The impasse between Fiji and Solomon Islands governments can only be resolved through the intervention of the prime ministers of both countries, says Association of the South Pacific Airlines secretary-general George Faktaufon. He said the impasse should not be allowed to continue because “the travelling public was suffering through no fault of theirs”. “I personally…
Bank of South Pacific will launch its Swipe on BSP EFTPoS and Win promotion today in an effort to amplify a smarter way to pay for goods and services. BSP retail banking general manager Ravindra Singh said the promotion, which would run until October 4, encouraged the use of their electronic funds transfer at point…
The value for each LNG shipment from the country’s PNG LNG Project costs US$50 million (K119.1 million) to US$60 (K143.9 million), National Petroleum Company PNG managing director Wapu Sonk said. So far, ExxonMobil PNG Ltd had shipped 12 LNG cargoes to sell on the spot market to customers in Asia. Sonk said “the shipments of…
New Zealand needs to listen to Pacific Island leaders when it comes to climate change action, said the Green Party. Discontent with New Zealand and Australia is rife at the 2014 Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit which commenced today in Palau. The Finance Minister of the Cook Islands stated that climate change and frustration at…
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister says this year’s Pacific leaders’ summit is of particular significance as it will include high-level discussions over the future of the Pacific Plan. Murray McCully is in Palau for the 45th Pacific Islands Forum, which officially opens today in the capital Koror. McCully says the Pacific Plan has a lot…
“We are making good progress in the negotiations. Thus far, we have concluded negotiations on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade and customs procedures. We have also made good progress in the negotiations on trade in services and investment,” said Dr Kessie. “We are currently exploring possible landing zones on labour mobility and…
The Tuvalu government has reaffirmed its call for the United Nations and multilateral agencies to review the classification of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to reflect the reality facing small island nations. Attending the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau this week, Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga said: “If we were to graduate from LDC status without…
Four years ago they tasked the Forum Fisheries Agency with enhancing cooperation in fisheries surveillance and law enforcement against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Today, Pacific Forum leaders celebrated the entry into force of a one-stop multilateral text aimed at achieving that–the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement, or NTSA. Forum leaders witnessed the handover today…
The Fijian Government is still waiting for contact from the Solomon Island’s Government to resolve the airline dispute between the two countries so that the normal flight schedule can resume between Nadi and Honiara. The Attorney-General and Minister for Civil Aviation, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said that Fiji’s position has remained consistent and that responsibility for the…
One of the interesting things about the Pacific Islands Forum is that the member countries take it in turn to host it. The Pacific is a vast ocean – but some countries are obviously easier and quicker to get to than others. In recent years it’s been in Tonga, Niue, Vanuatu, New Zealand and the…