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...