Palau Finance Minister welcomes audit of stablecoin project
Palau’s Minister of Finance Kaleb Udui Jr said he welcomes the audit by the Public Auditor of Palau’s stablecoin project as requested by the Senate. “We have nothing to hide. We have been working with
FEMM endorsed re-designed Pacific Resilience Facility
The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting later this year in Rarotonga is expected to adopt and approve the redesigned Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) after it was endorsed by the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting
‘Terrible’ rules starve climate-hit islands of finance, inquiry told
Development assistance rules are denying “vulnerable” small island developing states, or SIDS, of the help they need to combat the climate emergency and must be rewritten, a UK inquiry has been told. Multiple
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.
BSP cuts ties with PNG fuel supplier Puma
BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) has cut ties with Puma Energy, according to Papua New Guinea Petroleum and Energy Minister Kerenga Kua. According to Minister Kua, the action by BSP is independent of the Government and
China-backed AIIB secures World Bank deal
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Beijing’s answer to the World Bank, has approved one of its highest-profile international partnerships, just weeks after it was accused of being infiltrated by China’s
Thriving stock exchange eyed in PNG
Companies are not currently obliged to list on the Papua New Guinea stock exchange (PNGX), but a thriving stock exchange in the country can act as a catalyst for broader economic growth, says chairman David Lawrence. On
Too little to avert crisis, Puma Energy received US$12.7 million of foreign exchange in PNG
Puma Energy received about US$12.7 million (about K45.8 million) of foreign exchange (FX) on Friday, but this is still not enough to buy fuel needed to address the looming shortage in Papua New Guinea, the company’s
Devaluation plan unfounded: Bank of PNG
The Bank of Papua New Guinea has poured cold water on speculation about a Kina devaluation, with acting governor Elizabeth Genia calling it unfounded. “There has been a lot of speculation recently on a devaluation of
PNG Kina overvalued
Papua New Guinea foreign exchange (FX) shortages have repeatedly been identified by business leaders in PNG as the most serious impediment to private sector development in the country, according to the International
Gradual devaluation of kina ‘better’: PNG Chamber of Commerce
A gradual devaluation of the kina will be easier to absorb rather than a sudden one, PNG business houses have told Government. The business houses acknowledged the analysis and recommendations by policy advisers that
Mark Robinson joins as new CEO of Bank South Pacific
Bank South Pacific Financial Group Limited has announced the appointment of Mark T. Robinson as Group Chief Executive Officer. Robinson is a senior financial services executive and globally experienced banking Chief
Fiji software firm earns US$50k for fintech devt
Fiji software services provider IT Galax was one of five winning fintech companies in a competition to improve fintech infrastructure in the Pacific Islands, in Singapore last week. The Pacific Islands Fintech
Access to finance ocean projects ‘very challenging’: Solomons MP Manele
While there are huge commitments being made and offered to assist countries to conserve, protect and manage their ocean resources, accessing finance for ocean projects is still a major obstacle for many Small Island
Oceans emergency declared
Updates from the UN Oceans conference The United Nations Secretary General has declared an “ocean emergency” at the 2022 UN Oceans Conference co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya in Lisbon. Addressing delegates attending
Data, skills and a ‘shared vision’ needed to better manage risk
The Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat says to better manage risk, access to robust and contextualised data that can be used to make decisions is needed. Speaking at this week’s
Disaster risk support needs better alignment with national priorities: Seruiratu
Fiji’s Minister for Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu has been urging Fiji’s development partners to better align their support with the priorities of the national government in meetings in Indonesia this week.
Palau President seeks $100k for fintech projects
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr requests US$100,000 for financial technology projects including the Digital Residency
Switching on renewables
The ambitious renewable energy targets set by many Pacific Island nations may be running behind schedule, but there is still a lot of activity and investment in the sector, pandemic
Delving into digital: Kina finds its sweet spot
The entry of Papua New Guinea’s Kina bank into the fairly competitive Fiji market later this year will bring a range of digital products that should stimulate further innovation in the sector and more choice for
ANZ extends fee waiver for money transfers to Pacific
ANZ will extend its fee waiver until September 2021 for online foreign currency payments made from Australia and New Zealand into 10 Pacific countries.* Latest figures show the value and volume of transfers made by ANZ
Natural disasters push up premiums in Fiji
One of Fiji’s biggest insurance companies says the cost of reinsurance is hitting the bottom line of insurance companies operating in the Pacific. Premium hikes in Fiji’s general insurance market are largely blamed
The uneven playing field
IN March, five Pacific Islands Countries – American Samoa, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu – suddenly found themselves on the European Union’s revised list of noncooperative jurisdictions
