Fijians in high spirit at arts festival

THE Fiji delegation led the march for the official opening ceremony of the 5th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Saturday. A statement from the Ministry of Information reported that the delegation marched for more than five kilometres from the festival arts village to Sir John Guise stadium. Permanent…

Global tuna fisheries show significant progress, says ISSF

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its annual report, which outlines the organization’s goals and achievements in 2013 and highlights its ongoing commitment to the continuous improvement of global tuna fisheries through collaboration and advocacy. The report, Enabling Sustainability through Engagement and Advocacy, also emphasizes efforts to encourage industry engagement, including efforts by…

$179m for FNPF Members

Today (Monday), FJD$179 million will be distributed and credited to 300,000 accounts of members of the Fiji National Provident Fund. This represents 5.75 per cent interest rate for the institution’s financial year ending June 30, 2014. FNPF chief executive Aisake Taito said this has been delivered through positive outcomes of the Pension Reforms implemented two…

Bad publicity slows sectors development

NEGATIVE publicity of Papua New Guinea does not help in the growth of tourism in the country, Gateway Hotel general manager Mathew Cooper said last week. Cooper, speaking during a panel discussion on the country’s tourism industry, said security was an issue to potential tourists coming to Papua New Guinea. “Media reports don’t help it.…

MSG leaders likely to knock back West Papuan bid

MELANESIAN Spearhead Group leaders meeting this week in the Papua New Guinea capital are expected to formulate a decision on a West Papuan bid to join the grouping. The leaders have been briefed on the outcomes of the MSG Foreign Ministers delegation to Indonesia’s Papua region in January.  The trip, which was boycotted by Vanuatu,…

West Papua’s plea to MSG

THE Free West Papua Campaign PNG chapter is appealing to the members of Parliament for the West Papua’s membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). In a letter to the Papua New Guinea Minister for Culture and Tourism Boka Kondra, the group has targetted the Melanesian Spearhead Group Meeting which started yesterday to appeal for…

Special MSG meet in PNG

PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill Tuesday welcomed the Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and Spokesperson of the FLNKS, and Co-Chair of the Special MSG Leaders Summit, Victor Tutugoro during his courtesy call in Port Moresby. PM O’Neill on behalf of the Government and People of Papua New Guinea said:“I am greatly…

Pacific a unique selling point

Pacific businesses have been told their products need to be marketed well in New Zealand and communicate their unique difference. The Pacific Wave Conference was held in Auckland on Tuesday aiming at boosting export growth among Pacific businesses.  Contributors such as award-winning chef and author Robert Oliver, says the time is right as tourists and…

Pacific-EU Business Forum in Port Vila

The European Union has identified three focal areas for its partnership with the private sector in the Pacific for the next six years. Among these are the regional economic integration, sustainable management of natural resources and the environment and providing an investment facility to provide an enabling environment for investment mostly in the infrastructure development…