Government Briefs
Government Briefs
Region
Four Fiji nationals charged in Vanuatu in November with making counterfeit currency had bench warrants issued for their arrest in Fiji for various cases but still managed to make it past immigration, Fiji police confirmed. The two men and two women were arrested in the northern town of Luganville after fake vatu notes were discovered in shops, a bar and nightclub in November. They were awaiting trial in Port Vila late last year. Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service conducted two counterfeit prevention workshops in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in November, and expected to conduct a similar one in Papua New Guinea early in 2006-all at the request of local agencies. In the October-November period, Majuro merchants and banks were hit with an influx of counterfeit U.S. currency. -- RM/GJ
- ADVERTISEMENT -
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to provide US$8 million over five years to regional, national and community-based activities to control the spread of HIV/AIDS. The ADB's Robert Siy says "the agreement is a groundbreaking one for us as it marks the first regional grant from our concessional resources and is also the first to go to a regional organization." -- SM
Taiwan says it hopes stranded workers from Kiribati and Tuvalu will start to be repatriated from Nauru as soon as January, after it agreed to donate US$3.5 million to the operation. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it was looking for help from other countries in providing ships to ferry the workers home, but that details of the repatriation would have to be worked out with the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat and the International Organization for Migration. -- GN
When the United States Post Office a few score years ago started using the phrase "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," they obviously had not encountered PM&O shipping line. More than 25 tons of U.S. mail destined for the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia was stuck with PM&O since July-and only in November was it discovered languishing at the Oakland, California port by U.S. Postal Service (USPS) officials and moved to alternate methods of transportation. Most of it arrived in Majuro in mid-December via Matson, while the FSM mail was shipped to Guam for delivery to the various states. The USPS noted the repeated seizures of PM&O container ships as the cause of the problem, and apologized to customers "for the inconveniences caused by the mail delay." -- GJ
Guam
Guam's efforts to gain compensation from the U.S. federal government for injury, death and suffering at the hands of the Japanese military during World War II saw new life in November. The U.S. House Resources Committee passed a bill introduced by Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo to pay the survivors of those who were killed in the war $25,000 and specified lesser amounts for those who endured other injuries and hardships. An earlier version of the bill seemed doomed when Guam leaders testifying in Washington in April withdrew their support because it contained a clause denying compensation to the survivors of claimants who had died before 1990. The cutoff date has been eliminated in the amended version. -- FW
Officials from the government of Guam's Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources released five endangered Marianas crows into the isolated Munitions Storage Area at Andersen Air Force Base on November 7. The release is part of a captive breeding program operated by the department and is the fifth such release since 1999. Guam's bird population has been decimated by the introduction of the brown tree snake. The birds are monitored via leg-band-borne radio transmitters. Their eggs will be collected and hatched and the birds released once they are too large to be eaten by snakes. Scientists estimate there are less than 20 Marianas crows in Guam's jungle. -- FW
CNMI
The Northern Marianas government received a total of $16.3 million from the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs for capital improvement projects and Compact impact reimbursement. In a statement, Deputy Assistant Secretary David B. Cohen said $11,208,000 for major projects such as Garapan area revitalization, repair of Saipan's water system, closure of the Puerto Rico dump and landfill in Rota and a Tinian wastewater project. The $5,171,900 in Compact impact grant funds will be used to offset the costs associated with migration from the freely associated states to the CNMI. The CNMI will use the entire amount for education, including rehabilitating public schools. -- FSR
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials arrived on Saipan in late November to begin processing disaster grant assistance to Saipan for damages caused by Typhoon Nabi that struck the island September 1. President George W. Bush declared Saipan a major disaster area on November 8, making the CNMI eligible to receive close to $2 million, or 75 percent of the entire cost. Most of the damages occurred in public buildings with very few on individual properties. Governor Juan N. Babauta requested the president's assistance through FEMA. -- FSR
Palau
A total of 16 Filipino nationals who fell prey to human traffickers were placed under investigation by the Bureau of Immigration for alleged illegal entry in Palau. The nationals arrived at the Palau airport but were never picked up. The nationals were uncooperative when questioned by authorities stating only that they were promised jobs by a recruiter. No employer ever surfaced to vouch for the nationals and so they were sent back to the Philippines. Investigation on the case continues. -- BP
 |
|
Johnson
Toribiong
|
Palau's ambassador to Taiwan, Johnson Toribiong, has been summonsed for questioning by a Taiwanese court regarding a fraud case involving a Palauan bank. Taiwan's foreign ministry, which passed on the summons from the court, said that because Toribiong was not in Taiwan the summons was returned. Toribiong is a witness, the foreign ministry said, rather than a suspect in the case as he is the chairman of the bank. -- GN
Marshall Islands
Workers in national or local governments in the Marshall Islands are likelier to be fatter and have higher blood pressure than people working in the private sector, a recent Ministry of Health survey reports. As part of its diabetes prevention program, the Ministry of Health conducted an "obesity screening" program at 15 government ministries and agencies, two local governments, four private sector companies, an overseas volunteer office and one small community. The results are startling: 80 percent of the 622 adults tested were either overweight or obese; the level of body fat on the people tested was over the normal/recommended limit in 69 percent of the adults tested; and 25 percent of the people tested had high blood pressure. For both national and local government workers, about 85 percent were overweight or obese. But the private sector workforce "fat average" was lower at 62.8 percent of workers. -- GJ
A total of 20 U.S. Compact-funded school and health-related projects are either out to bid or under construction, according to the Public Works Project Management Unit. Seven more construction projects are ready to be put out to bid, while six are on hold waiting for decisions on various issues, including designs, location or land leases, according to PMU manager Tony Tomlinson. The value of Compact-funded projects designed to date is about $19.4 million. -- GJ
The Marshall Islands government is committed to supporting a new campus for the University of the South Pacific in Majuro, Minister in Assistance to the President Witten Philippo said following the visit to Majuro in November of USP Vice Chancellor Anthony Tarr. But Philippo emphasized that this will not be done at the expense of government commitments to the College of the Marshall Islands, whose U.S. accreditation remains in question, largely because of campus facility problems. "We're not abandoning CMI," Philippo says. Officials are estimating a new campus for USP will cost about $6 million to build, with the costs the responsibility of the government. USP has committed to funding operations costs once the campus is built, Tarr says. -- GJ
Fiji
Two bills based on the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua's (SDL) election campaign platform were defeated December 1 after the opposition withdrew its support. The bills proposed changes to entrenched legislation, the Constitution and the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Act (ALTA). The Constitutional Amendment Bill and the Native Land Trust Act (NLTA), which would have replaced ALTA, both required a two-third majority to be passed. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase described the defeat of the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which proposed minor changes such as to allow indigenous public office holders to also take indigenous administration posts, as a "sad day for Fiji." The crucial NLTA bill, which the government believed would solve the enduring land debate, was also defeated after the Mahendra Chaudhry-led opposition voted against it. -- RM
The controversial Promotion of Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill made it later than initially planned to Parliament after the justice, law and order parliamentary sector committee examining the bill asked for more time to take submissions and submit its report. The report was presented in Parliament on December 1. Committee chairman Manasa Tugia said they would recommend changes to the bill which the Fiji Law Society and Human Rights Commission refused to support on the grounds that the legislation as it stood proposed, had the "capacity to undermine the rule of law." The bill, which if enacted would allow people who committed "politically motivated" crimes during the 2000 coup crisis to get amnesty, is scheduled to be debated in Parliament in February. -- RM
Legal drafters rushed to make amendments to the Public Health Act to allow criminal charges to be brought against people who willfully spread the HIV virus late 2005. This comes as the Ministry of Health confirmed they were "monitoring" a man and a woman known to be HIV positive and suspected of deliberately infecting others. The ministry also released updated official statistics on HIV/AIDS cases. Nineteen new cases were reported in 2005, bringing the total to 200. -- RM
Papua New Guinea
All of Papua New Guinea's 89 districts will get K1.4 million (US$436,100) each next year in an ambitious plan by the Somare government to restore basic services in rural areas. The funding was approved under the government's K4.8 billion (US$1.5 billion) national budget for this year and will mainly go into financing the establishment of aid posts, police outposts, district courts, and banking and postal services. While leaders have applauded the move, there are concerns parliamentarians who will become fund managers lack expertise to account for the monies. -- AR
The government has approved the establishment of the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) to become the regulatory body of Papua New Guinea's mining sector. The Department of Mining, which currently oversees the country's mining sector with a tight budget and insufficient manpower, will be erased from the government's books when the authority goes into operation this year. The MRA will be independently funded by levies collected from mining companies. -- AR
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza denies he took excessive money from a fund meant to compensate people who lost property during ethnic violence. An audit report lists Sir Allan among those accused of making excessive claims. Kemakeza received US$116,000, a compensation payment he says was above board. -- SM
The Solomon Islands government was debating a SBD$829 million (US$113 million) 2006 budget as Pacific went to press. Finance minister Peter Boyers says domestic revenue in 2006 is expected to be 14.6 per cent higher than that collected in 2005, principally through economic recovery and growth increasing tax revenue and customs collections. --SM
Cook Islands
Despite the devastation by five cyclones last year, Cook Islands still maintained its stable "B" rating by Standard & Poor's at the end of 2005. Standard and Poor's is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. The rating says that the country finances are still in good shape achieved by debt restructuring, debt repayments and the build up of cash reserves. --UKM
Kiribati
 |
|
Samuel
Chen
|
Taiwan Ambassador Samuel Chen has provided the Minister of Health Natanaera Kirata with a check for A$1.7 million to pay off Kiribati's outstanding debts to pharmaceutical companies from abroad. Those debts have been accumulating since 1999. Kirata says that now that the debt has been cleared, the Ministry can order more drugs and medical supplies from abroad. "We are very grateful for the kind assistance from the government of Taiwan," he said. -- BB
American Samoa
U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness will allocate $468,716 to American Samoa under the Fiscal Year 2006 emergency management performance grant (EMPG) program. Congressman Faleomavaega Eni says the funding is to support comprehensive state and local emergency management for mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities for all hazards. -- FS
The $10 million state-of-the-art Airport Rescue Fire Fighting Station for Pago Pago International Airport was dedicated recently and attended by Federal Aviation Administration and local government officials. Described by FAA officials as the best facility in the Pacific. During the ceremony, firefighters demonstrated a response to a mock emergency call. -- FS
Samoa
The Geneva based Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) Committee on Parliamentarians Human Rights has by resolution expressed regret at the little regard given to the report of its fact finding mission to investigate complaints by opposition parliamentarians against the ruling HRPP party. The resolution termed as discourteous and sexist comments by the Samoa prime minister about the female members of the mission, and said it hoped the Prime Minister will apologize. The matter will be on the agenda of the January 2006 meeting of the organization. -- AT
A recent joint survey by the World Health Organization and the Health Ministry of the health status of the 24-65 age group in Samoa has confirmed fears about a rapidly rising incidence of non-communicable diseases. Of the people surveyed, 40 percent smoked, 35 percent used alcohol, 23 percent were diabetic, 21 percent had high blood pressure, and 57 percent were obese. Samoa has recently opened a dialysis unit to meet the rising demand for renal failure care. -- AT
Some 800 people joined in a public march to support of Samoa's doctors in their strike for better working conditions and pay. After a 13-week long impasse, the bulk of Samoa's public health doctors resigned rather than face being fired following a government ultimatum to return to work or face dismissal. -- AT
Contributors: Ricardo Morris, Giff Johnson, Samantha Magick, Graham Norris, Frank Whitman, Frank S. Rosario, Blaire Phillips, Alex Rheeney, Ulamila Kurai-Marrie, Batiri Bataua, Fili Sagapolutele and Afamasaga Toleafoa.
