Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > May 15th, 2004 > Thumbs Down: Niue has refused to take part in what has been > described as a lucrative deal selling New Zealand passports > to South Koreans wanting an escape route in case of > invasion. Niue's decision follows a warning from New > Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff who has already made > sure one country did not sign up to the scheme, and is > warning others not to be tempted. But an Auckland business, > linked to a city law firm, said it expected deals to be > struck shortly with other countries, possibly including > Nauru. > > The scheme's promoter, Bruce Porteous, a twice-discharged > bankrupt, approached Niue last month seeking the right to > sell Niuean passports and permanent residency visas to > security-conscious Koreans. The Weekend Herald in Auckland > reports that he told Niue officials they could stand to > make $75 million through the deal under which passports > would sell for $39,000 a person, or $79,000 a family. Mr > Porteous said Koreans would obtain the documents in case > they needed a temporary bolthole should North Korea invade. > There was no intention to migrate to Niue. > > Niue, a self-governing island in free association with New > Zealand, has no right to issue its own passports because > residents are citizens of New Zealand and carry New Zealand > passports. After discovering this, Mr Porteous suggested to > Niue's High Commissioner in Wellington, Hima Takelesi, that > special legislation be passed. > > While dreams of millions flowing through Niue's coffers may > have caused some to salivate initially, the prospect of > thousands of Koreans descending on Niue and having > automatic right of entry to New Zealand alarmed officials > in both countries. Mr Porteous, who said he was backed by > immigration lawyer Ken Oh, of Kenton Chambers in Auckland, > wrote to Mr Takelesi saying: "The current political > situation in Korea, and the ongoing threat of invasion from > the North, has created a demand for South Koreans to > purchase passports from another country as a form of > security." > > Mr Porteous proposed that money earned would be invested in > an account to be managed by a trust operating under the > direction of Niue's Premier. But Mr Takelesi formally > advised Mr Porteous last week: "I have been instructed by > Premier Young Vivian to inform you that his Government has > no interest in pursuing this matter." > > Mr Takelesi told the Weekend Herald his Government was not > interested because "Niue does not want to be associated > with anything that is a bit dodgy". "It took us long enough > to get off the OECD blacklist for offshore banking," he > said. > > Mr Porteous told the Herald international passports were > commonly sold around the world and there was nothing > untoward about it. Despite the knock-back from Niue, the > company expected to strike similar deals shortly with other > countries "maybe in the Pacific, maybe not." > > He mentioned Nauru, but later denied that meant his company > was expecting to sell Nauruan passports. Mr Goff said this > week that he had confidence Mr Vivian and Mr Takelesi were > never going to become involved in the scheme.Mr Oh has > failed to return phone calls or answer questions. > > Housing Ruckus: A Niue politician O'Love Jacobsen said this > week she intends to write to French Polynesia's President > Gaston Flosse to advise him that the Niue government has > allocated the free kitset homes donated by his territorial > administration to gain political support rather than > re-house families displaced by the ravages of Cyclone Heta > in January. Forty homes have been donated by French > Polynesia following Cyclone Heta in January. > > "I am doing an analysis of the allocation of free homes and > will provide that information with a letter to President > Flosse," said Mrs Jacobsen. When the President visited Niue > shortly after the cyclone he indicated the free homes > should go to those displaced families who lost everything. > > Mrs Jacobsen said she took that to mean private home owners > and those accommodated in rented government units at Alofi > South, an area hardest hit by the 300 mph winds and > mountainous seas. > > The allocation of free housing - a simmering issue since > February - has now been publicly raised on Niue by Mrs > Jacobsen, a former Cabinet Minister, after the government > announced the families who will receive a further 20 free > homes from French Polynesia. > > Mrs Jacobsen said some people who are not living on the > island are getting a free home and others whose homes were > not devastated and located at inland villages outside the > danger zone are also on the list. > > Displaced families living in government rented properties > have been told that they will have to rent to buy 20 New > Zealand donated homes at costs ranging from $90,000 to > $110,000. > > They would be able to build on family land or governemnt > allocated property. Mrs Jacobsen said the government should > be showing some compassion by asking for a nominal payment > of between $20,000 to $30,000 bearing in mind people in > government rental accommodation lost everything they owned. > > "Our government is without compasssion and the allocation > of free housing has not been fairly done," said Mrs > Jacobsen."People having to raise huge mortgages are likely > to think twice about staying on Niue, it would be easier to > make a quick start somewhere else." Mrs Jacobsen said the > Niue government appeared to be trying to make money out of > peoples misfortunes. Mrs Jacobsen was living in a house > rented from the government when the cyclone struck. > > Her family lost all its possessions. The free homes > allocation issue will be discussed at the next sitting of > the Legislative Assembly. It's understood the distribution > of other funding is also on the agenda. > > Long Term Interest: New Zealand and Australia have > expressed internest in contributing to a Niue Trust Fund > which may take up to 10 -15 years before the interest will > make a substantial contribution to the small islands > recurrent budget. The Fund, designed to help Niue become > financially independent and less reliant on aid from New > Zealand and Australia, will be structured in legislation > following advice from New Zealand investment managers. Its > the latest in a historic long list of attempts to meet > Niue's hopes of developing a stable viable economy which > has included food processing, coconut cream and oil, lime > oil, softdrink manufacturing, tourism, taro exporting, > light manufacturing ( soccer balls, glove-making ) a > medical school, a proposed national airline and an > aid-backed afforestation scheme. > > The country is counting on investors to play a role in the > new look Niue. Already Reef Shipping Company - a privately > owned New Zealand business -has taken a stake in a $2 > million fish processing plant due to open in August, a nonu > plantation developed at the Vaiea Farm formerly the > international quarantine station for alpaca and a vanilla > drying shed at Mutalau. On the drawing board a timber > milling venture to cut the logs felled in hurricane force > winds last January. This will involve the exisiting > privately leased mill at Tuila and the operation of at > least two portable mills. > > Niue officials wanting $37.7 million to rebuild the nation > after January's Cyclone Heta have met with international > donors Australia, France, Japan, Germany, China and the > European Union, five United Nations agencies, church > groups, members of the private sector, and regional groups > from the Pacific. Potential donors are now considering > funding reconstruction projects. > > NZAID officials have announced they have committed a > further commitment of NZ$2 million on top of the NZ$5.5 > million pledged immediately after the cyclone. Major church > groups also announced extra donations for Niue. Other > country representatives will report back to their > governments and announce further support later in the year. > > "The best thing New Zealand can do is to support Niue to > make the best decisions it can for its future and its > people," said Executive Director of NZAID, Peter Adams. > > Here's what's been spent already: > > Approximately $500,000 for urgent supplies, skilled people > to help restore essential services, medical supplies and > medications > > $500,000 to buy heavy equipment (diggers, front loaders) > > $900,000 for repairs and re-roofing of houses > > About $720,000 for assistance to Niue's private sector > businesses to get them up and running again > > Security Help: Some Pacific nations fear they will not be > able to meet new international security obligations without > financial help from the international community.Officials > from around the Pacific have been in Wellington attending a > counter-terrorism roundtable. They were discussing how > Pacific countries can meet the deadlines for the new > requirements, which include the x-raying of all > international airline baggage by 2006.Nauru's Secretary for > Justice, Denzil Seneviratne, acknowledges it will not be > easy without outside help."In terms of resources, we don't > have the resources, so we sill be certainly looking at the > international community to give us assistance to achieve > these goals."Prime Minister Helen Clark says New Zealand > will give US2m a year to help island nations meet the > deadline and Australia has pledged to contribute. > > Briefly: > > * Two senior positions in the public service are being > advertised. One is for the chief of police, the other for > the position of director of public works. The jobs are > advertised as contract positions and the current employees > are expected to re-apply. > > * It's that time of the year again. Businesses operating on > Niue have to apply for annual licences and those selling > alcohol have to reapply for renewal of liquor licences. > > * Golden girl lifter Joy Haioti won four medals at the > Oceania junior weightlifting champs in Fiji. In the 75kg > class she won two golds, one silver and a bronze. > > * With limited medical facilities about one patient a week > is being referred to Auckland hospitals for treatment. The > government is attempting to upgrade the Niue Youth Centre, > temporary home of the health department. Plans are underway > to design a new 12 bed cottage hospital funded by the EU > and WHO. > > * Yachts are starting to arrive at Alofi Bay. Two called in > for several days last week to signal the arrival of the > 2004 season. > > * A number of wood pigeons looking for food after the > cyclone devastated large areas of forest on the island have > been found dead near the airport. Agriculture officials say > it appears the birds died after eating toxic lantana. Tests > are being carried out in New Zealand to confirm the cause > of the deaths. > > * Contractors from New Zealand are repairing the churches > of the Latter Days Saints on Niue. The Alofi church was > damaged during Cyclone Heta and maintenance will be carried > out at Lakepa and Toi churches. > > Diesel Rationing: Panic buying of diesel has forced the > Niue Government to control the supply to the island's sole > service station. Supplies almost ran out before the regular > cargo ship arrived last week and the island's powerhouse > had three days supply in reserve. > > Government officials are asking motorists not to hoard > supplies and has been reassuring them there will be plenty > diesel to last until the next boat due to unload on May 26. > > Bulk fuel tanks at the Alofi wharf were badly damaged and > regional Shell fuel tankers are unable pumpfuel ashore. > Small tanks are carried on board the MV Southern Express. > Government has also admitted that a cash flow problem is > restricting the amount of fuel it can purchase.
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