Pacific Islands Report
Niue tightens banking rules
ALOFI, Niue — The issuance of new offshore banking licenses has been suspended while the government prepares legislation to tighten its financial sector.
The move comes in response to international pressure on Niue and several other Pacific Island nations to clamp down on alleged money laundering.
Premier Sani Lakatani said the pressure on Niue was unwarranted, but the suspension reflects Niue’s desire to comply with international requests to clean up banking procedures.
New Caledonia exports best in 10 years
NOUMEA, New Caledonia — The French territory has announced record exports $275 million for the first six months of this year, 71.4 percent higher than during the same period last year.
Mining products, especially nickel, contributed 90.7 percent of the total figure. Other major exports were shrimp, sea cucumber and trochus shells, which are used to manufacture buttons.
HIV/AIDS continues to spread in PNG
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — Minister of Health Ludger Mond told health workers meeting Tuesday that HIV/AIDS is continuing to spread throughout the country, with a 20 percent increase in HIV infections in the last year.
Official statistics show Papua New Guinea now has 2,800 confirmed HIV cases and 1,031 cases of AIDS, Mond said, and that 232 people have died of the disease. But he suggested that the real number of HIV cases is probably more than 15,000, in a country of just four million people.
There has been a disturbing increase in HIV cases among blood donors and newborn babies, he said.
A. Samoa firefighters leave for U.S.
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — Eighteen newly trained firefighters have left American Samoa for emergency fire fighting duties in the western United States.
Before departing, the firefighters, 16 men and two women, underwent a three-day training program in the territory conducted by Jack Minassian of Pacific Island Fire Management, Honolulu.
A total of 36 people completed training.
The next group of fire fighters will not leave the territory until the first group returns or when requested by the federal government.
New Fiji intelligence unit planned
SUVA, Fiji Islands — A new intelligence unit will be established this year by Fiji’s interim administration, Home Affairs Minister Ratu Talemo Ratakele announced.
He said it will allow the government to maintain national security and tackle problems before they arise.
Such a unit, he said, could have prevented the May 19 coup that deposed the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry.
