PINA

American Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga is hopeful that progress will be made in the territory’s efforts to gain full membership in the Pacific Islands Forum, with the assistance of the U.S envoy to the PIF, Ambassador Frankie Reed. In a communication earlier this year to the Assistant Secretary of State – Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink,...

By Rowena Acraman The Pacific region is set to experience a significant growth rate of 3.9 percent in 2023, marking a remarkable recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest World Bank's Pacific Economic Update. Fiji's economy has been a key driver of this positive trend, with an impressive 18.6 percent increase in GDP in 2022,...

Despite uncertainty about the outlook for inflation and interest rates in major economies and trading partners, developing Pacific economies are expected to grow in 2023 and 2024 due to a recovery in tourism, post-disaster rebuilding, and infrastructure construction, a World Bank report released today says. Pacific growth is expected to pick up to 3.9 percent this year from 2 percent...

By Eternity Uwaifo Climate change may push tuna into a potential hotspot of deep-sea mining interest in the eastern Pacific, new research finds. Countries and companies could soon begin extracting rare metals used in a range of consumer electronics from the seabed floor on an industrial scale – something that has not previously been allowed under international law. A new paper, published...

Pacific Islands Forum Chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says he want to leave the Forum in a better place for the incoming Chair to build upon further. In his remarks at the Pacific Islands Forum ceremonial welcome last night, Brown said ‘Our Pacific Vision’ is for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, so...

Australian officials have sounded the alarm about rising debt levels and economic “fragility” among Pacific countries amid increasing competition with China for influence. On Tuesday the Australian government will publish the first update of its international development policy in a decade, with a focus on the Pacific, south-east Asia and south Asia. The policy is not backed by any new foreign...

Australia will push to create local employment and boost the domestic economies of its Pacific island neighbours while keeping an eye on climate change and gender equality. The latest international development policy is underpinned by a new fund that will use $250 million (US$164 million) to leverage private investment and provide direct support to regional community organisations as Canberra works...

Vanuatu's prime minister has reshuffled his cabinet just four days after a motion-of-no-confidence against his leadership was submitted to parliament. RNZ Pacific’s correspondent in Vanuatu, Hilaire Bule, reports Ishmael Kalsakau has appointed two new ministers whose names were among the 29 signatories to the motion filed by the opposition last Thursday. They are Samson Samsen who has been given the trade...

The Magistrates Court in Suva will hear written submissions from the Defence counsel and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on No Case to Answer in the trial of former Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended Commissioner of Police Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho on Wednesday. Defence counsel Davenesh Sharma told the court that the Office of the Director...

The World Bank’s Pacific Economic Update provides a twice-yearly assessment of 11 Pacific Island economies: the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. This August 2023 Pacific Economic Update describes a return to growth for the region, largely due to the resumption of tourism, higher...