Palau
1.2 Palau Regulatory Departments & Quality Control

 

The Government of Palau has 8 ministries within the executive branch of government.

Within each ministry, there are bureaus and divisions responsible for government administration of regulatory operations and responsibilities. These are as follows:

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Office of the Attorney General

    • Bureau of Immigration

    • Bureau of Public Safety

    • Div. of Criminal Investigation/Drug Enforcement

    • Division of Patrol

    • Division of Fire & Rescue

    • Division of Corrections

    • Div. of Marine Law Enforcement

    • Div. of Fish & Wildlife Protection

  • Ministry of Education

    • Bureau of Education Administration

    • Bureau of Curriculum & Instruction

  • Ministry of Finance

    • Bureau of Budget & Planning

    • Bureau of National Treasury

    • Bureau of Public Service System

    • Bureau of Revenue and Taxation

    • Bureau of Customs and Border Protection

    • Information Systems Support Services

  • Ministry of Health

    • Offices

    • Human Resources & Development Office

    • Human Preparedness, Policy & Research Office

    • Bureaus

    • Bureau of Public Health

    • Bureau of Nursing

    • Bureau of Hospital & Clinical Services

    • Bureau of Health Administration & Support Services

    • Medical Referral Program

    • Hospital Trust Fund

  • Ministry of State

    • Bureau of International Trade & Technical Assistance

    • Bureau of Domestic Affairs

    • Bureau of Foreign Affairs

    • Public Defender’s Office

    • Office of Administration

    • Office of Protocol

    • Passport Office

    • EPFM Live Broadcast

    • Embassies & Consulates

  • Ministry of Community & Cultural Affairs

    • Bureau of Ageing and Gender

    • Bureau of Youth, Sports, & Recreation

    • Bureau of Arts & Culture

    • Bureau of National Archives

  • Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism

    • Bureau of Agriculture

    • Bureau of Marine Resources

    • Bureau of Tourism

    • Protected Areas Network

  • Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce

    • Bureau of Aviation

    • Bureau of Public Works

    • Bureau of Land and Survey

    • Bureau of Commercial Development

    • Small Business Development Center

    • Palau Energy Office

 

The Government of Palau website can be found at http://palaugov.pw

 

Customs and Revenue

The Ministry of Finance houses amongst its 5 Bureaus:

- the Bureau of Revenue and Taxation, whose mission it is to collect revenue to fund government services, and national development programs and projects.

- the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, whose mission it is to provide regulatory enforcement of the Customs Act, and to provide customs border force service at the main ports and airports. The bureau also protects the Palauan public by closely monitoring the Republic’s points of entry and the import and export of restricted and illegal goods.

 

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance for food and bio-security, including inspection services are the responsibility of the Bureau of Agriculture, under the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism. The Bureau are mandated under the Plant and Animal Control Act of 2002 to run these inspection services, and sampling for testing can be undertaken at any time, at any location, on all plant and animal goods. There is no laboratory testing present on Palau for food stuffs, fuel and other products; as such, testing is undertaken in nearby Guam or Singapore.

 

However, The Palau Environmental Quality Protection Board under Title 24 PNCA enforces regulations for:

(1) Earthmoving, (2) Marine and Fresh Water Quality, (3) Toilet and Wastewater Disposal Facilities, (4) Solid Waste Management, (5) Pesticides, (6) Public Water Supply Systems, (7) Environmental Impact Statements, (8) Air Pollution Control, and (9) Ozone Depleting Substances

 

Pre-shipment inspection for goods only applies to the commercial export of fish, as there are no other exports from Palau. Vessel and container arrival inspection services are provided by the Department of Biosecurity at the point of entry in Palau.

Laboratories in Palau

As stated, no laboratory testing facilities exist on Palau. If international testing services are required for quality and standards verification, calibration and certification of all goods, SGS and Intertek in Guam are commonly used. However, water quality testing is undertaken by the Department of Public Works.

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links:

4.1 Government Contact List 
4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List

Also see Annex 5.1

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