LOCAL banana exporters would have to wait longer for the reopening of the Australian market for their produce following Biosecurity Australia’s (BA) admission that it could conclude its evaluations by mid-2008.

In its latest policy memorandum, BA said it intends to conduct a thorough review of all the comments submitted by 19 interested parties on the draft import risk analysis which it issued last March 1.

“Biosecurity Australia intends to complete the import risk analysis in a timely fashion, giving full consideration to the issues raised in all submissions,” said BA’s chief executive John Cahill in his memorandum.

“The process of considering stakeholder submissions, eminent scientist review, formal appeal period and final policy determination is likely to be concluded by mid-2008,” the memo read.

BA, an attached agency of the of Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, has earlier set May 30 for the submission of comments on the draft IRA it issued. This deadline, however, was extended to June 29.

The draft IRA could finally allow the re-entry of local bananas which has been barred from entry to Australia due purportedly to the presence of diseases.

The Australian Banana Growers’ (ABGC) Council earlier slammed the draft IRA, saying it is a “huge blow to Australian banana communities.”

BA, with the assistance of an expert IRA team, will now begin preparing a final import risk analysis, “giving careful consideration to the scientific and technical issues raised, and any new science that may  have become available.” The final report will then be reviewed by an independent group of scientists to ensure that all the comments have been properly taken into account. The final report will then be published and BA said it would be open to formal appeal.

“Following any appeal process [and implementation of appeal outcomes, if required] a final report and recommendations will be provided to the Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine, who will then make a quarantine policy determination,” said Cahill.

Local banana producers could have started accessing the Australian market as early as three years ago had it not been for the decision of BA to reverse its favorable IRA report following the aggressive lobbying of the ABGC.

THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee (ICC)-Cabinet Committee (CC) has approved more than P30 billion-worth of new infrastructure projects.

COMBINED fresh investments registered with the Board of Investments (BOI) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) increased by 30 percent to P130 billion in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.

THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWC) will evaluate the viability of extending by at least another 10 years the concession period covering the East Zone as a way of mitigating the impact of tariff adjustments that may arise from new water projects.

LOCAL banana exporters would have to wait longer for the reopening of the Australian market for their produce following Biosecurity Australia’s (BA) admission that it could conclude its evaluations by mid-2008.

THE Korea Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF) is keen on extending a $200-million to $300-million annual Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loan to the Philippines in the next three years.

BRINGING more relief to households from having to pay for higher cooking gas prices, local oil companies over the weekend announced that they have reduced the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to reflect international contract prices this month.