Briefs
Business
New Zealand
New Zealand's hard-working, long-suffering farmers are faced with the prospects of another tax. According to a recent report, livestock account for more than 50 per cent of Aotearoa's methane gas emissions.
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Cattle and sheep are the most flatulent offenders, but deer and goats also bear their share of responsibility. Poultry and pigs (it may surprise non-rural folk to know) are relatively guilt-free. The plan to tax the farmers-since the animals themselves don't know any better-is part of New Zealand's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Under the scheme, farmers will be tapped for NZ 60 cents per head of cattle and NZ 8 cents per sheep. No gender distinctions are made. Bulls and cows, rams and ewes are equal before the law.
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Palau
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Palau's tourism industry is looking forward to the renewal of flights from Taiwan and an increase in the number of charter flights from Japan. Flights from Taiwan were halted due to the World Health Organization's SARS travel advisory, which has recently been lifted. While the SARS virus did not affect Palau, many Japanese tourists chose not to take chances and stayed away. Now that WHO has lifted the travel advisory, flights are expected to return to normal operation in July and Japan Airlines is planning to increase charters to Palau.
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Hosted by Navot Bornovski, proprietor of Fish 'n Fins Dive Shop, divers from nine countries dove on and photographed 15 World War II ship and seaplane wrecks that dot the waters of Palau. After a day of diving, the participants attended evening lectures and viewed documentaries about shipwrecks in Palau. Bornovski is looking forward to next year, the 60th anniversary of the first attack of World War II in Palau, which he feels should foster an even larger turnout for the event.
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The oldest flight school in Japan, is eager to open a branch in Palau, reports President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. An academy would allow Japanese to obtain U.S. pilot licenses and provide an opportunity to train Micronesians to fly in the region, the president says. Palau currently falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Academy officials are expected to unveil their plans later this year.
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While SARS stopped an international underwater contest, a companion contest for children was not to be denied. More than 150 cameras were turned in by island youth with some blurry shots of toes and the family dog, but also some fine pictures of manta rays, sharks, schooling fish and robust corals. "No one has said to them 'You can be an underwater photographer,'" says John De Vivo, a contest judge and vice president of Pacific Savings Bank, explaining why the business sponsored the event. "Our hope is one day there will be a professional Palauan underwater photographer."
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A new $16 million airport terminal here-called the gateway to the Palau's future-is now open for travelers. Paid for by a grant from Japan and built in the shape of a traditional men's meeting house, the terminal is believed to be a major step toward substantial growth in tourism here in the years to come.
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CNMI
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The Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association asked the government to compromise on its ban on visitors from areas affected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Richard Pierce, SGMA executive director, acknowledged that precautions were needed, but said manufacturers were willing to certify that individuals entering the CNMI were SARS free and then to quarantine them for two additional weeks at the manufacturers' expense. As employee contracts expire, the industry loses about 2 to 3 percent of its employees every month.
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Oceania Air Inc. intends to provide weekly air service between Saipan, Pohnpei and Brisbane, Australia. The airline is incorporated in the CNMI and plans to operate a Boeing 727-200 carrying 36 passengers and 20 tons of cargo once operations begin. The airline is securing financial backing to begin operations in the future, according to a report in the Marianas Variety.
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Guam
Guam long distance and Internet provider Startec PCI became EC Communications on June 19. The company became part of the group of companies owned by the Calvo family and is affiliated with EC Development. Startec PCI assets in Guam, Saipan and Hawaii were purchased from parent company Startec Global Communications of Maryland. The officers of the new company are Tony Das, chief executive officer; Dan Mendiola, chief technology officer; and John Paul Calvo, vice president for corporate marketing and sales. Das was Startec PCI senior vice president/managing director for Asia and the Pacific since April 2002. Previously, he was executive vice president for Startec Global Communications.-FW
All Nippon Airways will begin to fly daily charter flights between Guam and Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Aug. 1. The
B-767 flights will continue during August and September. During that time the airline will suspend its service between Narita and Guam. The promotion was welcomed by Guam tourism officials since Haneda is more accessible to Tokyo residents than Narita, which is a 60-minute train ride from the city. Daily ANA flights between Guam and Osaka are unaffected.
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American Samoa
ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank launched in June a new system called the Q-matic, designed to reduce waiting time for bank customers. The complex computer program records detailed time information about every customer's visit. When a customer enters the bank, they select from the Q-matic the type of service they need and push the button matching that service. The customer takes a ticket and sits down until their number is called by a computer display to go to the next available window for service.-FS
Samoa
The planned all first-class 140-room hotel broke ground in late June in a ceremony attended by close to 200 officials of the government and private sector. The planned Aggie Grey's Beach Resort will be built on government land located on the shoreline of Mulifanua village, just minutes from the Faleolo International Airport. Construction of the 34 Million Tala (about US$11.3 million) was to start in late July and be completed by December 2004. Samoa's most well-known hotelier, Alan Grey of the legendary Aggie Grey's Hotel in the capital of Apia, is the owner of the new project.
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Region
Virgin Blue, the budget airline owned by British multi-millionaire Sir Richard Branson and operating in Australia in partnership with logistics company Patrick Corporation, has sought approval from the International Air Services Commission to fly from Australia to New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu. The airline hopes to commence trans-Tasman operations in October this year and is seeking equal gate access in NZ with Air New Zealand and Qantas.
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Tonga
Royal Tongan Airlines announced a change from its lease agreement with Royal Brunei Airlines, to fly under its own flag. Logan Appu, Managing Director and CEO, described it as a "significant step forward for Royal Tongan Airlines. The new agreement underscores our commitment to the market in terms of the Tongan community traveling to and from Tonga, tourists visiting our country and our growing export industry." He admitted that the airline had been affected by prevailing market conditions, but had enjoyed support from Tongan communities.
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French Polynesia
The economy of French Polynesia is said to be recovering after the hard times endured by its key sectors, among them fishing, tourism and black pearl production. The territory's Minister for Economy George Puchon said that the domestic economy showed growth for the first quarter of 2003. Tourism was improving despite the setbacks resulting from the conflict in Iraq and the outbreak of SARS. There has been an increase of 10.7 per- cent in the number of visitors to the territory compared to the same period last year. Part of the recovery was due to the reappearance of up-market cruise ships and their upper-class passengers.
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Niue
In Niue, the Internet Users' Society has launched what is said to be the first free nationwide wireless Internet access service. It is accessible to all the island's residents, tourists, government offices and business travelers at no cost to the public or the government. Richard St. Clair of the IUS said such a service was perfect for Niue because harsh weather often caused problems with underground copper lines. The Society, he says, is leading in the development of appropriate low cost technology to ensure dependable Internet services for small nations like Niue. St Clair says that in the past 12 months the costs of equipment had fallen considerably, aiding the provision of such services.
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