Reporter

THE reopening of Australia’s market to Philippine cavendish bananas will have to wait a little longer as the Eminent Scientists Group (ESG) would need to review the revised draft import risk analysis (IRA) on the importation of local bananas recently completed by Biosecurity Australia (BA).

                BA said in its latest status report that the ESG has until 60 days to review the draft report.

                In its report, BA said the role of the ESG is to ensure that the Australian agency has taken stakeholder comments “properly” into account in finalizing the risk analysis and policy recommendations. BA said it would take the recommendations of the ESG into account in producing a final IRA report, but the report will still 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.

                BA was assisted by an external IRA team in completing the revised draft IRA report for the importation of cavendish bananas from the Philippines.  The agency under the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry  said the revised draft IRA took into consideration the 21 submissions from various stakeholders.

                In March 2007, Canberra   released its revised draft  IRA for bananas from the Philippines. The issuance of the draft IRA was anticipated to pave the way for the re-entry of local bananas to Australia, subject to a number of quarantine measures.

                The Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC), in a statement, slammed the draft report of BA, saying it is “a huge blow to Australian banana communities.”

                ABGC Imports Committee chairman Len Collins said the March 2007 report recognizes that it is an absolute certainty that Australia will face an outbreak of the diseases black sigatoka and freckle if imports are allowed without effective quarantine conditions.

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

                BA recanted the IRA it issued on February 19, 2004, saying it discovered “statistical errors” in its risk-estimation model.

                The local banana industry exported $350 million worth of fresh bananas to several foreign markets in 2005.

BOI to consult foreign chambers over new foreign investment negative list

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Contractors get govt assurance on cost adjustments in state projects

THE government has now given contractors for state projects a guarantee that cost adjustments can now be made for projects whenever extraordinary inflation affects projects.

97% of patents granted in RP belong to foreign applicants

FOREIGN companies are still the ones are taking advantage of patent protection in the country due to the lack of awareness on the intellectual property system among Filipinos.

DOE has yet to convert Forum Energy’s GSEC 101 into service contract

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Mactan international airport’s terminal building to be upgraded to increase capacity

THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport is embarking on a P300-million renovation and upgrading of its lone terminal building in order to increase its capacity and improve services.

Damaged transformers in Bulacan now being replaced by Transco

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Scientists’ review of draft import risk analysis delays reopening of Aussie market to RP cavendish bananas

THE reopening of Australia’s market to Philippine cavendish bananas will have to wait a little longer as the Eminent Scientists Group (ESG) would need to review the revised draft import risk analysis (IRA) on the importation of local bananas recently completed by Biosecurity Australia (BA).

Fiber devt agency to propagate abaca growing in Cordilleras

BAGUIO CITY—The Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) has made Baguio its new home, launching its office here last week after moving central operations from San Fernando, La Union.

Transformer in Mindanao geothermal power plant down–EDC

GEOTHERMAL giant Energy Development Corp. (EDC), formerly Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC), reported Tuesday that the 75 megavolt-ampere (MVA) transformer at the Mindanao I Geothermal power plant has been damaged.