Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ _______________________________________________ > July 16, 2004 > Ministers Included?: The knives are being sharpened on > Niue, as the country awaits a decision as to whether or not > to slash the wages of government employees. They form 98% > of the national workforce and many are reported to be > unhappy at any reduction to working hours. The island's > budget goes to Parliament within the next few weeks and > Finance Minister Toke Talagi faces the task of reducing a > deficit in the recurrent budget, strained by the > devastating Cyclone Heta. The budget is predicted to be $19 > million with a deficit of around $1million. Mr Talagi said > this week that the government, as it has done in the past > two years, is considering reducing workers hours in a bid > to cut the deficit. But he added the government will not > cut the hours of public servants if it undermines the > island's community. > He said a 32-hour week, or a nine-day fortnight, are some > of the options being considered. But a leading Opposition > MP O'Love Jacobsen reckons the Government should not > consider cutting public servants wages unless Cabinet > Ministers accept a corresponding reduction. Mrs Jacobsen > said she has no objection to such cuts but added the > leaders would have to set the standard. Reducing the hours > of public servants is one solution to the island's money > problems but with most of the workforce on the government > payroll private labour is virtually non-existent. The > Auckland based Reef Group that has recently made a massive > investment in fish processing, nonu and vanilla orchards > has indicated to government it needs regular supplies for > the organic vanilla and nonu processing plants. Reduced > hours for public servants would allow them a day a week to > cultivate nonu and vanilla. Economic benefits from the new > initiatives are likely to take several years and its been > estimated that fishing alone could put $9 million - or half > of the annual budget - into the government coffers > annually. Apart from its multi-million dollar Cyclone aid, > New Zealand will this year pump $8.5 million into the tiny > state with a population of 1300. The Niue government > provides over 60's with a $100 a month pension and families > with annual child allowances. Despite regional assistance > for cyclone relief the island's budget will be under strain > by joint venture capital into economic development projects > the restoration of health services, fuel storage and the > repair of damaged houses and businesses. > > Speaker Travels: Niue's Legislative Assembly Speaker > Atapana Siakimotu joined a Parliamentary delegation from > Pacific Islands Forum that visited Nauru this week.The > delegation met with Nauru's President Ludwig Scotty, > Cabinet Ministers, the Speaker and members of Nauru's > Parliament, and representatives from the private sector and > civil society to get a firsthand view of a range of issues > facing Nauru. "The meetings discussed possible measures > that Pacific Islands Forum legislatures can undertake at a > regional level in order to assist Parliaments in the > region, including Nauru," said Forum Secretary General, > Greg Urwin. "Similar visits to other Pacific Parliaments, > to share experiences on governance and Parliamentary > democracy in a Pacific context, are planned in future," Mr > Urwin said. > > Student Overcrowding: Niuean students studying at the > University of the South Pacific may be losing out because > of overcrowding in lecture rooms. The problem has increased > recently according to the Fiji Teachers Union secretary > Agni Deo who suggests the USP should increase the number of > courses it offers through extension programs to ease > overcrowding at its Fiji campus, reports the Fiji Sun > newspaper. "The education program at the university is one > of the largest," said Deo. "For the last couple of years, > we noticed that students had to sit on steps, stand on the > sides of lecture rooms and sometimes they were even > spilling out during lectures. "Students pay a lot of fees > and this kind of service is not justified. It is also not > in compliance with OSH regulations. The Ministry of Labor > needs to send inspectors to verify the issue," he said. Deo > said the problem could also affect students' classroom > performance. "It can be very hard for a student to > concentrate in a very crowded room. Sometimes they are even > likely to fail. I think there is an urgent need for an > expansion of their infrastructure to meet the increase in > demand. USP should at least take care of regulation > standards before accepting students from outside the > region," he said. USP Student Association Vice President > Tufoua Panapa said students experience the problem of > overcrowding every day. "Lecture rooms seem to be too full > every day and there aren't enough computers for everyone. > We sometimes question the quality of education when there > are too many students for one lecturer and for a long time > now USP has not grown. The number of students grow every > year while the infrastructure is still the same," he said. > > Media Participant: Niue's Broadcasting Corporation reporter > ShaneTohovaka has been selected to attend a regional media > workshop in Apia, Samoa next month. Australia is funding > the event. "Australia's support reflects the need to > encourage more informed public debate about major > political, economic and social issues in the region," said > Forum Secretary General, Greg Urwin. "This year's Forum > will discuss the framework of the Pacific Plan, aimed at > deepening the cooperation between members, and exploring > ways to pool resources in more efficient ways. "The media > workshop will help to build wider understanding in Pacific > Island countries about ways that Pacific communities can > work more closely together," Mr Urwin said. The > eight-member regional media team was selected jointly by > the two Pacific regional media organizations - the Pacific > Islands News Association (PINA) and the Pacific Islands > Broadcasting Association (PIBA). The trainer will be Ms > Jemima Garrett from Radio Australia. Partiipants include: > Julie Taripo Cook Islands TV; Suzanne Murphy Marshall > Islands Journal; Robert Luke Iroga Solomon Star; Rooti > Terubea Radio Kiribati; Ronil Lal Communication Fiji Ltd; > Shane Tohovaka; Ana Tapueluelu Taumu'a Lelei Tonga; and > Makereta Komaidrue PACNEWS - counterpart trainer. > > Tracking Whales: Humpback whales, regular visitors to Niue > between June and November are being studied by the New > Zealand conservation department. The gigantic mammals have > been at the centre of a survey off the east coast of the > South Island. A spokesperson for the department says there > has been a noticable increase in the numbers of the whales. > Further studies are aimed at obtaining DNA samples so that > researchers can identify whales that travel north to Tonga, > Niue and Samoa. Researches will also learn the relationship > of humpbacks as they move north to give birth in the warm > tropical waters. Numbers of whales visiting Niue have > dropped off in the past decade. Up to 27 humpbacks were > recorded in seasons during the early 1990's but recent > numbers have been well below those figures. New research is > likely to provide answers for whale-watchers in the > islands. Whale-watching and swimming with dolphins has > become a popular tourist attraction on Niue with one group > from Canada visiting the island annually. > *Isaac Tuhega has featured prominently in an Auckland bid > to encourage more Pacific Islanders into business. Mr > Tuhega whose father ran the sawmill at Tuila in the 1970's > now owns an ITM building supply firm at New Lynn. A > director of Habitat for Humanity Mr Tuhega last year won > the Pacific Business of the Year Award. Keynote speaker at > Thrive Pacifika was District Court Judge Semi Epati. Judge > Epati, the first Pacific Island judge in New Zealand was a > former solicitor-general on Niue. > > *Niugro International Co Ltd ,registered in New Zealand is > a joint venture between the Minister of Agriculture > Fisheries and Forestry Motufoou Vakaafi and his daughter > Inangaro Manogihau and the Reef Group. The Vakaafi family > holds 50,000 and a similar number is held by Reef. The > company is planning to produce organic nonu and vanilla. A > vanilla drying plant has already been constructed on the > Minister's land at Mutalau. > > *Build a charcoal stove and save power. That's the message > going around Niue at present. There was a good turnout > reported from the village of Tamakautoga when Mr Misa > Kulutea and Mrs Hula Funaki demonstrated how to build and > operate a charcoal stove. The stoves are made out of > cement, iron, unused containers -paints, buckets and > biscuit tins. > > Counting Losses: It's reported that the liquidators for > Royal Tongan Airlines have found the company's only > remaining assets are a hangar and two planes. RTA was for > several years the designated carrier for Niue until > Polynesian Airlines signed a five-year contract with Niue. > Radio Tonga reports the accountancy firm > PricewaterhouseCoopers as saying the two aircraft ought to > be repaired and sold. The future of the hangar at Fua'amotu > airport is not clear. An Auckland-based spokesman for > PricewaterhouseCoopers says creditors will now be able to > lodge claims against the airline. > > Support For Helpers: Niue is expected to be a principal > backer of French Polynesia's application to join the > Pacific Islands Forum. The island received hundreds of > thousands of dollars worth of assistance from Tahiti after > Cyclone Heta smashed into the island last January. The > assistance included a Disaster Response Team, 20 kitset > homes and heavy plant and equipment for clearing debris. > But future aid is currently under review since a new > government was installed in Tahiti. Premier Young Vivian > visited French Polynesia last week and is reported to have > met officials to discuss future aid that was to include an > additional 20 kit-set homes. Recently, a delegation from > the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum returned from a > one-week visit in French Polynesia stressing it was "very > impressed with the consistent view . indicating a strong > desire for French Polynesia to be become a part of the > Forum family". The delegation went to obtain a first-hand > account of recent political and institutional developments > in what is now referred to as a "French overseas country" > in the Pacific. In March this year, French Polynesia was > granted a new autonomy status. The French government > approved the move. It gives French Polynesia more powers, > including in terms of external relations, land tenure and > local employment. French Polynesia has applied for Forum > observer status since 1999. New Caledonia, another French > Pacific dependency, obtained observer status that same > year, after signing of the autonomy Nouméa Accord. Mission > leader, Vanuatu's Jean Sese, said that during the > fact-finding mission (which comprised representatives from > the Cook Islands and Tuvalu), they had met French > Polynesia's new President Oscar Temaru (who came to power > last month), members of the new government, social, > political, trade union and economic stakeholders (including > the Chamber of Commerce). "The Committee was very impressed > with the consistent view that emerged indicating a strong > desire for French Polynesia to be become a part of the > Forum family," said Jean Sese. The next step is now for the > Forum mission to submit its French Polynesia mission > report, containing recommendations, to the Forum leaders' > summit to be held in Apia early next month.
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