THE two largest economies in the Pacific region have experienced strong commodity-led growth in recent years. However, the soon-to-be-released 2014 Asian Development Outlook by the Asian Development Bank would focus on challenges faced by Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea in translating that growth into better services and living standards. Asian Development Bank economist Milovan…
Seasonal farm workers from the Pacific Islands region working in New Zealand’s horticulture sector under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme are being taught to manage their earnings well and invest wisely as part of PT&I’s ongoing annual financial literacy programme for seasonal workers. Last week, the Auckland offices of PT&I conducted a financial literacy…
The Pacific Islands Trade & Invest (PT&I) network, the trade and investment arm of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, is organising a three day workshop from 31 March to 2 April in Suva. The Pacific Path to Market Workshop – a first for Fiji, will address market compliance constraints and highlight specific solutions to enhance…
The regional ambition of a sustainable, affordable and efficient energy and transport services requires a multi-disciplinary approach and collaboration at the highest level among various stakeholders. Such synergies supplement national efforts through strategic partnerships and pooling of resources. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) will be convening the 2nd joint Pacific regional meeting for…
The President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) has called for more investment in small media businesses. Moses Stevens was at the Asian Development Bank Pacific Business Media Summit last week in Sydney and said there were a lot of ideas shared about business models, but says some small media outlets would love to…
A new media alliance in Tonga is aiming to band outlets together to make advertising more accessible. The publisher of Taimi o Tonga, Kalafi Moala, says the real enemy for media is “out there” and not amongst different outlets. He says some outlets are so small that their reach is not attractive to advertisers, so…
While Fiji tends to be the hub colony for the rest of the Pacific, developments in the country have a strong knock-on effect on the region, says Asian Development Bank economist Milovan Lucich. Speaking to participants at the recent ADB Pacific Business Media Summit in Sydney, Australia, Lucich said they had seen signs of the…
The looming election campaign is expected to be frantic, chaotic and very possibly dirty. Early polls suggest that the balance of parliamentary power may once again be held by Winston Peters and the New Zealand First (NZF) party. With Kim Dotcom’s Internet Party launch last week, another factor is added to make this election different…
Rich and poor countries are still unprepared for many threats posed by climate change and extreme weather, a United Nations assessment of global warming will warn. Scientific authors and government representatives from around the world have spent the weekend negotiating the final text of the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at a…
The Earth is warming so rapidly that unless humans can arrest the trend, we risk becoming ”extinct” as a species, a leading Australian health academic has warned. Helen Berry, associate dean in the faculty of health at the University of Canberra, said while the Earth has been warmer and colder at different points in the…