Beche-de-mer tax in PNG upsets fisheries group

9:55 am on 4 December 2018

A tax on beche-de-mer in Papua New Guinea has been likened to "killing the goose with the golden egg".

The new tax is $US4.60 per kilogramme.

The Post Courier quoted the chairman of the Morobe Primary Producers' Cooperative Association, Reuben Yapi, as saying exporting beche-de-mer is an excellent economic platform.

He said government policies should support and inspire small fishermen on how to improve the activity, instead of ripping them off.

The association caters for 509 registered co-operative groups in the province, with 115,000 members involved in cocoa, coffee, fishery, fresh produce, poultry, cattle and piggery operations.

Mr Yapi said government policies should ensure primary producers were empowered.

beche-de-mer

Beche-de-mer Photo: Flickr/ John Turnbull

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