Back to farming Fiji goes
Fresh from a 10-day tour of Viti Levu – Fiji’s main island – our July cover story shares what we saw as Fijians adjust to the economic and social shocks brought about by the COVID19 pandemic. Employees of
Samisoni Pareti
Connecting the Pacific :ICT promises and challenges
For the past several months if you are working in business, in government, for regional organisations or studying, you have almost certainly expanded your use of a raft of collaboration and meeting tools. You may have
High-speed low-cost internet access hopes
Remote areas of the Pacific, including New Zealand, are about to get cheap and easy access to the internet. Richard Broadbridge, from communications company MMG, explains the Kacific-1 satellite system will provide what
Vanuatu celebrating 40 years
Red, Green, Yellow and Black are the four colours that distinguish the Flag of the Republic of Vanuatu from other national colours. Red symbolises blood that binds the human race. Green represents the fertile greenery
PNG Mining: Layoffs and laws
The Parliament of PNG has passed a series of amendments targeting the mining, oil and gas industries, which give the Minister greater flexibility in determining whether to grant or refuse petroleum development
New team in Paris faces urgent Pacific crises
Just three months before New Caledonia’s next referendum on self-determination, French President Emmanuel Macron has reshuffled his Cabinet in Paris, appointing a new Prime Minister and ministers responsible for
Adapting ecosystems to climate realities
A major evaluation of climate adaptation projects in the Pacific argues that bottom-up, community-led projects have performed better than many top-down, donor-driven initiatives. The study, published in the prestigious
Sir Toke Talagi: A Pacific icon
Former Niue Premier Sir Toke Talagi will be laid to rest on Monday 27 July. Sir Toke Talagi passed away after a prolonged illness, soon after arriving home on a private chartered flight from New Zealand where he
Re-negotiated PACER Plus for post-Covid-19 Pacific regionalism
Globalism is being threatened in the post-Covid-19 global order. However, there is still ample common sense around to counter such a threat. Those engaged are still at an early stage in their coordinated countermove.
Departure Lounge
Boarding Pass The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the UN body responsible for aviation, has agreed to ease airlines’ obligations to offset their emissions growth until at least 2023. The decision
Coach Coffa looks to Japan 2021
When it comes the sport of weightlifting in the Pacific, outside of the star competitors, the other name that immediately comes to mind is coach Paul Coffa. In fact, his name resounds across the Pacific region,
Mixed response to Fiji budget
Responses to the Fiji budget have been mixed. A summary follows. The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association has welcomed the budget and its move to reduce overheads, calling it “bold and innovative.”
Fiji Budget wrap
Fiji’s 2020-21 National Budget will see the Government attempt to spend its way out of the COVID-19 induced recession. “Barring drastic intervention, our economy may never fully recover; not this year, not next
Fiji budget preview: expansionary budget anticipated to stimulate spending
Fiji’s Minister for Economy will deliver the government’s 2020-21 budget today, just 4 months after an emergency F$1 billion ‘Covid mini-budget’. It comes as the Reserve Bank of Fiji has projected a contraction
Fiji resilience: Chef Shain
Seeing Shain hold and play with her daughter, and you can tell that 4-year-old Sarah is her world. Her job was another important part of her life at one time, until three months ago when that world came crashing around
Fiji Resilience: Losana
Sitting in the hot sun, Losana does not seem to mind the humidity and the busy carpark beside her as she stacks heaps of wild lemons and cucumbers. What do you do when it rains, we ask her. “Au dau vakaruru ikea
Fiji resilience: Shree Ram the Volunteer Cook
Volunteers like Shree Ram are ensuring 2,000 school children in Nadi are eating well in schools. He is one of about 20 men and women who are volunteering their time to provide vegetarian meals for children who attend
Fiji resilience: Sigatoka’s Masi Lady
From the masi (tapa) making island of Vatulele is Anareta Ketenilagi, pictured here at her stall inside Sigatoka’s main food market. She specialises in masi costumes for brides and bridegrooms. “Before the
Pacific fisheries observers finally home
Solomon Island, Fijian and Papua New Guinean fisheries observers are now home after being repatriated from American Samoa this week. Some of them had been away from home since December last year. The nine Pacific
Maclellan wins Sean Dorney Pacific journalism grant
Islands Business correspondent Nic Maclellan has been awarded the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific journalism for 2020. Established by the Walkley Foundation, the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism aims to
Can sharing the joy of tax increase government revenue in PNG?
Around the world, tax compliance is a serious problem with big consequences. The case is no different in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It is an important concern of the current government. In July 2019, Prime Minister James
Presidential leadership for post referendum Bougainville
Bougainville is going through a major political metamorphosis ending one political status and entering into another entity. The 15 years of Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Tenure has ended but continues