Government Briefs

For the first time since the Australian-sponsored Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) was formed in 2003, police from the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau have joined in. Several South Pacific nations already participate in the regional peacekeeping force. Arrangements for the three North Pacific nations to join in were finalized in February. Two from each country are now in the Solomons. "This is fantastic news," says Ambassador Corrine Tomkinson, who represents Australia to these three nations from her Pohnpei base. "It will get Marshall Islands, FSM and Palau involved in peacekeeping for the first time," she says. "It will also build closer relations with islands in the South Pacific, particularly with police." Marshall Islands Police Commissioner George Lanwi was similarly enthusiastic. "This will be good experience for our police officers," he says. "We've never been involved in peacekeeping before." -- GJ

Australia's John Howard celebrated his tenth year as Prime Minister in March, but warned that one of the challenges facing Australia is national security and global engagement. "We live in a world where the most serious threats to Australia come from state weakness rather than from state strength because the problem of weak and failing states lies at the core of our global engagement," Howard told supporters at an anniversary dinner. -- SM

Samoa

The Samoa government has signed an agreement for Japan to undertake a SAT$17 (US$6) million upgrade of the Apia Wharf and facilities in Samoa. Japan's latest aid project aims to expand the fisheries wharf, improve the fisheries center and market as well as key structures and buildings. Penta-Ocean Construction and consultant Ecoh Consultancy have been contracted to undertake the project. The Apia Wharf facilities were originally built with Japanese aid from 1978 to 1982. Japan also funded a second wharf in Matautu, which was completed in 2003. -- PR

American Samoa

Samoa's first consulate office in American Samoa officially opened in March. The office was first discussed between Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and American Samoa Governor Togiola Tulafono during an inter-Samoa meeting in Apia in May 2005. The consulate office was to open last year but was delayed until the U.S. State Department granted approval early this year. Heading the Pago Pago office is Mataafa Tomasi Esera, who was the assistant chief of Immigration Division, and a long time Samoa government employee. -- FS

Congressman Faleomavaega Eni has deferred congressional hearings on a measure to establish a U.S. District Court in American Samoa after receiving resolutions from the territorial Senate and House opposing the measure, which was introduced in February in the U.S. House. "This sentiment was also expressed by several of our traditional leaders at the recent public hearings, although many members of the community also spoke to me in support of the need for a federal district court," the Congressman wrote to Gov. Togiola Tulafono in a Mar. 16 letter. Faleomavaega told the governor that the "major thrust" of the measure was to address the fact that for the past three years local residents have been physically taken from the territory by FBI officials for prosecution in federal courts in Hawaii or Washington, D.C. because there is no federal court in American Samoa. While the measure is on hold, Faleomavaega plans to request the U.S. Government Accountability Office to review the territory's entire judicial system. -- FS

The Senate passed in March a measure that imposes a four percent tax on hotel and motel rooms and a three percent tax on rental cars. According to the bill, 50 percent of the revenues are earmarked for legislative buildings, 25 percent to the Tourism Office and 25 percent for the government's general fund. The measure will be taken up by the House of Representatives when lawmakers return in July for the 4th Regular Session. Pago Pago Visitors' Association president Tom Drabble does not support a tax measure that singles out the developing tourism industry but supports an across the board sales tax. Drabble says the proposal will make it "more and more difficult for this industry. The Senate is looking at taxing a small industry and it's not fair." -- FS

Vanuatu

Vanuatu's Prime Minister Ham Lini (right) has replaced two cabinet ministers amid continuing frictions within government ranks. Former Prime Minister Barak Sope has been replaced as agriculture minister by Dunstan Hilton. Youth and sport development minister Alfred Prasad has been replaced by Marcellino Pipite. -- SM

Papua New Guinea

The government will not build any new roads within the country due to the increasing cost of maintaining its national highways. Treasurer Bart Philemon said the government did not have any plans to build a highway to connect the capital Port Moresby with the country's second largest city Lae. It will instead concentrate on fixing its 10,000-kilometre national highways in the 19 provinces, most of them becoming un-navigable due to lack of maintenance. -- AR

The Health Department under-spent its 2005 budget by 30 percent, the government has revealed. This equated to about K14 million ($US4.4 million) which Opposition Leader Peter O'Neill and a number of local doctors have described as "unacceptable" in light of drug shortages being experienced nationwide by provincial hospitals. The Port Moresby General Hospital is also in dire need of a new incinerator to burn its medical waste, compelling it to illegally dispose its waste close to city residential areas. -- AR

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands government is working to introduce a new tax system. A discussion paper entitled "A Better Tax System for Solomon Islands" has been launched that raises problems with the current system, and seeks comments from the public. A team from the Department of Finance and Treasury and the Department of Commerce and Trade is spearheading consultations with people in the rural communities. The current tax system is said to cost too much. Import duties, business and income taxes combine to create tax rates as high as 43 percent. -- AO

Managing director of the National Bank of Solomon Islands, Australian Peter Goodwin, has made a strong call on the internal revenue division to get out on the street to make sure everyone is complying with tax laws. Goodwin, who also heads the Chamber of Commerce in the country, says his bank, the other banks and the leading businesses in the country are the only ones that are paying their taxes. "But what about those companies you and I both know are not paying tax?" he asked. While acknowledging that the former Kemakeza government had been working hard to implement tax reform, Goodwin says it is time to get on with the reform. He says if government ramps down taxes across the board, the whole world will change for Solomon Islanders. -- AO

Fiji

Fiji and Brazil formally established diplomatic links on February 23 in New York. Fiji's representative to the UN, Isikia Savua signed a joint communiqué with his Brazilian counterpart Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg to seal the deal. Savua said he hopes ties with Brazil will help Fiji develop its fledging bio-fuels industry, make advances in the conservation of forests and enhance cooperation in ocean matters. -- RM

Fiji President Ratu Josefa Iloilo was reappointed to another five-year term in office-his last-by the Great Council of Chiefs on March 8. Vice President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, who replaced jailed coup convict Ratu Jope Seniloli in January 2005, was also endorsed again. They were unanimously approved by the chiefs despite speculation earlier that Ratu Josefa had wanted to retire and that other chiefs would be nominated. They were sworn in on March 17. -- RM

[Photo: PIFS Media]

Confirming speculation as reported by Pacific Magazine, Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase (left) anounced on March 1 that Fiji would hold its general election earlier than expected from May 9-13. Parliament was dissolved on March 27 and the country's more than 20 political parties went into overdrive. But it is expected the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, which merged with the dissolved Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua to form a Grand Coalition of Fijian parties, will return to power. -- RM

New Caledonia

New Caledonia is to begin steps to officially request it become an associate member of the Pacific Islands Forum after getting approval from French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. -- SM

Tonga

The Tongan Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new government department to look after the interests and concerns of Tongans living overseas, according to Radio New Zealand. Acting Prime Minster Feleti Sevele says it is important to maintain links with the community living overseas and acknowledge the contribution they make through remittances. -- SM

Guam

Four sets of candidates are battling to control the offices of governor and lieutenant governor of Guam in elections later this year. Former Governor Carl Gutierrez has teamed up with former Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice and current first-term member of the Guam Legislature, Senator Benjamin Cruz to seek the nomination of the Democratic Party. Also seeking the Democrats' nod is former Delegate to the U.S. Congress, Robert Underwood (right) who is running with longtime member of the legislature, Senator Frank Aguon, Jr. Vying for the nomination of the Republican Party are current Governor Felix Camacho (below, right) running with first-term member of the Guam Legislature, Senator Mike Cruz. Current Lieutenant Governor Kaleo Moylan is running for governor with lieutenant-governor-hopeful Francis Santos. Santos served six years as a Democratic member of the legislature until he declined to run in 1998 and is the son of the late Senator Francisco Santos, who was a longtime member of the legislature and a stalwart of the Democratic Party. -- FW

Governor Felix Camacho (right) scored an apparent victory in the court battle over his plan to borrow $300 million. The U.S. Ninth District Court of Appeals ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the case, leaving intact a 2003 Supreme Court of Guam ruling permitting the plan. Camacho had announced the move shortly after he assumed office in 2003 as a solution to money owed for income tax refunds, overdue payments to the government retirement fund and other lingering government obligations. Attorney General Doug Moylan blocked the borrowing on the grounds that it would push the government's debt above a statutory ceiling. The issue had been one of several sources of friction between the two. Moylan said he would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is not obliged to hear the case. -- FW

CNMI

The Fitial-Villagomez administration's announcement to move the proposed Saipan Farmers and Fishermen Market from the Fishing Base to the former Samoan housing area within Garapan drew protest from local farmers and fishermen who had been waiting for years for the government to build the market. Governor Benigno R. Fitial says the Fishing Base area, located on prime land across the street from Kristo Rai Church, is being eyed by a foreign investor to build a hotel. Opponents of the plan said the property at the former Samoan housing area is inaccessible to fishermen and is situated between two major hotels. -- FSR

Prospective landowners may have to look for other alternatives to owning a home as the newly created Department of Public Lands (DPL) announced a moratorium on new homesteads, particularly on Saipan. More than 4,000 homestead applicants are waiting, of which 3,500 are from Saipan. The rest are from Tinian and Rota islands which, according to DPL, still have lots of land for village and agricultural homesteads. DPL has hired a company to do an inventory of how much public land is available on Saipan that could be turned into homesteads. -- FSR

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands government has given an American-based doctor state sponsorship to set up his proposed South Pacific Medical School in Rarotonga. Dr. Larry Sands wants his Rarotonga campus to be a smaller branch of what he wants to build in Nuevo Guerrero, Mexico. Government considered the proposal from Sands after he was rebuffed for partnership by 11 medical schools in Mexico. -- UKM

The Cook Islands has endorsed its first-ever state party report to the United Nations for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report is slowly making its way to the UN and is likely to be presented this year. It was launched in Rarotonga on International Women's Day in March and referred to as the "harvest of the Cook Islands women" after 20 years of hard work. -- UKM

Palau

Victoria Kanai has defeated Francis Toribiong in the governor's race for Airai State in Palau. The race was extremely close and competitive with Toribiong beating Kanai by one vote, 441 to 440, from votes cast in Palau. But off-island absentee ballots swung the election in Kanai's favor. For the first time in Airai history the candidates were presented to community members a week before the election to discuss their plans and platforms. One of the main issues during the race was "how to return land to its rightful owners." -- BP

Marshall Islands

A more than $4 million contract for Marshall Islands High School's phase two construction has been awarded to Majuro-based Pacific International Inc. In April, PII completed phase one, a two-story classroom building, and will move onto phase two shortly. These are the latest Compact of Free Association-funded school construction projects in the Marshall Islands. Multi-million dollar projects to expand the Northern Islands High School on Wotje Atoll, and to build a new Ebeye public elementary school are soon to begin after bids are awarded, according to Tony Tomlinson, who heads the Ministry of Public Works' project management unit. -- GJ

New Zealand

Pacific Island communities in Auckland now have a bigger voice in local government planning and decision making after a decision in February by the Auckland City Council to establish a Pacific Advisory Board. Board members were elected in April from the Pacific Island community and will act as a formal conduit between the community and council. The council also approved the development of a participation policy to identify specific initiatives to improve the council's relationship with the city's Pacific peoples. -- PR

Kiribati

President Anote Tong will visit Japan in May at the invitation of the Japanese Prime Minister. Japanese Ambassador Masashi Namekawa said this invitation is to cement the diplomatic relationship and promote trade between the two countries. Meanwhile, Japan is giving Kiribati a donation of $1.2 million in what is known as "non-project aid" - the first of its kind for Kiribati. -- BB

Contributors: Giff Johnson, Samantha Magick, Peter Rees, Fili Sagapolutele, Alex Rheeney, Alison Ofotalau, Ricardo Morris, Frank Whitman, Frank S. Rosario, Ulamila Kurai-Marrie, Blaire Phillips, and Batiri Bataua.