In this bulletin:
1. TONGA — One in four Tongan children living in multidimensional poverty, new report finds
2. SAMOA — PM Laauli says youth being ‘used’ by drug cartels after Samoans charged in Vietnam killing
3. FIJI — Fear and misinformation is clouding waste debate – Fiji Foreign Affairs Minister Ditoka
4. PNG — PNG Acting Electoral Commissioner Vagi outlines crucial six-month plan for GE27
5. SOL — Solomon Islands Opposition calls for full costing and fiscal discipline on fee- free education policy
6. VAN — Water response plan in place for El Niño, says Vanuatu minister
7. GUAM — Guam Supreme Court upholds executive power to build hospital, but clock is ticking on federal funds
8. PACNEWS BIZ — IMO treaty on hazardous and noxious cargo to enter into force in 2027
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Opposition leader Seruiratu blasts Government over fuel costs relief
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Fuel prices still on the up; diesel run out on Cooks’ Penrhyn Island
11. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — An IPCC funding crisis threatens the Asia-Pacific
TONGA – POVERTY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 June 2026
One in Four Tongan Children Living in Multidimensional poverty, new report finds
NUKU’ALOFA, 02 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS) — A quarter of Tonga’s children are living in multidimensional poverty, with the youngest children and those in rural communities facing the greatest hardships, according to a new report released by the Government of Tonga and UNICEF.
The report, Multidimensional Child Poverty in Tonga, found that 25.3 percent of children are deprived of multiple essential needs, including nutrition, healthcare, education, clean water and adequate housing.
Based on data from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, the report examines how children are being left behind across key areas of wellbeing and highlights significant disparities across age groups and geographic locations.
Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua said the findings highlighted the need for action to support vulnerable children and families.
“These reports highlight Tonga’s dedication to supporting all its citizens and underline the importance of guiding our efforts to put social safeguards in place before children and families reach crisis points,” said Prime Minister, Lord Fakafanua, as he emphasised the government’s responsibility to act decisively.
The report shows that the youngest children are the most vulnerable. Nearly six in ten children aged between 0- and 23-months experience deprivation in three or more essential areas, while 35.9 percent of children aged 24 to 59 months face similar challenges.
Children living in rural areas are also more likely to experience poverty, with 28.3 percent affected compared to 14.8 percent in urban centres.
Significant differences were also recorded across Tonga’s island groups.
Child poverty was highest in ‘Eua at 48.9 percent, followed by Ha’apai at 40.8 percent and Ongo Niua at 35 percent. Tongatapu recorded the lowest rate at 21.6 percent.
The report identified housing as the most common form of deprivation, affecting more than half of children across all age groups.
It also found major health and nutrition challenges among infants, with 76.9 percent experiencing health-related deprivation and 68.3 percent lacking adequate nutrition.
Children living in poverty often face several challenges simultaneously, with those affected experiencing an average of 3.4 deprivations at the same time.
Minister for Internal Affairs, Fane Fotu Fituafe said the report marks an important step in tackling poverty and promoting inclusion.
“Together, these national documents mark a significant step forward in Tonga’s efforts to address child poverty and promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities,” added the Minister Fituafe.
UNICEF Pacific Representative Hamish Young said the figures represent real children facing multiple daily challenges.
“Behind every number in this report is a child whose struggle is not just one challenge, but many, experienced all at once, every day
“Together with the Government of Tonga and other partners, UNICEF is taking action to address these findings so that today’s children are not held back by poverty but instead are given the chance to thrive and reach their full potential,” said UNICEF Pacific’s Representative, Hamish Young.
The report calls for coordinated action across sectors to improve access to healthcare, nutrition, housing, clean water and child protection services while strengthening support for vulnerable families.
It concludes that early intervention and integrated solutions are critical to reducing child poverty and ensuring all children have the opportunity to survive, thrive and reach their full potential…. PACNEWS
SAMOA – DRUGS FIGHT: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 Jun 2026
PM Laauli says youth being ‘used’ by drug cartels after Samoans charged in Vietnam killing
APIA, 02 JUNE 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Samoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt claims the country’s youth are being “used” by international drug rings who are luring them with hefty pay checks.
This is the first time the Prime Minister has spoken out following shocking revelations ten days ago that two alleged hitmen from Apia murdered a Sydney gang boss in Vietnam.
Laauli, who is also the police minister, said at a recent police academy graduation that the high-profile international case had damaged Samoa’s reputation, according to the Samoa Observer.
Joseph Vaa, 27, has confessed on Vietnamese television to gunning down suspected “Coconut Cartel” leader Lorenzo Lemalu Tovia in Ho Chi Minh City on 21 May.
Steve Tofa, 23, also known as Tafia, has admitted being his accomplice.
Tovia died at the scene while his associate Sauni Sam, 27, was believed to still be in intensive care in hospital with serious injuries.
Laauli said the incident had damaged Samoa’s “good name” as well as those of families and villages.
“It’s heartbreaking for the children and young people of our country, who are being used because of large amounts of money,” he said.
“Because now the whole world is hearing about this, because of carelessness, because of lack of thoughtfulness, because of failure to protect the names of families, the names of villages, the names of parents, and above all, the good name of our government and nation,” Laauli said.
Laauli used the occasion to warn the police graduates not to succumb to corruption.
“Take care of yourselves. Do what is right while it is your time, while you still have the opportunity,” he said.
Sydney’s Coconut Cartel reportedly broke away and declared war on the rival Alameddine gang earlier this year. Tovia was believed to be a key figure in the Sydney operation.
The New South Wales police arrested the Sydney kingpin of the global drug syndicate last Wednesday and seized more than 400kgs of methamphetamine in a massive, organised crime-related operation.
Detectives arrested Henry Kupa, the cartel’ s alleged leader in the city, as well as eight others associates police believe helped the group import large quantities of illicit drugs into the country.
The police alleged Kupa was coordinating operations on behalf of the international cartel, under the direction of fugitive gang leader Anthony Pele.
In Samoa, the police immobilised the bank accounts of Va’a and Tofa on Wednesday and four others, as their investigations into the case widen.
The police suspect Unalei Car Rentals, a luxury car rental service that opened in Vailoa four months ago, was invoved in suspected money laundering activities for the cartel.
Samoa’s former police minister, Faualo Harry Schuster, told Pacific Waves he believed the duo were “pawns” in a much bigger game.
“(They were) definitely manipulated into doing something that they’re not familiar with and naive enough to think that they could pull it off,”said Fauali, who was police minister until the General Election in Samoa last August.
Faualo, who has returned to practising law, said the two had clean criminal records and he believed they were “lured” by the money and danger of working for a ‘big time” gang.
“It’s not an easy thing being lured into doing something horrible; to kill another human being, it’s totally unlike us. The sheer thought of two local boys, raised over here, steeped in our own Samoa culture, we’re still mulling over it, how it came about,” Faualo said.
He alleged that Vaa and Tofa had both worked at Unalei Car Rentals which only opened four months ago.
They were caught in a foreign country they knew nothing about, with no support, he said.
“Whatever process they (Vietnam) have, I pray that it’ll be a fair trial for these boys,” he said
The former police minister said the case highlighted the need for Pacific countries to work in close cooperation to detect organised crime networks already preying on island countries.
In Samoa last week the office of the Ombudsman’s and the National Human Rights Institution also called for a fair trial for the men…. PACNEWS
FIJI – INCENRATOR PROJECT: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 Jun 2026
Fear and misinformation are clouding waste debate – Fiji Foreign Affairs Minister Ditoka
SUVA, 02 JUNE 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Fiji Foreign Affairs Minister Sakiasi Ditoka has defended the need for an evidence-based discussion on waste-to-energy technology, warning against what he described as misinformation and fear-driven opposition to modern waste management solutions.
In a social media post, Ditoka said recent public debate had created the impression that waste-to-energy facilities were little more than large-scale rubbish fires that pollute the environment.
“Some of the commentary would leave one believing that every Waste-to-Energy plant is little more than a giant rubbish fire polluting the environment. That is simply not what I observed.”
The Minister said he had personally visited the TuasOne Waste-to-Energy Plant in Singapore, operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and witnessed a modern and tightly regulated facility.
“There were no visible emissions from the stacks other than water vapour. There were no noticeable odours standing outside the plant.”
Ditoka said advanced pollution-control systems, scrubbers and continuous monitoring technologies were being used to ensure emissions complied with strict environmental standards.
He noted that Singapore currently operates four waste-to-energy plants as part of its national waste and energy management system, while Japan operates 283 such facilities and China have 38 similar plants.
The Minister also highlighted Australia’s growing investment in the sector, pointing to the Kwinana Energy Recovery Facility in Western Australia, which processes 460,000 tonnes of waste annually, with additional projects planned or under consideration across several states.
However, Ditoka stressed that his comments should not be interpreted as unconditional support for any waste-to-energy proposal in Fiji.
“Does this mean every Waste-to-Energy proposal should automatically be accepted? No.”
He said any proposal would need to undergo rigorous scrutiny covering emissions standards, environmental safeguards, public health impacts, ash management, economic viability, landowner interests and legal compliance.
“Government has a responsibility to ask hard questions about technology, emissions standards, health impacts, environmental safeguards, ash management, economic viability, landowner interests and compliance with both national law and international obligations.”
Despite those requirements, Ditoka said Fiji should remain open to considering technologies that have been successfully adopted elsewhere.
“We should also be careful not to reject technologies simply because they are unfamiliar.”
“Many of the world’s cleanest, most environmentally conscious and technologically advanced countries have chosen to incorporate Waste-to-Energy into their waste management and energy strategies.”
He said the national conversation should be guided by science and evidence rather than fear.
“The debate should therefore be based on evidence, science, engineering, environmental standards and facts.”
“Not fear and not slogans and certainly not misinformation.”
Ditoka also revealed that during his visit to the TuasOne facility, the plant was producing an amount of electricity equivalent to Fiji’s Monasavu hydroelectric scheme despite operating only three of its four furnaces due to maintenance work.
“Fiji deserves a mature discussion based on what is actually happening in countries that are already successfully using these technologies,” he said…. PACNEWS
PNG – ELECTION/POLITICS: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 Jun 2026
PNG Acting Electoral Commissioner Vagi outlines crucial six-month plan for GE27
PORT MORESBY, 02 JUNE 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — Papua New Guinea Acting Electoral Commissioner Margaret Vagi says the next six months are crucial for the Electoral Commission to properly plan and prepare for General Election 2027 (GE27).
Vagi told The National that after the announcement in Parliament last Thursday by Prime Minster James Marape on the extension of her acting appointment, she met with her senior management team to plan for the work ahead.
“We are progressively working tirelessly to meet time schedules to ensure a preliminary roll is in place by November or December,” she said.
“We anticipate most big-ticket items to be dispatched by December.
“Our other plans for the next six months include the verification, updating and enrolment programme.
“We will also focus on capturing photos of voters, procurement of big-ticket items, training and planning workshops with police and other key stakeholders.”
Vagi said the commission would be ramping up its effort to prepare for GE27 by partnering with provinces and other stakeholders.
She said the commission would work with the PNG Media Council to increase awareness campaigns this year.
She also stated that the supplementary Local Level Government elections would soon be conducted for the vacant wards that were unable to go to the polls last year.
Vagi, who also the Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) chairwoman, said work was being finalised to prepare the six new electorates to go to the polls next year.
She said that the reaffirmation process for the electorates: Motu-Koita (National Capital District), Baniara (Milne Bay), Baining (East New Britain), Middle Sepik (East Sepik), Mendi Central (Southern Highlands) and Anglimp (Jiwaka), would be completed by the end of this month.
She confirmed that eligible voters in the six new electorates would be able to cast their votes in the GE27.
They must also participate in the voter enrolment programme that started last month.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister James Marape says the Electoral Commission has yet to provide an update on whether or not by-elections for the vacant seats in Parliament will be conducted.
He was responding to Opposition leader James Nomane on Friday who called on the Government to ensure that by-elections for the vacant seats in Parliament be conducted immediately.
The five by-elections pending are for the Lagaip Open, Kandep Open, Kagua-Erave Open, Telefomin Open and the Morobe Seat.
Nomane said representation of the people in Parliament was important as required by the Constitution.
“Unfortunately, the House is not fully represented by all the members because of death or election petitions,” he said.
“Section 106 of the Constitution requires an immediate by-election where there is a vacancy. We have until August to confirm whether by-elections for some of the seats that are vacant will be conducted.
“Section 50 of the Constitution also gives us the mandate of the people and it must be respected.
“Will there be by-elections for these electorates that have vacancies to comply with the Constitution?”
Marape said the matter of conducting by-elections was subject to the decision of the Electoral Commission. He said he would seek an update from the commission to inform Parliament this week.
Marape told Parliament that the Government had allocated funding for the commission in the 2026 National Budget and would continue supporting preparations through supplementary funding and next year’s budget process.
He also put the commission on notice with a directive for a report on all its expenditure for previous elections and preparations for General Election 2027…. PACNEWS
SOL – EDUCATION: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 Jun 2026
Solomon Islands Opposition calls for full costing and fiscal discipline on fee- free education policy
HONIARA, 02 JUNE 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMONS) — Solomon Islands Opposition has called on the government to release the full cost of its proposed fee-free education policy and show the country can sustain the commitment without undermining other priorities.
After the initial public debate over what “free education” means, the Opposition said the next question must be the real cost. There is a major difference between removing tuition fees in selected government day schools and taking responsibility for a wider package covering boarding, food, utilities, dormitories, operating costs, and support across different school categories.
“The country deserves honesty on the price tag,” the Opposition said. “Those are different policies with very different budget implications.”
Previous analysis has estimated the policy at around SBD$1.3 billion (US$162 million) annually — a substantial recurring commitment against a national budget of SBD$ 4 US$174 million) to SBD$5 billion (US$187 million).
“If the government is serious, it must publish the numbers and explain how it intends to fund this year after year,” the statement said.
“A policy of this scale cannot be carried by slogans. It must be supported by credible budget projections, revenue measures, and a clear explanation of what other spending will be affected.”
The Opposition warned that unless the policy is tightly defined and properly costed, the country risks crowding out healthcare, infrastructure, productive sectors, jobs, and law and order.
“Every dollar committed to one sector is a dollar not available somewhere else. That is why fiscal space matters,” the Opposition said.
The Opposition noted that the Education Regulations 2024 already provide a structured legal framework for school fees, including regulated caps, hardship schemes, instalment arrangements, and fee remission mechanisms.
The proper starting point is to strengthen enforcement of the current system, improve support for vulnerable families, and invest more in classrooms, teacher housing, grants, and school quality before expanding into a broad universal promise.
“The first task of government should be to prove it can enforce the existing framework properly before asking the country to absorb a much larger financial obligation,” the statement said.
The Opposition further cautioned that any education policy funded heavily through external support would expose the country to long-term vulnerability if donor priorities change or financing declines.
“A responsible government must distinguish between start-up support and long-term sustainability. If this policy depends on outside support in its early years, the public must be told what happens when that support is reduced, delayed, or withdrawn,” the Opposition said.
The Opposition Group said it remains supportive of affordable education and genuine reform but stressed the nation must proceed on the basis of realism, transparency, and sustainability.
“We all want our children to have access to education. But large national commitments must be measured against economic reality. Government must first define the policy, then cost it honestly, and then prove that Solomon Islands can afford it without weakening the services and investments on which the country depends.” …PACNEWS
VAN – EL NINO: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 Jun 2026
Water response plan in place for El Niño, says Vanuatu minister
PORT VILA, 02 JUNE 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Vanuatu Minister of Water Resources, Rick Tchamako Mahe, has assured Parliament that a response plan is in place to address any water shortages during El Niño.
In a statement presented to Parliament last week, Minister of Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu declared an El Niño watch and called on communities, the public, government agencies, and stakeholders to prepare.
While there is a high chance of El Niño developing in the coming months, its strength remains uncertain.
During El Niño, many parts of Vanuatu receive less rain than normal, which can lead to drier conditions and possible water shortages. However, impacts can vary significantly between islands.
“Typically, smaller islands that rely heavily on rainwater harvesting systems are usually among the most vulnerable due to reduced and inconsistent rainfall,” said Minister Regenvanu.
“In addition, western parts of larger islands often experience drier conditions compared to other areas, increasing the risk of water shortages, drought stress, and impacts on agriculture and food security.”
Member of Parliament for Tongoa, John Amos Nalau, questioned whether there is a plan in place rather than waiting, as small islands such as those in the Shepherds Group and Epi could be left vulnerable if action is delayed.
MP for Shepherds Outer Islands, John William Timakata, raised concerns about the cost of transporting water reservoirs to communities and whether the Ministry of Climate Change could assist, to which the minister agreed.
Second Deputy Speaker and MP for Malekula, Marcellino Barthelemy said desalination offers a better solution than water tanks and boreholes for addressing water shortages on the islands.
MP for Efate Rural, Fred Samuel, called for funding to be mobilised immediately to support preparedness efforts. He said the government must be proactive rather than reactive.
In his response, Minister Mahe said there is an El Niño fund to support response efforts and that HELPR-1, with its own desalination plant, can be utilised to convert seawater into freshwater for low lying atoll islands.
He said the government plans to go further in finding solutions, rather than relying only on drilling for water and water tanks.
said the government is working with partners to establish desalination projects on small islands.
The minister said the Central Tender Board approved two new drilling machines, which are expected to arrive before July for use in the provinces.
El Niño events usually occur from March to May, mature between November and January, then begin to decay around February and usually end in March or April the following year.
El Niño events normally last for around a year; however, they can be shorter or much longer.
The strongest recent El Niño event that affected Vanuatu was the 2015–2016 El Niño, which brought prolonged dry conditions, water shortages, agricultural impacts, and increased wildfire risks in many parts of the country…. PACNEWS
GUAM – COURTS: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Tue 02 Jun 2026
Guam Supreme Court upholds executive power to build hospital, but clock is ticking on federal funds
HAGATNA, 02 JUNE 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — The governor of Guam has the authority under the Organic Act to build medical and public health facilities, the Supreme Court of Guam has ruled, noting that the attorney general cannot invoke a local statute to block executive access to federal grants for a hospital project.
While welcoming the ruling, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said the federal funds in question, which were supposed to be obligated by December, are at risk of forfeiture.
“Unfortunately, being right does not give us back the time that was wasted while the attorney general and the legislature played these political and legal games,” Leon Guerrero said.
The case stemmed from Attorney General Douglas Moylan’s bid to veto the contracts for water and power infrastructure projects in Mangilao, where the governor seeks to build a new hospital.
The governor has earmarked US$100 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the stalled projects, designed to prepare the site for the construction of a new hospital
“While we are grateful that the Supreme Court has now provided clarity, these delays have placed federal funding at risk and reduced the amount of time available to put those funds to work for the people of Guam.”
“This ruling is clear, decisive, and confirms what we have maintained from the very beginning: the law does not give any Attorney General the power to unilaterally block a governor from building a hospital with federal funds,” Leon Guerrero said.
“The people of Guam deserve a modern hospital. Today’s ruling removes any doubt that the Organic Act grants the governor the authority to move forward with that mission,” Leon Guererro said…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
UK – SHIPPING: IMO PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 02 Jun 2026
IMO treaty on hazardous and noxious cargo to enter into force in 2027
LONDON, 02 JUNE 2026 (IMO) — The International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (2010 HNS Convention) is set to enter into force on 29 November 2027, marking a milestone for shipping’s global liability and compensation regime as increasing volumes of chemicals and alternative fuels are transported by sea.
The conditions for the treaty’s entry into force were met on 29 May 2026, paving the way for the 2010 HNS Convention (the 1996 Convention as amended by the 2010 Protocol) to enter into force 18 months later.
“The fulfilment of the conditions for the entry into force of the HNS Protocol is a long-awaited milestone that closes an important gap in the international liability and compensation regime for shipping,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
“This treaty will ensure that those affected by hazardous cargo incidents involving ships can access fair and timely compensation, while providing legal certainty for industry and governments.”
Under article 21(1), the 2010 HNS Protocol will enter into force 18 months after the following requirements have been satisfied:
* at least 12 States to express their consent to be bound, including four States each with not less than 2 million units of gross tonnage; and
*The receipt, by the IMO Secretary-General, of information confirming that contributing cargo in those States amounted to at least 40 million tonnes in the preceding calendar year.
There are currently 12 contracting States to the 2010 HNS Protocol, following ratifications by Belgium, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Sweden in April 2026. Nine of these States have more than 2 million units of gross tonnage.
Reports on contributing cargo submitted by contracting States in accordance with article 20 of the Protocol confirm that the required aggregate quantity of contributing cargo – more than 40 million tonnes – was achieved for the 2025 reporting
The 2010 HNS Convention complements existing IMO liability and compensation regimes addressing oil pollution and hazardous shipwrecks, extending similar protection to damage involving other hazardous and noxious substances.
The Convention covers loss of life, personal injury, property damage, economic loss, clean-up costs and environmental damage arising from incidents involving more than 2,000 hazardous substances carried by sea, including chemicals, oils, acids, fertilisers, alcohols, LNG and LPG.
Under the regime:
*Shipowners are subject to strict liability for damage and are required to maintain State-certified insurance or other financial security; and
*Additional compensation is available through the HNS Fund, financed by contributions from receivers of HNS cargo in Contracting States.
It is estimated that approximately 65,000 ships will require HNS certificates of insurance or other financial security.
The 2010 HNS Convention applies the “polluter pays” principle by ensuring that the shipping and HNS industries provide compensation for those who suffer loss or damage resulting from an HNS incident.
An HNS Fund will be established to provide compensation once the shipowner’s liability is exhausted. The Fund will be financed through contributions paid post-incident by receivers of HNS cargo in contracting States.
Total compensation available under the Convention is capped at 250 million Special Drawing Rights (SDR) of the International Monetary Fund (approximately USD 360 million at current exchange rates) per incident.
Shipowners are held strictly liable up to the maximum limit established under the Convention for the costs arising from an HNS incident.
The HNS Fund will be administered by States, with contributions based on the actual compensation required.
The 12 contracting States to the HNS Convention, as of 29 May 2026, are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden and Türkiye…. PACNEWS
FIJI – FUEL CRISIS: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 02 Jun 2026
Fiji Opposition leader Seruiratu blasts Government over fuel costs relief
SUVA, 02 JUNE 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Fiji’s Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu has called on the Government to temporarily remove or significantly reduce VAT on fuel, warning that the latest fuel price increases will place even greater pressure on households already struggling with the rising cost of living.
In a statement following the fuel price increases that took effect on June, Seruiratu said the impact would extend far beyond motorists.
“The increase in fuel prices is not just about what motorists pay at the pump. It will have a direct impact on transportation costs, food prices, freight charges and the overall cost of living.”
“Every household, every business, every farmer and every worker will feel the effects of this increase.”
Seruiratu accused the Coalition Government of failing to provide meaningful assistance to ordinary Fijians as fuel costs continue to climb.
“What we are witnessing today is a government in chaos and panic, unable to provide meaningful and direct assistance to ordinary Fijians who now have to pay an arm and a leg simply to get to work, take their children to school, run their businesses, or carry out their daily activities.”
He also questioned the Government’s handling of the recently announced AUD$30 million grant from Australia, noting that former Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad had confirmed in Parliament that the funding would not be used to provide direct fuel relief.
“Instead, the money will be absorbed into the Government’s consolidated fund and spent according to its own priorities.”
Seruiratu said there was still an immediate option available to ease pressure on consumers.
“I call on the Government to temporarily remove or substantially reduce the 12.5 percent Value Added Tax charged on fuel.”
“Such a measure would provide immediate relief to consumers, assist transport operators, reduce pressure on businesses and help prevent further increases in the cost of goods and services.”
The Opposition Leader argued that reducing VAT would help cushion the impact of rising fuel prices and limit the knock-on effects across the economy.
Beyond fuel taxes, Seruiratu urged Government to expand work-from-home arrangements across the public service wherever practical, saying this would reduce transportation costs for workers and help households manage fuel-related expenses.
He also renewed calls for Government to reduce its own expenditure, including a review of Cabinet.
“For years, I have consistently called for a reduction in the size of Cabinet. Fiji has too many Ministers and Assistant Ministers and many have failed to demonstrate meaningful performance or deliver tangible results for the people.”
“The Prime Minister must now undertake a serious review of Cabinet and remove non-performing and under-performing Ministers and Assistant Ministers.”
Seruiratu also questioned ongoing overseas travel by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries despite directives aimed at limiting official travel.
“At a time when the Government is asking Fijians to tighten their belts, those at the highest levels of Government must do the same.”
He said the Government must move beyond explanations and implement practical measures to help citizens cope with rising fuel costs.
“The fuel crisis requires urgent action. The Government must stop making excuses and start implementing practical solutions that provide real relief to the people of Fiji,” Seruiratu…. PACNEWS
COOKS – FUEL CRISIS: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 02 Jun 2026
Fuel prices still on the up; diesel run out on Cooks’ Penrhyn Island
RAROTONGA, 02 JUNE 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Penrhyn Island in the Cook Islands used its last 100 litres of diesel last week and has borrowed diesel from the police patrol boat, as fuel prices continue to go up in the region.
The island is also restricting power use.
They have borrowed 5000 litres of diesel from police patrol boat Te Kukupa II, which executive officer Puna Vano said should last until their next shipment of fuel arrives at the end of the month.
“Unfortunately, fuel delivery will come on the barge, which the estimated time of departure from Rarotonga] for the Northern Group is on 18 June,” he told Cook Islands News.
“We are anticipating they will arrive here around the 25 or 26 of June, if things go well and there is no further delay.””
Power use on the island is restricted to between 6am and 10pm.
Penryhn has been relying on diesel-generated electricity after its solar farms’ batteries reached the end of their lifespan; a New Zealand-funded battery replacement project is underway…. 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
An IPCC funding crisis threatens the Asia-Pacific
By Mohd Yunus
BANGKOK, 02 JUNE 2026 (THE INTERPRETER) — At a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting in Bangkok, Chair Jim Skea delivered a stark warning. Government contributions fell in 2024 and 2025, and without a substantial increase the organisation could run out of money by 2028.
Cost-cutting measures now under discussion include switching to fully virtual meetings, suspending travel for outreach, and scaling back translation and report production. These are not minor bureaucratic issues; they would limit the IPCC’s ability to reach the regions that need its findings most, especially climate-vulnerable areas such as the Asia-Pacific.
The funding problem has a clear proximate cause. Under the Biden administration, the U.S contributed an average of US$1.7 million per year to the IPCC. Under President Donald Trump, that figure dropped to zero. The resulting shortfall, roughly 30 percent of the IPCC’s trust fund value, is, as Skea himself noted, small enough for a handful of willing governments to cover. But no such rescue has materialised. The deeper problem is structural: more than 80 percent of the IPCC’s 195 member governments have never made a financial contribution at all, leaving the organisation perpetually dependent on a narrow and politically volatile base of donors.
Indonesia illustrates the stakes more sharply than most. The country faces simultaneous pressures from coastal flooding and land subsidence across its cities, Jakarta is sinking at up to 25 centimetres per year in some areas, while shifting rainfall patterns threaten agricultural output across an archipelago of 270 million people. In these conditions, the country depends on credible long-range projections to plan infrastructure, allocate adaptation finance, and defend its positions in international climate negotiations. When the IPCC’s capacity weakens, its reports delayed, its outreach contracted, its regional data coverage thinned, Indonesia is left arguing its case from a weakened evidentiary base, precisely when the stakes of those negotiations are rising.
The same logic extends to the broader Asia-Pacific. Wealthier states, including the U.S, Japan, and Australia, can draw on their own research institutions and continue generating domestic climate assessments regardless of what happens to the IPCC. Smaller, less resourced economies cannot. For them, IPCC reports are the primary mechanism through which their scientists participate in global climate knowledge production. When the trust fund shrinks, that participation contracts first: fewer translations, fewer working group seats, less regional data reflected in global findings. The result is a perverse inversion where those most exposed to climate change become least influential over the science that shapes the response to it.
There is also a geopolitical dimension that governments in this region should not underestimate. As competition for influence in the Indo-Pacific intensifies, control over credible scientific information becomes a strategic asset. A financially constrained IPCC does not simply become less useful; it creates a vacuum that other actors, whether states or non-governmental bodies, can fill with narratives shaped by their own interests. Recent IPCC meetings, including discussions in Bangkok, have highlighted deep divisions over the timing of the next assessment cycle. A group of countries has opposed aligning the report timeline with the second global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, while a majority supports such alignment. If delays extend beyond 2028, the next assessment could miss the opportunity to inform that process. These dynamics risk further politicising the production and use of climate knowledge, potentially weakening the scientific foundation of multilateral climate governance.
Australia has both the standing and the strategic self-interest to respond to this. Canberra is currently serving as President of Negotiations for COP31, a role that gives it unusual leverage to set the agenda across 2026. It is co-convening a pre-COP leaders’ meeting with Pacific Island nations, and its Ambassador for Climate Change is explicitly tasked with engagement across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. That diplomacy depends in part on the quality and legitimacy of shared scientific frameworks. An IPCC producing thinner, slower, or less regionally representative assessments directly undermines the scientific foundation of what Canberra is trying to build.
The solution does not require redesigning the IPCC from scratch. It requires governments to treat it as what it is: critical infrastructure for global decision-making, not a discretionary line item to be managed against domestic budget cycles. The IPCC’s own Ad Hoc Task Group on Financial Stability has long identified the voluntary contribution model as a structural vulnerability and proposed alternatives ranging from assessed contributions to multi-year pledging frameworks. Australia is well placed to make this case at COP31, not as climate charity but as an act of regional self-interest. With its G20 membership, its deepening engagement across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and its presidency of this year’s negotiations, Canberra has both the forum and the motivation to push for more predictable, treaty-like funding arrangements that insulate the IPCC from the volatility of political cycles.
The Bangkok meeting was, on its surface, a routine administrative gathering. Beneath it sat a question with direct consequences for every government in this region: whether the international community is willing to fund the knowledge it claims to govern by. Governments have spent decades citing IPCC findings to justify climate commitments while treating the institution itself as someone else’s financial responsibility. That arrangement is visibly breaking down. For a region as climate-exposed as the Asia-Pacific, the cost of allowing it to continue is not abstract. It is measured in delayed infrastructure decisions, weakened negotiating positions, and a scientific foundation that becomes less adequate exactly when it needs to become more robust…. PACNEWS
Mohd Yunus is an independent researcher hailing from Riau Province, Indonesia, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in biological sciences at Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
