Page 7 - Islands Business October 2023 edition

Briefs Briefs
gone to the Yagaum Lutheran district hospital in Madang but
Duban directed it for other purposes in the province. The Post
New Caledonia Courier reported Kanimba, as the district treasurer, knew
Talks in Paris between France’s and New Caledonia’s the money was for the hospital but allowed its drawdown for
politicians last September yielded a French-submitted other uses. The duo will be sentenced on October 20.
document on the territory’s future. French Home Affairs
and Overseas Minister, Gérald Darmanin, said the document
remained open to modifications from all sides of New
Caledonia’s political spectrum. Darmanin said it contained Samoa
a “modernisation of New Caledonia’s institutions”, Seasonal Employment recruiters in Samoa will soon need to
including changes to the areas of responsibilities both at pay a ST$10,000 (US$3,500) registration fee, while overseas
New Caledonia’s higher government level, and also for employers will also need to pay an annual registration fee of
its three provinces. “The project also reaffirms that New ST$1,000 (US$350). Samoa Observer reported the new policy
Caledonia remains French but retains a specific paragraph under the Ministry of Finance was approved by the Cabinet.
in the [French] Constitution, which means the 1998 Nouméa Under it, the recruitment of workers will be handled directly
Accord will not be affected in terms of a New Caledonian by the District Council Committees.
Citizenship within the French citizenship,” he told Le Monde.
The document is understood to serve as a basis for further
discussions to be finalised by the end of 2023. Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands Immigration Department has launched
a new app, the Travel Entry Capture (TEC) App. Tavuli
News reported the App is designed to monitor arrivals and
Niue departures of passengers. It was developed with the support
Preliminary results from the Statistics Niue 2022 national of the Government of Papua New Guinea. Stanis Hulahau,
census report released August 30 showed that on census night, PNG Migration Officer, stressed the importance of using
there were a total of 1681 people counted in Niue, made up technology in the evolving landscape of immigration, stating:
of 1564 people identified as usual residents and 117 identified “Times have changed, and it is time for Solomon Islands to
as visitors to Niue. The figures constitute a decrease in the also embrace technology to enhance its work.” Meanwhile,
total population by 2.2% (38 people) compared to the last Chris Akosawa, Immigration Director of Solomon Islands, said
census in 2017 with a total population of 1719 people. The with the anticipated influx of visitors for the Pacific Games,
preliminary results also showed that females outnumbered the department plans to increase its staff.
males with a total of 854 females and 827 males recorded.
The single largest age group is in the 10–14-year-old band with
170 people, which is 10.1% of the total population. Minister of Tonga
Finance, Crossley Tatui, said: “There is an enormous challenge The National Reserve Bank of Tonga recorded a historical
before us to realise the population level and take appropriate net profit of T$20.4 million (US$8.54 million), a substantial
steps to address the long-term implications on our identity improvement from the previous year’s profit of T$0.5 million
and cultural heritage.” According to the Niue Statistics (US$0.20 million). Chairman of the Reserve Bank Board, Lord
Office, it was the 11th national population and household Sevele, presented a cheque of T$14.2 million to the Acting
census since 1971. The full report for the census will be Prime Minister, Samiu Vaipulu, and Minister for Finance,
released in the near future, the Niue government said.
Tiofilusi Tiueti on September 15.

Palau Tuvalu
Palau’s Council of Chiefs expressed their concerns over a Tuvalu’s Parliament has unanimously approved its proposed
Bill that seeks to provide Palauan passports to non-Palauans, Constitution of Tuvalu Bill 2023—endorsing 26 amendments
stating the Bill “may be unconstitutional”. The chiefs proposed by the Parliamentary Review Committee led by
cautioned that such a proposal is bound to be abused, citing former Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Kofe. A key change
as an example non-Palauan females marrying Palauan men gives all islands the equal opportunity to have
just to get passports to travel to the United States. a representative serve in the highest office of the land.
“Given the importance of island representation in Tuvalu,
it is critical that a more equitable rotation system be
Papua New Guinea implemented to allow all islands to have a representative
Former Papua New Guinea MP, Nixon Duban, and former serve as Governor General in a reasonable time,” said the
Madang district treasurer, Helen Kanimba, have been found Parliamentary Review Committee. The order of the rotation
guilty of misappropriating 600,000 Kina (US$161,000). The will be from south to north islands. The Act commences on
money from the National Gaming Control Board should have 1st October 2023, which also marks the 45th Anniversary of

Islands Business, October 2023 7