, Australian authorities are implementing yet another new system, which is causing further delay for some sea container exports from Fiji.
According to Australian authorities, the sea container hygience system was designed to enable the majority of containers processed to be exempted from mandatory external container inspection.
The move was to benefit exporters through reduced intervention on external container inspections on arrival into Australia.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the sea container hygiene system was expected to:
■ deliver cost-savings, and
■ reduce container dwell-times on wharf.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) is in charge of the sea container hygiene system, on hebalf of the Australian government.
SunBiz queries to DAWE remained unanswered two weeks before this edition went to print.
In perspective
The holy grail of quarantine-free access to Australia remained elusive for some Fiji manufacturers, businessman and textile exporter, Mike Towler, said.
The promise that the implementation of the sea container hygiene system for export shipments to Australia from Fiji would enable inspection-free entry, remained unfulfilled, he said.
“We continue to get our shipments detained for biosecurity inspection on arrival in Australia,” Mr Towler said.
The implementation of the sea container hygiene system in Suva has not led to any significant gains with market access to Australia by Fiji manufacturers, he said.
“Recently, we experienced a delay of 16 days in Sydney, due to a failure of the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) biosecurity inspection booking system.”
An apology and yet another new system
An apology from Australian authorities also called for feedback to assist in more efficient measures in the inspection booking process.
“I have reviewed the booking process for your entry and acknowledge a longer than usual wait time for your inspection booking,” said Danielle Honey, director Client Contact Group, at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
In her letter to Mr Towler, Ms Honey said: “Review of the entry showed that it was processed, whilst the booking system was changed to the new scheduling workforce management system (SWMS).
“The movement of Request for Inspections from one system to another, took additional time which was unfortunate, but unavoidable.”
A new management system
The scheduling work management system was introduced to bring about efficient and effective deployment of staff at import and export inspections, Ms Honey said.
The system was introduced for importers and the department to:
■ better monitor inspection bookings,
■ avoid the loss of booking information, and
■create efficiencies in the utilisation of inspectors across large areas.
“Whilst there has been a period of adjustment during our deployment, the department appreciates the patience and support of our stakeholders as we introduce the new system,” Ms Honey said.