Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has reshuffled his cabinet with the return of Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce and Industry Minister Sam Basil and Defence Minister Solan Mirisim to full office. Basil remains as DPM and takes over the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Transport and Infrastructure Minister, William Samb takes over the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Civil Aviation Minister, Seki Agisa has been moved to Correctional Services. Correctional Services Minister, Win Daki, has been moved to Defence. Defence Minister, Solan Mirisim has been moved to Forests. Forests Minister, Walter Schnaubelt, has been moved to Civil Aviation.
Dr Transform Aqorau is the Solomon Islands National University’s (SINU) new Professor and Director of the Institute of Ocean, Islands and Sustainable Development (IOISD). Dr Aqorau joined SINU as visiting professor last year and says: “I will do my best to help establish the Institute, develop a programme of research, secure funds and personnel and mentor a successor.”
The Fiji Higher Education Commission has a new Director, Dr Rohit Kishore. He was formerly the Acting Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor TVET at the Fiji National University. Prior to this, he was the Acting Dean of the Business College for 14 months.
In the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, Valentino N. Taisacan Jr has joined the CNMI Cannabis Commission.
Ethel Wasuka is the new Chief Executive Officer of Solomon Islands Women in Business Association. She has previously worked in the development sector with government and non-government organisations in the fisheries, tourism, disaster and aviation sectors.
Palau’s Senate has confirmed eight presidential nominees to statutory boards. Masao Esebei has joined the Board of Land Surveyors, Evalista Kyota joins the Social Security Administration Board, Carol Ngiraidis has joined the Board of Palau National Communications Corporation and Scott Yano has joined the Palau Housing Authority, while Fermin Meriang was re-appointed to the Foreign Investment Board, and Ngiratmetuchl Reagan Belechel, Keiden Skilang and Lindsay Timarong have been re-appointed to the COFA Board of Trustees.
Winston Thompson, Fay Yee and Lala Sowane have been appointed as Commissioners to the Commission of Inquiry into the Office of the Auditor-General. Thompson is the former Pro-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific and a former Fiji Ambassador. Yee is the current Chairperson of the Board of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service. Sowane is the Director and co-owner of Tewaka, formerly known as Pacific Destinations Fiji.
Mark Dixon has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS). He was previously the CEO of Wodonga Council in Victoria, Australia.
The Twinza Oil Limited Board of Directors has appointed Robert Gard as the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Gard has over 35 years of experience in oil and gas including 12 years as a senior executive in junior Australian-based oil and gas companies and 23 years at ExxonMobil.
UN Resident Coordinator Jaap van Hierden has begun his role as the most senior UN official in Federated States of Micronesia, responsible for the overall running of UN operations of the multi-country Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), which includes FSM, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. A Dutch national, van Hierden has 30 years’ experience in development, peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance and was posted to Afghanistan prior to this appointment.
Fiji’s Professor Steven Ratuva has been promoted to the highest professorial status of Distinguished Professor. The University of Canterbury says he: “was recognised for his global leadership and pioneering interdisciplinary research in a range of fields including ethnicity, security, politics, affirmative action, development, and social protection.”
Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) has announced several senior appointments as part of its Vision 2025 to nationalise all management positions. The new appointments will see its General Manager Communities and Operational Support Kedi Ilimbit assuming the additional responsibilities of Deputy CEO. Also appointed to a newly created position of General Manager Corporate Affairs is Harold Duigu, who is currently OTML’s Manager External Relations. David Laulau has been elevated to Deputy General Manager Mining, and Lawrence Na’awi will assume the role of Manager Processing Projects.
Meanwhile, OTML has three new directors, Nellie James who serves as Chair of Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited (the parent company of KMOTL), Bonny Ninai who serves as Chair of KMOTL and Dr. John Kuwimb who is the Acting Managing Director of Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited. Dr. Roger Higgins is the new Chair of the OTML Board of Directors following the recent retirement of Sir Moi Avei in August last year.
Free Bird Institute, a Fiji-based language school, has appointed Timoci Taukei as its new Finance Manager. Taukei is a former banker who has been FBI since 2018.
A change at the board of Vision Investments in Fiji where Ratu Aisea Waka Vosailagi has resigned, and Malakai Naiyaga has joined the board. Naiyaga has worked in banking, insurance, finance and management consultancy in Fiji and overseas, including eight years as CEO of BSP Life Fiji.
Edward Untalan has been elected as the chairman of the Guam Chamber of Commerce. He is the executive vice president and Guam-CNMI region manager of First Hawaiian Bank. Christopher Duenas, chief financial officer of Triple J Enterprises was elected vice chairman, and Mark Tokito, senior vice president of Bank of Hawaii was elected secretary-treasurer.
Japan’s new Ambassador to Federated States of Micronesia, Hisashi Michigami has presented his credentials to President David Panuelo in Pohnpei.
Maria Eugenia Leon Guerrero is the newly elected President of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She is joined by Vice President Jessica Leon Guerrero, president of M-80 Systems Inc.; Secretary Helana Leon Guerrero, marketing manager of Sagua Mañagu MPG; and Treasurer Michelle Bordallo, finance controller, Morrico Equipment and President Phoenix E&C Corp., DBA Bordallo Consulting Engineers.
Pay-Less Markets in Guam says former senator, Louise Borja is joining the company as chief people officer.
Triple J has hired Jose Mafnas Jr. as the company’s new corporate counsel. Mafnas was most recently CNMI assistant attorney general assigned to the civil litigation division and has also worked in private practice.
Ben Gollings is the new Fiji Airways Fijian 7s Team coach. The former England 7s international will coach the team to the upcoming HSBC 7s Series, the Rugby 7s World Cup, Commonwealth Games and beyond. He has formerly coached six national teams, and most recently been engaged with the Sri Lanka Rugby Union.
In memory
Decorated Fiji academic, Dr Brij Lal passed away on Christmas Day 2020. Dr Lal, who had been banned from returning to his homeland by the current government, was an emeritus professor of Pacific and Asian history, had won international recognition for his literary and historical works and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday honours. He was widely mourned in Fiji, Australia and across the Pacific.
Former Williams and Gosling boss, Dave Aidney has passed away. Aidney was a former President of the then-Fiji Employers Federation, an active member of the Fiji-Australia and Fiji-New Zealand Business Councils, and was well-known for his charity work, in particular for the Red Cross.
