Government Briefs
Government Briefs
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Pacific Island members of the Commonwealth will meet in Malta late November for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon says, "This Summit will allow us to further strengthen the Commonwealth's political, social, developmental and economic programs." Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are members of the Commonwealth. - ADVERTISEMENT - -SM Tuna fishing operators in the Pacific have formed a new advocacy group for the region. The decision to form the organization followed a meeting among commercial fishing operators at the Forum Secretariat in Suva in September. Pohnpei-based James Movick, is chairing the new group that is yet to be named. The three-member steering committee for the association includes Movick, Maurace Brownjohn from Papua New Guinea and Robert Stone from Fiji. -GJ A new name and a new structure reflect change for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, which dropped the word 'South' from its name. The changes were approved in mid-September at a meeting of environment ministers and senior officials in Pape'ete, French Polynesia. The Apia-based agency will maintain its well-known acronym, SPREP. -GJ Guam Guam Memorial Hospital, already suffering from a chronic nurse shortage, faced a new challenge when four nurses it had recruited from the Philippines were forced to stop working because of immigration problems. Federal immigration officials said the nurses' visa applications had been filed late. Currently, only 22 of 50 licensed practical nurse positions are filled and 12 percent of the 190 positions for registered nurses are vacant. -FW
New Zealand The New Zealand government announced in September that it will conduct a major review of its aid to the Pacific Islands. The annual aid budget is $US170 million a year. The review is expected to be completed by May 2005. The NZ Aid Minister Marian Hobbs has appointed development specialist and former member of parliament, Dr. Marilyn Waring, to spearhead the ministerial review. -PR American Samoa The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on September 28 revoked the commuter air authority of Pago Pago-based Samoa Air. Samoa Air suspended service late last year while its only operating aircraft was being prepared for a required Federal Aviation Administration maintenance upgrade. DOT revoked Samoa Air's licenses without prejudice so the carrier can apply again. Without Samoa Air or any other U.S. carrier in the territory, the Samoan government-owned Polynesian Airlines has been granted exemption by DOT to operate American Samoa's domestic flights for almost a year. -FS The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) has released $2 million in capital improvement project funds for American Samoa-funds that were withheld for several years until the territorial government made needed financial reforms. Governor Togiola Tulafono and DOI deputy assistant secretary David Cohen signed the agreement at the DOI-sponsored Business Opportunities Conference in Los Angeles in late September. One of the top requirements was for American Samoa to balance its budget. -FS The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Native American Act, has awarded a little over $2 million to three non-profit groups in American Samoa. The Native American Samoa Advisory Council will receive more than $504,000 over the next three years for its projects with unemployed women and men to improve economic opportunities; Intersections Inc. has been awarded $1.06 million for projects including developing theater programs for the community; and Pacific Islands Center for Educational Development was awarded $442,340 for its Youth Empowerment for Success (YES) programs, a college preparedness program. -FS Samoa An agreement signed in late September between the government of Samoa and the University of California Berkley should see Samoan sovereignty extended over the use of one of its native plants for possible AIDS treatment. The agreement involves the use of a prostratin gene in the bark of the local 'mamala' tree (Homalanthusuntans), which scientists hope can be used to create an anti-AIDS drug. According to Dr. Paul Cox, whose work with Samoan healers led to the discovery of the drug, the agreement will allow the Samoan people, especially those who taught him use of the plant, to share from any profits. -AT Samoa will be seeking decentralization of some of the programs of the University of the South Pacific, according to Minister of Education Fiame Naomi. A review of USP following the disruption and costs to government and students from the 2000 coup in Fiji has shown the need for changes, Naomi says. One of the major complaints revolves around the university's distance learning programs, which require that students ultimately go to Suva to complete courses. The minister suggests that the USP School of Agriculture at Alafua Campus outside Apia has been underutilized, and USP should consider decentralizing science and agriculture-related courses such as horticulture, food processing and business management. -AT Samoa's Health Ministry chief executive officer Talealeausumai Lolofie Dr. Eti Enosa and lower level staff have been suspended following extensive investigations into misuse of funds. They are suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. -AT Niue Two Niuean artifacts currently on display in the Samoa Museum are to be returned to Niue. The bowl and a walking stick were given as gifts from the Niue delegation to Samoa at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Festival of Arts in 1996. They are being returned in a gesture of support to Niue, which lost its museum and all its contents in Cyclone Heta earlier this year -SM FSM The USDA Rural Development program gave more than $4 million in grants and loans to Kosrae in the past year. Lorraine P. Shin, state director of USDA Hawaii and the Western Pacific, and the local USDA field manager Berely Aracely, doled out the money to a variety of environmental, health and education programs. A total of $3,265,500 is being used to upgrade the main water systems; $502,200 was awarded to the state hospital; $241,200 went for new school buses; and the Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization received $18,000. -OW Fiji Fiji's foreign affairs and external trade Minister Kaliopate Tavola has been endorsed as the Pacific's principal negotiator on the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union. Tavola will be assisted by Samoa's commerce, industry and labor Minister Joachim Keil. A seven member ministerial group from Pacific ACP states will be part of the core negotiating team. Negotiations will continue until the end of 2007. -MK A new direct Internet link between the University of the South Pacific and the Australian Academic Research Network will improve Internet connections for academics and students in Fiji, if not the other USP centers quite yet. The Fiji government issued a new license for the link, which will improve Internet connections from one megabyte per second (mbps) to 155 mbps. It will allow the development of more Internet-based courses, and promote international collaborative research. -SM The Asian Development Bank will lend about US$40 million per year to Fiji over the next three years for infrastructure and development projects, according to a new country strategy for 2005-2007. The strategy focuses specifically on physical infrastructure development in key sectors, promoting good governance, and supporting increased private sector participation. "The government has made considerable progress in accelerating growth and restoring political harmony, but there is much more to be done," says Kunhamboo Kannan, an ADB principal country programs specialist. "The Fiji Islands face enormous challenges." -GJ Cook Islands More than six weeks after the Sept. 7 general elections there was still no official word as to the number of seats won by political parties, leaving the names of the future members of the 24-seat house a guessing game. Thirteen petitions of claims and counter claims have been filed by political parties disputing the elections results. Allegations vary and include bribery, intimidation and vote buying. It's alleged that Prime Minister Dr. Robert Woonton of the ruling Democratic Party used state funds to pay for a cultural team from his island constituency to travel to New Zealand on a fundraising drive. Woonton won his seat by four votes and his rival Henry Puna, the Cook Islands Party president, is contesting the results. Political pundits are predicting that the political wrangling will continue until the end to the year. -UKM The Cook Islands government has approved a license for the first ever helicopter operation. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Aviation Ngamau Munokoa says that her decision was made on the basis of what the helicopter business can contribute to the service sectors. In August, Munokoa denied the application by Cook Islands Pacific Australia Ltd. (CIPA) due to strong objections from the tourism sector about noise. A month later, however, she reversed her decision, approving the application saying that the helicopter service will benefit other services such as civil tasks, search and rescue, fisheries surveillance and medial emergencies. -UKM Tonga The Asian Development Bank's program for Tonga in 2005-2006 will focus on improving urban social infrastructure, according to a revised country strategy. ADB concern is focused on a number of social problems including unemployed youth, rising petty crime, substance abuse and teen pregnancies. AUS$5 million loan for basic urban social infrastructure is planned for 2006, while $1.4 million in grants over the next two years will support the urban sector project, conduct a population study in 2006 and help develop the country's agriculture sector to promote economic growth. -GJ Papua New Guinea Low immunization coverage by Papua New Guinea provincial governments is resulting in the country being hit by epidemics, says a PNG government health official. The PNG Health Department's special immunization coordinator Kichawen Chakumai says measles outbreaks have occurred in PNG over the last 12 years. Over 8,000 cases were reported in half of the country in 1994-a number that increased to over 20,000 cases and 167 reported deaths six years later. -AR The government of Papua New Guinea has approved a National Tobacco Control Policy, which provides a framework to implement integrated control strategies to reduce tobacco use in the country. "The policy is timely as it complements efforts to address the many health related problems," says PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. -AR Papua New Guinea citizens will be issued with new passports by the PNG government to contain security features aimed at making them foolproof against trans-national crimes such as human smuggling and terrorism. The new passport features will also comply with International Civil Aviation Organization standards for passport booklets. -AR A foreigner is to be appointed to one of Papua New Guinea's key legal posts. The job of solicitor-general has been advertised in Australia as part of the new Australian government-backed billion dollar aid package. The PNG government's chief legal position has been abused in the past, with solicitors-general able to authorize out-of-court legal settlements, which have led to multi-million dollar payouts, sometimes under questionable circumstances. -MLOC Solomon Islands The premier of the largest province in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal Waita Ben Tabusasi plans to close the provincial administration indefinitely following what he describes as an unlawful raid by an external auditing team who confiscated all official documents and $32,000 cash and then left the office in late September. Under investigation are a number of compensations that have been made by the province to a number of high-profile personalities including former premier, and one time Prime Minister, Ezekiel Alebua. The provincial secretary told the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Commission that as all working documents and accounts have been confiscated, the premier plans to seek the approval of his executive to close all provincial operations until such time the matter is resolved. -MLOC The national government continues to record higher than expected revenue collection, which combined with lower than expected government spending has led to the recording of yet another budget surplus for the month of August. The government released figures in late September showing a SBD$5.5 million (US$726,000) surplus. This is despite the government having begun a program of debt servicing after being unable to pay many of its commitments in the period from the 2000 coup to the arrival of the intervention force in 2003. -MLOC Palau Unhappy with the FY2005 budget returned to him by the Palau National Congress, President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. vetoed it on September 26. Remengesau cited budget cuts and encroachment on functions of the executive branch as reasons for the veto. Among other deletions, the budget specifically excluded, yet again, compensation for Minister of Justice Michael Rosenthal, an American who has been a target of Congressional criticism. But the Senate quickly overrode the president's veto saying the budget could be revisited after the November elections. -NC Primary elections for the president of Palau were held on September 28. Out of 13,000 registered voters, 6,784 voted to move incumbent President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. with 4,375 votes and Polycarp Basilius with 1,824 votes into a showdown for the national elections on November 2. Third candidate Ben Roberto, who received 409 votes, was eliminated. Primary elections for Vice President were not held as there are only two candidates, incumbent Vice-President Sandra Pierantozzi and Camsek Chin. -NC Kiribati Taiwan lambasted Australia's "lack of moral courage," accusing it of interfering in Taiwan's diplomatic affairs by criticizing Taiwan's recently established relationship with Kiribati. Gary Lin, director general of Taiwan's East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Australian newspaper that Australia "instructed (its) high commissioner in Kiribati to urge President Anote Tong not to establish relations with us." During a trip to Beijing in August to secure trade privileges with the communist giant, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer accused Taiwan of "provoking" China over the status of the country's sovereignty. Lin says Downer made no comments about China's military build-up and repeated threats to use force to "unify" with Taiwan. -MWB Contributors: Samantha Magick, Giff Johnson, Frank Whitman, Frank Rosario, Peter Rees, Fili Sagapolutele, Afamasaga Toleafoa, Olivier Wortel, Makareta Komai, Ulamila Kurai-Marrie, Alex Rheeney, Mary-Louise O'Callaghan, Nancy Chism and Mac William Bishop.
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