New Zealand yesterday strongly reaffirms the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) as a key partner in providing high level scientific and technical services to help Pacific Islands address key development challenges. H.E. Linda Te Puni, New Zealand Consul General in New Caledonia, and Dr Colin Tukuitonga, Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community…
CUSTOMERS can now access HFC banking services following its official opening yesterday morning. HFC Bank CEO Isikeli Tikoduadua said three years of hard work had finally paid off. He said the bank was 100 per cent Fijian-owned and profits would be channelled back to the people of Fiji through its stakeholders. HFC is a joint…
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat that will support work to strengthen national policy, institutional and legal frameworks to reduce the risk of disasters, mitigate their effects when they occur and expedite the recovery of our communities. The MOU…
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Office of the Chief Trade Adviser (OCTA) and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat have announced increased coordination in the implementation of regional trade and investment initiatives under the auspices of the European Union funded project. “This cooperation between the agencies is funded by the European Union and is…
The Kiribati Fish Limited (KFL) continues to export its tuna products to markets in Japan and the United States. Manager of KFL Kintoba Tearo told Radio Kiribati News the demand for KFL’s tuna products is very high from these two overseas markets. However the supply of fish to the factory is not enough to meet…
A new wave of Chinese tourists is helping to boost growth in the Pacific tourism industry, a new report from the ANZ Bank says. The bank’s latest Pacific Economic Quarterly says a rise in tourist arrivals over the last 10 years has created new jobs and boosted government revenue, outpacing economic growth in the region.…
THE Westpac Bank PNG recently marked the first anniversary of its in-store banking outlet, noting that feedback from customers has been positive. Head of retail banking Adam Downie said: “In-store banking provides locals with access to banking services at their doorsteps instead of travelling long distance and queuing in branches for basic transactions.” Westpac PNG…
Fiji Airways says the steep rise in departure tax from its home base is not putting off travellers as the airline embarks on an ambitious five-year plan to increase revenue. Departure tax went up from just on $96 to $128 (US$51 – US$68) on 01 January, making it one of the highest in the world…
Tripadvisor has named the world’s best islands in its Traveller’s Choice Island Awards. Amergris Caye took the top gong for the second year running. Sitting on the border of Mexico and Belize, it is a fantasy getaway, home to the second largest barrier reef in the world – the first being Queensland’s Great Barrier.…
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Papua New Guinea Government have signed two loans to fund improvements to the Highlands region road network and air services in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Minister for Treasury, Don Polye, and Marcelo Minc, Country Director of ADB’s PNG Resident Mission, participated in the loan signing ceremony. …