Import Health Standard Funding & Management System

Contents

Change in 2011

From July 2011, prioritisation of requests for import health standards work has been converted to a continuous process from a 2-yearly one.

Introduction

This document outlines the funding and management system for biosecurity import health standards. It is intended to help applicants requesting import health standard development work.

The import health standard funding and management system

MAF introduced the import health funding and management system in 2006 in response to importers expressing considerable frustration about how the old system was managed. The new system was intended to be more transparent and to increase resources for import health standards work over time.

Prioritisation of requests for import health standard work

MAF does not have enough resources to complete all the requested import health standard work. This is why the requests have to be prioritised.

Briefly, the prioritisation uses the criteria;

  • Importance (criticality to New Zealand)
  • Strategic Fit (with the New Zealand government’s goals)
  • Net Benefit (for New Zealand in the longer term)
  • Feasibility (of being able to do the work)
  • Barriers (whether they can be surmounted)
  • amount of work expected.

The application forms include a number of questions to provide information so requests can be prioritised.

Commercially sensitive information given as part of an application will be held in confidence by MAF, subject to the requirements of the Official Information Act 1982, and provided it has been clearly marked as commercially sensitive.

Funding of import health standards

All import health standard work is prioritised and the available resources matched to the highest priority work. However, the final work programme is constrained by MAF’s ability to find or develop the specialised people and resources to do the work. For example, plant specialists cannot do animal related work, and therefore an animal standard can only be developed if the appropriately skilled people are available. There is unlikely to be a perfect match between the priority work and available resources but MAF will endeavour to find the appropriate resources.

MAF will allocate Crown-funded resources to the top priority import health standard work.

After all the Crown-funded resource has been allocated, remaining applicants who have indicated that they are willing to consider funding the cost of their application themselves will be approached to see if they would like to consider the option.

Applicants who indicate on their application forms that they are willing to cover the cost of their requested work will not be automatically bound to pay for it. MAF will work with these applicants to further clarify the scope of work and develop an expected cost for the work, before requiring the applicant to make a final decision on whether or not they wish to fund it themselves. Checkpoints may also be included at key points during the development process for the application to decide if they wish to continue with the standard.

Other applicants will be advised if their request has not been prioritised high enough to be included on the work programme.

Available resources for import health standard work

The system is intended to increase MAF’s resources for developing import health standards but this capability is taking several years to build up. The staff or contractors who can carry out import health standard work are highly specialised. The benefits of allowing applicants to fund work are consequently expected to increase over the next few years. Indications of preparedness to pay on the application form will help MAF with resource development planning.

Why is an import health standard needed?

Under the Biosecurity Act 1993, an import health standard is required for importation in to New Zealand of any biosecurity risk goods. Risk goods are any things that it is reasonable to suspect constitute, harbour or contain an organism that may cause unwanted harm to natural or physical resources of human health in New Zealand.

Importing a risk good

The first step when a person wants to import a product is to check Biosecurity New Zealand’s website at

to see whether an import health standard that covers the desired product already exists.

If no appropriate import health standard exists, a new standard would be needed. All applications for new or amended import health standards will be managed under the funding and management system.

To be considered for the work programme, application forms must be sent to MAF . The applications forms can be found under http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/regs/imports/ihs/request and then following the type of import.

Further information

Further information relevant to the new import health standard system, for all types of imports, can be found on Biosecurity New Zealand’s website at

or by contacting:

Page last updated: 24 November 2011