American Samoa
American Samoa’s government has passed a bill that will prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers, with fines of up to US$1000 for its importing, sale, and use. In 2019, a bill was drafted to outlaw all styrofoam products but it failed to gain traction. Importers and sellers of polystyrene foam products will have six months to sell any stock. Exempted from the proposed ban are imported pre-packed food and trays used for raw meat, poultry, fish, or frozen food.
Northern Marianas (CNMI)
The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed the pre-screening of Chinese travellers to the Northern Marianas as part of a transition plan leading to the eventual termination of the visa waiver programme for the China market. The proposed system would require travellers from China to obtain electronic travel authorisation to travel to the CNMI prior to departure. The proposed new programme is set to take effect on September 30.
Cook Islands
Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister, Robert Tapaitau, is out of parliament after he and two senior government officials were found guilty of corruption offences, with a by-election to be held within 60 days. The two senior government officials are former National Environment Service Director, Nga Puna, and his wife and former Secretary of Infrastructure, Diane Charlie-Puna. The trio were accused of taking public funds amounting to NZ$70,000 (US$43,074.67) between April 2019 and March 2021. In his ruling, CJ Keane said: “I have found each defendant guilty of all or most of the offences with which they are charged and have convicted them of those offences.” In a written statement, Prime Minister Mark Brown’s Office said the “government acknowledges the Court’s decision and will take time to study the 100-page plus document, before commenting further.” The trio are due to be sentenced in March.
Federated States of Micronesia
Voters in the Federated States of Micronesia will go to the polls on February 29 to decide on the two-year representative from the state of Kosrae, and the two-year representative from congressional district one in the state of Chuuk, the area known as the Mortlock Islands. The Kaselehlie Press reported nine candidates filed their petitions for the state of Chuuk, and four candidates from the state of Kosrae are also vying for a seat in the Congress of the FSM. The special election is due to the passing of former senators, Paliknoa Welly and Florencio Harper.
Fiji
Thirteen Fijian people have been charged in relation to the seizure of almost five tonnes of methamphetamine. The 13, including former national squash champion Justin Ho, are facing charges for the unlawful importation and unlawful possession of illicit drugs, and the possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime, relating to the importation and transportation of the illicit substances. The estimated street value of the haul is more than FJ$2 billion (US$0.89 billion). Assistant Police Commissioner, Mesake Waqa, confirmed “Fiji was being used as a transit point and that the methamphetamine was destined for a foreign market.” Fiji police are working with foreign counterparts, including the Australian Federal Police and the Pacific Transnational Crime and Coordination Centre, and are expecting to make more arrests.
French Polynesia
The only surviving and oldest daily newspaper in French Polynesia, La Dépêche de Tahiti, is reported to have collapsed again. The five remaining employees signed their letters of dismissal last month, Tahiti Nui Television reported. The daily was already in dire straits in April 2022, when it was wound up by a Trade Tribunal ruling, but was taken over by Naos company, headed by local businessman Patrice Colombani and revived with a skeleton staff of five employees, mostly working on its online version. Announced plans to later re-develop the print version never eventuated.
Guam
The U.S Attorney’s Office for Guam and the Northern Marianas has vowed to continue clamping down on fraudulent operations involving cryptocurrency. “Cryptocurrencies are often used to facilitate fraudulent activity,” Shawn Anderson, District Attorney for Guam and the CNMI, said following the sentencing of a man who was convicted of cryptocurrency fraud that yielded $5.5 million in cash stolen from “bitcoin investors” in Guam. “These financial assets do not guarantee anonymity, as generally perceived by criminals. Our office will continue to target unlicensed money transmitting, money laundering, and any other unlawful transactions associated with cryptocurrency,” Anderson said.
Kiribati
The Kiribati Government is gearing up on plans to establish new hospitals to deliver on its promise of affordable and accessible primary and secondary healthcare services to the people of Kiribati. The construction of the new Betio hospital is making steady progress, the government in a statement said. The first phase of the project is co-funded by the governments of New Zealand and Japan, while the second phase is fully funded by the Asian Development Bank. The government has also committed to building a new hospital at Tabwakea village on Kiritimati Island within this year as well.
Marshall Islands
Gigantic waves swamped parts of a key US military facility in the Marshall Islands last month, causing damage that will take months to repair, according to a US Army report. A video posted on X showed the terrifying surge of water rushing into a dining facility on Roi-Namur island, the second-largest island of Kwajalein Atoll. Colonel Drew Morgan, Commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll (USAG-KT), said there were only minor injuries. But the US Army report said damage to the island’s infrastructure was extensive. The island’s housing, automotive complex, theatre and chapel were damaged, according to the statement from USAG-KT. The report did not mention any damage to military infrastructure.
Nauru
Nauru’s national carrier, Nauru Airlines, will soon launch a new flight from Majuro, Marshall Islands to Honolulu, Hawaii after a new Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the governments of Nauru and the Republic of Marshall Islands. The announcement follows the recent launch of Nauru Airlines’ weekly Island Hopper Service connecting Palau to Brisbane, Australia, with stopovers in Nauru, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.
New Caledonia
New Caledonia’s Congress has endorsed the postponement of provincial elections from the initial date of May 2024, to no later than December 15 this year. 38 Congress MPs voted in favour of the postponement and 16 against. The endorsement comes as part of preparations to a French government Bill, currently being drafted and to be tabled soon in the French Parliament, to effectively postpone the provincial polls in New Caledonia.
Niue
Niue has had to ration electricity after lightning strikes caused extensive damage to power equipment. On January 27, the Niue Power Corporation (NPC) had to turn the power off for the southern side of Niue due to an unexpected fault with one of the generators, Television Niue reported. NPC urged the public to conserve power whenever possible as they work over the following weeks to restore the solar and battery system. Television Niue and Radio Sunshine also experienced damage to transmitters.
Palau
Palau has become the first nation to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty. “As the first country to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty, Palau has jumped into the lead in the race to ratification,” said Laura Meller, Project Leader of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign. “They’ve already shown leadership in opposing deep-sea mining in the Pacific Ocean and have now set the bar for what it means to be an ocean champion,” she added. Adopted in June 2023 and signed by 84 countries in September 2023, the treaty will only enter into force once it is ratified by at least 60 countries.
PNG
PNG’s Department of Information and Communications Technology is working on amending the country’s media policy to include holding persons accountable for misreporting. ICT Minister, Timothy Masiu, said one of the government’s priorities at the moment is looking at ways to curb misinformation in the country. He said the policy will be presented to Cabinet. “We don’t want to tighten up on media so much, but we want to make sure that reporters are responsible for what they report, and it’s about time this should be implemented,” he added.
Samoa
Samoa’s Satitoa Slipway in Aleipata has reopened and is operating under the new name of Henry Silva Shipyard. The Silva Group, which also operates in American Samoa, said the slipway is an important infrastructural service for the country. The company has a 10 to 20-year lease with the government. Salā Leslie Silva confirmed the shipyard can hold 1,000 tonne boats. .
Solomon Islands
New Zealand has pledged SBD $35 million (US$4.21 million) to support the Solomon Islands general elections in April this year. New Zealand High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, Jonathan Schwass, said New Zealand is pleased to be able to meet the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission’s request for assistance to help deliver this year’s general, provincial and city council elections. The support will help train civic coordinators and educators, recruit and train polling booth staff, and set up an operation centre.
Tonga
Tonga is getting an upgrade to its seismic network. Matangi Tonga reports the upgrade will cover five strategically positioned stations at Nukuhetulu, Mt. Talau, Hihifo in Ha’apai, Niuafo’ou High School, and Hihifo in Niuatoputapu. The work is being funded by the World Bank through the Pacific Resilience Program. Tonga’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources said existing seismic stations will be upgraded to improve their functionality and reliability, “ensuring more accurate and efficient earthquake-related data collection.”
Tuvalu
Endoscopy and colonoscopy services were introduced for the very first time in Tuvalu last month. Tuvalu’s Ministry of Health said that with these services now available at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Funafuti, “our ability to diagnose and save lives of the people of Tuvalu [have] definitely improved.” The Ministry said it hoped to contribute in reducing the number of people sent abroad for such procedures, and introduce more services in the upcoming months.
Vanuatu
The people of Torres Islands in Vanuatu are reportedly facing a serious shortage of medical supplies. The community reportedly relies on a single clinic in Lunhariki village on Loh Island. A resident who requested anonymity, told the Vanuatu Daily Post that the clinic only had panadol and penicillin tablets left. The people are asking the government, especially the Ministry of Health, to help.
