Vanuatu's biosecurity director Timothy Tumukon says he wants an illegal shipment of gravel aggregate from China gone by the weekend.
The gravel is on board a vessel anchored in Port Vila.
It was brought in by a Chinese company contracted to upgrade the runway at Vanuatu's international airport.
But has been banned because of concerns about foot-and-mouth-disease contamination.
The China Civil Engineering and Construction Company earlier said it sourced it from China because there was not enough in the region.
But in a statement released yesterday it is now saying the gravel was never meant to be offloaded in Vanuatu and would be shipped to its other projects in Africa.
Mr Tumukon told Koroi Hawkins he had explicitly told the company in May that Vanuatu would not accept any gravel sourced outside the region.
Photo: 123RF
Transcript
TIMOTHY TUMUKON: My directive is not to land it in Vanuatu.
KOROI HAWKINS: And you reasoning for that is the potential for contamination and the fact that there wasn't any paperwork put together.
TT: No there wasn't any paperwork put together and also the main reasoning is that foot-and-mouth-disease is very prevalent in China and it is something that we are very, very worried about getting into Vanuatu. Having said that my officers have gone on board and seen the products. They [The company] assured us that it was washed. My officers have been on board and seen that the aggregate has not been washed or treated in anyway. Now having said that I am not saying that if it was washed we would have let it in. It still would have been sent back.
KH: And already, with that dishonesty it is again going along the concern that you already have.
TT: Exactly. It is just not, it is very disrespectful to having not obtained proper approval and still gone ahead. Even though we have prior discussions and our instruction to them was that they cannot bring it in. They had to start a discussion with them since May but they have gone ahead and brought the aggregate in without any documentation nor any approval from us.
KH: So not only did they not fill out the proper paperwork, not only did they not clean or wash the gravel in anyway as you say, but they were told by you not to bring it in and that you wouldn't let it in but they did anyway.
TT: Exactly.
KH: Now I would assume that the company has been in touch with you to try and resolve this situation. What is their reasoning for bringing aggregate or gravel all the way from China?
TT: There reasoning is that there is not enough product in the region. They have had a look around in Fiji and New Caledonia and they said they were supplied but it would not be able to be supplied within the given time frame that they have to complete the project. My answer to them was that is rubbish ...inaudible... because you had enough time to have a look around. We have had a discussion with them since May that the possible sources of gravel aggregate in the region was not only in New Caledonia and Fiji but also in New Zealand and Australia they could have had a look there. They have evaded the question that I have posed to them if they have looked in Australia and I am standing by my word that they are suppose to look in the region. Coming back to me to say that they are in the process is not good enough.
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