Page 6 - Islands Business March 2023

Briefs Briefs

American Samoa French Polynesia
American Samoa’s Department of Health says it will only French Polynesia’s ruling Tapura Huiraatira party has held its
allow school aged children who are vaccinated to attend Congress as it prepares for the territorial elections in April.
school. This as neighbouring Samoa monitors several children The party is yet to release its lists of candidates but says
suspected to have measles. The department has also asked it has the support of 30 of the 42 mayors. The party leader
health centres to ensure vaccinations are rolled out, and says Edouard Fritch is hoping to be re-elected. Meanwhile, Moetai
checks of day care centres will be undertaken. Brotherson of the independence party Tavini Huira’atira no
Te Ao Ma’ohi has announced he will run for the Presidency of
French Polynesia.
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
Governor Arnold Palacios says the work schedule of some
Executive Branch employees will be cut to just 72 hours Guam
starting April 24, and through the end of Fiscal Year 2023. The U.S. military has narrowed down the multiple sites which
Affected employees are those whose personnel costs were will be used for Guam’s new 360-degree missile defence
funded in whole or in part by American Rescue Plan Act funds system, according to Navy Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson,
or local revenue. Due to fiscal challenges, Palacios urged commander of Joint Region Marianas. The territory’s Missile
other arms of government and the judiciary to implement Defense Agency has started working on the US$1.5 billion
similar cost-containment measures. “We must all do our part project, which is intended to supplement existing defence
to overcome this financial crisis,” the Governor said. systems and better protect the island from the threat of
different types of missiles. One missile defence site already
acknowledged by the military is next to Eagles Field, where
Cook Islands the government of Guam plans to build a new hospital and
The Cook Islands’ new parliament will soon have its first medical campus on 112 acres of leased military property.
sitting following the country’s general election six months
ago. The delay has been due to a clause in the constitution,
which requires all petition hearings to be completed before Kiribati
Parliament sits. Meanwhile, Cook Islands Party candidate A new facility to treat hundreds of people suffering from
Sonny Williams will remain as the new Member of Parliament tuberculosis (TB) has opened at the Tungaru Central Hospital
for Titikaveka. in Tarawa. Health Minister Tinte Itinteang said the premises
will provide an open ward for isolating and restricting
movement of susceptible pulmonary TB positive patients. It
Federated States of Micronesia also includes isolation units for drug-resistant cases. Recent
The Federated States of Micronesia will have a new President studies show Kiribati continues to battle with one of the
from May. The incumbent President David Panuelo lost his highest rates of TB in the Pacific, recording over 400 new
seat in Congress during the general election on March 7. cases of the infectious disease annually.
Peter Christian, who had the highest number of votes, is
expected to be re-elected. Christian served as the eighth
President of the Micronesian nation from 2015 to 2019. A total Marshall Islands
of 29 candidates - 26 men and three women - contested the
2023 elections for 14 seats across the four states of Chuuk, Marshall Islands’ President, David Kabua has issued a state of
Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap. emergency declaration to overcome the problems caused by
the grounding of the country’s cargo airline in early February.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded
Micronesian cargo operator Asia Pacific Airlines, due to
Fiji concerns about unqualified pilots flying the aircraft. But the
More than 200 former employees of Fiji Airways who were Guam-based airline continued to operate in breach of the FAA
terminated during the height of the pandemic will return order. RNZ reports that the decision has caused havoc on the
to work soon. Chief Executive Officer, Andre Viljoen says islands, affecting mail delivery and resulting in a shortage of
the airline has been working with unions and there is an essential medical supplies at the Majuro hospital.
agreement to bring back workers on short notice. Tourism
minister Viliame Gavoka has welcomed the move.

Nauru
Nauru has signed a 99-year land lease agreement for the
construction of a chancery in Australia’s capital, Canberra.

6 Islands Business, March 2023