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PNG Airline Confirms $1M Boeing Deal

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Down payment on 2018 four aircraft fleet upgrade

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, February 29, 2016) – Air Niugini chairman Sir Frederick Reiher has confirmed that the airline has made a $US1 million down payment to the manufacturers of the Boeing B737MAX airplanes.

He clarified that the figure quoted by Boeing of $US440 million (K1.36 billion) is a "catalogue price" for the four aircraft and not what Air Niugini will pay at settlement.

Sir Frederick also clarified that Air Niugini has ordered four new B737MAX airplanes and that the total price for the four aircraft from Boeing, the manufacturer, is about half of the catalogue price.

He confirmed that although US$1 million as "confirmation fee" – down payment – on Air Niugini’s order has been paid, the installment payments for the airplanes will not...

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Mon
29
Feb
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Fiji Gov Cracks Down On Unethical Traders After Winston

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Price gouging and selling cyclone damaged goods

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, February 29, 2016) – Fiji's trade minister has warned traders against engaging in price gouging in the wake of cyclone Winston, after some reports of consumers being exploited for supplies.

Faiyaz Siddiq Koya said there were complaints some traders increased the prices of batteries, torches, bottled water, tarpaulins and building materials.

He said some traders were also found selling cyclone damaged goods and food that was spoilt.

The minister said these practices were unacceptable and the Commerce Commission would be conducting inspections to ensure people were not being exploited.

Waiting for relief

Some villagers in the outer islands of Fiji were told they had to wait another week for tarpaulins...

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Mon
29
Feb
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Fiji PM: Growing Economy ‘Down The Drain’

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Estimated $650M of damages without assessing remote islands

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, February 26, 2016) – Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is visiting a remote inland village hit hard by Cyclone Winston.

Officials have updated the number of people forced into evacuation centres by the category five tropical cyclone to 59,000 - more than 6 percent of the country's population.

The death toll from Saturday's storm remains at 42, with two people missing.

Nadalei Village is in the remote interior of Fiji's Viti Levu Island, on the Tavua Road past Vatukoula.

One resident, Semi, would have died if his family hadn't found him half buried in the rubble after Cyclone Winston.

Many others, including a 101-year-old man and about 50 families, are sheltering in the village's...

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Mon
29
Feb
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American Samoa's Manu'a Islands To Get A Bank Again

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Reintroduce some terminals to make cash transactions

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, February 29, 2016) – The Australian bank, ANZ, is moving to re-establish limited banking services in American Samoa's Manu'a islands.

ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank terminated its service in the Manu'as several years ago, forcing residents and businesses there to either fly to the main island, Tutuila, or use relatives to do their banking.

Manu'a does not have any ATM machines.

The bank's acting country manager, Sean Stratton, told a House committee in Pago Pago the cost of providing services in remote areas like Manu'a was prohibitive.

But he said the bank was looking to re-introduce some eftpos terminals in some parts of the island group that would provide customers with the ability to make cash transactions...

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Mon
29
Feb
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Guam: Rate Of Worker Visa Rejections Could Affect Buildup

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Military projects led to exemption of foreign worker limit

By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, February 28, 2016) – Some of Guam’s construction contractors have hit bureaucratic walls in their petitions to hire foreign workers, two immigration attorneys said.

And a possible solution is unlikely — until after a new president is seated at the White House, one of the attorneys, Ladd Baumann, said.

In anticipation of military buildup projects ramping up starting this year, Guam received an exemption from the annual nationwide limit on how many foreign workers can be brought in under H-1B and H-2B visas.

This exemption was made possible through Congress and the White House.

However, employers are seeing increasing rejection rates, or delays at rates higher than what Guam employers...

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Mon
29
Feb
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Marshalls Work On Delayed Japan-Funded Projects

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Communication problems on the $75M of construction projects

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, February 27, 2016) – The Marshall Islands has 75 million US dollars worth of construction projects in the pipeline for funding by Japan, but communication problems have delayed their implementation.

The new Public Works Minister, Tony Muller, said getting these moving is a top priority for his ministry.

Mr Muller said donors are begging to fund projects and usually it is the other way around.

He said the government needs to clear bottlenecks to move forward on projects that are in the pipeline, but for one reason or another are stalled.

Public Works officials have been meeting with Japan officials so the projects can move.

The minister said there are three projects currently on the Japan...

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Mon
29
Feb
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Project To Turn Cooks' Island Into Regional Fishing Hub

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 00:00

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

$13M development, conflicting claims on impacts

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, February 28, 2016) – A former Cook Islands MP says the government is planning to turn Penrhyn Island in the country's north into a giant hub for fishing boats in the region.

Wilkie Rasmussen said a reliable source told him the government will soon announce it will inject US$13 million into upgrading Penrhyn Harbour to accommodate up to 100 fishing ships, 30 of them licensed to fish in Cook Islands waters.

He said it would mean boats fishing in other waters such as Kiribati and French Polynesia will go to Penhryn for dry docking, to offload catches and to refuel.

He said such a big development would overwhelm the island, which has a population of 120 people.

"The project is about developing the island and...

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