Page 6 - IB December 2023

Briefs Briefs
2023 elections, said the laws were “too complicated” and
quasi-impossible to implement. A new, revised text is now in
American Samoa the pipeline to legalise the import of cannabis and related
American Samoa’s newest park is being developed on eight substances, as part of a longer-term plan to develop local
acres of government land in the village of Vaitogi. The Talanei production, including the cultivation of hemp. It will be
reported that $839,340 has been spent on the project. It will tabled in January 2024.
include a 27-hole miniature golf course, eight fales (shelters),
and a wading pool.
Guam
Arrivals to Guam in October, the first month of fiscal 2024,
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands remained at 40% of the pre-pandemic level (2019 figures),
The Northern Marianas Government owes a staggering US$73.8 based on preliminary data from the Guam Visitors Bureau.
million to the local power company, the Commonwealth Guam Travel and Tourism Association Chair, Jovyna Lujan,
Utilities Corporation (CUC). Of that amount, US$58m is owed said much of the factors slowing the pace of Guam’s tourism
by the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation. RNZ reports recovery are beyond the island’s control, including high US
the agency that runs the islands’ lone hospital is billed an interest rates and a weak Japanese yen versus the American
average of US$500,000 by CUC each month. dollar. The only major market that’s showing promise is
arrivals from the U.S./Hawaii, posting a 25.3% increase for
October over 2019 arrivals.

Cook Islands
Cook Islands Prime Minister, Mark Brown, has welcomed the Kiribati
Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) new concessional funding The current 300 residents of Banaba are concerned about a
lending terms. “The new lending criteria for longer terms deal Australian mining company, Centrex, has signed with the
and concessional interest rate of 1% means that our ability to Rabi Council of Leaders. Iakoba Jacob Karutake, a Council
finance key infrastructure investments can now be affordable representative who approved the deal with Centrex, said an
for our country,” said Brown. The ADB is the Cook Islands’ “exploration exercise” had been initiated to determine the
largest lender with about 76% of the Cook Islands’ total debt— remaining phosphate on Banaba, adding that the “exploration
NZ$212.8 million as of June this year—with the Bank. exercise is different from mining.” Despite reassurance that
landowners will be consulted for information and approval of
the mining prospect, locals opposed the deal, and Karutake
Federated States of Micronesia said the exploration will be put on hold awaiting further
FSM President, Wesley Simina said his country could be staring consultation with the community.
down a “fiscal cliff” very soon if the US Congress does not
approve its Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreement.
“That means we will have to find different sources of
funding...and that’s not out there available immediately.” Marshall Islands
Simina said: “Our part is done. Our Congress has ratified Marshall Islands’ domestic election result showed that as
it.” The Biden administration had proposed US$7.1 billion in many as one-third of all members of parliament are likely
economic packages for the Freely Associated States over 20 to change when the body is sworn in during early January.
years. Based on unofficial domestic results provided on November
24 by the Electoral Administration, both Speaker, Kenneth
Kedi and Vice Speaker, Peterson Jibas have lost. Six new
members of the Nitijela (parliament) were a given, due
Fiji to six incumbents stepping down for various reasons. But
Starlink (Fiji) Pte Limited will now be able to provide it appears that five others have lost their seats. Former
internet services to businesses and customers in Fiji. Marshall Islands Ambassador to the United States, Gerald
Government has granted Starlink a spectrum licence while Zackios, is in a battle for the second seat at Arno Atoll
the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji has granted a against newcomer Stevenson Kotton, a vice president at the
telecommunications licence to the company. A Government College of the Marshall Islands. Postal ballots could be the
statement noted that with low latency, high speeds and key to determining this race, which will be counted in early
simple plug and play setup, the low-earth orbit satellites are December.
fast becoming the technology of choice for island nations and
geographically sparse areas.

Nauru
An Australian bank that has been providing Nauru with its
French Polynesia only banking service for some years, has signalled it will leave
French Polynesia’s existing laws on therapeutic use of the island at the end of next year. The Bendigo & Adelaide
cannabis have been scrapped by the Territorial Assembly. Bank and the Nauru government said the bank is aiming to
The new government, which came to power after the May “reduce complexity and simplify its business by focusing on

6 Islands Business, December 2023