Nauru Debacle
Your article on Nauru (IB March 2014) contains many inaccuracies and accepts as true untested and generalised defamatory allegations from unnamed persons against ex magistrate Peter Law. I note as follows; Firstly,
2014
Slumbering elephant awakens
India, often described as a sleeping elephant in contrast to the Chinese dragon, has thrown up a clear verdict for change. With a new prime minister and an all-new government, what will this mean for the world – and
It’s a ‘Win-Win’ Scenario
One of the most oft quoted traditional Maori proverbs goes, “He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!” This simple, universally relevant and permanently valid home truth translates as,
Tourism is the winner
I t is rare that positive news from the Pacific Islands region makes it to the world stage. More often than not, it is for all the alarming reasons that the islands find themselves making global headlines. In most cases
Curb on Overfishing
At a major business event in Papua New Guinea late last year, the audience heard from a number of industry leaders about the great business opportunities that this fast growing economy of the region had on offer. While
Data holds the key, says SPTO
Regional tourism body, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) wants tourism data to be accurate and made available on a timely
Greenpeace to operate by
Greenpeace’s closure of its Pacific Office in Fiji last month has ignited fears that the global environmental group no longer considers the region a priority. Greenpeace campaigner Duncan Williams has confirmed
Island Biodiversity
Since its establishment the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has worked to raise awareness on environment issues across the region and help empower others to do the same. Through our
Will Japan stop killing our whales?
A world court slapped a moratorium on Japanese from slaughtering whales in the Antarctic in April but the country’s whale enthusiasts have no plans to stop their hobby in the northwest Pacific. Shortly after the
New hope for Pacific migrants
On one hand it is cautioning recipient countries in the Pacific to be wary of aid cuts from this year and on the other, the Abbott government is offering an olive branch to semi-skilled workers from around the region to
Pacific NGOs up in arms
Greenpeace’s closure in Suva adds to an already growing concern amongst Non-Government Organisations in the region that their services are not appreciated. At last year’s Western and Central Pacific
Pacific exporters pick up branding, supply chain skills
The importance of branding, cost-effective packaging, dealing with logistics and effective supply chain management were topics discussed at a workshop for exporters from Fiji and the Pacific last month. More than 80
A nameless deadly storm
23 dead, 50 still missing in flash flooding in Honiara I t left as quickly as it came. And despite it being nameless, the storm that whipped up flash floodings on April 2 had left a swathe of destruction in its
Inaugural Pacific business survey launched
Exporters of goods and services from the Pacific Islands were invited last month to share their views on business confidence, the investment climate and export trends. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and
Patrick Beni – the 10 year-old hero who lost it all
Ten year-old Patrick Beni was home that fatal Wednesday morning. Like other children of his age, he did not go to school due to the inclement weather, with non-stop rain almost all weekend. His mother was asleep in her
We need to seal PACER Plus
The heat is on for Forum member countries in the Pacific to wrap up negotiations and finalise their Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations with Australia and New Zealand, now referred to with the acronym PACER
The day the gods took over
There was nothing unusual about the heavy rain that began to pound Honiara on Wednesday April 2. Other parts of the country had been pelted by the heavy rain, causing flash flooding as well as extensive damage to roads,
Fiji-born entrepreneur lands a logical acquisition
Suva born New Zealand technology entrepreneur Daven Naidu has acquired the entire national chain of Apple Computer retail stores across New Zealand. His Auckland based company Logical Systems, which also operates in
“A world free of nuclear weapons”
Pacific calls for elimination of WMD Pacific governments have endorsed a call for a legally binding agreement to ban nuclear weapons at a major international summit discussing the humanitarian consequences of nuclear
Marshalls’ Attorney General tackles fraud
Three charged in alleged Majuro Hospital scam Three people have now been charged with a combined 142 criminal charges in the Marshall Islands High Court, charges that allege a pharmacy company bribed Ministry of Health
From all of us down here, to Laisa
Islands Business International editor-in-chief Laisa Taga’s passing away on April 4, brought in a flood of tributes from across the region and beyond. Here is a small selection of them, compiled to fit a page that
Palau seeks direct air links with PNG
One northern Pacific state has almost secured what has been a remote aviation dream shared by many of its small island neighbours – to get to its larger South Pacific island neighbours at as short a time and
That was too soon a deadline, bosso
Exactly a decade ago to the day, on April 18, 2004, when I emailed my first ever Views from Auckland column to Laisa for the May 2004 issue of this magazine, little did I imagine that my tenth anniversary column would
