Solomon Islands: PACER Plus outcome should be “development-enhancing”
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The Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade is commencing an extensive series of national consultations this week on trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand. A new agreement to replace PACER (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations), commonly referred to as 'PACER Plus' is in the works. The government today issued a press release stating;
In its regional meetings, Solomon Islands has continually emphasised the importance of comprehensive and ongoing national consultations to ensure that it is able to negotiate a PACER Plus outcome that is development-enhancing for the country.
Solomon Islands leaders have long been vocal about their concerns with proposals for the new agreement, which has been years in the making. In 2009 opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare said that
As far as Solomon Islands is concerned, the arrangement would amount to opening up one-way traffic of trade benefits from here to Australia and New Zealand, which in any case is already in favour of these countries without the PLACER-PLUS arrangement,
It has also been Solomon Islands Trade Envoy Robert Sisilo who has been advocating the new trade agreement to include labour mobility for Pacific workers. Labour mobility currently exists between Australia and New Zealand but there is little mobility for workers from the Pacific island nations, countries that often depend on remittances and for whom labour is a significant 'export'. New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme has provided some opportunities, but the scheme is weighted in favour of employers.
The Solomon Islands is stressing the need for PACER Plus consultations, which are taking place between now and August, to be “truly national and inclusive” to ensure that the benefits of a future agreement significantly outweigh the costs and that the country is in a position to take advantage of any trading opportunities arising from the negotiations.
