In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific Ministers push stronger fisheries protection and maritime boundaries
2. PACIFIC — Forum Foreign Ministers call for urgent capitalisation of PRF, as region targets economic independence
3. PACIFIC — Wale’s China reset shows the tightrope facing Pacific leaders, says security analyst
4. FIJI — Fiji ready to secure world leaders at Pre-COP31: PM Rabuka
5. PACIFIC — Pacific leaders urged to put people, future generations first
6. FIJI — Fiji Cabinet endorses changes to Electoral Act
7. PNG — Investigate Green Fees theft, PNG Environment Minister Kaupa urges
8. AUST — ‘Send food photos’: lobbyist paid for former NSW premier’s brother to go to Fiji to avoid inquiry, Icac hears
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Solomon Islands plans regional fuel hub in Solomon Islands
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific risks becoming big tech’s new resource frontier, academic says
11. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Samoa: Fintech begins with money Sent home
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Guardians of Knowledge: How Pacific Researchers at USP are Preserving Indigenous Wisdom for Future Generations
13. PACNEWS SPORT — ‘Hardest I’ve been hit’: Australian boxer Temoana Teremoana hailed as future champ
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Pacific Ministers push stronger fisheries protection and maritime boundaries
SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers are calling for urgent action to protect fisheries, strengthen ocean governance and secure maritime boundaries as Pacific countries face rising pressure from climate change, fuel costs and sea-level rise.
The Ministers called for Leaders to reaffirm the critical importance of fisheries and aquaculture to Pacific prosperity, food security, livelihoods, culture, economies, sovereignty and ocean stewardship.
The call was made at the 2026 Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva last Friday, where Ministers reviewed progress on regional ocean initiatives and strengthened advocacy on Pacific Ocean priorities.
Ministers supported the Vakamanu Regional Pacific Fisheries Strategy 2026–2035 for consideration by Forum Leaders as the region’s new overarching fisheries and aquaculture policy framework.
They stressed the need for equitable and sustainable management of Pacific fisheries resources, protection of Members’ fisheries rights and Member-led implementation.
Ministers reaffirmed the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development as the region’s principal framework for advancing economic integration, strengthening resilience and delivering tangible benefits to Forum Island countries.
They welcomed progress on cross-sectoral initiatives, including climate and disaster risk finance and fisheries development.
Ministers supported a phased, Member-led approach to further consideration of the Regional Fisheries Development Fund Feasibility Technical Assessment and wider East New Britain Initiative work.
The approach will be informed by the FFA East New Britain Initiative Working Group and aims to maximise sustainable economic returns from Pacific fisheries.
Ministers stressed that the work must ensure national ownership, economic accountability, equitable access and sustainability while remaining aligned with existing fisheries governance and financing arrangements.
Ministers also raised concerns over the economic and food-security risks posed by sustained fuel-price pressures, El Niño conditions and other external shocks.
They tasked Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies to monitor these risks and provide timely advice to Members through the Regional Response Mechanism when risks escalate.
Ministers tasked the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) to convene regional preparatory meetings in the fourth quarter of 2026 ahead of the first Conference of Parties to the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
The meetings will also prepare the region for subsequent BBNJ COPs and support resource mobilisation and joint funding initiatives for implementation of the agreement in the Pacific.
Forum Foreign Ministers welcomed the 2026 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Ocean Statement and agreed to finalise it out of session before submitting it to Leaders for consideration at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau.
They also commended stronger collaboration across the regional system on ocean matters under the leadership of OPOC.
Ministers reaffirmed support for an integrated ocean governance approach under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Ministers also noted an update from the Marshall Islands on the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership (PBSP).
Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu signed the PBSP Charter on 12 June 2026.
The partnership formally commits the countries to work together on shipping decarbonisation, backed by the Green Climate Fund.
The Ministers welcomed the establishment of the partnership and its focus on reducing emissions from Pacific shipping.
The Ministers also called for urgent progress on outstanding maritime boundaries.
They urged Forum Members to conclude pending maritime boundary delimitation treaties, bring existing treaties into force and deposit relevant coordinates and charts with the United Nations.
The Ministers said completing the process was necessary to provide legal certainty and stability for Pacific countries as sea levels rise.
The call reflects growing concern that climate-driven sea-level rise could create uncertainty around maritime zones and the rights of Pacific Island states.
The Ministers’ outcomes will now feed into preparations for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau…. PACNEWS
PAC – PRF: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Forum Foreign Ministers call for urgent capitalisation of PRF, as region targets economic independence
SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers are pushing for stronger economic integration and increased capitalisation of the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) as the region seeks greater economic independence and resilience.
Ministers welcomed the operationalisation of the PRF and urged Forum Members to step up advocacy with development partners to secure more capital for the Pacific-led financing facility.
The call was made at the 2026 Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting, where Ministers reviewed regional initiatives under Resource and Economic Development.
They reaffirmed that economic development driven by deeper regional integration is critical to strengthening the economic independence of Pacific Island countries.
Ministers also welcomed stronger cross-sectoral collaboration on initiatives such as the East New Britain Initiative and encouraged regional support and advocacy for its effective implementation.
Ministers commended Members for the rapid ratification of the Agreement to Establish the Pacific Resilience Facility, which entered into force in May 2026.
They reaffirmed the PRF as a Pacific-led regional financing facility and encouraged Members to strengthen advocacy for its capitalisation at all levels.
Ministers highlighted the upcoming pre-COP31 meetings in the Pacific as an opportunity to push for increased financial commitments to the facility.
They also welcomed the entry into force of the PRF Agreement on 06 May 2026 and called for close Member engagement as the facility moves into full operation.
Ministers encouraged the rapid appointment of the PRF Board and supported the transition of the PRF team to Tonga to establish the office and commence operations.
They also welcomed progress on PRF community-impact initiatives, including support for Tuvalu’s water-security priorities.
Ministers called for increased advocacy for PRF capitalisation at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Pre-COP31 meetings in the region and COP31 in Türkiye.
Ministers also noted an update from Papua New Guinea on its plans to host the Pacific-Led Innovation Dialogue from 13 to 16 October 2026.
They also considered an update from the Marshall Islands on USDM1, described as the world’s first sovereign digital instrument issued by the country.
Ministers noted its potential to improve financial inclusion, address the withdrawal of cash and banking services in the region and support emergency response and public services.
The Marshall Islands has offered to share its technical approach, programme design and regulatory and compliance framework with interested Forum Members.
The outcomes highlight the Forum’s focus on strengthening regional economic integration while building Pacific-led financing and development mechanisms to reduce economic vulnerabilities and deliver greater benefits to Members…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PMN PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Wale’s China reset shows the tightrope facing Pacific leaders, says security analyst
MANAWATU/HONIARA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (PMN) — Solomon Islands is not turning its back on China but Prime Minister Matthew Wale is trying to put the relationship on different terms, a Pacific security analyst says.
Anna Powles, an Associate Professor at Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies, says Pacific island nations face growing pressure to navigate between major powers.
Across the region, governments are balancing economic ties with China against growing security partnerships with Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
The pressure is also playing out inside the Pacific Islands Forum where countries have struggled to find common ground over China’s recent missile test and how the region should respond to growing strategic competition.
Speaking won Pacific Mornings, Powles says Wale’s review of the 2022 security agreement is best understood as a reset, rather than a break with Beijing.
“It is a reset. It’s not a pivot away from China,” she said.
Powles says China remains an important economic partner for Solomon Islands, pointing to high-level delegations between the two countries since Wale’s government came to power.
“There have been high level delegations from Solomon Islands visiting China since the Wale government was elected. So, this is not a pivot away.”
But she says security is where the relationship is more complicated. Wale has raised concerns about the lack of transparency around the agreement signed in 2022 including saying he was only allowed to read it one day before an official meeting in Canberra this year.
Powles says those concerns are not new: the review of the 2022 security agreement reflects long-standing concerns in Solomon Islands about how the deal was handled and the lack of transparency around it.
“It really does speak to many of the concerns that media, Solomon Islands media themselves raised at the time that there was a lack of transparency.”
She says Wale is now trying to find a middle ground, maintaining important economic ties with China while strengthening security relationships with Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific countries.
“Well, it’s very clear that he is taking a middle road,” she said, pointing to Wale’s strong response to China’s submarine-launched ballistic missile test in the Pacific in July is another sign of that position.
But the balancing act is not unique to Solomon Islands.
“Again, the challenges of balancing the economic and the security relationships is obviously an issue that many Pacific Island countries experience.”
That tension was on display at last week’s Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva where ministers did not immediately agree on a statement about China’s missile test.
Powles says the disagreement was not surprising with Kiribati and Nauru having their own interests and reasons for not signing up to a statement criticising China.
The bigger concern, she says, is what repeated disagreements could mean for the Pacific’s collective voice.
“The concerns that many of us have shared since then is that obviously regional unity is fundamentally important to the strength of the collective strength of the region itself.”
But Fiji’s Foreign Minister Sakiasi Ditoka says unity remains central to the Forum’s approach. “We must stand together to make our position strong,” he said.
Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela also stressed that differences over the missile test did not mean countries were blocking a regional response.
“We respect sovereign positions on any matter, however serious they may be, but in this case, ministers around the table did discuss to their best of Pacific way to understanding each other.”
Powles says the Forum’s consensus model should not be abandoned.
Instead, she says Pacific countries need space to work through difficult disagreements without the growing competition between major powers taking over regional meetings.
“I think the challenge here is to have these conversations, these very, very challenging and potentially divisive conversations, for them to be conducted out of the public sphere for a start, so that we are able to dial down the intensified geopolitical pressure that seems to surround and occupy so many key regional meetings these days.”
That pressure is set to follow Pacific leaders to Palau later this month for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
China is already objecting to Taiwan attending the meeting while Australia and Fiji have deepened their security relationship through the new Ocean of Peace Alliance.
Powles says the challenge for Pacific leaders is making sure those competing interests do not drown out the region’s own priorities.
She hopes the Palau meeting will focus on the wider issues facing the Forum, including the review of the region’s architecture and how strategic and development partners should engage with Pacific countries.
“Hopefully, the geopolitics of it all won’t necessarily overtake those core issues.”
For Solomon Islands, Prime Minister Wale’s China reset is therefore about more than one security agreement.
It is a test of whether Pacific countries can maintain relationships with powerful partners while still setting the terms of their own security and regional future.
The issue will now move to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau later this month, where leaders will face the challenge of finding common ground while protecting the region’s right to set its own security agenda…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PRE-COP31 MEET: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Fiji ready to secure world leaders at Pre-COP31: PM Rabuka
SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is confident Fiji can handle security arrangements for the pre-COP31 summit in Nadi from October 5 to 8.
The summit is expected to attract world leaders including United States President Donald Trump, China’s President Xi Jinping, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Rabuka, who chairs the National Security Council, said Fiji had already signed an agreement with Australia and New Zealand ahead of the summit.
“I am confident that Fiji can handle the security arrangements to cover all those who are coming and we have just signed the agreement with Australia and New Zealand, so we can look forward to their cooperation in those areas,” he said.
Asked whether Australia would assist Fiji with security, Rabuka said: “I’m sure they will, yes.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe confirmed Australia was funding logistics for the Fiji Police Force, with the Fiji Government covering the rest remaining costs.
“We’ve been having a series of meetings with our counterparts from Australia, and we are prepared well for that,” ACP Vusonilawe said.
A multi-agency coordinating centre (MAC) will bring together the Fiji Police Force, Ministry of Health, Fiji Roads Authority and National Fire Authority to manage VVIP movements and airport arrivals.
He also confirmed the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) would be involved, with police leading the operation.
Beyond security, Rabuka said the summit was a rare chance for global leaders to see climate change impacts firsthand.
“Mostly the rising sea levels and the displacement of parts of our national population and the need for international support for our handling the sea level rises, sea walls and soil erosion,” he said, adding that these were issues world leaders needed to see for themselves.
The summit will be held in Nadi from October 05 to 08, with a leaders’ component in Tuvalu.
Australia’s involvement in the summit has also come under scrutiny over reported spending, with Opposition figures criticising the cost amid cost-of-living pressures.
Australia’s Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen and Housing Minister Clare O’Neil defended the reported AUD$20 million (FJD$31.2 million) spend, calling Australia’s involvement critical to the country’s future and a chance to lead on global climate outcomes.
Australian tender documents reported last month showed more than AUD$4.2 million (US$2.96 million) had been set aside for hotel accommodation and meeting facilities for the Fiji event.
COP31 proper will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November…. PACNEWS
PAC – CUSTODIAN LEADERSHIP: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Pacific leaders urged to put people, future generations first
SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Pacific leaders must move away from leadership driven by power and ownership and instead embrace custodianship of their people, communities, environment and future generations, says Dr Manumatavai Tupou-Rosen.
Speaking at the 2nd Pasifika Philosophies Conference in Nasinu, Pacifika Communities University Head of the School of Ecology and Resilience Development Dr Manumatavai Tupou-Rosen said the strongest leaders were those who understood that leadership positions were not personal possessions but responsibilities held in trust for others and generations yet to come.
“The strongest leaders are not those who seek ownership. They are those who understand custodianship,” she said.
Addressing Pacific leadership, Dr Tupou-Rosen drew on her experience working in the fisheries sector and supporting Pacific Island governments in managing the region’s tuna fishery.
She said her experience had taught her that the most important issues were not simply about fish or money, but about how decisions were made, how power was exercised and how relationships were built.
Dr Tupou-Rosen said resources entrusted to Pacific leaders must be managed for the benefit of communities and future generations.
“Those who recognise that what has been entrusted to them does not belong to them. It is held in trust for others and for generations yet to come,” she said.
She said the Pacific was facing climate change, conflict, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, migration, social pressures and increasing disconnection from culture and community.
Dr Tupou-Rosen said the region did not have a shortage of leaders, policies or intelligence.
Instead, she said the key question was what kind of leaders the Pacific was nurturing.
She called for leaders who were grounded in identity, values and community and who could balance issues such as the environment and economy, growth and wellbeing, and power and responsibility.
Dr Tupou-Rosen said development decisions must also look beyond immediate benefits such as jobs and revenue.
She said leaders must consider the impact of development on surrounding communities, ecosystems and future generations.
“These are not simply development questions. They are leadership questions,” she said.
Dr Tupou-Rosen said Pacific philosophies, including the concept of vanua, recognised the interconnectedness of people, land, ocean, ancestors, communities and future generations.
She said this understanding should also shape the way leadership was practised in the Pacific.
“Not leadership as status, not leadership as power, but leadership as custodianship,” she said.
Dr Tupou-Rosen said Pacific leaders could learn from their ancestors, who navigated the ocean by understanding their relationship with the land, sea, stars, seasons and their responsibilities.
She challenged leaders to consider the legacy they were leaving for future generations.
“The deeper question is what kind of ancestors do we wish to become,” she said.
Dr upou-Rosen said leadership ultimately came down to love, humanity and responsibility.
“Leadership is love. Leadership is our humanity. Leadership is custodianship,” she said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTORAL ACT: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Fiji Cabinet endorses changes to Electoral Act
SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — The Fiji Cabinet has endorsed a series of proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2014 aimed at making the country’s electoral system more inclusive, accessible and transparent.
The proposed amendments seek to remove requirements that may unnecessarily prevent eligible voters from participating in elections while also introducing changes designed to improve access to voting.
*Among the key proposed changes are:
*Removal of unnecessary voting requirements
*Expanded eligibility for postal voting
*Improved accessibility for persons with disabilities.
*Stronger electoral quality assurance measures
*Greater clarity around electoral procedures.
*Measures to create a more level playing field for political parties
*Clearer rules for referendum campaigning
*A revised ballot paper format
The proposed changes form part of efforts to strengthen Fiji’s electoral framework and address barriers that could affect voter participation.
A significant focus is on accessibility, with the proposed expansion of postal voting and measures for persons with disabilities intended to provide more opportunities for eligible voters to participate.
Changes to the ballot paper are also proposed, with the new format intended to make candidate and political party identification clearer for voters at polling stations.
The proposed amendments will also address the regulatory environment surrounding political parties and referendum campaigns.
Cabinet said the overall objective is to ensure Fiji’s electoral processes remain accessible, transparent and clear for voters…. PACNEWS
PNG – ENVIRONMENT: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Investigate Green Fees theft, PNG Environment Minister Kaupa urges
PORT MORESBY, 13 AUGUST 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — An investigation must be conducted into the theft of more than K185,000(US$41,895) from the Green Fee cash collection, says Papua New Guinea Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Minister John Kaupa.
Kaupa who has supported the suspension of the K50 (US$11.32) Green Fee levy said the reported theft warranted an investigation even though the authority has already launched an earlier investigation into the matter.
In July, a security firm owner was charged with stealing the cash collection belonging to the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) in Port Moresby.
The funds which were collected from departing foreign passport-holders at Jackson International Airport reportedly went missing from a vehicle.
Last week, the CCDA, after much criticisms from other lead agencies and stakeholders, temporarily suspended the Green Fee K50 (US$11.32) climate levy.
CCDA acting managing director Deborah Sungi stated the temporary suspension was to allow the CCDA to undertake the transition and review of the green fee collection mechanism, including amendments to the method and process of collection to ensure the system is more efficient, transparent and responsive to stakeholder feedback.
Kaupa welcomed the decision stating that proper stakeholder consultation must be implemented before the resumption of the suspended Green Fees.
The Green Fee policy continues to face disapproval and continuous calls for an overhaul from the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) and other stakeholders that the fee in its current form harms visitor perceptions and was implemented without industry coordination.
He also ordered an urgent investigation into the administration and collection of roughly K2.7 million (US$610,000) collected at Jackson International Airport since late 2025 amid transparency concerns.
Kaupa said any future collection mechanism must be non-cash, auditable and integrated with established government revenue systems, including options such as incorporating into airline tickets or visa processing.
Sungi said that the authority was first to start an independent administrative investigation into the procurement process and the arrangements surrounding the engagement of the security firm.
That investigation has been completed, and the report is now in its final stages before the findings and recommendations are formally released…. PACNEWS
AUST – ANTI CORRUPTION: THE GUARDIAN PACNEWS 3: Thu 13 Aug 2026
‘Send food photos’: lobbyist paid for former premier’s brother to go to Fiji to avoid inquiry, Icac hears
SYDNEY, 13 AUGUST 2026 (THE GUARDIAN) — A Liberal figure under investigation for allegedly accepting illegal political donations has told an inquiry he paid for the brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet to travel to Fiji and urged the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW to “go to Brisbane” to avoid appearing before a parliamentary committee.
Consultant and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gave his third day of evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) Operation Rosny on Wednesday.
Icac is investigating whether the Christian Liberal group the Reformers solicited or accepted prohibited donations for the recruitment or renewal of members to the party. The practice, known as branch stacking, is not itself illegal.
The Reformers wanted more conservative policies on issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia. Greenwood has disputed that he was a member of the group.
Questioning on Wednesday afternoon focused on a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into allegations of branch stacking which preceded Icac’s probe.
Icac has previously heard that Greenwood, Reformers Christian Ellis and Jean-Claude Perrottet, as well as Charles Perrottet, another brother of the former premier, avoided summons to appear at public hearings in 2023. Dominic Perrottet is not named as a person of interest in Icac’s allegations.
Greenwood on Wednesday admitted to giving Jean-Claude Perrottet his credit card details so he could book flights to Fiji. The inquiry heard that he also arranged for three loans worth $25,000 (US$17,661) to be paid to him for the trip in February 2023 via his lobbying firm JPG Advisory.
The inquiry heard that after another person named in Icac’s allegations, Catholic Schools CEO, Dallas McInerney, received a letter from the chair of the parliamentary inquiry, Greenwood sent him a message in which he said: “Go to Brisbane”. Greenwood said he did not recall sending the messages.
Greenwood admitted that he himself had avoided summons he considered “invalid”, accepting the offer of a private security guard outside his home from Sharangan Maheswaran, who is also named in Icac’s allegations, and was a lawyer to fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and his company Toplace.
Icac is investigating the allegation that, between 2020 and 2023, Nassif made prohibited donations to Greenwood, Ellis and Charles Perrottet in exchange for outcomes sought by Nassif.
The inquiry heard messages between Greenwood and a private investigator employed by Maheswaran about security guards in which he requested “no numpties. Attentive ones”.
Greenwood, who said that it was his idea for Jean-Claude Perrottet to go to Fiji, admitted he suggested to Maheswaran that Nassif cover his costs.
“I can’t remember if it was paid, but I suggested to Sharangan at the time: ‘You know, your boss is the cause of this, so you can cover it.’”
The inquiry heard Greenwood wrote to Jean-Claude Perrottet “to send food photos” from Fiji, and that the latter negotiated a $165,000 (US$116.553 employment contract with Catholic Schools NSW while he avoided the parliamentary inquiry in 2023.
The inquiry previously heard from Reformer Robert Assaf that he had met with Greenwood on multiple occasions this year after receiving summons to appear before Icac, leaving their phones in the car.
On Wednesday, the inquiry heard that Greenwood also met with Jean-Claude Perrottet at a pub in Sydney after Greenwood’s compulsory examinations with the watchdog in June 2025, during which the Icac commissioner instructed him not to discuss his evidence with anyone except his lawyers.
Greenwood was asked why in the meeting, of which the watchdog has CCTV, the men positioned their phones away from the table. He said it was “a practice I’ve had for a long time”.
“I remember Barack Obama once said he never brings a phone into a meeting,” he said.
Greenwood said he had spoken to Ellis, who has moved to the UK and is not expected to give evidence, twice this week in phone calls after hearings. After he said Ellis had watched the end of the livestream on Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC addressed Ellis directly.
“Commissioner, can I just take the opportunity to reiterate, if Ellis is listening, that we have contacted Ellis and requested that he give evidence in this commission, and offered to make arrangements so that he can give evidence to this commission via video proceedings from the United Kingdom, and that those arrangements can be made.”
Wednesday’s evidence involved several fiery exchanges. At one point, Greenwood was reprimanded during his evidence after he told someone in the hearing room: “Don’t give me that look.”
The presiding commissioner, Fabian Gleeson, pausing the hearing, told Greenwood: “You need to be respectful in the way in which you behave. You need to listen to counsel’s questions. You do not direct comments to other people sitting in this room.”
As Greenwood was cross examined by Bruce Levet, the lawyer representing former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott, about a “shit sheet” Greenwood has admitted commissioning on Elliott, he accused the former MP of “stalking my mother right now … on LinkedIn”.
Gleeson said: “You definitely should not have said that Greenwood … It was totally inappropriate.” Greenwood apologised.
Greenwood has not been released from his summons and is expected to appear again before the commission. McInerney is due to appear as a witness on Thursday and Friday this week…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
SOL – FUEL HUB: SOLOMON STAR PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Solomon Islands plans regional fuel hub in Solomon Islands
HONIARA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (SOLOMON STAR) — Solomon Islands Government is planning to establish a major regional fuel hub at Aruligo, Northwest Guadalcanal to secure fuel supplies for Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries.
Prime Minister Mathew Wale revealed the proposal during a courtesy meeting with Western Province Premier Billy Veo and his executive members at the Prime Minister’s Office this week.
Wale said the proposed facility would store enough fuel to provide up to 12 months’ supply, strengthening Solomon Islands’ energy security while potentially reducing fuel costs across the Pacific.
“We are going to build a fuel hub, a regional one for the whole Pacific Islands,” PM Wale said.
He said the proposal had already been raised at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) level and would be further discussed at the upcoming PIF meeting at the end of next month.
Wale said Solomon Islands could work with other Pacific countries, including Papua New Guinea and Fiji, to coordinate fuel purchases and reduce freight costs.
“Once we do that, we will negotiate with the Prime Ministers of PNG and Fiji to buy supplies so that we can reduce freight costs,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said the Government was looking at sourcing fuel from the United States West Coast, which he said could be cheaper than the current supply route from Singapore.
Solomon Islands currently relies heavily on fuel imports from Singapore, with shipments arriving approximately every three weeks.
The country generally maintains between 40 and 50 days of fuel supply in-country, while fuel shipments already at sea can lift total available supply to an estimated 50 to 90 days.
Wale said establishing a large regional fuel storage facility would therefore provide a much greater buffer against disruptions to international shipping and fuel supplies.
The proposed hub could also position Solomon Islands as a strategic fuel supply point for neighbouring Pacific Island countries, while creating opportunities to lower the cost of fuel transportation through larger, coordinated purchases.
The Prime Minister said the initiative would be raised again at the regional level as the Government continues discussions with Pacific partners.
The proposed fuel hub forms part of the Government’s broader effort to strengthen national energy security and reduce the vulnerability of Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific to international fuel price and supply shocks.
Aruligo is located about 34 kilometres northwest of Honiara.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mathew Wale has urged the Western Provincial Government (WPG) to start planning now for the future management of its two fuel storage tanks at Noro, as the existing lease with Markworth Oil Company Limited is due to expire in two years.
Wale said the move should align with the GREAT Government’s policies and encouraged the province to consider establishing or strengthening a government-owned State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) to take control of the energy assets.
Wale said although the current agreement with Markworth still had two years to run, the provincial government should not wait until the lease expires before deciding what to do with the assets.
“Whilst the lease from Markworth is yet to lapse, it is time that WPG should start working and planning on what to do now,” Wale said.
“We are here to help you with other assistance and support from other key stakeholders.
“You must let us know what your thinking is so that we can move things forward,” he told Premier Veo.
The two fuel storage tanks are owned by the WPG and are managed through the Western Provincial Investment Corporation (WPIC), the commercial arm of the provincial government.
Premier Veo revealed that the tanks were previously leased to Markworth under an arrangement initially facilitated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy before the assets were transferred to the provincial government some years ago.
Under the existing agreement, Markworth pays the province about SBD$1.3 million (US$162,000) annually in rental fees.
However, the WPG believes the assets could generate significantly higher returns if managed directly through WPIC.
Provincial projections estimate that direct management could generate between SBD$5 million (US$623,572) and SBD$10 million (US$1.2 million) annually, compared with the current SBD$1.3 million lease arrangement.
“Western Province is not maximising the full economic potential of these assets,” Premier Veo said.
“We cannot continue with the current arrangement when there is a clear opportunity to increase revenue for our people.”
Wale also indicated that the national government could provide legal and other technical support to help the province develop an appropriate framework for managing the assets.
The WPG executive is scheduled to meet its private energy consultant on Friday to discuss broader issues surrounding the province’s energy sector.
The discussions are expected to look at options for the province’s future involvement in the energy sector, including the management and commercial development of its existing assets…. PACNEWS
PAC – GLOBAL TECH: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 13 Aug 2026
Pacific risks becoming big tech’s new resource frontier, academic says
CHRISTCHURCH, 13 AUGUST 2026 (PMN) — The Pacific could become a new resource frontier for global technology companies unless island nations act together to protect their land, water, energy and marine resources, a Fiji academic warns.
Dr Suliasi Vunibola, a senior lecturer at Lincoln University in Christchurch, says Google’s data centre and subsea cable development at Natadola on Fiji’s Coral Coast raises bigger questions about what happens when digital infrastructure expands into Pacific communities.
“This is not economic development,” Vunibola says. “It is resource extraction disguised as investment.”
The Google facility is linked to major subsea cables connecting Fiji with Australia to the United States, Guam and other Pacific locations, placing Fiji at the centre of a growing digital network.
But Vunibola says the infrastructure should not be reviewed simply as a connectivity project.
He describes cable landing stations as a potential “Trojan Horse” for a much larger hyperscale data centre, which can demand large amounts of electricity, water and land.
“The transformation of cable landing stations (CLS) into hubs for hyperscale expansion is a well-documented global trend,” he told PMN.
“Instead of being simple passive landing points, these facilities are evolving into active, high-capacity data centre campuses designed to meet the demands of cloud and AI.”
His concern is that technology is moving faster than the rules needed to protect Pacific communities and resources.
“We are not opposing the cables,” Vunibola says. “We are just demanding the legal framework to regulate what comes next.”
That concern is already being raised by people living around the Natadola development.
The Fiji Times reported last month that district leaders wanted greater transparency over the project and its possible impact on marine resources.
District representative Emoni Rokomoce said the community was concerned about cables running from the beach to the construction site.
“Our concern is how this will impact our natural resources, especially the sea and marine life.”
Nadroga Navosa Resource Owners Committee representative Mosese Volavola also questioned what the facility would eventually be used for.
“They were only to lease the land,” he said. “Once they touched the qoliqoli (fishing grounds) they should have gotten approval.
Vunibola says Pacific countries must also look closely at the power and water demands of larger data centres.
“When a multinational tech company connects a data centre to Fiji’s grid, the energy consumption and associated emissions will be logged onto Fiji’s official carbon ledger,” he says.
“If that energy comes from fossil fuels, the emissions count against Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Fiji could see its national emissions rise through no fault of its own, undermining its climate credibility on the world stage.”
He warns the pressure could be even greater for Pacific countries already dealing with high energy costs and water insecurity.
“For Pacific nations with even more constrained grids, the impact on household electricity bills could be devastating.
“For those facing critical water security issues due to climate change, hosting facilities that require millions of liters for cooling presents a profound contradiction.”
Vunibola says Pacific nations should not negotiate separately with powerful technology companies.
“The Pacific is a non-negotiable geographic corridor,” he says. “Our message needs to be unified rather than tech giants isolating the different island countries and increasing the risks.”
Fiji’s Minister for Finance, Esrom Immanuel, has described the project as one of the country’s most significant digital infrastructure investments.
“This facility will strengthen our country’s digital connectivity, improve resilience, create employment and reinforce Fiji’s position as a trusted destination for global technology investment,” Immanuel said.
He said the Google project had gone through consultation and legal processes and would occupy three acres of customary land.
The Natadola ICT facility is expected to be completed late this year…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Samoa: Fintech begins with money sent home
The following is a fintech and wider digital economic development view of Pacific Island nation of Samoa.
By Richie Santosdiaz
APIA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (FINTECH) — In Samoa, the most economically important digital payment may originate thousands of kilometres away.
It might be sent by a nurse in Auckland, a construction worker in Sydney or a family member living in California. Within minutes, that money can help pay an electricity bill, purchase food or cover school expenses in a village on Upolu or Savai’i.
This is why Samoa’s fintech story should not begin with start-ups, cryptocurrencies or digital banks. It begins with the diaspora.
Remittances are deeply embedded in the country’s economic and social life, linking Samoan households with communities across New Zealand, Australia, the United States and elsewhere. Yet receiving money has traditionally involved fees, travel and dependence on cash-based transfer agents.
Digital finance offers Samoa an opportunity to shorten that journey. Mobile wallets, faster interbank transfers and direct-to-wallet remittances can make funds cheaper and easier to receive. The larger challenge is converting those isolated transactions into a financial system that people use regularly rather than only when money arrives from overseas.
A financial market shaped by distance
Samoa is a small Pacific island economy with a population of around 225,000. Tourism, agriculture, fisheries, construction, commerce and public services all contribute to economic activity, while Apia functions as the country’s administrative and financial centre.
The banking system includes ANZ Bank Samoa, BSP Financial Group, the National Bank of Samoa and Samoa Commercial Bank. However, conventional financial services can be difficult to access outside the capital and larger settlements.
Distance matters differently in Samoa than it does in continental economies. Communities are spread across several islands, transport can be costly and maintaining branches or cash infrastructure in less populated areas is commercially difficult.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Samoa’s economy is expected to continue recovering as tourism strengthens and domestic activity expands, although it remains vulnerable to climate events and external economic shocks. The IMF’s latest country assessment highlights both the country’s improving outlook and the importance of strengthening financial resilience.
Digital finance cannot eliminate those vulnerabilities. It can make the domestic economy more connected and reduce the cost of moving money across it.
Remittances are Samoa’s natural fintech market
Remittances represent far more than a source of foreign currency. They are part of the financial architecture supporting household consumption, education, housing and community obligations.
According to the IMF’s 2025 Financial System Stability Assessment, approximately 80 percent of Samoa’s inward remittances continue to be transmitted through money transfer operators because they remain the fastest and most accessible channel for many families. The report also highlights the risks posed by declining correspondent banking relationships and the need for resilient digital payment channels.
This makes remittance technology especially important. A cheaper transfer does more than save a customer several dollars. Across thousands of transactions, reduced fees leave more money with Samoan families and within the domestic economy.
Digital channels also allow recipients to receive funds directly into a mobile wallet instead of travelling to an agent, collecting cash and then making another journey to pay bills or deposit money.
The mobile operators became financial providers
Two of Samoa’s most important fintech providers are not banks – they are telecommunications companies.
M-Tala, operated by Vodafone Samoa, enables customers to send and receive money, purchase airtime, pay utility bills and receive international remittances directly into their mobile wallets. The platform integrates with international remittance providers including OrbitRemit, Rocket Remit, Ria and KlickEx, allowing overseas transfers to arrive digitally rather than in cash.
Vodafone has continued expanding the platform through its dedicated M-Tala mobile application, adding features such as QR-code payments, transaction histories and improved wallet management.
A second major provider is MyCash, operated by Digicel Samoa. MyCash offers mobile payments, person-to-person transfers, merchant payments and bill settlement through a smartphone application, while partnerships with international money transfer companies have strengthened its remittance capabilities.
This year, Digicel expanded MyCash’s international reach through a partnership with Ria Money Transfer, enabling overseas remittances to be delivered directly into customers’ mobile wallets.
These services demonstrate that in Samoa, fintech innovation is arriving through mobile networks that already connect communities across the islands.
Registration has not guaranteed regular use
Mobile money’s presence does not necessarily mean Samoa has become a cashless economy.
The Central Bank of Samoa ‘s 2022–2023 Annual Report shows that while mobile-money enrolment continued to increase, active usage remained considerably lower than total registrations. The number of active agents also declined, highlighting the challenge of building sustainable digital payment ecosystems rather than simply opening accounts.
This is an important lesson. Opening a digital wallet is relatively straightforward. Creating enough reasons for people to continue using it every day is considerably harder.
Consumers need merchants that accept mobile payments, reliable cash-in and cash-out networks, transparent pricing and confidence that digital money will always be available when they need it.
Recognising these challenges, Samoa’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy II (2022–2026) places strong emphasis on expanding digital financial services, encouraging fintech innovation, strengthening payment infrastructure and improving financial literacy throughout the country.
Building the rails beneath the applications
The most important fintech development in Samoa may not be a consumer application at all. It is the country’s payment infrastructure.
The Samoa Automated Transfer System (SATS) was introduced to modernise domestic payment processing and provide real-time settlement between financial institutions. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the new platform is expected to strengthen financial inclusion, improve payment efficiency and provide the digital foundation upon which future fintech services can be built.
Modern payment infrastructure matters because fintech cannot scale efficiently when transfers between banks, wallets and payment providers remain slow or fragmented.
The Central Bank of Samoa is also beginning to encourage innovation more directly.
In 2026, it admitted PacWallex and the TickTap Card, developed by FreedomPacific Samoa, into its regulatory sandbox to test new financial technologies within a supervised environment. This signals an important evolution in the country’s regulatory approach—from supporting digital finance in principle to actively evaluating innovative products before wider market adoption.
Looking ahead
Samoa does not need dozens of fintech companies to transform its financial system. It needs a smaller number of trusted services that solve the country’s biggest financial challenges: reducing remittance costs, expanding financial access outside Apia, improving interoperability and gradually reducing dependence on cash.
The foundations are already emerging through M-Tala, MyCash, SATS and the Central Bank’s growing support for innovation.
In Samoa, fintech’s success will not be measured by billion-dollar valuations or venture capital investment. It will be measured by how much more of every remittance reaches a family, how easily that money can be spent digitally and whether financial technology can make life simpler for communities spread across one of the Pacific’s most geographically dispersed island nations…. PACNEWS
Richie Santosdiaz is a global economic development advisor and Managing Partner of Santos-Diaz LLC, specialising in international trade and foreign direct investment across the UK, Middle East, and North America. With over 15 years of experience and a Masters from SOAS University of London, he has advised high-level governments and multinational corporates while contributing to major outlets like Forbes and the World Economic Forum. Currently based in Dubai, he leverages his background in emerging markets and RegTech to bridge the gap between global policy and private sector growth.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Guardians of Knowledge: How Pacific Researchers at USP are Preserving Indigenous Wisdom for Future Generations
SUVA, 13 AUGUST 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS/USP) — Pacific Indigenous peoples have always been knowledge producers, developing and passing down knowledge through generations of lived experience and close relationships with land, ocean and community.
From traditional navigation and environmental knowledge to food systems, oral traditions and language, these knowledge systems have helped Pacific communities sustain themselves, adapt to change and maintain cultural identity.
As the world marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples this week, The University of the South Pacific (USP) celebrates the work of researchers whose studies are documenting and safeguarding Indigenous languages, traditions, knowledge systems and cultural practices that have guided Pacific communities for generations.
Across the Pacific, Indigenous knowledge continues to play a vital role in strengthening resilience and responding to modern challenges such as climate change, food security and sustainable development.
The work of Sandhya Kumari, Alice Clara Aluta-Rore and Peter Sasabule is just a glimpse of the wider body of research being undertaken by USP scholars to document, safeguard and strengthen Indigenous knowledge across the Pacific.
Their research journeys highlight the diverse ways Pacific researchers are helping ensure that the wisdom of Pacific peoples is not only preserved but also recognised as a valuable resource for shaping the future.
For PhD candidate Sandhya Kumari, the study of Indigenous knowledge is both an academic pursuit and a deeply personal journey.
A researcher in the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Programme (N-POC), Kumari is of Indian and Banaban-Gilbertese descent. Her work explores the effects of displacement on Banaban communities and documents traditional ocean knowledge within Banaban and Kiribati speech communities.
Working closely alongside Indigenous communities, she records stories, navigational knowledge and environmental practices that reflect centuries of interaction between Pacific peoples and the ocean.
“These knowledge systems are not just cultural treasures, they offer practical, sustainable ways of understanding and responding to climate change.”
Inspired by her twin Banaban grandmothers, Kaka Taaren and Kaka Takoroa, she set out to recover and document knowledge tied to a language that has gradually disappeared from everyday use.
“Preserving Indigenous knowledge is vital for future generations because it anchors identity, spiritual connection and ancestral continuity,” she said.
“When a language dies, the knowledge encoded in it becomes silent and inaccessible. Our ancestors were discoverers, navigators and scientists in their own right, and their knowledge deserves formal recognition, documentation and use.”
“Our Indigenous data is connected to our land. Our knowledge lives in the spirits of our ancestors, in the land, and in the oceans. We are born of this ocean, and we must keep it safe from exploitation, greed and harm. Let us be the true custodians of our ancestral knowledge.”
For Solomon Islands researcher Alice Clara Aluta-Rore, Indigenous knowledge remains central to helping communities address food security challenges and build resilience.
A final year PhD Candidate at The University of the South Pacific, under the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate (NPOC) Scholarship Programme, her research documents traditional gardening, fishing and food preservation practices passed down through generations, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women in sustaining households and communities.
Her research documents traditional gardening, fishing and food preservation practices passed down through generations, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women in sustaining households and communities.
“My research is deeply connected to Indigenous knowledge, culture and heritage because it centres on the lived experiences of rural Solomon Islands women who use inherited ancestral knowledge and wisdom to ensure food-secure households and villages.”
“Indigenous knowledge is more than a body of data, but a living system that enables survival and innovative decisions that will help shape sustainable futures for our food systems in the Pacific.”
Inspired by her mother and the many women who quietly support their families and communities, Rore said their resilience became the driving force behind her research.
“These hardworking women became the inspiration for this study. I am humbled by their willingness to share their rich stories with me,” she said.
Marking International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Rore shared a message of gratitude and responsibility.
“Indigenous wisdom and heritage are our compass to navigate life gifted to us by our ancestors. Let us remember and celebrate our roots, identity and shared belongingness to Oceania, our wan solwara or ‘One Ocean’, with deep gratitude.”
For Peter Sasabule, preserving language is fundamental to preserving culture.
Originally from Roviana in the Western Solomon Islands, Sasabule is a PhD candidate in Linguistics whose research focuses on documenting and archiving Zinama Roviana, the Roviana language.
His work involves recording oral histories, stories, songs, conversations and traditional knowledge to create a comprehensive language corpus that can be accessed by both researchers and the Roviana community.
“Language documentation is vital for preserving oral traditions. These traditions offer Indigenous perspectives and provide valuable insights into the significance of cultural practices, ceremonies and traditional histories.”
For generations, the customs, traditions and knowledge of the Roviana people have been passed down orally.
His passion for the work began in childhood, listening to stories shared by his grandmother.
“Zinama Roviana played a significant role in my upbringing. I grew up listening to vivinei malivi, or stories of giants, told by my grandmother. Those stories sparked my interest in documenting and preserving the language and cultural heritage of my people.”
“Indigenous knowledge and identity are intricately woven into our Pacific cultures. By preserving our Indigenous languages, we ensure that future generations can understand, appreciate and remain connected to their cultural heritage.”
Reflecting on the significance of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Sasabule shared a message in Roviana:
“Sa nada vinekala si gua na pili sapu voi ia nada tinago, nada tinuti meke na tinumutumae mae guadi koari tie tamada.”
“Our language is like a woven basket that carries our belonging, identity and knowledge passed down to us from our ancestors.”
Through research, partnerships and postgraduate training, USP continues to provide a platform for Pacific scholars to document, recognise and advance Indigenous knowledge systems that remain central to the region’s future…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS SPORT
AUST – BOXING: AAP PACNEWS SPORT: Thu 13 Aug 2026
‘Hardest I’ve been hit’: Australian boxer Temoana Teremoana hailed as future champ
GOLDCOAST, 13 AUGUST 2026 (AAP) — Temoana Teremoana has been hailed as a world heavyweight champion of the future — by the American who’s become the latest quickfire victim in the big Australian’s increasingly impressive unbeaten career.
DeAndre Savage was the 12th opponent to hit the canvas in less than two rounds against Teremoana, who extended his flawless record to 12-0 in the main event at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Olympian Teremoana finished the job in his usual clinical manner, dropping Savage to his knees with a right hand from which the veteran American didn’t fancy rising.
It continued the remarkable sequence in which every one of Teremoana’s pro-opponents so far has been dismissed in less than six minutes.
It also left 35-year-old Savage, who had arrived with 11 KO victories of his own and the promise that he’d take Teremoana into a tough new world, admitting afterwards: “That was the hardest I’ve ever been hit.”
Savage also suggested that the fighter with the Cook Island heritage could go on to become a world champion — a prediction that Teremoana’s British promoter Eddie Hearn isn’t about to dismiss.
Hearn confirmed the big Australian would next fight on the undercard of the proposed Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury super-bout for which no date or venue has yet been confirmed. It is, though, pencilled in for later this year after being discussed as a prospect for years.
The only person who didn’t seem so happy was Teremoana himself, as he admitted to frustration at his fights continually finishing so quickly.
“I’m really annoyed that these fellas can’t continue,” Teremoana said, after Savage became only the third opponent to take him into a second round.
“No one’s been able to make it out of two rounds.”
Hearn says Teremoana is the man he believes can hand unbeaten 21-year-old British star Moses Itauma his first defeat as he urges a match-up between the two hot prospects.
Londoner Itauma, who’s knocked out 12 of his 14 pro-opponents without ever being taken past the sixth round, challenges Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title at the end of the month, with the Australian potentially in the pipeline to challenge if the Briton, as expected, prevails.
“You have got to have that speed of foot and Teremoana has got it, but he has also got that power and he has got that strength,” Hearn says of the Brisbane-based fighter…. PACNEWS
