Articles Search

WHO reports majority of Pacific nations doing the same

By Sophie Budvietas

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, July 3, 2013) – In a bid to combat smoking-related diseases, the Government of Samoa has indicated it will raise tobacco taxes in its 2014-2015 budget cycle.

According to a joint report put out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Towards Healthy Islands: Pacific Non-Communicable Disease Response, the majority of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are moving towards that path.

These countries, the report says, have shown "progress in meeting the requirements of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

"Tobacco tax increases have been pursued, and a training workshop was conducted for health and finance officials and customs officers from several PICs.

"Four PICs have raised taxes on tobacco products in their 2013 budgets. A few other PICs are poised to do so in their next budget...

One-quarter of profits will be paid to government as dividends

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, July 3, 2013) – The Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) announced a net profit of TOP$1.7 million [US$917,629] for the last financial year for 2011-12 and will pay the government a 25% share in dividends.

TCC, Tonga’s national and government owned telecommunication’s company, stated that despite years of setbacks in the wake of the global economic crisis and intense competitions, it had made a comeback with favorable results for its financial year ending 30 June 2012.

"The company achieved a net profit of TOP$1.7 million during the year out of which TCC declared and paid a 25% dividend, TOP$416,631 [US$224,890], to the government. It has been a remarkable turn-around for the company in contrast to a balance sheet that showed a loss of TOP$2.68 million [US$1.4 million] from previous years."

During the year TCC had invested millions of pa’anga in the...

Satala station to be redesigned, get new generators

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (The Samoa News, July 2, 2013) – The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) has contracted a New Jersey based company to supply engines and switchgears for the first phase of the federally funded rebuilding of the Satala power plant that was destroyed by the September 2009 tsunami.

The Louis Berger Group Inc., announced last week Tuesday in a national news release that it has won a $36 million contract to help rebuild the Satala Power Plant. The company will provide the engineering and plant design, equipment procurement, and installation and commissioning of the power generation along with ancillary electrical equipment.

Responding to Samoa News questions, ASPA chief operations officer Reno Vivao says the contract was awarded Apr. 30 for Phase One of the project, to supply complete engines, switchgear and auxiliaries. He said three companies bid for the contract — two from off island...

Taxi driver claims drunk police intimidated him for rides

By Jeremy Inifiri

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, July 3, 2013) – A series of concerns have surfaced of drunken off-duty Solomon Islands police officers making threats to public transport operators as a means of avoiding to pay up their taxi or bus fares.

Several transport operators have approached this paper over the past week, all of whom claimed to have been threatened or intimidated by drunken off-duty Police officers, and not being paid their transport bills (fares).

"I have been a victim of two of such incidents now, whereby Police officers or claimed themselves to be officers of the law stopped me on the road and then told me to drop them off at the Kukum police headquarters.

"Instead of paying their taxi bills, the officers then instead asked for my license, searched my vehicles, intimidated me that I do not have proper documents to be working on the road.

"Once they...