New benchmarks for Australian aid
Bishop announces ODA cuts and reviews As Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop joined members of the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group (MCG) in Suva last month, she highlighted Australia’s new
2014
Fiji back from the cold?
FiMCG anticipates Fiji’s full Forum participation Fiji is coming back in from the cold. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s announcement that he would step down as military commander on February 28, then on
PM Lilo on a cleanup footing
But will he have the time to complete the job? As his nation prepares for the national general election later this year, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo, is a man whose leadership is under siege. And he
Why I was sacked: Pokajam
Members of the PNA (Parties to the Nauru Agreement) meet in Honiara on March 5-14 to discuss a number of important issues pertaining to their success. For instance what to do with the US$93 million—and that is how
Former AG convicted of public corruption
Focus now shifts to former gov’s extradition In yet another “first” for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and buoyed by a multi-year movement to rid the government of corruption, former
Climate Karma—chickens come home to roost?
According to popular climate change lore, the continuous spewing of carbon and harmful greenhouse gases over nearly 200 years, primarily by western nations, is what has caused the earth to warm up irrevocably these past
Nurturing Entrepreneurs: Key to Economic Growth
Across the Asia-Pacific region, the news is mixed when it comes to ease of doing business, but at least the Pacific Islands are better than the likes of Burma and Somalia. Or, are they? When it comes to doing business,
Land of business and opportunties
Starting from the first March 2014, Papua New Guinea is implementing new rules for Australian nationals visiting the country. The visa on arrival regime will be discontinued. Visitors wishing to travel to Papua New
New SIVB boss outlines plans
Josefa Tuamoto once Fiji’s top tourism marketing official is now taking his vast years of experience to the Solomon Islands. Last month, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) announced Tuamoto’s
Undermining investor confidence
A survey of businesses in Papua New Guinea published last month paints a damning picture of the state of the country’s governance both in terms of corruption and spiraling law and order problems. The country’s
Leapai rallies Pacific for world fight
That is the clear message Samoan Alex Leapai would like the boxing world to believe as he readies himself for what is deemed as the biggest fight on earth on April 27. Leapai is destined to make history not just for his
Latest move causing some consternation
This appears to be one of those summers. And the region’s media seems to be in the middle of two cyclones. One in the region’s most substantial media organisation and the other in its media academia.
Dengue outbreak raises questions in Vanuatu
Is the health ministry capable? A major dengue fever outbreak in Vanuatu, with several hundred cases recorded in Port Vila and Luganville, has opened serious allegations about the state of the Ministry of Health. The
Whispers
Threatening Aussie scribe…So what’s the real whisper about one veteran Australian journalist who reportedly waved his fingers angrily at a woman executive of the Pacific media body, PINA at their biennial
Weathering the storm together
I n January 2014, Tropical Cyclone Ian devastated a number of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga, a brutal and sobering reminder of how extreme weather affects our islands homes. On behalf of SPREP, I extend our deepest
Fiji to sharpen teeth on money laundering
Interception of communication through such means as the tapping of telephones lines will soon be legalised in Fiji as part of national effort to combat money laundering and anti-terrorism
Sold for Sex!
Ongoing police investigation into a human trafficking racket in Fiji has uncovered the exploitation of two 12-year old girls who are allegedly being sold for
More cyclones loom for the region?
As many as 11 predicted in next 3 months It’s been slow in coming this season but the next three months could bring as many as 11 cyclones to the Pacific islands region. In the preceding 2012-13 November-April
Wetlands and agriculture— partnering for sustainability
We commemorate World Wetlands Day on February 2, each year to mark the birthday of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. This is an international environment agreement that now has 168 contracting parties, with 2,170
Measuring sea level rise in the Pacific
Crucial for decisionmakers Anticipating the effects of climate change on sea level is a pressing task, particularly in the Pacific. Getting hard data on sea level into the hands of decisionmakers and scientists is one
Low copra prices prompts Karkar’s bio-fuel diesel
The plummeting world copra prices has forced copra plantation owners to look for other avenues to raise the value of their copra. The average price per metric tonne of copra is now just over US$700, down from US$1,500
PM confident Samoa will do well after LDC
New Year’s Day 2014 will be remembered as the day that Samoa left the group of countries considered the least developed in the world. For many years, Samoa had managed to stay as an LDC for many years. The
Yazaki Samoa cuts working hours
The weekly 40 working hours for some 800 Yazaki Samoa factory workers will be reduced starting February to 32 hours. It’s a decision the management of the wire harnessing group says has been taken instead of
