In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — China dismisses Palau President’s missile test claims as Pacific leaders prepare to discuss issue
2. PACIFIC — Winston Peters urges Pacific leaders to put economic growth at centre of the Forum
3. FIJI — HIV diagnoses rise 27 percent in Fiji
4. TONGA — 32 climate projects first to start off under Tonga Climate Change Fund
5. FIJI — Fiji records 1,700 new HIV infections annually: UNAIDS
6. PACIFIC — Pacific humanitarian workers face major logistical and access challenges, World Vision says
7. FIJI — Fiji Labour Party backs appeal of COI judgment
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Naoero minister laments Northern Pacific Connector demise
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Tonga Inflation reaches 9.3 percent as transport, housing and restaurants drive price rises
10. PACNEWS BIZ — PM Wale advances plans for TAFE School of Trade in Solomon Islands
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Foreign worker recruitment in Fiji questioned
12. PACNEWS BIZ — BRED Bank Fiji customers can now pay directly at M-PAiSA QR merchants
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific sets the terms on energy security, and Denmark signs on
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Creating pathways for Pacific climate solutions
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
China dismisses Palau President’s missile test claims as Pacific leaders prepare to discuss issue
BEIJING, 19 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS)— China has dismissed claims by Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr over a recent Chinese missile test-launch, describing them as “completely groundless” and “malicious in intent”.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the comments on Tuesday when asked about reports that Whipps had called on Pacific island countries to form a “united position” on China’s missile test.
Lin said China had already made its position clear on the test launch.
“The claims by the Palauan side are completely groundless, malicious in intent and not worth mentioning,” Lin said.
Whipps has questioned why China chose to conduct the test-launch near Tuvalu and Solomon Islands, rather than over the vast open waters between China and the United States.
He also claimed China wanted Pacific island countries to understand that “any one of your islands, we can take out.”
The issue is expected to be discussed by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders when they meet in Palau for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
The missile test and its implications for regional security are likely to add to wider discussions among Pacific leaders on peace, security and the growing strategic competition in the Pacific.
Palau is hosting the Forum Leaders Meeting from 30 August to 04 September….PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PMN PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Winston Peters urges Pacific leaders to put economic growth at centre of the Forum
WELLINGTON, 19 AUGUST 2026 (PMN)—Pacific leaders should use this month’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to put economic growth and self-reliance higher on the regional agenda, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.
Speaking to Pacific Mornings, Peters says the Pacific needs to rethink what it wants from regional cooperation, arguing that stronger economies are vital if island countries are to have more control over their future.
His comments come as Forum leaders prepare to meet in Palau from 30 August to 04 September under the theme ‘Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity’.
“First of all, to be far more clear about what we want going forward,” Peters says. “It’s unusual. I go to ASEAN, and it’s all about the economy, the economy, economy, economy. I go to the Pacific, it’s all about aid.”
He says the region needs to change that approach and bring more partners into its economic development.
“We’ve got to change our plans here in the Pacific to be far more efficient with the economy as well. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get partners to come in and help us.”
That push for economic development comes as Pacific countries face rising fuel costs, pressure on essential services and the growing cost of responding to climate change.
But economic partnerships are also becoming harder to separate from the region’s wider geopolitical pressures.
Forum foreign ministers were unable to agree on the wording of a joint response to China’s recent ballistic missile test during their meeting in Suva last week.
China’s ballistic missile test into the Pacific has raised concerns across the region and added to calls for greater transparency and a stronger Pacific-led response. Photo/Instagram
But the issue is not closed, with the Pacific Islands Forum confirming that officials are still negotiating a political statement ahead of the leaders’ meeting.
Forum Deputy Secretary-General Esala Nayasi says there is agreement that a statement should be issued.
“The important point that has been made: all ministers have agreed that there needs to be a statement,” he told journalists. “No one is blocking that but it is a matter of negotiation and agreement by members.”
Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa has also rejected suggestions that individual members blocked the statement, saying ministers had different views on how it should be framed.
“So, it’s not easy. But there’s no blocking. Kiribati did not block. Naoero did not block,” Waqa said after the foreign ministers meeting. “They just honestly put in place their position so that others can consider and see how best they can all contribute.”
Nayasi says the missile-testing issue is among several matters still being worked through before leaders meet in Palau.
“There are a number of issues that officials still need to look into, to negotiate,” he said.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr, who will host the Forum, is also pushing for a united Pacific response, saying the region has a right to know when missiles are being tested overhead.
“This is something that we should be united in our voice about,” Whipps told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The issue could still reach the leaders’ table when they meet in Koror later this month.
The meeting will also see Taiwan return to the Forum’s leaders gathering after it was excluded from last year’s meeting in Solomon Islands.
Waqa says Taiwan is an important development partner, although it is not a dialogue partner.
Taiwan’s return is significant because China opposes its participation in international organisations and has previously protested its involvement in the Forum.
Peters says the question is not simply whether Pacific countries work with outside partners, but who sets the terms of that engagement.
“And that is, outsiders are getting too much in the inside. And that’s the part of the discussion we must have going forward.”
The issue has already surfaced in the lead-up to Palau.
Forum foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement responding to China’s recent ballistic missile test, exposing divisions among members over how the region should respond to growing geopolitical pressure.
Peters says he does not expect the missile test to necessarily dominate the leaders’ meeting, arguing that a statement would have had more value closer to the event.
Instead, he wants the Forum to focus on what Pacific countries can achieve together.
Peters says he remains a strong supporter of the regional body and believes it can do much more. “I’ve always thought that we could be doing far more with it.”
He points to issues including transnational crime, economic development and security as areas where Pacific countries have little choice but to work together.
“We’ve got no option but to cooperate.”
Peters says the region should see itself as one interconnected Pacific with shared interests.
“We’re trying to ask people to lift their game and see us as the blue continent with a collective interest to make sure it’s governed and run properly and people’s economic and social needs are met.”
That means making sure economic development is not simply about attracting outside money but about building stronger local economies and ensuring partnerships deliver for communities.
Peters says the challenges facing the region are growing and that makes cooperation more important.
“The world is not getting easier. It’s getting more difficult, and we need more cooperation right across a whole lot of areas that are of advantage to our citizens.”
With New Zealand set to host the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in 2027, Palau will be an early test of whether leaders can turn the language of economic independence and regional cooperation into practical action….PACNEWS
FIJI – HIV/AIDS/HEALTH: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
HIV diagnoses rise 27 percent in Fiji
NADI, 19 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji recorded a record 2,016 HIV diagnoses in 2025, with young people accounting for a significant proportion of cases.
Speaking at the inaugural Pacific HIV Symposium 2026 in Nadi this week, President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu said the figure was a 27 percent increase from the 1,583 diagnoses recorded in 2024.
He cautioned that diagnoses recorded in a particular year did not necessarily represent infections acquired during the same period, as expanded testing was also identifying people who had previously remained undiagnosed.
However, Ratu Naiqama said national evidence pointed to ongoing and rapidly increasing transmission, with no room for complacency.
The age profile was a particular concern, with people aged 20 to 24 accounting for 646 diagnoses in 2025 — almost one in every three cases.
“When an epidemic becomes concentrated amongst young people, the consequences are not limited to the health sector,” Ratu Naiqama said.
“They affect families, productivity, education, social stability and national development.”
He also highlighted the impact on children, with 56 cases attributed to mother-to-child transmission and 17 HIV-related deaths recorded among children aged zero to 14.
Ratu Naiqama said every preventable infection in a child should prompt a review of antenatal testing, maternal care, safe delivery, early diagnosis, follow-up and family support.
At the end of 2025, Fiji recorded 3,535 people living with HIV, with 1,979 receiving antiretroviral therapy.
More than four in 10 people newly diagnosed in 2025, however, were not yet enrolled in care, while gaps remained in viral-load monitoring and documented viral suppression.
Ratu Naiqama called for faster links between testing and treatment, reliable medicine supplies, decentralised services, patient tracking and stronger follow-up.
He also linked the rising HIV burden to drug use and the sharing of injecting equipment.
“Every person, on every island, deserves prevention, testing, treatment and care without fear and without shame,” he said…PACNEWS
TONGA – CLIMATE CHANGE: TALANOAOTONGA PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
32 climate projects first to start off under Tonga Climate Change Fund
NUKU’ALOFA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (TALANOAOTONGA)—Thirty-two climate projects are moving into action following the signing of Project Implementation Agreements under the first funding cycle of Tonga’s Climate Change Fund (TCCF).
The agreements were signed in Nuku‘alofa Tuesday, marking a major step for the national climate financing mechanism, which was established to mobilise and manage resources for climate adaptation, mitigation, disaster risk reduction and resilience.
The Department of Climate Change said the 32 approved projects include locally led initiatives focused on climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, environmental protection and community preparedness across Tonga.
The TCCF has been under development for more than a decade. Cabinet first endorsed the concept of a national climate financing mechanism in 2011, before the Tonga Climate Change Fund Act was passed in 2021 while its regulations and operational manual were finalised in 2024.
The Fund was fully operationalised in January 2025, creating a national mechanism intended to bring together domestic and international climate finance.
The Fund is designed to bring together national, regional and international resources and direct them towards Tonga’s climate priorities.
Its establishment has been supported by development partners, including Australia and New Zealand, alongside Tonga’s own financial contribution.
The Fund was initially capitalised with US$5 million from the Asian Development Bank, including US$4 million for an endowment and US$1 million for community climate projects.
Between 2017 and 2022, earlier funding rounds supported 72 projects, including water tanks, food security, coastal protection and infrastructure improvements.
New Zealand has provided about NZ$26 million(US$15.26 million) to the Fund, while Australia and other development partners have also supported its development.
The Government is seeking further financing. A proposal to the Adaptation Fund would inject another US$10 million into the TCCF to strengthen its governance and capacity and support community-driven adaptation projects, including work on food and water security, ecosystems, early warning systems and resilient infrastructure.
The estimated total sum collected for TCCF to-date would be about $87 million pa’anga (US$38 million).
The signing follows a briefing for the successful beneficiaries on Monday covering requirements for project implementation, including financial management, procurement, monitoring and reporting.
A donor dialogue was also held following the ceremony, with representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Nations Development Programme and other development partners. The discussion focused on sustaining and expanding support for the Fund.
MEIDECC Chief Executive Officer Sione ‘Akauola said the signing represented the transition from establishing the Fund to practical implementation, with projects now positioned to begin delivering benefits.
The focus will now shift to implementation and accountability including whether the approved projects are delivered effectively and whether climate finance reaches the communities and priorities the Fund was established to serve….PACNEWS
FIJI – HIV/AIDS/HEALTH: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Fiji records 1,700 new HIV infections annually: UNAIDS
NADI, 19 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji needs to strengthen its HIV response as UNAIDS statistics show about 1700 new infections are recorded annually, with new infections increasing 12-fold and AIDS-related deaths 13-fold since 2010.
UNAIDS director of Regional Support Teams for Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia Eamonn Murphy said this during the inaugural Pacific HIV Symposium 2026 in Nadi this week.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services recorded 2016 new HIV diagnoses in 2025 — the highest annual figure since national surveillance began — compared with 1583 in 2024.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu has called for nationwide prevention efforts.
“We need everyone, including the vanua, which is an integral part of our effort to do this,” Dr Lalabalavu said.
“When the numbers keep on increasing, our efforts should also scale up in terms of treatment, testing and awareness,” he said.
Chief guest President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu said HIV was affecting communities and should be addressed as a human rights issue, with the vanua playing a leading role.
“It is about dignity. It is about the strength of our health system and the resilience of our community,” he said.
He said Pacific countries, including Fiji, must strengthen their collective response to HIV by placing prevention, accessible testing, treatment and human rights at the centre of their health systems.
Ratu Naiqama proposed seven practical commitments to guide the region’s response to the 2030 global HIV targets.
He said the symposium was more than a conference, describing it as a gathering focused on human rights, dignity, health-system strength, community resilience and the future security of the Pacific.
The first commitment is to put prevention at the centre through biomedical, behavioural and community-led approaches, including evidence-based harm reduction.
The second is to make HIV testing routine, accessible and confidential while ensuring every diagnosis is rapidly linked to treatment.
He also called for stronger retention in care, medicine security, viral-load monitoring and greater public understanding of effective treatment.
Ratu Naiqama said eliminating mother-to-child transmission must become a regional priority, with particular attention to antenatal care, infants, children and adolescents.
He further called for stronger action against stigma and discrimination and greater protection of confidentiality, human dignity and equitable access to services.
Community leaders, people living with HIV, peer-support groups and community organisations, he said, must have a greater role in designing and delivering the regional response.
The seventh commitment focuses on a sustained and coordinated response covering prevention, treatment, human rights, mental health, co-infections, drug use, harm reduction and care for children and adolescents.
“We are different parts of one human journey, a journey from risk to prevention, from uncertainty to testing, from diagnosis to treatment, and from treatment to virus suppression, and from fear and stigma to hope,” he said.
Ratu Naiqama also highlighted the growing drug challenge and injecting practices in the Pacific, saying countries had not been adequately prepared.
“The ocean that surrounds us connects our people and carries our hope,” he said.
“Let us equip ourselves. Let us equip the frontline. Let us learn from one another. The urgency at this moment demands it.”
Researcher Patrick Tamaicakai said traditional leadership could play an important role in breaking the culture of silence and stigma surrounding HIV in iTaukei communities…..PACNEWS
PAC – HUMANTARIAN WORKERS: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Pacific humanitarian workers face major logistical and access challenges, World Vision says
WELLINGTON, 19 AUGUST 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—Access remains the biggest challenge for humanitarian workers in the Pacific Islands region, but humanitarians are not targeted as they are in other parts of the world, according to World Vision.
To mark World Humanitarian Day, World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian and development organisation, is highlighting the unprecedented risks faced by global humanitarian workers in recent times.
There has been a threefold increase in deaths of humanitarian workers over the past three years, with over 1000 deaths – mainly in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan.
World Vision said in such parts of the world, humanitarians and medical personnel are targeted by states they are trying to assist.
World Vision’s Hanna Taylor-Moller told RNZ Pacific that in the Pacific, humanitarian agencies are not seeing the lawlessness and disregard for international humanitarian law that they were experiencing in other parts of the world.
The logistics can be daunting, as humanitarian agencies set out to get clear information immediately following a natural disaster.
Taylor-Moller said that there was a different suite of challenges facing humanitarian workers in the Pacific, a region of often remote islands spread across a wide region.
“When we are responding to things like climate-induced or climate-driven cyclones, it’s making them worse.
“But because we are responding to a lot of these areas by boat, small planes in the case of Papua New Guinea, access is the biggest challenge we are facing in the Pacific to reach the communities who really need it, who will often be a very small number of people in very very remote locations,” she said.
Climate-induced crises in the Pacific, particularly the impact of the El Niño cycle on cyclones and storms, present particular challenges for humanitarian agencies in their efforts to get help to communities.
“When you try and convey to people the work we do, people often like to hear these big numbers of the thousands of people reached, but the reality in the Pacific is that you’ll go to huge effort to literally get food, supplies, soap, clean water to quite a small number of families in remote locations,” she explained.
The logistics can be daunting, as humanitarian agencies set out to get clear information immediately following, for example, a natural disaster.
Taylor-Moller said often the internet or phone connectivity was very low in the Pacific Islands, making it hard to get the details out.
“The first port of call in a in a crisis is to find out what the needs are. And that’s the first thing, trying to get people out to an area to assess it, local people who speak the language, who know the terrain, getting to find who’s injured, who’s in need of shelter, water, supplies, getting that information back – and then getting the necessary supplies out to these remote locations”.
She said while humanitarian workers are operating in the Pacific often with a much higher degree of safety compared to what they’re seeing in other countries and other responses.
“But the logistics are definitely a challenge. A lot of lot of sea, open water travel. Not as easy with the roads, that is for sure,” said Taylor-Moller…PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Fiji Labour Party backs appeal of COI judgment
SUVA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN)—The Fiji Labour Party (FLP) has backed Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s decision to appeal the High Court judgment declaring the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report into Barbara Malimali’s appointment as Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) Commissioner null and void.
FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry said that while the High Court identified procedural and legal flaws in the inquiry, its judgment did not remove the serious concerns that led to the establishment of the COI.
“The issues surrounding Malimali’s appointment, allegations of improper influence, and concerns about the integrity of public institutions remain matters of public importance,” Chaudhry said.
He said several aspects of the judgment should be tested on appeal to provide clarity on the law governing commissions of inquiry.
The FLP said the appeal should test the finding that the Commission could not be lawfully extended and the conclusion that events following Ms Malimali’s appointment fell outside the scope of the inquiry.
It also wants clarification on the requirement for affected people to be given draft findings before a report is released.
The party said the findings of irrationality and apparent bias against the Commissioner should also be tested, along with the High Court’s decision to declare the entire report null and void rather than remove only findings found to be defective.
Chaudhry acknowledged the importance of natural justice, saying people must know the case against them and have a fair opportunity to respond.
However, he said whether natural justice also required draft findings to be provided before publication was an issue that should be clarified by a higher court.
“The appeal will help clarify important legal principles and ensure certainty for future commissions of inquiry,” he said.
The FLP said it remained committed to accountability, transparency, good governance and the rule of law……PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
NAURU – AIRLINE: AEROSOUTH PACIFIC NEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Naoero minister laments Northern Pacific Connector demise
YAREN, 19 AUGUST 2026 (AEROSOUTH PACIFIC NEWS)—Minister for Naeoro Air Corporation Asterio Appi says the end of the Australian Government-administered Northern Pacific Connector contract was a slap in the face for his country and its state-owned airline.
The Australian Government called for fresh tenders earlier this year, looking for a carrier capable of providing at least one service per week connecting Australia with Naoero, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.
The terms included operating an aircraft capable of carrying at least 75 passengers and 1,000 kg of cargo on each sector for two years, with the option for another two-year extension .The Northern Pacific Connector service is administered by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
“The successful operator will sell seats and freight at commercial prices with revenue being deducted from flight operational costs to DFAT,” the government’s initial tender announcement noted.
Nauru Airlines has been operating the flights since 2022, using one of its passenger-configured B737s. But despite a mid-April 2026 tender deadline, the Australian Government hasn’t announced the successful bidder, and Appi smells trouble.
“The tender process deadline has elapsed and remains a mystery, clouded in confidentiality,” he told Naoero Parliament last month.
“Unfortunately, it is hauntingly familiar to a similar decision a year or so earlier when the Paradise Express operated by Nauru Airlines under the contract was subject to a sudden re-tender decision in less than 12 months of operation,” “he continued.
The so-called Paradise Express was another Australian Government-supported route between Brisbane (BNE) and Koror (ROR), which Nauru Airlines initially operated before Qantas swooped in during a re-tender process.
“It would appear that Nauru Airlines was used as a means of exploring a new flight destination, only to be shortly replaced thereafter by an Australia-designated carrier who immediately benefited from the initial groundwork, marketing and forward passenger bookings,” Appi said.
The minister referenced the North Pacific Aviation Summit held in Canberra in March, at which he argued that the Northern Pacific Connector service must be commercially sustainable over the long term. He says he was verbally advised at the meeting to make sure Nauru Airlines submitted its fresh Northern Pacific Connector tender on time, which it did.
He said the Australian Government’s tardy response in announcing the successful bidder had undermined much of the work done by Nauru Airlines to build connections in the region.
Last month, Aero South Pacific reported that the carrier had quietly axed two of the five sectors on its Northern Pacific Connector routing. Instead of flying Brisbane – Yaren/Naoero (INU) – Majuro (MAJ) – Pohnpei (PNI) – Koror (ROR) and return, it dropped the Majuro – Pohnpei and Pohnpei – Koror legs.
Appi said Nauru Airlines and its staff had been blamed for service cutbacks when the carrier was merely “the incumbent operator of an expired contract that still has no decision in sight”.
“The Northern Pacific Connector has failed Nauru Airlines and the people of Micronesia,” Appi said.
Aero South Pacific has contacted DFAT for comment.
Appi said the airline was pivoting its attention towards more responsive governments in the region, having recently signed memorandums of understanding to develop air services with the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. The focus of those talks was on restoring the discontinued Northern Pacific Connector sectors.
Appi called the MOU with Micronesia a “bold, forward-looking partnership” and the Marshall Islands agreement a “defining moment”.
“We have intensified our bilateral talks with our Micronesian neighbours,” Appi said. “Together, we can do more for air connectivity in the Micronesian region.”
At the March forum in Canberra, Appi said all countries served by the Northern Pacific Connector service needed to contribute to the costs – not just Australia and Naoero. He said small measures, such as waiving airport charges and allowing after-dark landings, could help.
None of the officials from Naoero, Micronesia or the Marshall Islands have said what, if any, assistance they will provide Nauru Airlines to restart the flights.
Nauru Airlines has also recently held talks with Micronesia-based start-up One Pacific Airways, while Naoero officials have travelled to China for talks about how that country can help develop Naoero’s aviation sector….PACNEWS
TONGA – INFLATION: TALANOAOTONGA PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Tonga Inflation reaches 9.3 percent as transport, housing and restaurants drive price rises
NUKU’ALOFA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (TALANOAOTONGA)—Tonga’s annual inflation rate rose to 9.3 percent in July, with sharp increases in transport, housing costs and restaurant prices putting further pressure on households and businesses.
The Tonga Statistics Department said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 143.4 in July 2026, up from 131.2 a year earlier. Prices for imported goods rose 10.6 percent over the year, compared with an 8.2 percent increase in locally produced goods.
Transport recorded the largest annual increase, rising 23.3 percent and contributing 3.1 percentage points to overall inflation. The increase was driven by higher international airfares, inter-island ferry fares, diesel and petrol prices.
Housing, water, electricity and gas increased 32.2 percent, contributing another 2.1 percentage points. Higher electricity, LPG and kerosene prices were the main drivers.
Restaurants and hotels rose 13.7 percent, also contributing 2.1 percentage points, with higher takeaway food prices including lamb curry and pizza.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages, which carry the largest weight in Tonga’s CPI basket at 42.6 percent, increased 4.2 percent over the year.
On a monthly basis, inflation was relatively modest at 0.1 percent in July compared with June. Restaurant and hotel prices rose 4.7 percent, while food prices increased 1.5 percent, driven by local vegetables, seafood and root crops.
These increases were partly offset by a 6.0 percent fall in transport prices and a 7.4 percent decline in housing, water, electricity and gas prices during the month.
The July figures mark a significant acceleration from the 7.1 percent annual inflation rate reported for June….PACNEWS
SOL- SCHOOL OF TRADE-: SOL GOVT PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 19 Aug 2026
PM Wale advances plans for TAFE School of Trade in Solomon Islands
HONIARA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (SOL GOVT)—Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has advanced discussions on the proposed establishment of a TAFE School of Trade as part of the Government’s plans to build a skilled workforce for economic transformation.
Wale met Nippon Foundation Executive Managing Director Takashi Arikawa in Honiara to discuss arrangements to get the proposed institution off the ground.
The meeting follows Wale’s recent talks with Nippon Foundation Honorary Chair Yohei Sasakawa during the Prime Minister’s visit to Tokyo.
Wale said the Government wants to move Solomon Islands towards a more productive economy focused on manufacturing and processing, and that technical and vocational training will be critical to achieving that goal.
“We hope to build at least four of these TAFE institutions across the country, and I am grateful that the Nippon Foundation has committed to assisting us with the establishment of one,” Wale said.
He said the initiative is also part of the Government’s broader education policy to expand access to quality technical and vocational education and training.
Arikawa said the Nippon Foundation team would meet officials from the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development to further progress the project.
He said Sasakawa was keen to support Solomon Islands’ education sector and help advance the priorities of the GREAT Coalition Government.
Wale also announced that the new institution would be named in honour of the Sasakawa family in recognition of their support for education and skills development in Solomon Islands.
The Prime Minister said the Government would work closely with the Nippon Foundation to deliver a new pathway for Solomon Islanders to gain the technical and vocational skills needed to support and drive the country’s economic transformation…..PACNEWS
FIJI – FOREIGN WORKERS: FBC NEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 19 Aug 2026
Foreign worker recruitment in Fiji questioned
SUVA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (FBC NEWS)—Fiji Opposition MP Virendra Lal has questioned the growing recruitment of foreign workers while unemployed Fijian youths continue to struggle to find jobs.
Speaking in Parliament during debate on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence’s review of the Office of the Prime Minister and Fijian Immigration Department annual reports, Lal said industries were increasingly bringing in foreign workers for semi-skilled and operational roles.
He specifically pointed to jobs such as public transport drivers and construction personnel.
“On one hand, industries are bringing in external workers for semi-skilled and operational roles.”
Lal said this was happening while many young Fijians remained locked out of the formal economy.
He questioned whether employers were genuinely exhausting opportunities to recruit, train and upskill local workers before seeking foreign labour.
“We must demand strict accountability from the administration.”
Lal argued that the easy recruitment of foreign workers could undermine opportunities for Fijians and said stronger coordination was needed between the Ministry of Immigration and the Ministry of Employment.
He also called for national training resources and targeted education pathways to be used to prepare Fijian youths for jobs currently being filled by foreign workers.
Lal questioned whether existing local advertising requirements for employers were providing genuine protection for Fijian workers.
He called for policy reviews, comprehensive audits of issued work permits and legislative safeguards to ensure opportunities for local workers are prioritised….PACNEWS
FIJI – BANK: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 19 Aug 2026
BRED Bank Fiji customers can now pay directly at M-PAiSA QR merchants
SUVA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN)—BRED Bank Fiji customers can now pay directly from their bank accounts at M-PAiSA QR merchants, removing the need to first transfer money into a mobile wallet.
BRED Bank (Fiji) Pte Limited announced the new QR payment capability yesterday through a partnership with Digital Financial Service Pte Limited (DFS).
The service allows customers to use the BRED Fiji Connect App to scan M-PAiSA QR codes and make payments directly from their BRED bank accounts.
The partnership opens access to more than 6500 M-PAiSA QR payment counters Fiji-wide, including supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, fast-food outlets, retail stores, travel providers, entertainment venues and selected government and service providers.
BRED Bank Fiji chief executive officer Pierre Tastet said the partnership would give customers more payment options with fewer steps.
“This partnership marks an important step in expanding everyday payment options for BRED customers. By enabling payments through the BRED Fiji Connect App at M-PAiSA QR merchants, we are giving our customers more ways to pay, with fewer steps to take. It is simple, secure, and designed to make everyday payments easier across Fiji.”
Tastet said customers would no longer need a separate QR code at merchant locations or have to transfer funds to a mobile wallet before making payments.
“Our customers can now pay directly from their BRED bank account by scanning an M-PAiSA QR code. This removes the need for an additional QR code at merchant locations and eliminates the extra step of transferring money to a mobile wallet. It is a major leap forward in accessibility and convenience for our customers.”
DFS general manager Shailendra Prasad said the partnership would give BRED customers wider access to digital payments.
“DFS is excited to collaborate with BRED Bank Fiji by opening up our M-PAiSA QR access to BRED Customers. In a relatively small market like Fiji, collaboration and partnership makes sense to improve access at the last mile by using existing infrastructure. The partnership with BRED paves the way for more collaboration in the future where synergies exist for mutual benefit”
The service was launched on August 18 at selected participating outlets, including Burger King, Fresh Choice Supermarket, Extra Supermarket, Grace Road New World, Bargain Box and Chicken Express.
It will be expanded to all M-PAiSA QR merchants from 24 August 2026.
Customers can make payments ranging from $0.10 to $10,000(US$0.05- US$5,000), subject to their transaction limits.
A fee of 10 cents(US$0.05) applies to the first and second QR payments each day, while a 40-cent fee applies from the third QR payment onwards each day.
Only successful payments are charged.
The initiative also aligns with Fiji’s broader digital payments roadmap and development of national QR capability, supported by the Reserve Bank of Fiji…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific sets the terms on energy security, and Denmark signs on
SUVA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (SPC)—The Pacific Community (SPC), in partnership with the Government of Denmark, has formalised a technical cooperation initiative to strengthen regional energy governance and support Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in advancing a secure, resilient, and sustainable energy transition.
The initiative represents an important step in translating regional priorities into coordinated action and reinforcing SPC’s role in supporting member-led processes across the Pacific.
The partnership builds on the direction provided by Pacific Leaders and Ministers, including the Port Vila Call for a Just Transition, the Efate Outcome Statement, and most recently the Manubada Call to Action adopted at the Sixth Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting (PRETMM6).
At PRETMM6, Ministers highlighted the need for enhanced regional coordination, improved monitoring and reporting, greater transparency of partner support, and accelerated implementation of energy priorities.
This initiative responds directly to these priorities.
Under the agreement, SPC will lead the establishment phase, focusing on strengthening the systems, data, and institutional arrangements required to support more effective regional energy governance. This includes advancing regional energy monitoring and reporting systems, supporting implementation of the Framework for Energy Security and Resilience in the Pacific (FESRIP) 2021–2030, and contributing to the development of a regional evidence base to inform decision-making.
The initiative also supports ongoing regional processes led by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), including discussions on strengthening coordination mechanisms and institutional arrangements for the energy sector, in line with decisions of Pacific Leaders.
Director-General of SPC, Dr Paula Vivili, welcomed the partnership: “We are grateful to the Government of Denmark for its valued support and partnership. This investment will strengthen SPC’s technical expertise and capacity to respond effectively to our members’ priorities and accelerate their energy transition – turning regional commitments into practical and tangible outcomes for Pacific countries and communities.”
The announcement comes at a critical time, as Pacific countries continue to navigate a dynamic global energy context marked by price volatility, supply challenges, and the need to accelerate resilient and sustainable energy systems.
The initiative will contribute to ongoing regional dialogue in strengthening energy enabling frameworks towards the ambition on 100% renewable energy for the blue Pacific and will help inform deliberations at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, where Leaders are expected to consider next steps for strengthening regional energy governance.
Through strengthened coordination and a shared commitment to Pacific-led implementation, the partnership reinforces a collective approach to addressing energy challenges and advancing regional priorities.
This initiative is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Denmark and is implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC)….PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Creating pathways for Pacific climate solutions
SUVA, 19 AUGUST 2026 (SPC)—Despite the capacity and resource constraints Pacific Small Island Developing States face in accessing global climate finance, communities across the region are already developing practical, locally led climate solutions.
From restoring coastal ecosystems through nature-based solutions to adapting farming practices and combining Indigenous knowledge with scientific expertise, locally led adaptation is taking shape in villages, on farms and along coastlines.
The challenge is not simply generating new ideas. It is creating the conditions that allow promising local solutions to grow.
With climate finance still largely directed towards large-scale, proven interventions, many community-led adaptation initiatives struggle to access the early-stage funding, technical support and partnerships needed to test, strengthen and demonstrate their potential. Without this support, promising ideas often stall at the pilot stage or fail to attract larger sources of climate finance. This can be especially challenging for women-led initiatives, youth innovators and community organisations, whose locally developed solutions are often overlooked despite their strong potential to strengthen climate resilience.
Creating Pathways for Climate Adaptation
Recognising this challenge, the Pacific Community (SPC) established the Climate Innovation Programme Co:Lab. Backed by a US$5 million investment through the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA), Co:Lab is designed to help address the gap between promising locally led adaptation initiatives and larger climate finance opportunities.
More than a grant programme, Co:Lab is a regional climate adaptation innovation accelerator that combines catalytic funding with technical expertise, mentoring and strategic partnerships, helping locally led initiatives progress towards investment and wider impact.
From FiT Learning to Co:Lab Design
Co:Lab builds on six years of learning through SPC’s Funding with Intent (FiT) programme. Established as an internal innovation platform, FiT used small, flexible grants to encourage experimentation, test new approaches and strengthen organisational learning.
Between 2020 and 2026, FiT supported 48 incubation projects and 10 amplification projects across areas including climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, fisheries, digital innovation and geospatial technologies. Collectively, these projects helped SPC understand not only what worked, but why—and what promising initiatives needed to move beyond the pilot stage.
The FiT Sensemaking Exercise found consistently strong results during incubation, confirming that relatively modest investments, when combined with the right support, can unlock significant innovation. It also identified a persistent gap: many promising initiatives struggled to secure the technical assistance, partnerships and follow-on investment needed to progress beyond successful pilots and achieve wider impact.
Innovation in Practice: atoll farming in Palau
The swamp taro restoration project in Palau illustrates how early-stage support can help communities investigate a locally identified challenge and test a practical response.
While working with communities in Kayangel Atoll through SPC’s Managing Coastal Aquifers Project (MCAP), SPC technical teams heard repeated concerns about the declining health of giant swamp taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii). More than a staple food crop, giant swamp taro is deeply woven into Palauan culture and plays an important role in food security and livelihoods. These community concerns became the starting point for a FiT-supported pilot project to better understand the problem and identify practical responses.
The project brought together women growers, groundwater specialists, soil scientists and agriculture experts. Scientific investigations into groundwater conditions, soil characteristics and water quality were considered alongside generations of Indigenous knowledge about traditional cultivation practices and environmental change.
Together, they revealed a more complex picture than first anticipated. Rather than a single cause, the decline was associated with high sodium levels, low potassium, compacted soils and prolonged waterlogging, while saltwater intrusion linked to climate change placed further pressure on the traditional taro pits.
The response reflected the same collaborative approach. Working with women growers, the project refined traditional basket-planting techniques by combining scientific evidence with local knowledge. Women advised against using pandanus because it is an important source of household income and recommended coconut leaves instead.
Filled with organic material and raised above the waterline, the baskets created healthier growing conditions for young taro plants while remaining practical, locally appropriate and grounded in traditional practice.
After six months, the results were clear. Raised basket planting achieved survival rates of approximately 75 percent in one taro pit and more than 80 percent in the other—at sites where previous planting had recorded no survival. The approach outperformed both conventional planting and raised coconut-husk beds, demonstrating how a practical solution using locally available materials could improve drainage, lift taro roots above saline groundwater and support plant survival under increasingly difficult conditions.
The project showed what relatively modest, strategic investment can make possible. By bringing women growers and technical specialists together, it transformed scientific evidence and local knowledge into a practical adaptation response with measurable results.
From Pilot to Impact
The wider FiT findings show what early-stage support could achieve and what promising initiatives still needed beyond a successful pilot. Those lessons informed Co:Lab’s three-stage pathway, which provides different forms of support as innovations develop.
1.Incubation provides grants from USD$25,000 up to USD 75,000 alongside hands-on co-design support to help communities, organisations and innovators pilot and de-risk early-stage climate adaptation innovations.
2.Acceleration provides technical assistance and funding of up to USD$ 200,000 to help scale high-potential solutions and strengthen their readiness for investment.
3.Amplification extends the reach of successful innovations through knowledge sharing, peer learning, policy uptake and investment matchmaking, enabling replication and helping attract additional finance.
Through Co:Lab, SPC is helping build stronger pathways so more locally led ideas can move beyond proof of concept, inform policy, attract climate finance and deliver wider impact.
The challenge is not finding innovation in the Pacific. It is creating the pathways that allow it to grow….PACNEWS
