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FRENCH PRESIDENT’S PACIFIC VISIT IN DOUBT

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

FRENCH PRESIDENT’S PACIFIC VISIT IN DOUBT Sarkozy may skip July leaders’ summit in Noumea

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 7, 2009) – Reports from New Caledonia say next month’s planned visit by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, may be deferred or cancelled.

Mr. Sarkozy has also been due to host Pacific Islands leaders in Noumea and then stop in Australia but New Caledonia’s daily newspaper says his trip is yet to be announced officially amid claims of other possible commitments, including a possible reshuffle after the European parliamentary election.

The paper says the summit with regional heads of government may instead be chaired by the French Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, who called off his planned Noumea visit in March because of the social unrest in Guadeloupe.

The paper says cancelling the summit with Pacific leaders is the least likely option as Sarkozy still vies to meet New Caledonian leaders and become...

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Mon
08
Jun
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COOK ISLANDS IMPRESSED WITH MOBILE PHONE DEMO

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

Opposition to push for competition

By Helen Grieg

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, May 29, 2009) – Government MPs were impressed by the demonstration of the KukiCel mobile network yesterday.

Cabinet minister and Aitutaki MP Kete Ioane was among the small group of Demo MPs that attended the presentation at Aquarius Hotel, and was impressed with it.

Ioane says he thinks allowing KukiCel to operate a high quality, low cost mobile service is a good idea.

The minister says it would be especially good for the outer islands. At present only Aitutaki has a mobile service, apart from Rarotonga. Ioane says he would like to see an improved service and for this kind of service to be introduced in the outer islands.

Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate commented that the service was audibly clear during his call to New Zealand on the demonstration mobiles.

Tupapa MP John Tangi said the demonstration was excellent and that the...

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Mon
08
Jun
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CNMI HEALTH CENTER: $17 MILLION IN UNPAID BILLS

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

Collection rates less than 50% in 2008

By Haidee V. Eugenio

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, June 8, 2009) – Acting Health Secretary Pete Untalan said the Commonwealth Health Center billed patients and other clients $33.7 million for hospital services rendered in Fiscal Year 2008, but collected only $16 million that year.

Untalan said this during the House Ways and Means Committee's budget hearing on the Department of Public Health on Friday.

"We only had about 50 percent collection rate, but we will provide (the committee) with our receivables report," Untalan said during the hearing.

In an interview, Untalan said whatever DPH collects from its patients go back to the general fund under a government fund approved accounting system.

"But if you use it as enterprise fund accounting system, then whatever we collect that's how much we can pay out," he said.

Untalan said government hospitals' normal collection rate is 60 percent.

DPH...

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Mon
08
Jun
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FSM AND MARSHALLS TO RECEIVE HIGH SPEED TELECOM

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

Fiber optic cable between Kwajalein and Guam

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 7, 2009) – Construction is set to begin of a 3,200 kilometre submarine fibre optic cable, that is expected to revolutionise communications in the north Pacific.

This follows an agreement that involves the U.S. Army and telecommunications companies of the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia, with cable contracts are worth more than 130 million US dollars.

Tyco Telecommunications will begin laying the cable in November, working from the Marshall Islands to Guam.

U.S. Army Lieutenant General Kevin Campbell, who commands the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command, says the fibre optic cable is the critical enabler to transform the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll to meet the changing space and missile defence needs of the US.

He says currently, all communications into and out of the Kwajalein Army base are satellite based,...

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Mon
08
Jun
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KIRIBATI FORMS FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

To examine how Chinese business are being operated

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 7, 2009) – Kiribati’s parliament has formed a four-man select committee to investigate the legality of foreign investors operating in the country.

The committee has indicated it will concentrate on the Chinese business community which is growing rapidly.

MP Teatao Teannaki, who is chairing the new committee, says their terms of reference include revisiting the Principal Immigration Officer’s decision and authority to grant entry to foreigners and extend their stay.

Mr. Teannaki says he thinks the House is keen to know if illegal activities have been influenced by any government ministers or high ranking officials.

He says corruption is the key word, adding that if there is any, it will be contained in the report which is expected to be tabled in August.

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Mon
08
Jun

WHAT DO GIRL DROP-OUTS DO IN PNG?

Submitted by piradmin on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

Commentary

By Dr Arnold Kukari

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 5, 2009) – Research into school drop-outs clearly shows that girls are more likely to drop out of school than boys. The lack of supportive and enabling cultural, social, political, and economic environment often forces many girls to leave school at an early age. There has been some research on what girls actually do when they drop out of school. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many female drop-outs engage in some sort of child labour in the home and in the community.

What is child labour?

Child labour is defined in terms of the International Labour Organisation’s Conventions - C138 on the minimum age of entry into employment and work, and C182 on the worst forms of child labour, and their respective accompanying recommendations, R146 and R190.

Reasons why girls become child labourers

Girls as breadwinners

Experiences have shown that those...

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Tue
09
Jun
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AIR CALEDONIE WON’T MEET EMPLOYEE DEMANDS

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 00:00

AIR CALEDONIE WON’T MEET EMPLOYEE DEMANDS Strike could ‘paralyze’ New Caledonia

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, June 7, 2009) – The president of Air Caledonie says the airline has no intention of paying members of the union representing its Kanak employees for strike days.

A mass strike involving all of the union's 3,000 members has been called from Monday and threatens to paralyse the French Pacific territory.

Union leaders say they will continue the work stoppage across all sectors until Air Caledonie agrees to return to the negotiating table and pay its workers for the strike days.

But Nidoish Naisseline says the airline is struggling with a funding shortfall of nore than $US4.5 million and cannot afford to meet the union's demands.

Since the USTKE union began its strikes in protest at the dismissal of a Kanak employee last March, the airline has lost a further $650,000.

The territory's newly elected government, headed by...

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Tue
09
Jun
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RAMSI PARTICIPATING POLICE FORCE HEAD DEPARTS

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 00:00

Commander McDermott thanked for service

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Times, June 9, 2009) -After two years heading RAMSI's Participating Police Force (PPF) and as Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF), Commander Denis McDermott was given a warm farewell at a formal ceremony at the Rove Police Parade Ground in Honiara last Thursday.

Addressing the parade which was attended by hundreds of representatives from the Solomon Islands Government, the RSIPF, and RAMSI, the Commander called on the RSIPF to play their role in rebuilding their nation.

"I am humbled by your parade today and it will forever remain in my heart as it symbolizes not only what policing and discipline is all about but just how far we've come on this journey of renewal.

"I want more than anything to see you apply this same standard to all you do: respect for the community; your attendance at work...

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Tue
09
Jun
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NOW HAS PACIFIC VOICE

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 00:00

New Caledonia politician elected

NOUMEA, New Caledonia (Oceania Flash, June 8, 2009) – The Pacific will now have its dedicated voice in the European Parliament as a result of Sunday’s elections.

The first Pacific MP is New Caledonia’s Maurice Ponga, a former member of New Caledonia’s governments, who was running for a "When Europe wants, Europe can" list backed by French ruling party UMP.

Ponga, 62, had been officially endorsed during a UMP meeting in metropolitan France in January this year.

As a member of several governments of New Caledonia n the past few years, he has been in charge of agriculture and livestock and more recently of the youth and sports portfolios.

He was instrumental in New Caledonia’s success in a bid to host the next Pacific Games 2011 in Nouméa.

The first New Caledonian politician to have been elected at the European Parliament was former pro-France Kanak Senator Dick Ukeiwé (1989-1994).

As part of new...

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Tue
09
Jun
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AIR FIJI LOSES AIR SERVICES LICENSE

Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 00:00

Competitor Pacific Sun hopes to assume routes

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Sun, June 9, 2009) – Air Fiji’s licence as a domestic air services provider has been officially revoked, it was reported last night.

Air Transport Licensing Board chairman Ernest Dutta told Radio Fiji the decision was made last week at a board meeting.

Mr. Dutta said Air Fiji’s licence was revoked after the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed Air Fiji’s air worthiness certificate expired on May 31st.

Dutta also told Radio Fiji that Air Fiji’s management made a presentation to the board before the decision was made.

Air Fiji, whose majority shareholders were Tuvalu and a Chinese company, was forced to cease operations because of money troubles.

The country’s main domestic airline, Pacific Sun, has increased services and destinations following Air Fiji’s collapse.

It is believed to need to acquire more aircraft to be able to service all of Air Fiji’s former routes,...

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