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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post Courier, Jan. 31) – The Australian Government would like to see more Papua New Guineans involved in income-earning opportunities, says its new High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Chris Moraitis.

Mr. Moraitis told business leaders in Port Moresby yesterday over the last two years, there had been no increase in income for Papua New Guineans but at the same time the Papua New Guinea Government recognized the importance of generating greater income-earning opportunities for its people by including this as one of the seven priority areas in the Medium Term Development Strategy (MTDS).

"The challenge, of course, is to make the goal a reality. Rehabilitating transport infrastructure, improving the law and order situation, removing regulatory impediments to doing business and upgrading essential services are all vital components of efforts to enhance income-earning opportunities, particularly among the rural majority," Mr. Moraitis...

By Charlotte Peters

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Sun, Feb. 1) – Chinese prostitutes will be deported from Fiji tomorrow after raids on premises operating as brothels. Five Chinese nationals were also deported on January 24 for similar offences and the Immigration Department said more would follow.

The department suspects the women are part of an organized racket. The visas of three Chinese nationals were cancelled after their activities were made public following a raid at Moala Street in Samabula, Suva, by the military with the assistance of immigration officials yesterday. Immigration director Commander Viliame Naupoto said the three Chinese women were in the country on student permits to learn English at the Fiji Institute of Further Education. The women and one Chinese fisherman were taken into custody after the raid.

The fisherman was later released after it was established that he was part of the crew of a fishing vessel berthed at the Suva wharf, which stopped...

By Haidee V. Eugenio

SAIPAN, CNMI (Mariana Variety. Feb. 1) - Concorde Garment Manufacturing Corp. and L&T Group of Companies fraudulently induced 48 of its 1,406 former employees to sign contracts by hiring them even though the companies knew they were going to close the factory, according to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Labor.

Labor also found other violations of labor laws and rules by Concorde and L&T, including their conditional renewal of contracts upon workers’ payment of recruitment fees of up to 3,800 Chinese RMB or some US$489.

These were among the findings in the compliance agency case filed by Labor on behalf of 1,406 former Concorde and L&T employees, according to an "amended determination" issued on Monday by Labor Director Robert N. Magofna and reviewed by Assistant Attorney General Dorothy Hill.

Of these former Concorde workers, 84 filed a separate labor case against their former employers....

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Feb. 1) – Non-residents providing professional and technical experts in the country will now have to pay more tax than ever when providing services in the country effective March this year.

Yesterday the Minister for Finance and Treasury, Hon Gordon Darcy Lilo announced that the rate of withholding tax on payments made to non-residents for professional services would move from 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent from 1 March 2007.

Mr Lilo said this would see visiting professionals digging deep into their pocket to pay extra tax for the service they provide in the country.

Under the tax law, a professional services payment means any payment for professional or technical services or services of an advisor or consultant on behalf of a person or entity resident in Solomon Islands.

There is no requirement to withhold from reimbursements of traveling or accommodation expenses incurred exclusively in relation to the contract....