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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, Oct. 2) – Papua New Guinea's law and order problems continue to be a major obstacle to tourists, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Nick Kuman.

Presenting the Tourism Promotion Authority Report for 2002 to Parliament yesterday, Mr Kuman said PNG received 53,670 visitors in 2002, a 1 percent reduction in the total number of visitor arrivals from 2001.

Mr Kuman said last year's performance was also "patchy" due to international crises beyond our control coupled with impediments to tourism growth in PNG.

"The reduction in the number of visitor arrivals was attributed by various internal and external factors.

"Foremost, our law and order problems, coupled with negative media publicities, social unrest, high cost of international marketing against our weak kina, the Bali bombing, SARS and the Sept 11 terrorist attack in the United States," he said.

"The PNG Tourism Promotion Authority at present in...

SYDNEY, Australia (ABC News Online, Oct. 2) - Fiji's government is looking for investors for what is expected to be the biggest infrastructure project in the region in the coming year.

The proposed Pacific Village in Suva will house three of the region's largest organizations - the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission , the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the South Pacific Tourism Organization.

A senior government official says a cost-benefit analysis of the project has been completed and the government is searching for funds among its financiers and donors.

The official says the Pacific village, estimated at US$19 million, is expected to be included in the Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's 2004 Budget.

October 3, 2003

ABC News Online: http://abc.net.au/news/

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Oct. 3) - Business leaders are reeling from the Government’s sudden move to freeze renewal of work permits for expatriates.

Many have already complained to their chambers of commerce and industry, says Port Moresby chamber president David Conn.

Last Friday, the Labor and Employment Department imposed a ban on work permit renewals pending "substantial reviews’’ to ensure localization training was working well.

Deputy Secretary David Tibu issued a notice, saying the directive had come from the new Labor and Employment Minister Peter Yama.

Mr Tibu said all training and localization plans had to be reviewed substantially with national counterparts taking part to ensure training and localization plans had been implemented by employers.

Any changes in employment or site or office of operations also must be reported immediately to the department.

Employers quickly complained that the new...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (RNZI, Oct. 3) - Royal Tongan Airlines says it hopes to start a weekly service to Honolulu within the next two months.

The announcement comes after Tonga’s Prime Minister, ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, and the U.S. Acting Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, committed their nations to the Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalisation of International Air Transportation at a special ceremony in Washington.

The agreement, which provides for open skies between its parties, the airline will be able to operate flights between Tonga and the United States.

The managing director for Royal Tongan Airlines says they’ve been waiting for almost a year to commence flights, and he believes they’ll prove popular.

October 3, 2003

Radio New Zealand International: http://www.rnzi.com/