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PNG’S NEW BRITAIN TARGETS RURAL DEVELOPMENT

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, Dec. 25) – The West New Britain provincial budget for 2008 is aimed at developing the remote areas of the Papua New Guinea province.

WNB Governor Peter Humphreys said the unprecedented funding through the District Support Grants in 2008 would be used to achieve this.

"The WNB government will strengthen the Technical Services Department in the province to undertake the role of scoping and monitoring of projects," Mr Humphreys said.

He said it would be foolish to spend District Support Grants on projects aimed at improving infrastructure in the districts without monitoring the projects and signing off on completion.

The governor and chairman for Finance said the 2008 provincial budget also catered for a trawler to be purchased.

Mr Humphreys described the trawler as an essential tool in the delivery and monitoring of government services to the people....

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 25) – Fiji's interim Prime Minister and military commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is spending Christmas with the Fiji troops serving in the Middle East.

Bainimarama was scheduled to return yesterday but has been extended due to two reasons, one of which is to spend more time with the soldiers on peacekeeping duties there.

His permanent secretary, Parmesh Chand told fijilive that Bainimarama also extended his stay in the Middle East because of "logistic reasons".

He said the interim PM was travelling in very diverse locations, which needed review of its itinerary every now and then.

"The other reason was mainly because Bainimarama wanted to spend more time and spend Christmas with the troops. And this is a special one because this is the first time a Fiji prime minister spent Christmas with the troop," Chand said.

He said Bainimarama is not due back in the country until December 28.

Bainimarama is accompanied...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Dec. 24) – The Papua New Guinea National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) [plans] to work with Malaysian sago investor, Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) to develop the commercialisation of sago in PNG.

The first processing mill is to be established in Angoram, East Sepik Province next year.

NARI scientist Joe Waramboi said the institute will work with other partners to identify sago variety, germ plasm collection and starch quality analysis.

This process will involve key partners such as the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), Lae University of Technology, University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), resource owners and local authorities.

Mr Waramboi said recent visits and consultations with stakeholders and LCDA representatives looked positive and NARI was keen to participate.

Mr Waramboi said NARI would maintain the germplasm on station and put in place a plantation-type...

PAPEETE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, Dec. 25) – French Polynesia's minimum monthly wage will increase to 140,000 French Pacific francs (US$1,728/1,173 euros) on Jan. 1, the third straight yearly increase.

Since 2003, the monthly minimum wage will have gone up 33 percent.

During that same five-year-period French Polynesia's inflation rate has steadily increased yearly - 0.7 percent in 2003, 0.8 percent in 2004, 2.3 percent in 2005 and 2.4 percent in 2006.

So far this year, the consumer price index has increased from 105.2 in January to 106.7 in October after peaking at 107.2 in July.

On Jan. 1 the monthly minimum wage, known in French as the SMIIG (salaire minimum interprofessional garanti), will increase 3,000 French Pacific francs (US$370/€25) from the present 137,000 French Pacific francs (US$1,691/€1,148).

On Feb. 1 this year, the minimum wage increased 6,000 francs (US$74/€50) monthly from 131,000 (US$1,617/€1,098) to 137,000 francs.

Five...