Cook Islands new minimum wage comes into effect, employers told to adhere
Employers in the Cook Islands are required to adhere to the new minimum wage rate that comes into effect today. The new minimum wage increases by 50 cents $9.00 to $9.50 per hour (US$5.47 – $5.77) from today,
Tonga’s $899.2 million budget for 2024-25
A draft budget of TOP$899.2 million (US$381 million) for the year 2024/25 was announced by the Government of Tonga, stating that it is the first balanced budget proposed by government to parliament since 2019/2020. The
NZ commits $20m to Cook Islands budget, $10.5m for public service
Cook Islands has secured $20 million (US$12.30 million) in Core Sector Budget Support and an additional $10.5 million (US$6.45 million) for continued public sector strengthening during the 8th Cook Islands-New Zealand
Tongan appropriation Bill 2024 for $899.2 million budget passes first reading
The Legislative Assembly of Tonga passed the first reading of the 2024/2025 Appropriation Bill 2024 today. They are planning for expenditure of $899.2 million (US$ 380.24 million) with $452.3 million (US$191.37 million)
CNMI seeks to address fiscal crisis
CNMI leaders on Sunday announced plans to revise the government’s current budget to address the “urgent fiscal challenges” facing the commonwealth. “While it’s not easy to share this news, I believe we
FSM launches first Citizens Budget
A first-of-its-kind Citizens Budget has been launched in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). FSM’s Department of Finance and Administration (DOFA) in a statement today said the National Government Fiscal
Huge pay rise for Solomons politicians
Members of Parliament in Solomon Islands are due to receive a huge pay rise this year despite the nation’s precarious state of the economy and poor government service delivery. The pay increase was published in a
K27.3 billion budget tabled in PNG
The Papua New Guinea Government Tuesday handed down a whopping K27.3 billion (US$7.3 billion) 2024 Budget. Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey when presenting the Budget in Parliament described it as a responsible budget that is
Fiji government launches ‘Citizen’s budget’
Orgs call for action on price gouging Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, says the new budget has been meticulously constructed to lay the groundwork for long-term progress.
US$4m approved for Guam airport projects
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation approved an additional US$4 million in funding requested by Guam for airport projects, the Office of Guam Delegate James Moylan announced Tuesday. The additional
Fiji Budget Debate: TELs change ‘selling out’ students
Fiji opposition parliamentarian, Parveen Bala says the government’s new scholarship system is “selling out of the principle of equal access to higher education, just to keep a badly thought-out election
Fiji Budget Debate: Bainivalu says tourism will be supported
“While the coalition government is making efforts to diversify the economy, we will still take care of tourism,” was the word from Assistant Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Alitia Bainivalu in
Fiji Budget Debate: Seruiratu concerned over government debt
The Leader of the Opposition in Fiji’s Parliament says the government’s budget will increase national debt from FJ$9.9 billion to $10.5 billion. Seruiratu said, “The government debt had been on the decline
Fiji budget debate: Rabuka flags possible mini budget
Fiji’s Prime Minister said his government may deliver a mini-budget six months from now in order to ensure close monitoring of the 2023–2024 Budget. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told parliament yesterday: “This
We Say: Fiji’s budget a test of unity
In the leadup to the coalition government’s 2023-2024 budget, citizens were warned by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Finance Minister Biman Prasad, the Fiscal Review Committee and international financial institutions
“Tough” Budget passed in Cook Islands Parliament
Cook Islands Parliament has officially passed the Budget after a grueling two-week session. Prime Minister Mark Brown praised the work of all parliamentarians over the past fortnight. It was the first time the Budget
Fiji Budget: A focus on debt sustainability
The drive to reducing Fiji’s debt underpins many of the measures included in the 2023-2024 Fiji budget, with the coalition government hoping to bring it down to 79% of GDP by July 2024. Government debt is projected to
Tonga Parliament passes deficit Budget for 2023-2024
Tonga’s parliament passed the national Annual Budget for FY2023-2024 of $784.2 million pa’anga (US$332 million) Wednesday with 14-0 votes. The biggest budget allocation in the Budget Estimates 2023-2024 is for the
PNG payroll blowout
The Papua New Guinea Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery is concerned about what the country gets in return for employing 132,898 public servants. Committee chairman Gary Juffa
Samoa government eyes debt reduction
The Samoa Government has forecast public debt will reduce the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to 32.1 percent by the end of the financial year 2023-24. It plans to achieve this by continuing the
Guam legislature approves pay raise bill in party-line vote
After three days of marathon special session, Guam senators on Friday night passed an administration-endorsed measure supporting a 22 percent raise to the government’s general pay plan. The amended version of the bill
Guam racing against time to use federal funds that will expire next year
The clock is ticking on the Guam Department of Education to expend a federal grant that will expire in September next year, but the local government has yet to begin the procurement process for the projects for which
A new era of prosperity: Guam Governor Guerrero
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero defended her record at a critical juncture of her second term in Adelup, declaring Guam’s recovery in a bid to counter her critics’ “enduring pessimism” and denouncing “meanness
