Briefs
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
Work expected to start soon on disputed hotel site The Cook Islands High Court has ruled in favor of Max Holdings and Castle Group, the developer at the former Sheraton site, and has given the company two months to start construction on the long-planned hotel and resort project.
Chief Justice Sir Peter Quilliam said that Max Holdings was in breach of its lease with the landowners of Pa Ariki.
Justice Quilliam agreed, however, to an injunction stopping Pa Ariki landowners from forfeiting the lease before July 31.
The injunction is conditional on back rent being paid and brought up to date.
Both parties have agreed that a two month period is a reasonable time for work to commence on the Rarotonga island site.
France to partly finance rural telecom munications project in Solomon Islands Agence Francaise de Development (The French Development Agency - AFD) has signed an agreed with the Solomon Islands Government to finance part of a SUSS mil lion rural telecommunication project in the country. Under the agreement, signed by Solomon Islands Finance Minister Alpha Kimata and AFDis representative in the Pacific Islands region Odile des Deserts, AFD will provide a grant of SUS 2 million.
Solomon Telekom, which is owned by the Solomon Islands Government and British company Cable and Wireless, will
implement the project.
Under the project the company will pro vide telecommunication services to rural areas in the Western and Choiseul Provinces. Solomon Telekom will provide the remaining SUS 3 million for the project.
The project will not only benefit police stations, health, education, and administra tive centres, but also 150,000 people in the two provinces, a statement from AFD said.
Solomon Telekom is also planning to provide up to 45 public phones in the two provinces. The project is part of the
Government’s global rural development
programme which aims to provide public services in rural areas.
PNG company to list on the Australian
Stock Exchange
A major Papua New Guinea company is
poised to list on the Australian Stock Exchange, the first time in almost three years.
The investing public in Australia, PNG, and institutions worldwide are being offered 80 per cent of New Britain Palm Oil Limited. The holding is being put up for sale by Kulim Malaysia as part of an Asian cri sis-inspired restructuring and is expected to fetch around million SUSISO million.
Managing Director of New Britain Palm Oil, Nick Thompson, said the company accounted for 55 per cent of palm oil pro duction in PNG.
“It is a PNG based company but it’s one that earns US dollars so we’re naturally hedged in terms of currency,” he said.
“If you start looking at the industry that we’re in, we’re in a growth industry which is Palm Oil, and which is growing at about eight per cent per year.”
Expert says micro-credit schemes could help rural dwellers in Pacific Islands A regional Credit Union meeting in Suva, Fiji said people who live in rural parts of the Pacific Islands region can benefit from micro-credit schemes if the schemes are properly managed.
Director of the Hans Seidel Foundation, Jurgen Rein said as a donor for micro credit schemes around the region, the Foundation has found many Pacific Island countries lack financial services and ability to provide advice, even on small-scale businesses.
Jurgen said most Pacific Island Governments however acknowledge the credit union movement is an instrument for
rural development.
Credit unions are perfect tools to encour age self help, especially in rural areas.
Missing infrastructure and services in many areas contribute to a lack of interest in these areas. Essential for a development is among others, the presence of financial services, he said. He said the assistance the Foundation has given Fiji and other island countries were mainly focussed on the Credit Union League, as the umbrella organisation of the movement.
The League has to sell its services. The more precious and valuable the services are, the higher the price and cost of provision for
these services, he said.
Fiji Government to license broadcasters The Fiji Government is silent over plans to introduce a new Broadcasting Bill to license broadcasters.
The Assistant Minister responsible for Information, Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi said ministry officials have begun consultations and discussions to license broadcasters in the country.
He said Government would make sure there is wide consultation before the Bill is taken to Parliament.
It will take some time to bring in the new measure but I assure you the Government will hear all submissions and opinions on the new Broadcasting Bill, Vayeshnoi said. Media organisations have reserved their comments until they see the content of the Bill. “We need to look at the context on which Government proposes to license broadcasters before we can make any comment,” Island Networks Public Broadcast General Manager, Francis Herman said.
Chief Executive of Communications Fiji Limited, William Parkinson, who is also President of the Pacific Islands Media Association, said there was discussion on the legislation with the previous Government.
However we will need to sit down with the new Government and discuss the licensing of broadcasters because the only license we have now is the technical license and not the broadcasting licenses given in other countries, Parkinson said.
Proposed regional free trade area to need high level of cooperation-operation
from customs, police
Secretary General of the South Pacific Forum Secretariat, Noel Levi, says the pro posed Free Trade Area will demand a very high level of cooperation-operation in the areas of customs, quarantine, immigration and police. Speaking at the opening of the 1999 meeting of the Forum Regional Security Committee (FRSC) in Suva, Fiji, Levi said the proposed FTA would have direct implications on the Committee and regional law enforcement agencies.
“Every study of the impact of an FTA on the region indicates trade within the
region and between the region and the world will increase under an FTA,” he said.
“The benefits of this increased trade and the minimisation of risks due to intro duced pests and diseases will depend very much on the vigilance of the agencies rep resented here and the extent of coopera tion-operation you (Pacific Islands law enforcement agencies) offer each other.”
Levi emphasised that since its incep tion, the FRSC had become the most important forum for officials from the Forum member countries and law enforce ment agencies, to share and exchange information on law enforcement issues in
the region.
He welcomed the enhanced level of cooperation-operation among the law enforcement agencies, especially between Customs and Police, over the past three to four years. In the past 12 or 18 months great strides have been made in exploring ways to strengthen regional cooperation operation in combating international crim inal activities, including drugs and arms trafficking, serious economic crimes and evasion of national taxes, Levi said.
New kava Council in Tonga to protect
kava industry
Kava growers and exporters in Tonga have formed the Kingdom’s first Kava Council to promote the development of the industry locally and overseas.
The Tonga Kava Council was formed during a meeting of Kava growers, exporters, and officials of Tongatrade and Ministry of Agriculture.
The Council is in the process of draft ing a quality standards guideline to help preserve the organic method of planting Kava. It believes the guideline will also help protect the industry from irresponsi
ble propagation practices.
It is also planning to boost promotional activities to secure more overseas markets and to seek a better price for Tongan Kava, which currently attracts prices between SUS2O to SUS2S a kilogram in the United States.
Toiimoana Takataka, owner of Lita
Trading Exporting Company, has been
elected Chairman of the Council.
Sione Tupouniua, who is Chairman of the recently formed Pacific Kava Council, is Deputy Chairman.
The Kava industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the Kingdom earning about US$l.3B million.
Fiji's first private hospital planned
Colonial Insurance and Financial Services Company has announced plans to build Fiji’s first private hospital in partner ship with Mayne Nickless, an international healthcare company operating throughout Australia and Indonesia.
The two companies have launched Healthcare Pacific, which will build the new US$ 3.61 million hospital.
Healthcare Pacific Chief Executive John Gibbs said the company would begin opera tions over the next 12 to 18 months.
“In July, Healthcare Pacific Pathology will begin to offer a rapid, accurate and sophisticated private pathology service,” he said.
“In September, construction of Suva Private Hospital will commence and, approximately one year later, it plans to offi cially open both Suva Private Hospital and Healthcare Pacific Radiology Center.”
“The hospital will comprise 40 beds in single and multiple ward configurations, two operating theaters and an endoscopy suite, two labour delivery rooms, on-site patholo gy, radiology, pharmacy and physiotherapy, an accident and medical center and specialist consulting rooms.”
“The major benefits offered by Healthcare Pacific extend beyond improved patient care to macroeconomic benefits for Fiji in the form of fewer medical evacua tions, preserved foreign reserves, increased employment opportunities, greater access to technical training for medical staff, and fewer overseas migrations by medical pro fessionals,” he said. “By complementing and supplementing the public sector health facilities, Healthcare Pacific will have a positive impact on healthcare delivery and service throughout Fiji.”
Two Tongan cities undergo major facelifts
Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, and Neiafu, the capital of the Vava’u island group, will soon undergo major facelifts.
Tourism Minister and Chairman of the National Beautification Committee, Dr.
Masaso Paunga, officially announced details of the Tonga Tourism Development Project master plan, drawn up by an Australian funded team.
Implementation of the plan will involve improving many features of both Nuku’alofa and Neiafu. Government agen cies, businesses and community groups will participate cooperatively in both pro jects. Major activities include construc tion of playgrounds for children and more parks and gathering places. Shoreline recreational facilities also will be expand ed, to include additional picnic areas, rub bish bins, public telephones and refresh ment stalls.
According to Dr. Paunga, the goal is to create more opportunities for people to enjoy friendly surroundings and, at the same, stimulate business activities.
In a related development, Bank of Tonga General Manager Don Tinworth announced bank support, in the amount of US$ 9600 for improvements to the public square between the Nuku’alofa branch of the bank and the Post Office. The financial contribution coincides with the bank’s 25th anniversary.
Tahiti radio ban 'lined' but restrictions remain French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse recently “lifted” a ban on the pro independence Radio Tefana, but News Director Vito Maamaatua says it still is under a partial gag.
He said the ban had not really been lift ed because President Flosse still chooses the journalists who attend his press confer ences and tells them what to cover and what not to cover. “President Flosse makes the choices of my journalists. He says, T want this journalist at my press conference - not this one,”’ Mr.
Maamaatua said. Radio Te Reo o Tefana was supposedly allowed by President Flosse - for the first time since 1996 - to be represented at all press conferences held by him and his cabinet ministers.
But, in practice, the ban was lifted only to allow Radio Tefana to attend all govern ment press conferences. ■