LAUNCH OF FIJI EPHYTOS ENHANCED SERVICES
Over the past 11 months, GFA implemented a project in Fiji to improve the ePhyto system and roll out ePhyto certificates nationwide. The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (Alliance) funded the project and carried it out with the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji.
ePhyto stands for electronic phytosanitary certificate, which is needed to prove that exported and imported plants and plant products meet the requirements of the recipient country. Until now, these certificates were printed on paper and physically sent to the receiving country. Introducing the ePhyto will save significant time and money for inspectors, biosecurity officers, and importing and exporting companies. Ultimately, this project will facilitate trade between Fiji and other countries.
The successful launch of the ePhyto system was celebrated at an event at the end of March, attended by representatives from the Fijian private sector, the Alliance, the Fijian Ministry of Trade, the United States Department for Agriculture, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the World Bank. As Fiji is the first country in the Pacific region to introduce the ePhyto system, the event was widely covered in the Fijian media, including in Fiji’s largest newspaper, the Fiji Times.