island, has a problem

Nauru, poor little rich island, has a problem

The Republic of Nauru, richest island in the South Pacific, has a serious problem, all because of its wealth. No one believes it needs assistance. But, Nauru is thinking of the day when the last load of phosphate leaves the island.

Cook Islander Mr Sadaraka M.

Sadaraka, Nauru’s Chief Secretary, made the complaint at the 14th annual South Pacific Conference at Rarotonga in October.

Nauru had a lot of problems, he said, some big, some small, but the most serious one probably stemmed from its wealth. At a South Pacific Forum meeting, one of the Island leaders, in private conversation, questioned the need to assist Nauru to join the Asian Development Bank—because of Nauru’s wealth.

Nauru was borrowing a lot from overseas lending institutions to finance its development. Junior officers of government had joked about the need to help Nauru—because of Nauru’s wealth, and at various international conferences, ineluding the South Pacific Conference, senior officials, in private discussions had jokingly questioned the heed to

as^. Nauru -

This is indeed unfortunate for Nauru and its people”, said Mr Sadaraka, “for it shows a failure by

others to recognise the real plight of the Nauruans.

“The people, and above all the Government of Nauru, are indeed conscious of the fact that the phos phate rock from which our wealth flows will be exhausted one day in the dreadful future and consequently, the efforts of the people and the government are directed to securing some sort of security for the Nauru of tomorrow.

“The attitude of others is, how ever, and unfortunately for Nauru, oriented to the present with little respect for the future. They are more conscious of Nauru’s wealth today than the loss of Nauru’s only national endowment at some future date. The basic question is does one wait for someone to be in dire trouble first before helping or doing something first to prevent problems?

It is really nothing more than a mat ter of prevention versus cure. Nauru is afraid of waiting for cure and only believes in prevention”.

Mr Sadaraka added: “Nauru’s problem, therefore, is the fear of the attitude of others. Nauru’s plea is for nothing more than goodwill from its brothers in the Pacific in anticipa tion of the day when Nauru’s only endowment suddenly becomes no more”.

Nerve centre of Nauruan wealth—the phosphate works complex.