Retain 80% of revenue under autonomy<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
The island of New Guinea province is rich in gas, timber, copper and gold.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Under the draft regulations, Indonesia’s central government would receive the remaining 20 percent of the revenue.<\/p>\n
Air Niugini sale put off for now<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Micah said he had no choice but to refer the matter back to the Cabinet for further consideration.<\/p>\n
“In the meantime, our advisers will continue negotiations with a smaller number of interested parties,” he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Samoa census planned for this year<\/p>\n
APIA, Samoa (PIR) — A national population count will take place this year, funded by a $210,000 grant from Australia.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Samoa’s population, according to the last census in 1991, is 170,000.<\/p>\n
Training of some 1,300 census officials will start at the end of this month.<\/p>\n
Sope tried to impose state of emergency on Vanuatu<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
After losing the vote of no confidence Friday, Sope was succeeded as prime minister by Edward Natapei.<\/p>\n
Another US WWII aircraft found<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Local residents reported the find to a regional map survey team, which has begun investigating the wreckage.<\/p>\n
Team representative Meky Wamea said human remains were found inside the aircraft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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