Page 14 - IB November 2024

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since the start of the crisis. stabilise the economy, invest in reconstruction and reform the
“Two thirds of them are Tahitians who have been living tax base.
there for many years and who have decided to come back Even though business leaders, government officials and
home,” Brotherson said. “But the rest of them are people unions have all agreed to work together on the PS2R proposal,
from New Caledonia, especially small business owners, who they differ on who should bear the costs of restructuring, and
due to the economic situation are thinking about moving. the role of the public sector in generating jobs.
Every one of them that I’ve met with, I told them that it’s “You cannot reconstruct New Caledonia as it was before –
not my intent to lure you to come in French Polynesia – your it’s over,” Guyenne argued. “What the business world wants is
country is New Caledonia and your country needs you to to force the public sector to reform in terms of delivery, cost
rebuild.” efficiency and performance.
“A big problem is the ‘mille-feuilles administratifs’ [the
Damage to community health bureaucratic layer cake],” he said. “Nobody has the single
The months of crisis have led to the departure of many responsibility and administration is spread across the French
French public servants who work in the health and education State, the Government of New Caledonia, the provinces and
sector, along with self-employed doctors and professional town councils. There are too many people trying to address
staff. the problems, but no one is fully responsible. We’ll have to go
As France’s Overseas Minister Francois-Noël Buffet visited through drastic, severe cost reductions in the public sector.
Noumea’s main hospital Médipôle on 19 October, Dr Thierry Without that, New Caledonia has no future. It’s going to be
de Greslan said that “the number of caregivers has fallen by painful for some years, but it’s a necessary pain.”
around 15%, and this decline will continue to worsen before In contrast, leaders of the Kanak Customary Senate
the end of the year.” highlight the longstanding gulf between Noumea’s wealthy
The figures presented to the Overseas Minister were stark: southern suburbs and Kanak and Wallisians living in housing
a third of emergency doctors and physiotherapists have left estates and squatter settlements. Senate President Mahé
since May; all three oncologists in the country have left, along Gowe told visiting Forum leaders that any rebuilding should
with four of six doctors who specialise in lung and respiratory draw on Pacific values: “We hope to see the effects of the
systems. By year’s end, it’s estimated there will only be five economic and social crisis addressed, while repositioning the
gynaecological-obstetrics doctors remaining. decolonisation process in which our country is engaged, so
The problem extends to rural areas as well as the capital. that the process can reach its conclusion.”
By late October, a third of the staff had left the Centre As political leaders stress the need for regional integration,
hospitalier du nord (CHN)—the main hospital in the Northern the business community is also grappling with practical ways
provincial capital Koohnê—and only five doctors remain across to engage with Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island
the whole province. neighbours like PNG and Vanuatu. However this will take
Ironically, the overnight curfew in operation since May, time: neighbouring countries like Australia have a range of
and police restrictions on the sale of alcohol have led to a non-tariff trade barriers that hamper exports.
reduction in the number of accidents, especially on the roads. “We must understand how, for mutual benefit, we can
Doctors noted that “the reduction in alcohol consumption organise ourselves in order to further open New Caledonia
and the curfew have caused fewer road accidents and fewer to neighbouring countries,” said Mimsy Daly, spokesperson
deaths.” for the employers’ federation MEDEF. “The New Caledonian
market has become considerably restricted, and therefore we
The bureaucratic ‘layer cake’ will need new outlets for New Caledonian products. In this
Across the political spectrum, politicians, business leaders context, cooperation with the Pacific is very strategic.”
and trade unionists have been calling on the French State to New Caledonia’s colonial status means that the political and
assist with economic reform, reconstruction and rebuilding, economic are intertwined. While welcoming support from the
while looking to neighbouring countries for trade and tourism. Pacific Islands Forum and its members, President Mapou noted
After meeting a visiting mission of Pacific Islands Forum that, “We aren’t an independent state that has the freedom
leaders in late October, President Louis Mapou told Islands to work on many of these issues that we must all address in
Business that “New Caledonia is at a turning point in its the future. Members of my government, for example, raised
evolution, and the political, economic and social system that’s with the Forum delegation that we have a trade agreement
existed for many years has reached its end.” with Vanuatu, but we have been unable to bring it to fruition
His multi-party government has developed a three-year for more than two years.”
economic reconstruction plan dubbed PS2R – the ‘Plan de Beyond this, New Caledonia’s ongoing crisis has dropped
Sauvegarde, de Reconstruction et de Refondation’. Last from the headlines, largely invisible in a media environment
month, Mapou hosted a conference at the Jean-Marie Tjibaou focussed on Donald Trump’s re-election. Even as politicians
Cultural Centre for business, union and community leaders, to gather next year for talks on New Caledonia’s political status,
discuss the PS2R and economic reform. In November, Mapou the economic crisis will remain high on the agenda, and a
also led a government delegation to Paris, meeting French central concern for ordinary New Caledonians as they head for
President Macron to call for commitments from Paris to elections in November 2025.

14 Islands Business, November 2024