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More money, deferred payments could save retirement fund

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Feb. 7, 2012) – Increasing the amount of employer contributions and deferring payments to members starting this fiscal year could immediately save the NMI Retirement Fund's deteriorating condition, according to the pension agency.

In documents submitted to the Legislature, the Fund said that increasing the employee and employer contributions could result in an infusion of $42.4 million that will help prolong the pension program's lifespan by eight years.

In its analysis provided to lawmakers, the Fund recommends 100 percent deferral of payments above a certain amount to reduce the pension drawdowns starting this fiscal year.

Under its projection, if the Fund withdraws $53 million from its portfolio each fiscal year, the program's lifespan will only be until September 2014. If drawdowns go down to $42.2 million a year, this will extend that to May 2015.

If...

Escorts for top officials allegedly possessed, used marijuana

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Feb. 6, 2012) – The police professional standards unit in Samoa is investigating a former police superintendent and a police constable who were responsible for escorting top government officials for alleged use and possession of the illegal cannabis drug.

The inquiry was ordered by the police commissioner last year after a man accused of selling the drug told the court that some of his clients were two police officers escorting the head of state and the member of the council of deputies or deputy head of state.

The assistant police commissioner and spokesman, Leaupepe Fatu Pula, says one of the officers was a police superintendent who retired last year while the investigation was underway.

The other officer is still working and is still in the police official entourage.

The assistant commissioner says he did not know if the...

Law Society refuses to publicize government jobs

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Feb. 6, 2012) – New Zealand's Law Society has defended its decision to ban ads for legal positions in Fiji in its magazine Law Talk.

Last week, the office of Fiji's Director of Public Prosecutions, had a number of ads for vacancies refused, with an email explaining that the Society would not promote jobs under the current interim military government.

Fiji's Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde – who is from New Zealand – maintains his office is independent.

[PIR editor’s note: Pryde says that, "by refusing to allow [the Department of Public Prosecutions] the right to advertise, NZLS is effectively censoring what New Zealand lawyers know about Fiji," which he claims paints an "inaccurate picture" of Fiji’s legal work, particularly in the judiciary and court system.]

But, the president of the New Zealand...

News Release

South Seas Pictures Apia, Samoa

Friday, February 3, 2012

By James Kneubuhl

The world premiere of the new work by Samoan filmmaker Tanupo Aukuso, "The Tuiga Pt. 2" took place in American Samoa on Tuesday, January 31 at the Maliu Mai Beach Resort. The new film, which carries forward the story begun in Aukuso’s previous work, "The Tuiga Pt. 1", made its debut to a room filled with families and friends of Aukuso, his cast and crew, local media representatives, American Samoa government officials, Samoan MPs, and local business professionals. The evening’s program also included entertainment and several speeches to mark the occasion. "Our audience was a very mixed cross-section of the community from American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa," said Aukuso. "We can’t ask for more."

When asked about the audience’s response to the new film, Aukuso enthused, "The most frequent reaction was, ‘We can’t wait for The Tuiga Pt. 3!’" Like "...