In this bulletin:
1. PNG — Bougainville MP backs sessional order, says PNG Parliament must first agree on process
2. B/VILLE — PNG Government strategy aimed at blocking Bougainville Independence: Vice President Masatt
3. NZ — Peters welcomes new Solomons PM as New Zealand looks set to strengthen Pacific ties
4. TONGA — Third minister in Tonga guilty of election bribes
5. PACIFIC — Former Forum SG Taylor tells leaders to stop avoiding tough questions
6. TUVALU — Tuvalu unveils first ocean policy
7. AUST — Diplomat, sonographer lauded for enhanced Pacific ties
8. PNG — Former NBC boss calls for stronger protection of Media Freedom
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji central bank cuts 2026 growth forecast as inflation climbs
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Economists question Fiji Government spending priorities
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Customs leaders call for coordinated regional effort against transnational crimes
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — “Ocean is our grandmother, and it is reminding us where true power lies” – Pacific navigator Larry Raigetal
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Securing a healthy, resilient Pacific Ocean and Environment
PNG – INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Bougainville MP backs sessional order, says PNG Parliament must first agree on process
PORT MORESBY, 10 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS) — Bougainville Regional MP and Works Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr has urged Papua New Guinea’s Parliament to support the proposed Sessional Order on Bougainville, arguing that lawmakers must first agree on the process for considering the region’s political future before debating the outcome of the 2019 independence referendum.
Speaking during debate on the Sessional Order Tuesday, Tsiamalili stressed that Parliament was not being asked to vote on Bougainville’s independence but to establish the framework through which future decisions would be made.
“Today is not the day Parliament decides the political future of Bougainville. Today is not the day Parliament votes on independence.
“Today is not the day Parliament accepts or rejects the Referendum Result.
“Today is the day Parliament decides the procedure through which that future decision will be considered,” he told Parliament.
He said the Sessional Order would set out the rules and procedures for Parliament’s consideration of key documents related to Bougainville’s future status.
“The matter before us is the Sessional Order,” Tsiamalili said.
“The Sessional Order establishes the process, the rules and the framework through which Parliament will subsequently consider the substantive matters relating to Bougainville.”
“Let us first agree on the process. Let us first agree on the rules. Let us first agree on the pathway,” he stressed.
Tsiamalili said Parliament would later consider three substantive documents: the Bougainville Referendum Result, the Joint Consultation Report and the Melanesian Framework.
“The Minister for Bougainville Affairs will subsequently table:
1. The Bougainville Referendum Result;
2. The Joint Consultation Report; and
3. The Melanesian Framework.
These are the substantive documents that Parliament will consider when the time comes to deliberate on Bougainville’s political future,” he explained.
The Bougainville MP also used his speech to place the issue in a broader historical context, saying Bougainville’s political aspirations predate both the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement and the 1989 crisis.
“Today is not merely another day in the Parliamentary calendar. Today represents another important step in a journey that spans generations.”
“Before I address the Sessional Order before this House, I wish to remind Parliament that the story of Bougainville did not begin with the Referendum of 2019.
“It did not begin with the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 2001. It did not begin with the Crisis of 1989.”
“The political journey that brings us here today reaches back more than 140 years,” he explained.
Tsiamalili argued that the origins of the Bougainville issue lie in colonial-era boundary decisions.
“Its origins can be traced to the colonial partitioning of the Northern Solomons in 1884 and the subsequent arrangements of 1886 and 1899, when foreign powers drew boundaries across Melanesia and separated peoples who shared kinship, trade, culture, ancestry and identity for countless generations.”
“Long before Papua New Guinea became an independent nation, decisions concerning Bougainville were being made by distant colonial administrations.
“The people of Bougainville did not create those boundaries. Those boundaries were imposed upon them,” he emphasised.
He said the issue should be viewed as a colonial legacy rather than a dispute between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.
“Therefore, the Bougainville question is not fundamentally a dispute between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. It is fundamentally a colonial question.”
“Bougainville and Papua New Guinea are not the creators of this problem. In many respects, both are inheritors of a colonial legacy that has required wisdom, patience and statesmanship to resolve,” he told Parliament.
Tsiamalili praised the Bougainville Peace Agreement for creating a constitutional pathway to address the issue.
“That is why the Bougainville Peace Agreement stands as one of the greatest achievements in our nation’s history.
It transformed a colonial question into a constitutional process. It transformed conflict into dialogue. It transformed grievance into democratic choice,” he said.
He also acknowledged Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba for bringing the matter before Parliament.
“At the outset, I wish to acknowledge and commend my brother and colleague, tManasseh Makiba, Minister for Bougainville Affairs, for faithfully discharging his constitutional responsibility in bringing this matter before Parliament.”
Referring to the 2019 referendum, Tsiamalili noted that Bougainville voters had overwhelmingly chosen independence.
“The people of Bougainville were given two constitutional pathways towards lasting peace: Greater Autonomy or Sovereign Independence.
“The people made their choice. An overwhelming 97.7 percent voted for Sovereign Independence.”
“Whether one agrees with that outcome or not, no one can deny the legitimacy of the process through which that choice was expressed,” he stressed.
He urged Parliament to focus on establishing the process before making any final decision on Bougainville’s future.
“History will judge this, Parliament.
“Today, however, we are not deciding the destination. Today we are agreeing on the road.
“Before we decide where the journey ends, let us first agree how we will travel together.
“That is the purpose of the Sessional Order.That is why I support it,” Tsiamalili said……PACNEWS
B/VILLE – INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
PNG Government strategy aimed at blocking Bougainville Independence: Vice President Masatt
BUKA, 10 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS) — Bougainville Vice President and Attorney General Ezekiel Masatt has accused Papua New Guinea’s National Government of deliberately undermining the Bougainville independence ratification process after Parliament revelations showed a proposed 75 percent voting threshold for ratification.
In a strongly worded statement, Masatt said the move confirmed fears that Port Moresby was making it increasingly difficult for Bougainville’s independence aspirations to succeed.
“Today’s revelations in the Parliament were disappointing to say the least,” Masatt said.
“Of great concern was the ratification voting threshold of 3/4 percentage, unilaterally crafted by the National Speaker and endorsed by the Nation Executive Council (NEC).”
Masatt argued that the proposed threshold goes beyond constitutional requirements.
“A constitutional amendment requires 2/3 majority. They just made it hard with a 3/4 majority.”
He said the latest development followed last week’s events and pointed to what he described as a coordinated strategy by the National Government.
“Like the debacle last week Tuesday, today’s events confirms that there is a National Government Strategy to poison the waters and make it impossible to come close to reach the voting threshold.”
“The National Government Strategy now reduces Melanesian Agreement (MA) Framework to nothing but an academic exercise.”
Masatt said the framework had effectively been rendered meaningless.
“The MA Framework was doomed to fail if not earlier, then definitely now.”
He also questioned the role of Bougainville representatives serving in the National Executive Council.
“I question the Bougainville MP Ministers sitting in the NEC Meeting – what’s going through your mind? Do you see what we on the outside see?” he asked.
Masatt said public assurances from Bougainville MPs now appeared misleading.
“This means your colourful statements were nothing but smokescreen and diversions for the ultimate National Government position not to grant Independence.”
Despite his criticism, Masatt reiterated the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s position on independence.
“But let me repeat President’s words, ‘BOUGAINVILLE INDEPENDENCE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE’,” Masatt emphasised.
He said the ABG would continue participating in talks with the National Government.
“ABG will continue to participate in the negotiations in good faith going forward, despite the attempts to poison the MA and Ratification process.”
Masatt revealed that the next round of discussions later this month would see Bougainville table what he described as its final position.
“In the next round of discussions set for late this month; ABG will present the FINAL BOUGAINVILLE POSITION. The National Government can accept it or reject it,” he stressed.
He also challenged Bougainville MPs to decide where they stand on the issue.
“Bougainville MPs can make their lifetime career choices whether or not to support the Bougainville Position.”
Masatt further criticised Prime Minister James Marape’s proposal to ratify Bougainville’s political future on the anniversary of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
“The Prime Minister’s proposal to ratify on the anniversary of the BPA now takes on the appearance of a sick joke, disrespecting the lives of those lost before, during and after the crisis,” he said…. PACNEWS
NZ – DIPLOMACY: PMN PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Peters welcomes new Solomons PM as New Zealand looks set to strengthen Pacific ties
AUCKLAND, 10 JUNE 2026 (PMN) — New Zealand is moving quickly to strengthen ties with Solomon Islands’ new government following the election of Prime Minister Matthew Wale.
Foreign Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters says Wale’s visit is an important opportunity to strengthen Pacific partnerships.
Wale is in New Zealand for high-level talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Peters, just weeks after becoming the Solomon Islands’ new leader.
The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and discussing cooperation on development, climate resilience and regional priorities.
Earlier on Monday, Wale and Peters held a working breakfast in Auckland where they discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and shared Pacific priorities ahead of the Solomon Islands leader’s meeting with Luxon.
Wale has also signalled a strong focus on accountability since taking office.
Speaking to the Solomon Islands community in Auckland on Sunday, he warned that public officials suspected of corruption would be removed and said his government was committed to rebuilding trust in public institutions.
Speaking on Pacific Mornings, Peters said Wale’s visit sends an important signal about the relationship between the two countries.
“The Solomon Islands are a key player in the Pacific Islands Forum.”
He said strong relationships remained key as Pacific countries navigate economic pressures, climate challenges, and regional security concerns.
“One thing that does help is face-to-face meetings in the Pacific,” Peters said. “They’re essential.”
Wale’s visit follows a trip to Australia and comes as Solomon Islands continues to review aspects of its security arrangements with China.
Peters was cautious about drawing conclusions from the development. “We don’t know about how significant that will be until we find out what was in it.”
Rather than focusing on geopolitical competition, Peters said New Zealand’s priority is building practical partnerships that deliver results for Pacific communities.
“We are out to reinforce our desire for a better, more sound relationship in the nature of the Pacific or Blue Continent itself.”
Peters said New Zealand is also looking beyond its traditional partners to secure more international support for Pacific development and climate resilience projects.
“We’re going to go out, and we already are, and find international assistance to help us with the, above all, resilience in the Pacific.”
He said a key message delivered to Wale was that New Zealand sees Pacific nations as equals, regardless of their size.
“We expect big countries to treat us as equals. And that’s the reason why we treat small countries as equals as well.’
Peters said that approach would continue to guide New Zealand’s engagement with Solomon Islands and the wider region.
“Our job is to make sure everybody’s on the same page, big or small, to make it work.’
Prime Minister Matthew Wale and his delegation are due to return home on Wednesday…. PACNEWS
TONGA – COURTS: ABC PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Third minister in Tonga guilty of election bribes
NUKU’ALOFA, 10 JUNE 2026 (ABC PACIFIC) — Tongan Lands Minister, Dr Taniela Fusimalohi, has been found guilty of electoral bribery – the third cabinet member linked to misconduct in the 2025 general election.
Fusimalohi donated a Starlink terminal to his constituency, an act the court deemed was bribery.
Earlier, the court also found Tourism Minister Semisi Sika guilty of failing to declare a $10,000 payment to a dance academy, which prosecutors argued was an attempt to influence voters.
Finance Minister Lata Tangimana was convicted for providing fish to constituents. He has resigned his portfolio but remains a Member of Parliament while appealing the ruling.
In contrast, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Viliami Latu was acquitted by the Supreme Court which dismissed an election petition against him due to a lack of evidence.
The convictions threaten to destabilise the government of Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua.
Under Tongan law, bribery findings typically require an MP to be “unseated.”
The Speaker of Parliament has been formally notified of the rulings, potentially triggering by-elections and a major cabinet reshuffle.
The court has strictly enforced rules against any donations made within three months of an election, even if those donations were for charitable causes.
Legal experts note that such gifts are interpreted as attempts to influence voters, regardless of the donor’s stated intent.
The government has yet to issue a formal response to the growing list of judicial rulings against its ministers…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Former Forum SG Taylor tells leaders to stop avoiding tough questions
SUVA, 10 JUNE 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS) — A former senior Pacific regional official has urged leaders to stop avoiding tough questions on self-determination and sovereignty, warning that security agendas overshadow issues that really matter most to islanders.
Dame Meg Taylor, former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, recalled how the region once grappled openly with the question of West Papua.
While the territory was initially on the Forum’s agenda, it later disappeared amid political pressure, including from France regarding French Polynesia’s membership.
“We shouldn’t give up,” Taylor said.
“Here we are with people who live in the Pacific, part of the great ocean space that we call the blue continent, but they cannot define their own future.”
She was speaking at a panel discussion “Decolonisation and a Nuclear Free Pacific” organized by The Pacific Network on Globalization (PANG) at The University of the South Pacific in Suva.
A review of Pacific regionalism which was done in 2014, produced two key findings: bring politics and leadership decision-making back into the region, and ensure inclusivity by giving civil society a seat at the table.
Institutions must be responsive to what Pacific people want, she said.
She also critiqued the current state of leadership, saying many are “caught up in the agenda of powers that want us to be caught up in what they want for us.”
Citing her own country, Papua New Guinea, she noted contradictions where governments speak of sovereignty while granting port access to superpowers and facing travel restrictions, including a K52,000 bond for Papua New Guineans wishing to enter the United States.
“We’re not brave enough,” Taylor said.
“We don’t want to be counted.”
Panel moderator Nic Maclellan shared an anecdote of Taylor who herself once crossed a street to silently acknowledge a West Papua demonstration — an act he called “worth a thousand words.”
The question is whether today’s leaders have that same courage…. PACNEWS
TUVALU – OCEAN POLICY: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Tuvalu unveils first ocean policy
FUNAFUTI, 10 JUNE 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS) — Tuvalu has used World Oceans Day 2026 to put its ocean at the centre of national policy and national identity, soft launching the country’s first National Ocean Policy in a move that officials say could shape how the Pacific atoll nation governs its future.
For Prime Minister Feleti Teo, the announcement was more than a policy milestone. It was a statement about who Tuvalu is.
Drawing on the Niutao concept of Te Fau, a garland woven from many strands into a single strong whole, he framed the ocean as the force that binds the country together.
“Our ocean is our Te Fau. It connects our islands, our communities, our traditions, our past, and our future. It surrounds us, sustains us, and defines who we are as Tuvaluans,” he said.
The policy, still subject to further consultation and endorsement, is intended to bring government, communities, island leaders, civil society, faith-based organisations and development partners into one shared framework for sustainable ocean management and conservation.
In a country where the sea is inseparable from daily life, the policy is being presented not simply as a governance document, but as a long-term plan for resilience.
That message was echoed by Dr Filimoni Manoni, Pacific Ocean Commissioner, who said the ocean is central to Tuvalu’s identity and survival.
“For Tuvalu, the ocean is far more than just a resource; it is the foundation of identity, culture, food security, livelihood, sovereignty and resilience.”
Tuvalu’s decision to join the BBNJ High Ambition Coalition is a signal that its ocean diplomacy is reaching beyond national waters.
The policy launch and the coalition move suggest a country determined to punch above its weight in global ocean politics, even as it confronts the pressures of climate change, ecological vulnerability and limited land.
Biodiversity Before National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) is a global pact to safeguard international waters that fall outside the borders of any single country. It works like a wildlife park for the open ocean…. PACNEWS
AUST – HONOURS LIST: AAP PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Diplomat, sonographer lauded for enhanced Pacific ties
CANBERRA, 10 JUNE 2026 (AAP) — The diplomatic architect of renewed Pacific ties and a Melbourne sonographer are among those honoured for their services to Australia’s closest region.
Diplomat Ewen McDonald and Monash Health’s Peter Coombs have both been made a member of the Order of Australia.
McDonald, 65, has held key Pacific posts since 2018 and is currently High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and, since 2023, a roving Pacific envoy.
Australia has enjoyed and endured a rollercoaster decade of relations with the blue continent, from the lows of a climate stand-off at the 2019 Pacific Island Forum, and rumoured Chinese bases in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.
Recent bilateral pacts are among the highs, including the Pukpuk Treaty, signed with Papua New Guinea last October, which gives Australia its first new defence ally in 70 years.
“Relations have just gone from strength to strength in my mind,” McDonald told AAP.
McDonald said he was proud of several deals and projects in recent years: a six-nation deal with Digicel which kept out Chinese telecommunications firms, an undersea cable for Tonga, climate funding, and more.
“And the things that don’t get as much attention as a shiny new building … but (Australia’s investment) in education and health,” he said.
“Education gives kids an opportunity in these communities, very similar to lower socioeconomic schools in Australia. That can change lives.”
McDonald, who arrived in diplomacy later in his public service career by joining AusAID in 2011, believes Australian leaders needed to cultivate personal relationships to succeed in the Pacific.
“Relationships are everything and they take time to build,” he said.
“Once you’ve got it, they’re very good friends, they’ll work with you, they’ll support you … I call them genuine people.
“You go out to a village or something, and they don’t have much, but you are so welcome, they’ll give you the shirt off the back.”
Coombs, 63, has been the Victorian health agency’s chief sonographer since 2005, calling it a “little jewel” of a profession.
“The joy of ultrasound is you meet with a client, and you meet them at their moment: that might be someone at risk of miscarriage, who might have a clot in their leg, or someone worried about breast cancer,” he told AAP.
“One of the things that I’ve tried to do over the journey is instil kindness and care and empathy.
“Even 40 years on, it’s incredibly fulfilling to share those moments, like the first time someone gets to see their baby.”
He has embraced teaching over his career, including a string of missions to the Pacific, Southeast Asia and Africa, where access to specialised health care is otherwise unobtainable.
“Locals, in Nauru for instance, they’ve never had anyone come in and teach them ultrasound before, so they just lap it up. They’re so grateful,” he said…. PACNEWS
PNG – NATIONAL BROADCASTER: NBC PNG NEWS PACNEWS 1: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Former NBC boss calls for stronger protection of Media Freedom
PORT MORESBY, 10 JUNE 2026 (NBC PNG NEWS) — Former NBC Managing Director Joseph Eladona has called for changes to the law to protect journalists and strengthen the independence of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
Speaking during the NBC Act review consultation in Port Moresby, Eladona said many people wrongly believe NBC is a government broadcaster. He stressed that NBC is a public broadcaster that serves the people of Papua New Guinea.
“We are not a government broadcaster. We are a public broadcaster. We write for the people of Papua New Guinea.
“Whether the government likes it or not, we are writing for the people of Papua New Guinea.”
Eladona said journalists must report the truth without fear or favour. He said they must remain objective, responsible, and willing to expose corruption wherever it occurs, including in government.
“There are some of us who believe that being responsible is also writing about corruption, exposing the corruption of what people do in society. If it’s against the government, that is our role as a responsible public broadcaster—without fear and without favour.”
Eladona also shared his own experience as a former chief political reporter. He revealed that he was suspended after reporting on a Defence Force dispute. He said many reporters, editors, board members and managing directors fear losing their jobs when reporting stories that criticise the government.
To strengthen editorial independence, he proposed the creation of an independent body to appoint the NBC Managing Director and board members.
“So, those are the things that maybe I want our review to also look into.
“My thinking is this, we need to be like the Ombudsman Commission, think the Police Force, I believe, the Defence Force, where there is an independent, uh, quasi-independent body that appoints the MD and maybe the board. We’ll talk about those. So, it comprises the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader,”
Eladona said stronger legal protections are needed to ensure journalists can work freely and serve the interests of Papua New Guinea and its people…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – INFLATION: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Fiji central bank cuts 2026 growth forecast as inflation climbs
SUVA, 10 JUNE 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS) — Fiji’s central bank has sharply lowered its economic growth outlook for 2026, warning that higher fuel prices, rising inflation and softer consumer spending are slowing activity.
Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor, Ariff Ali, noted that global risks had risen in recent months due to escalated conflict in the Middle East, higher oil prices, and uncertainty over shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Those pressures are already being felt in Fiji through higher import costs, especially for fuel, food and fertiliser,” he said in a statement.
“The jump in global fuel prices is increasing transport and production costs, squeezing business profits and pushing up prices for households.
“Inflation in Fiji rose to 3.9 percent in May, a sharp reversal from -3.8 percent in September 2025, and year-end inflation is now expected to exceed 6.0 percent.”
The downgrade also reflects weaker domestic demand.
He said households are spending more cautiously as the cost of living rises and economic uncertainty builds.
In its latest Retail Sales Survey, businesses now expect sales to grow by 2.0 percent in 2026, well below the 6.8 percent forecast in the August 2025 survey.
Tourism, one of Fiji’s main growth drivers, is still expanding but momentum has begun to slow.
“Visitor arrivals remain supportive of the economy, but forward bookings, reduced flight frequencies, energy-security concerns and tighter monetary conditions in key markets, including Australia, are expected to slow growth further.”
“On that basis, Fiji’s economy is now projected to grow by 1.5 percent in 2026, down from the 3.0 percent forecast issued in November 2025,” he said.
Ali said downside risks remain elevated and that the outlook will depend on how long the current global shock lasts and how it affects both overseas and local demand.
Growth is still expected to improve in the following years, with the economy forecast to expand by 2.5 percent in 2027 and return to about 3.0 percent in 2028.
Services, particularly tourism, are expected to remain the main engine of growth, with support from the industrial and primary sectors.
He added Fiji’s external position remains manageable despite a wider trade and current account deficit caused by higher fuel import costs, and the gap is expected to be financed by foreign reserves and government loan drawdowns.
As of 09 June9, reserve holdings stood at about $3.4 billion (US$1.7 million), or enough to cover roughly 4.7 months of retained imports.
“The committee will continue to monitor incoming data and global developments and revisit its projections later this year,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – STATE OF ECONOMY/DEBT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 10 Jun 2026
Economists question Fiji Government spending priorities, lacks financial buffer for a major crisis, forum told
SUVA, 10 JUNE 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji has borrowed billions while cutting investment in infrastructure, expanded the largest Cabinet in the country’s history, and produced a national development plan with no measurable targets.
This was highlighted by Dialogue Fiji executive director Nilesh Lal and University of the South Pacific Senior Economist Mahendra Reddy during the State of the Fijian Economy Dialogue 2026 Tuesday in Suva.
Lal said Government revenue had increased by $1.19 billion (approx. US$595 million) since 2022 – largely through painful tax hikes including a 66.7 percent increase in VAT (Value Added Tax) – yet debt grew by $1.95 billion (US$975 million) over the same recovery period.
“If revenues have increased by $1.19 billion (US$595 million), why did debt grow by $1.95 billion (US$975 million) during a supposed recovery period? Where did the money go?” he asked.
Lal said the civil service had bloated and salary bill substantially increased.
“Very controversially, we have the largest Cabinet in Fiji’s history – and all this has happened ironically at a time when people have been asked to tighten their belts,” he said.
He said the operating surplus had collapsed by 95 percent in one year to just $28 million (US$14 million).
Capital expenditure now accounts for only 19 percent of the total budget, down from 38 percent a decade ago.
Reddy said Government efficiency had badly deteriorated. Ten years ago, every dollar of operating expenditure delivered 64 cents (US$0.32) of capital investment.
Today, it delivers just 24 cents (US$0.12). “Something is seriously wrong with Government efficiency,” he said.
Reddy said Fiji’s 2025-29 National Development Plan had no baseline targets and was never tagged with cost. “Are we serious about the development plan? Or was it done just for the sake of it?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Fiji remains dangerously exposed to future economic and natural disasters because the Government has failed to build adequate financial buffers, Fiscal Review Committee chair Richard Naidu says.
Naidu told the Dialogue Fiji State of the Economy Dialogue that despite years of economic recovery, little had been set aside to deal with a major crisis.
“Nothing’s saved up for a rainy day,” he said.
“If we do have a crisis, if we do have a cat cyclone or earthquake or something like that, easily we could lose, it could cost us half a billion dollars.”
Naidu noted Fiji had avoided major disasters in recent years, describing this as good fortune rather than preparedness.
“We have had no major cyclones. We have had no major events,” he said.
“The geologists tell us we are 30 years overdue for an earthquake in Suva.”
He said one of the Fiscal Review Committee’s major concerns was the Government’s limited financial capacity to respond to future shocks because of high debt levels and competing spending demands.
Naidu warned that economic recovery following COVID-19 had not translated into stronger fiscal resilience…. PACNEWS
PAC – CUSTOMS: OCO SECRETARIAT PACNEWS BIZ: We 10 Jun 2026
Customs leaders call for coordinated regional effort against Transnational crimes
NATADOLA, 10 JUNE 2026 (OCO SECRETARIAT) — Twenty-one Pacific Customs administrations have signed off on a communiqué calling for joint action against transnational crime networks exploiting the region’s
borders.
The call came at the close of the 28th Annual Conference of the Oceania Customs Organisation
(OCO), held from 2 to 4 June 2026 at the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Natadola.
The conference was hosted by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and attended by Heads of Customs and nominated representatives from 21 Pacific Island countries and territories.
The conference was officially opened by Fiji’s Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development, the Honourable Esrom Immanuel on Tuesday, June 2 who called for continued collective action to secure borders, protect communities, and promote resilient economies guided by the Pacific spirit of cooperation.
Conference members noted that Customs administrations across the Blue Pacific are increasingly at the frontline of a growing threat landscape, one that includes the trafficking of illicit goods, narcotics, and contraband through some of the world’s most remote and geographically challenging
borders.
Members agreed that an intelligence-led and coordinated regional approach is no longer optional,
but essential, and reaffirmed their commitment to stronger cooperation, information sharing, and
joint capacity building to help safeguard Pacific people, economies, and communities.
Members also approved the OCO work programme and budget for 2026-2027.
“As the new Head of the OCO Secretariat, I am committed to strengthening Pacific voices in regional and global forums, increasing the visibility of Customs work across the region, and deepening partnerships, including with the World Customs Organisation, to advance our shared regional priorities.” said Laisiana Tugaga, Head of the OCO Secretariat.
Kiribati’s Comptroller of Customs, Tekaie Ititaake was appointed as the incoming OCO Chair and Jose Mafnas Jnr, Director Customs of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as vice chair. Kiribati will also host the 29th Annual Conference in 2027.
Members closed the conference by reaffirming their commitment to working together in the Pacific
spirit of partnership to strengthen Customs administrations, protect communities, and support
resilient and inclusive economic growth across Blue Pacific region…. 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
“Ocean is our grandmother, and it is reminding us where true power lies” – Pacific Navigator Larry Raigetal
By Sanjeshni Kumar
SUVA, 10 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS)—“Ocean is our grandmother, and it is reminding us where true power lies” – Pacific Navigator Larry Raigetal.
For Master Navigator Larry Raigetal, the Pacific Ocean is more than a resource to be managed or a territory to be governed; it is a grandmother.
Speaking at the State of the Pacific Ocean Convening, the Assistant Professor at the University of Guam reflected on a lifelong relationship with the sea, describing it as a nurturing yet powerful force that cares for Pacific people but is increasingly reminding humanity of its authority through environmental change and the growing challenges facing the region.
“I do not remember whether I swam before I walked, but I was always taught to hold a healthy respect, almost a fear of the ocean, to regard it as one would a grandmother,” Raigetal told participants.
“The ocean, like a grandmother to us all, provides, cares for us, and loves us. Yet it also demands that we behave and disciplines us when we do not.”
Growing up in Micronesia, Raigetal said respect for the ocean was instilled from an early age. While many Pacific Islanders today often repeat the phrase “we are the ocean,” he challenged people to move beyond words and reconnect with the deeper meaning behind that relationship.
“We are the ocean. The ocean is in us. These things we need to really feel,” he said.
That relationship, he explained, was never one of domination. Instead, it was built on reciprocity, humility, and an understanding that the ocean ultimately holds power over humanity.
“I cannot help but think that we have been misbehaving, and that the ocean is once again reminding us where true power lies,” he said.
His comments come as Pacific Island nations continue to confront escalating climate impacts, including stronger tropical cyclones, sea-level rise, and ocean warming.
For Raigetal, these changes are not only environmental challenges but also reminders that people have drifted away from traditional understandings of their relationship with the ocean.
“As salty-feet people, we must always have that closer relationship with this ocean than the superficial one that we’ve adapted from our colonisers and Western ideologies and philosophies, in which our understanding of the ocean is different from what it has always been since time immemorial,” he said.
He argued that Pacific ancestors viewed the ocean not as a space divided by political boundaries but as a living network connecting families, communities, and generations.
“In the ocean I was brought up with and learned, we only have sea lanes,” he said.
“There was no 200-mile border. We identified these sea lanes as our highways, places where we need to go and visit relatives, places where we need to go and get resources and always return.”
Drawing on his experience as a traditional navigator, Raigetal said voyaging canoes offer an important lesson for today’s leaders.
“When we are on that canoe, we see that canoe as our land, and we see everyone on that canoe as one canoe,” he said.
“Our survival depends on us working together on that sea.”
He also urged Pacific leaders to draw on indigenous values and ancestral knowledge when making decisions about the region’s future.
“Let’s not play into the hands of our colonisers or those who dictate how we need to work together, how we need to look at the resources of our ocean, but that we must do it our Pacific way as brothers and sisters,” he said.
Despite growing conversations around ocean governance and management, Raigetal urged Pacific people to remember their place within the ocean’s story rather than above it.
“It’s hard for me, even when I start to think of this conversation of ocean governance.
“I place myself in that grandchild-to-grandmother relation. And now I’m going to be careful about regulating or governing my own grandmother,” he said…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Securing a healthy, resilient Pacific Ocean and Environment
NADI, 10 JUNE 2026 (SPREP) — The Pacific region is blessed with remarkable biodiversity, diverse biogeography settings, vast Ocean ecosystems and rich cultural traditions that have sustained our communities for generations.
But this is increasingly coming under threat as the region faces growing environmental pressures, making effective conservation and sustainable natural resource management more important than ever.
To address these environmental pressures, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Government of Australia and the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People, is gathering Oceania HAC members and Pacific Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity for a regional workshop.
The Pacific Regional Workshop on Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) Target 3: Conserve 30 percent of Land, Waters and Seas by 2030, is held in Nadi, Fiji is from 09-11 June.
“This workshop provides a Pacific pathway to 30×30 by coming together, exchange real experiences, learn from one another, and explore practical approaches to advancing Target 3 within our unique Pacific context,” said SPREP Director of Biodiversity and Conservation, Amenatave Yauvoli.
“We also hope this workshop will strengthen regional collaboration and help shape a unified Pacific voice as we prepare for future nature and biodiversity discussions, including the 11th Pacific Conference on Nature Conservation and CBD COP17 in September later this year.”
The KMGBF calls for the conservation and effective management of at least 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030 under Target 3, widely known as the 30×30 target. Pacific countries have demonstrated global leadership in marine conservation through the establishment of large-scale marine protected areas and long-standing community-based management systems.
Ryan Tierney, Counsellor Australian High Commission in Suva, acknowledged the commitment by Pacific countries and territories to protect biodiversity.
“Many Pacific nations are already global leaders in ocean conservation, with large-scale marine protected areas and strong traditions of community-based management,” he said.
“The 30×30 target builds on this leadership, creating an opportunity for Pacific States to scale up existing efforts and strengthen regional cooperation, while showcasing Pacific-led approaches on the global stage. Ultimately, delivering on this target is about securing a healthy, resilient ocean and vibrant environment—one that continues to support the sustainable development of Pacific communities now and into the future, and moreover advances our shared vision of a thriving Blue Pacific under the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy.”
Tierney also praised SPREP and HAC for offering vital technical support to countries to translate their commitments into national and local actions.
“The Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s flagship 30 by 30 target—to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 percent of the world’s lands and 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030— represents both an opportunity and a responsibility for our region,” added Tierney.
“Protecting and sustainably managing marine areas helps safeguard fisheries, which are essential for food and nutritional security, sustainable livelihoods, and economic opportunities across the region. At the same time, conserving coastal and terrestrial ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass, forests, and reefs, supports biodiversity while also strengthening natural resilience to climate change.”
The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People provide important technical and political support to countries working to translate global biodiversity commitments into national and local action. Within Oceania, SPREP Members that have joined HAC include Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
SPREP remains committed to supporting members through technical assistance, capacity building, knowledge sharing, biodiversity information management and regional cooperation to advance implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework….PACNEWS
For more information, please contact SPREP Biodiversity and Ecosystems Adviser, Ms Monifa Fiu monifaf@sprep.org
