Pacific Report

□ Tonga Tv Scramble

TONGA’S only television station, ASTL-3, is scrambling its signals so viewers can no longer enjoy free broadcasts. The privately owned sta tion presents mostly news and US made programs to its 300 paid-up subscribers, but a much larger audi ence had been enjoying its services for free. The scrambled signal can only be translated by a decoder available from the station; without the device, viewers

see only blurred images.

Station director ana proprietor Latu Tupouniua of Nukualofa says he needs a minimum 500 subscribers to break even.

“I’m presently operating at a loss but I love the idea of providing such a service to the community,” he said.

□ Nauru Upgrades Links

THE Republic of Nauru will upgrade its telecommunications network with the assistance of Australia’s OTC In ternational. T he two signed a five-year agreement of technical co-operation in December.

The Nauru government decided to upgrade its telecommunications net work so as to continue its link with Intelsat, the international satellite net work. Nauru is now building a new earth station and modernising the net work that now consists of one earth station built in 1975.

Nauru’s Minister for finance Kinza Clodumar and OTCI director Peter

Shaw signed the agreement at Nauru House in Melbourne after many months of talks.

Under the agreement, OTCI will

provide necessary consultancy services

for the project.

□ Adb Backs Asia-Pacific

Conference

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) will co-sponsor next month’s Asia- Pacific Development Conference with a technical assistance grant of SUSSO,OOO. The Conference will be held during February in Okinawa, Japan. Other sponsors are the Gov ernment of Japan and the Tokyo based Organisation for Industrial,

Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA International), Asia’s largest international non-government body.

Faced with widespread poverty in many of its developing member coun tries, the Bank is keen to foster in volvement by non-government bodies such as OISCA to assist with the im plementation of ADB-financed pro jects which address the needs of the

regions’ most disadvantaged citizens.

“We, recognise the role of non government organisations to assist in the formulation and implementation ol projects responsive to the needs of the poor and alleviate poverty at the grassroots level,” an ADB spokesman commented.

OISCA works closely with the Japanese Government to provide aid programs, through affiliates in Asia and the Pacific, to many nations in the region It provides assistance for pro jects to support rural development, environmental protection and im provement, education and technical training and assistance to women and

young people.

Organisers hope the Conference will promote understanding and co operation between the ADB, the Japanese Government and various non-government groups. Major con ference sessions will focus on the training of women for productive en terprises in rural areas, development of local technologies for low-income, upland and fishing communities and

the development of community-based

environmental management programs.

□ Croc Industry Talks

THE Papua New Guinea Government will move to improve management of the country’s crocodile industry. En vironment and Conservation Minister Jim Waim announced the initiative at the recent Crocodile Specialists’ Group conference hosted by PNG attended by 100 delegates from 21 nations. Mr Waim said PNG’s crocodile population was in danger of extinction in the late 1960 s but this had been averted and the industry is now in a period of growth. But improvements are neces sary in the management of the K 3.25 million a year industry, he said.

□ Lakekamu Gold

MINING operations on the Lakekamu alluvial gold deposit in the Gulf pro vince of Papua New Guinea will begin in 1991. City Resources Ltd is likely to commence an equal partnership with Ludgate Holdings Ltd, an American based mining concern, to exploit the

deposit which is expected to produce

35,000-40,000 ounces per annum.

Top: Japanese PM Takeshita - increasing aid presence in the region through funding in PNG and a conference in Okinawa. Above: Puk-puk farming gets a boost in PNG.

□ Adb Grant For Western Samoa

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $U5270,000 technical assistance grant to Western Samoa to assist in the privatisation of selected government corporations and activi ties.

The grant will be used to implement

three privatisation programs approved

by the Government of Western Samoa

and implement privatisation programs

for nine other commercial enterprises that were identified under an earlier ADB grant.

A state-owned Enterprise Monitor ing Unit (EMU) will oe established under the scheme and two Samoan Treasury officers will be trained to run the unit.

□ Law And Order

AMID growing concern over crime rates, the Papua New Guinea Govern ment has made an allocation of KlO million to its ministerial sub-committee on law and order. Prime Minister Rab bie Namaliu said the funds would be

used to implement nationwide law and order projects over the next four years.

Cabinet also has approved 10 per cent budget increases for all departments, organisations and agencies involved in the prevention of crime. Committee chairman and Justice Minister Ber nard Narakobi said the over-riding theme of law and order policy is integ ral human development.

□ New Hospital For Port

Moresby

THE Port Moresby General Hospital is to be rebuilt at a cost of K 22 million in a project funded by the Japanese Government. The new hospital will accommodate 700 patients and will in clude an operating theatre, a cancer ward and a nutrition centre. Construc tion will begin in March and is ex pected to take two years.

PNG Health Minister Robert Suck ling says a further Japanese grant of K 37 million will be used to build a

new hospital at Wabag and redevelop

hospitals at Mt Hagen, Lae, Madang, Kerema, Daru and Kundiawe.

King Taufa’ahau Tupou opens Tonga's earth station in 1983: now scramblers have been installed to prevent TV reception ‘piracy’.