SIXTEEN trade policy officials from the public and private sectors will travel to Australia for a four-week training programme to strengthen national trade capacity.
They will attend the Australia-PNG international training programme organised by the University of Adelaide Institute for International Trade, with support from the PNG-Australia Partnership.
The programme was designed to build practical knowledge and skills in key areas such as the legal and regulatory foundations of international trade, tariff negotiations, and effective participation in global trade forums.
It would also focus on trade facilitation for small-medium enterprises (SMEs) and the role of trade in advancing women’s economic empowerment.
It would include workshops, mentoring and site visits in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Mary Mistil Jerry, a Government business liaison officer with the Business Council of PNG, said the training was already shaping her perspective on trade policy.
“The preparatory training so far has been insightful and strengthening my understanding of international trade processes and policy engagement,” she said.
Jerry was looking forward to gaining practical exposure in Australia and building networks to support her role in facilitating dialogue between the Government and the private sector.
“I hope to apply these learnings to contribute to more effective trade participation and economic growth in PNG.”
Bartholomew Na’ata, from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, also part of the cohort, hoped to “better understand current trade barriers and how to overcome them so our rural SMEs can have a genuine pathway to international markets”.
