Tuvalu customs transformation success
Tuvalu has made significant strides in improving its customs processes with the support of PACER Plus. With the introduction of the ASYCUDA World system, Tuvalu has transformed how it manages customs. Ms. Sania Teisini (middle), Director of Tuvalu’s Department of Revenue and Customs. “What used to take days to assess and clear customs entries now takes less than 24 hours,” Ms. Sania Teisini, Director of Tuvalu’s Department of Revenue and Customs explained. ASYCUDA World has also enhanced transparency and accuracy, proving clear, detailed records of transactions. Implementing this system required legislative updates, which PACER Plus supported through national consultations. Additionally, PACER Plus supported customs staff training in the harmonised system and Rules of Origin, boosting their expertise and operational capacity. Aerial view of Tuvalu. With ASYCUDA World, Tuvalu has surpassed its revenue targets by nine percent, collecting AU$12 million in 2023. “PACER Plus has been immensely beneficial for Tuvalu and her people,” said Ms. Teisini. “It’s always a comfort to know that PACER Plus is always there.” -ENDS- More articles like this one
PACER Plus Boosts Tuvalu’s Tourism Development
FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu – The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) supported the development of Tuvalu’s tourism sector through a capacity building initiative aimed at improving skills of accommodation service, food and beverage service staff, and the business owners active in the industry. Tuvalu’s Department of Tourism with the support of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) has delivered the Tuvalu Tourism Development Training which aims to enhance the quality of standards in professional housekeeping, culinary skills, and hospitality management, strengthening the tourism industry’s contribution to the country’s GDP and national development. The Tuvalu Tourism Department, in partnership with the PPIU, organised a Tourism Industry Roundtable to explore the potential for growth and development in Tuvalu’s tourism sector. Tuvalu recognizes the importance of tourism in achieving its national vision of “A Peaceful, Resilient, and Prosperous Tuvalu”. The initiative aligns with Tuvalu’s National Development Strategy Te Kete 2021-2031 and the Tuvalu Sustainable Tourism Policy 2022-2032, both emphasizing the role of tourism in job creation, income generation, and skill development. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in Tuvalu had been steadily growing, with increasing visitor numbers and tourism receipts. In 2019, tourism earnings accounted for an estimated 5.6 per cent of the country’s GDP, providing employment opportunities for the people of Tuvalu. With the launch of the PACER Plus Tuvalu Tourism Development Training, Tuvalu aims to further harness the potential of its tourism sector. Mrs. Silaati Timo, Acting CEO of the Ministry of Transport, Energy, and Tourism, expressed her optimism about the training, stating: “Tourism has always been a significant contributor to our economy, providing employment opportunities and fostering growth across various sectors. With the support of PACER Plus, we can further enhance our tourism offerings, improve our service quality, and create a sustainable industry that benefits all Tuvaluans.” The program’s emphasis on professional standards and skills training resonates with industry experts. Mr. Joe Lam, a culinary trainer and Samoan chef, expressed his support, saying: “The training will be instrumental in uplifting the skills of the local entrepreneurs and employees in the tourism and hospitality sector.” Mr. Horace Evans, culinary trainer and Samoan chef, agreed: “By equipping them with the necessary knowledge and expertise, we can unlock their potential for innovation and entrepreneurship, ensuring a vibrant tourism industry.” Culinary trainer and chef Horace Evans (far left) with the staff of L’s Lodge in Funafuti, Tuvalu. Ms. Kate Payne, Professional Housekeeping Trainer, also shared her thoughts on the training, saying: “Quality and standards play a critical role in the success of any tourism sector. By investing in the training and upskilling of the tourism workforce, Tuvalu will be better equipped to meet international standards and exceed visitor expectations.” The PACER Plus Tuvalu Tourism Development Training aligns with the country’s broader national policies and strategies, including the Tuvalu National Trade Development Strategy 2022-2026, which identifies tourism as a priority growth sector. By integrating tourism into national supply chains and strengthening hospitality training domestically, Tuvalu aims to expand its market reach and promote investment in the tourism sector. -END- More articles like this one
Bridging the Gender Gap in Agriculture
How Electronic Phytosanitary is Empowering Women in the Pacific The electronic phytosanitary certification system, also known as ePhyto, is a technological innovation that is making a significant contribution to gender equality in trade. This digital platform facilitates the certification of plant and food products by eliminating physical paperwork, reducing processing time, and enabling real-time tracking of certification status. One of the critical ways in which ePhyto supports gender equality is by enabling women to participate more fully in international trade. In many countries, women are traditionally excluded from trade-related activities due to cultural and social barriers. However, ePhyto has made it easier for Pacific women to access and participate in the export market by simplifying the certification process and making it more accessible. ePhyto removes the need for Pacific women to travel to and attend to government offices to complete phytosanitary paperwork each time they export/import. This system reduces time burdens, eliminates need to travel, and allows for online activities to be done at a time convenient to women. This system substantially supports Pacific women in engaging fully in trade. The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) has been a crucial driver of ePhyto’s implementation in the Pacific region. PACER Plus is a unique trade agreement that aims to promote sustainable economic development in the Pacific by improving access to international markets. By supporting the adoption of ePhyto, PACER Plus is assisting member parties to increase their competitiveness in international trade while also promoting gender equality. Since September 2022, PACER Plus Implementation Unit provided training to a total of 123 biosecurity officials and exporters from seven member parties: Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu. However, plans to involve stakeholders in Vanuatu, the latest Pacific country to ratify the agreement, have been delayed due to Cyclone Judy and Cyclone Kevin that hit the country this month. Out of all the participants who received training, 42 per cent are women. May Schaaf Vi, Manager Operations for Hihifo Foods, attended the PACER Plus ePhyto Training in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. “In my past experiences, the manual phyto certification generally takes a day or two to process. With ePhyto, processing the certificates will almost be instant which would assist us greatly in exporting and importing goods,” said Ms. Vi. ePhyto is a technological innovation that is having a significant impact on promoting gender equality in the Pacific. By simplifying the certification process and eliminating gender-based barriers to trade, ePhyto is enabling more Pacific women to participate in international trade and access new economic opportunities. More articles like this one
PACER Plus releases four-year Strategic Plan
The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) today released its inaugural Strategic Plan 2022-2025 which provides the public with the PPIU’s overarching mission and activities. The Strategic Plan was endorsed by the PACER Plus Joint Committee which consists of representatives of the PACER Plus parties. The Strategic Plan was developed on the substantial work undertaken by PACER Plus parties in accordance with PPIU’s foundation documents. Kiribati, which chaired the Joint Committee meeting held virtually on Wednesday 22 June, encouraged the parties to take a collective response in identifying opportunities that will bring significant and sustainable benefits as the region grapples with the ongoing impact of climate change, non-communicable diseases, and COVID-19. “PACER Plus provides us with a unique opportunity and forum to respond collectively. It is also an opportunity to do things differently and to leverage our collective knowledge and expertise to achieve our shared vision of improving the livelihood and welfare of our people,” said Hon Bootii Nauan, Kiribati’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative. Roy Lagolago, Head of the PPIU, supported Mr Nauan’s sentiments adding that PPIU will implement the Development and Economic Cooperation Work Programme to achieve the Agreement’s vision. “By delivering the implementation activities as mutually prioritised and determined by the parties, the PPIU will remain directed and clear in our mission and intent to ensure that everyone will benefit from the PACER Plus Agreement,” said Mr Lagolago. Solomon Islands Trade Commissioner Barrett Salato said: “To achieve meaningful benefits from PACER Plus Agreement would require full and effective implementation of the Development and Economic Work Programme. The Strategic Plan 2022-2025 sets the pathway for the full realization of those benefits.” PACER Plus is a regional development-centered trade and investment agreement aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Agreement is designed to support Pacific Island countries to stimulate economic growth by becoming more active partners in, and benefit from, regional and global trade. Nine countries are currently parties to the Agreement: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu. This was Tuvalu’s first Joint Committee meeting since ratifying the PACER Plus Agreement in January 2022. “Through PACER Plus, Tuvalu foresees accessing new labour markets in other countries, expanding of our labour seasonal worker scheme, local product mapping, value adding and potential exporting, including necessary storage facilities, equipment and labs for processing and testing of local product prior exportation,” said Loloma Homasi, Assistant Secretary to Tuvalu’s Ministry of Fisheries and Trade. Vanuatu’s parliament recently voted in favour for the ratification of the Bill for the PACER Plus Agreement which will make Vanuatu the 10th country to endorse PACER Plus. Vanuatu’s Department of External Trade director, Joe Pakoa Lui, was present at the PACER Plus Joint Committee meeting. “We’re excited to join the PACER Plus family and to collaborate with the PPIU and the parties to implement activities in Vanuatu that would benefit our people and our communities,” said Mr Lui. “PACER Plus marks an exciting new era for Pacific cooperation in trade and investment which Vanuatu is looking forward to participate in.” To view the PPIU Strategic Plan 2022-2025, please visit pacerplus.org/resources or click on the link below. PACER-Plus-Implementation-Unit-Strategic-Plan-2022-2025 -ENDS- Caption: The PACER Plus Joint Committee Meeting, which consists of representatives of the PACER Plus parties, was held virtually on Wednesday, 22 June 2022. More articles like this one
PPIU partners with SPTO to strengthen capacity building
The Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) and Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Implementation Unit or the PPIU have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster a collaborative partnership that will benefit both organizations and their stakeholders. With its extensive knowledge and experience centred in trade and investment aligning itself to the Sustainable Development Goals, PPIU supports Pacific Island countries to implement activities under the PACER Plus Agreement, stimulating economic growth and sustainable development in the Pacific. Both regional organisations SPTO and PACER Plus will benefit from knowledge sharing and best partnership experiences under the MoU. A key objective of this partnership is that PACER Plus Implementation Unit and SPTO will collaborate to advocate and respond to issues and opportunities that support the development and sustainable growth of the tourism industry in the Pacific. The PACER Plus Implementation Unit will manage and deliver the Development and Economic Cooperation Work Programme that will support Pacific PACER Plus members to strengthen their capacity to benefit from regional trade, economic growth, and sustainable development. Head of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit Mr. Roy Lagolago commended the MoU with SPTO, adding this was an important step in a partnership agreement between two major regional organisations in a time when collaboration and sharing of knowledge was more important than ever. Similarly, SPTO Chief Executive, Mr. Christopher Cocker, emphasized the importance of building partnerships to effectively address common challenges. “We are very excited to work with the PACER Plus Implementation Unit to develop a partnership framework, bringing together our resources and experiences for the benefit of our respective member countries. “To partner and collaborate with an established regional body like the PPIU is crucial particularly when working towards recovery in the tourism industry post the global pandemic. A collaboration with like-minded partners is critical for SPTO and our member countries to drive tourism’s recovery and ensure resilience in the long run”, said Mr. Cocker. -END- Caption: The partnership will respond to issues that support the growth of the tourism industry in the Pacific. (Photo: Samoa Tourism). More articles like this one
Tuvalu ratifies PACER Plus
Tuvalu Prime Minister Hon Kausea Natano today signed the Tuvalu Instrument of Ratification for the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus). PACER Plus is a regional development-centered trade and investment agreement aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Agreement is designed to support Pacific Island countries to stimulate economic growth by becoming more active partners in, and benefit from, regional and global trade. Mr Natano said that the Tuvalu Government was pleased to finally ratify the PACER Plus Agreement today. “Tuvalu has actively participated in the discussions and negotiations of this Agreement over the years to ensure that it best serves our interests. This important Agreement would encourage economic development in Tuvalu and would greatly benefit our communities. The Agreement’s tariff reductions will lower costs for Tuvalu consumers and businesses, increasing economic activity and, therefore, benefiting our people,” he said. “We’ve worked closely with Mr. Roy Lagolago and his team at the PACER Plus Implementation Unit in Apia, Samoa over the past few months to ensure that Tuvalu is ready to benefit from the opportunities that PACER Plus has to offer Tuvalu,” said Mr Natano. Present at the event via video from Samoa was the Head of PACER Plus Implementation Unit, Mr. Roy Lagolago: “The PACER Plus Agreement is unique compared to other agreements in the region. Unique in that a dedicated Secretariat has been set up to assist and support countries to implement activities under the Agreement. Ratifying the Agreement is the easy part, the challenge for Tuvalu now is to implement activities to make the most of the opportunities that this Agreement has to offer. We at the PACER Plus Implementation Unit stand ready to support Tuvalu and region towards that goal.” Eight countries are currently Parties to the Agreement: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga. Tuvalu is now the ninth signatory of PACER Plus to ratify the Agreement since it came into force on 13 December 2020. Download as PDF document More articles like this one