Wheat Export Authority

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wheat Export Authority (WEA) is the Australian Commonwealth authority responsible for the monitoring of Australia's single desk wheat export arrangements, under which AWB(International) Ltd (AWB(I)) is given a near monopoly on exporting wheat. It was established 1 July 1999 as part of restructuring the former government-owned Australian Wheat Board in preparation to privatise AWB Limited. It was felt that a number of the tasks carried out by the previous Australian Wheat Board would not be appropriate for a privately owned body; thus, the WEA was established.

The WEA is controlled by a five-member board of directors, appointed for a period of up to three years by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. They are supported by an 16-person Canberra-based Secretariat, headed by a Chief Executive Officer.

The main tasks of the WEA are to monitor and report to the government and growers on AWB(I)'s export performance, and to consider, issue and enforce licenses for parties other than AWB(I) to export wheat from Australia. Non-AWB(I) exports, mainly in bags and containers, are permitted but only in limited volumes (some 4% of total exports) and only after the consent of AWB(I) which exports virtually all wheat from Australia mainly in bulk.

The WEA's role is determined by the Wheat Marketing Act 1989 and its operations are funded by a charge on Australian wheat exports.

[edit] AWB Iraqi kickbacks scandal

In the course of the Cole inquiry into allegations that AWB paid kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq for wheat shipments under the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program, it was revealed that the WEA board, upon hearing of the allegations through media sources, asked AWB(I) to show them Iraq wheat sales contracts, and on examination of these contracts found nothing untoward that would diminish benefits to growers that result from the performance of AWB(I) in exporting wheat from Australia.