Business Briefs

Cellular phone provider, Blue Sky Communications in August launched its high speed Internet service, using a wireless connection, through its new division, BlueLink. The company's chief operating officer Lewis Wolman says BlueLink is providing "an alternative to dial-up Internet, which is often slow because of a multitude of users and always requires a phone line."

-FS

Samoa

The Ministry of Labor is considering whether a higher minimum wage is warranted. Consideration of the cost of living and operating costs will be taken into account, CEO of Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labor Lemalu Samau Tate told SBC television. He said submissions by workers and other members of the public are a priority. After a review in 2002, the minimum wage was raised from SA$1.40 (about 46 U.S. cents) an hour to SA$1.60 (about 53 U.S. cents) an hour.

-FS

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands Development Investment Board (DIB) has temporarily put on hold applications by foreign investors for tourism-related ventures until the tourism corporation releases its master plan in October. On hold are applications for visitor accommodation, motor vehicles rentals, eco-tourism, tourist tours and transfers, water sports operations and diving operations.

-UKM

Guam

Continental Connection, a joint venture between Continental Airlines and Cape Air, has launched its new commuter service linking Guam with Saipan and Rota. Two 46-passenger ATR-42s will make five round trips through the islands daily in addition to the two existing Boeing 737 flights between Guam and Saipan.

-FW

The Guam Telephone Authority has announced that it reached an agreement to sell its assets and business to TeleGuam Holdings LLC. TeleGuam is partly owned by Shamrock Capital Growth, an investment company affiliated with the investment firm of the Roy E. Disney family. The agreement is still subject to the approval of the Guam Legislature as well as the Federal Communications Commission. TeleGuam will pay $150 million, and offer each current GTA employee a 5-year contract, an average pay hike of 3.5 percent and a bonus of $1,000 when the deal is signed. The company also says it will freeze basic phone rates for five years.

-FW

Marshall Islands

The start up in mid-July of Air Nauru's new weekly Brisbane-Majuro-Nadi air service has already brought a bump up in hotel occupancy in Majuro from travelers coming from Down Under. Marshall Islands Resort General Manager Bill Weza says the hotel is seeing more customers directly attributable to Air Nauru. In early September, Air Nauru flew nine Australian scuba dive wholesalers to the Marshalls for a familiarization tour in hopes of boosting tourism further.

-GJ

The Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co. in Taiwan has signed an agreement with Marshall Islands officials to bring a major floating dry-dock to Majuro in mid-2005. The 125-meter by 30 meter dry-dock is being constructed in Taiwan and is to be towed to Majuro, where it will be located next to the Uliga Dock. Steve Wei-Lang Chen, vice general manager of the company, whose sister firms operate a fleet of purse seiners, says they hope to reel in business from other fishing companies who will save weeks of travel time by using the new dock.

-GJ

Fiji

The World Trade Organization has ruled in favor of a case brought by Australia and others, which sought to stop the European Union from paying preferential prices for sugar imports from developing ACP countries including Fiji. Fiji's sugar industry depends on the EU's preferential prices to members of the African Caribbean Pacific grouping. Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase says while the price of Fiji sugar will inevitably drop, the EU is "willing to consider a realistic and helpful transition period to assist ACP cane producers."

-SM

Papua New Guinea

South African gold producer Durban Roodepoort Deep has listed on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange with DRD Executive Chairman Mark Wellesley-Wood saying it reflects DRD's long-term commitment to PNG. The South African company has owned and operated the Tolukuma Gold Mine in PNG since 2000 and in October last year completed the acquisition of 20 percent in the Porgera Gold Mine Joint Venture. Annual attributable production from the company's PNG gold mining operations totaled 233,190 ounces to June, delivering a cash operating profit from both operations of US$42.6 million.

-AR

CNMI

Farmers from Rota Island are having a tough time putting up with millions of slugs not native to that island. Known as the Cuban slug, they may have arrived on Rota through importation of ornamental plants from Guam and Hawaii. Northern Marianas College Horticulturist Mark J. Bonin says the slugs will eat trees and vegetables and thrive in wet areas. Bonin is asking the Department of Lands and Natural Resources to assist Rota residents control the outbreak of the Cuban slug. Resident Representative Pete A. Tenorio has contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture for federal assistance.

-FR

Contributors: Fili Sagapolutele, Samantha Magick, Ulamila Kurai-Marrie, Frank Whitman, Giff Johnson, Alex Rheeney, Nancy Chism and Frank Rosario.