The New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser says his Government is fully supportive of the Pacific Island countries request for independent advice on a proposed deal in free trade in goods and services involving New Zealand and Australia.
The Solomon Islands Director of Trade, Heinz Vaekesa, last month criticised Australia and New Zealand for their unwillingness to fully fund a regional chief trade adviser and was stifling support from other donors.
The South Pacific Organisation of Councils of Trade Unions, SPOCTU, is also critical.
But Mr Groser says New Zealand and Australia are very committed to advancing the island countries economic development, and are very open to helping with funding for independent advice, but he says the island countries' plans for massive bureaucracy are unsustainable.
"What we feel deeply uncomfortable about is trying to create some vast trade bureaucracy that is going to take ten years to negotiate agreement. Oh we don't want to do that, What we want to do is over a 20 or 30 year period provide them economic development assistance... so the two got a bit confused."
