Pacific Briefs

Retain 80% of revenue under autonomy

JAYAPURA, Indonesia (PIR) — Irian Jaya Governor Jacobus Solossa has recommended that his province retain 80 percent of the revenue resulting from the sale of local natural resources

The island of New Guinea province is rich in gas, timber, copper and gold.

Solossa’s recommendation to President Abdurrahman Wahid is included in a draft plan for special provincial autonomy status promised by Jakarta to be effective May 1. Wahid has ruled out Irian Jaya independence.

Under the draft regulations, Indonesia’s central government would receive the remaining 20 percent of the revenue.

Air Niugini sale put off for now

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PIR) — The partial sale of government-owned Air Niugini is off again because of “rapidly deteriorating” conditions in the airline industry, Privatization Commission chairman Ben Micah announced.

He said that the seven airlines that had bid for up to 49 percent of the shares in the airline did not comply with government requirements. He did not elaborate.

Micah said he had no choice but to refer the matter back to the Cabinet for further consideration.

“In the meantime, our advisers will continue negotiations with a smaller number of interested parties,” he said.

He said many of the airlines in the region were suffering from a combination of weakening local economies, depreciating currencies, high fuel costs and increasing competition.

Samoa census planned for this year

APIA, Samoa (PIR) — A national population count will take place this year, funded by a $210,000 grant from Australia.

A census is legally required every five years but the 1996 count was canceled because the government did not have the money to pay for it.

Samoa’s population, according to the last census in 1991, is 170,000.

Training of some 1,300 census officials will start at the end of this month.

Sope tried to impose state of emergency on Vanuatu

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (PIR) — Former Prime Minister Barak Sope tried to impose a state of emergency on the country just before he lost a parliamentary vote of no confidence last Friday, the Vanuatu Trading Post reported.

Sope’s government had been trying to cling to power, even arguing that the Supreme Court was in contempt of Parliament by ordering the vote to go ahead.

Trading Post publisher Mark Neil-Jones said there also had been concern that Sope might try to use the police force to stay in power, but in the end they refused his request.

After losing the vote of no confidence Friday, Sope was succeeded as prime minister by Edward Natapei.

Another US WWII aircraft found

JAKARTA, Indonesia (PIR) — The wreckage of another U.S. aircraft that crashed during World War II has been found at the Papua New Guinea-Irian Jaya border on the island of New Guinea.

Local residents reported the find to a regional map survey team, which has begun investigating the wreckage.

Team representative Meky Wamea said human remains were found inside the aircraft.