Briefs

Fiji set up a Study Commission

on Corruption

Fiji's Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry has announced the appoint ment of High Court Judge Daniel Fati aki as Chairperson of a three member Study Commission on Corruption.

The Commission will scrutinise laws relating to bribery and corruption in the public and private sector.

The Commission will look into the need to maintain public confidence in the integrity of Government and com mercial and business dealings; the ade quacy of present powers of investiga tion and rules of evidence to deal with this problem; the possible need for the establishment of a new independent body to deal with corruption enquiries and prosecutions; and to inquire into fraud and any related matters.

Chaudhry said the appointment underscored Governmentis will to introduce measures necessary for good governance based on democracy and the highest ethical values of integrity.

The other two members of the Study Commission will be announced shortly. PNS PNG investigates the Internal Revenue Commission An immediate investigation will be carried out into Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) legal and policy unit of the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC).

PNG’s Attorney General, Michael Gene requested the investigation after raising serious concerns over the State losing millions of Kina in court judge ments.

In a statement, Gene said it appears the Internal Revenue Commission often does not receive good legal advice when handling cases involving millions of Kina and in fact lost many of these cases.

He said the State now stands to loose millions more due to faulty legal advise from Internal Revenue Com

mission to past Governments and Minis ters. The Attorney General added this was one reason why he engaged lawyers from private firms to represent the Com mission in recent high profile tax related court proceedings including that of chief economic adviser, Doctor Hamidian- Rad.

Gene said the Commissioner General of the IRC, David Sode, has been advised of the investigation which will be carried out by two officers from the Attorney General’s department for a week-long period. PNS Tonga to host forum aimed at Pacific free trade zone Organisers of the Pacific 2000 Trade Fair, to be held in Tonga next year, say one of the main aims of the event is to help promote the establishment of a Pacific free trade zone.

The fair is being organised by the Tongan government, the Tongan trade agency, Tonga Trade and private busi ness, and will be funded by the South Pacific Forum Secretariat.

The chairman of the fair, Polynesian Airlines General Manager Paul Karalus says one of the main aims of the event is boosting inter-island trade in the Pacific.

“Traditionally, there was of course a lot of interchange between the islands. A lot of this was actually lost within the last 100 years with the more colonial model, where you had trading from cosmopoli tan countries, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and so on, into their particular dominions within the Pacific and then out again, and a lot of the cross-linkages between islands was lost.”

Karalus said organisers hope Tonga 2000 trade fair will enhance the proposed free trade idea in the region. PNS Samoa’s tourism earnings increase 7 per cent Tourism earnings increased by 7 per cent in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period last year,

according to the latest figures released by the Central Bank.

Up to July this year, tourism earn ings, the country's biggest earner, stood at $67 million (SUS 42 million).

Asa result of several international and regional meetings held in Samoa recently, earnings from tourism expanded a further eight percent to $ 12 million (SUS7.S million) in July, the bank says.

Exports valued at $32 million (SUS2O million) for the first seven months of the year were 23 percent higher - if compared to the same peri od last year. This figure excludes the proceeds from the one-off sale of the Forum Samoa ship in June. Fish accounted for 56 percent of exports up to July.

Kanak Chief elected head of New Caledonia Senate A high chief in New Caledonia has been elected the first Senate President of the French territory. Andre Thean- Hiouen is a traditional leader from the Arama area. He was elected for a one year term by the 15 other Senators.

The appointment of the 65-year-old as Senate President is part of changes being introduced under the Noumea Accord, which would eventually pro vide greater autonomy for the territory.

Thean-Hiouen and the other Sena tors were sworn in by the President, Jean Leques. The Senate comprises of Kanak traditional chiefs. PNS Fiji to host two international meetings next year Fiji is to host two international meetings late next year. Cabinet

recently approved recommendations

from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade to host the Com monwealth Senior Officials and the 38th Colombo Plan Consultative Com mittee meetings in October and November next year. ■