In the Pacific, since 2014, nine Pacific members have increased taxes on tobacco products. Several have already strengthened their tobacco control legislation which includes packaging and labelling, restrictions on advertising and sponsorship and declaration of smoke-free public spaces.  This was highlighted by SPC’s Pacific Community Director General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga as the world marks ‘World No Tobacco Day’ today.   In the world, tobacco kills around seven million people each year and remains the world’s leading preventable cause of death.   To address this, Pacific Island countries and territories are working with the Pacific Community (SPC) and other partners to implement their respective Tobacco Control programmes.   The Pacific Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Roadmap which was approved by Pacific Ministers at the Joint Economic Forum and Pacific Health Ministers’ meeting in 2014 focuses on tobacco control and sets targets of a gradual increase in...

Following an invitation by the PNG government, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) will be sending a team to observe Papua New Guinea’s National elections this year. The team consisting of a former Fiji President, Ratu Epeli Nailitikau, Vanuatu’s Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Martin Tete, Supervisor of Elections in Fiji, Mr. Mohamed Saneem, Secretary to the MSG Chair, Mr Rence Sore and Member of the Political Bureau of the FLNKS, Mr Phillipe Ajapunya.  The MSG Election observer team will be led by a former Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Sir Francis Billy Hilly.  Sir Francis who was the Solomon Islands Prime Minister from June 1993 to November 1994 also headed the MSG’s Election Observer team to the Vanuatu National Elections last year. This will be the third time for the MSG to participate as observers in the election of a member country. The first was to the Fiji National Elections in 2014 and the second was to the Vanuatu National Elections in 2...

Eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean each year.  As caretakers of the world's largest ocean basin, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) with Members and global partners have committed to four different partnerships for Ocean health. These are now registered in the UN Ocean Conference Registry of Voluntary Commitments - global initiatives for collaborating partners to help implement Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. The United Nations Ocean Conference, to address issues effecting ocean health, is co-hosted by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden. To help inspire efforts on the ground to make a wave of change, the conference is now registering a wide range of Voluntary Commitments, all of which require actions with tangible outcomes. "We have four key areas at SPREP that are at the foundation of our Voluntary Commitments, these are key areas of our Ocean work which is cross-cutting in nature," sai...

The declaration of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) as a pest couldn’t have come at a better time. Just recently a statement issued by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) has applauded the government for declaring the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) as an emergency pest.  Despite the National Government's declaration, the ministry responsible hasn’t been able to keep up with keeping the pests at bay.  Currently the pheromone chemical costs US$6 per day, a cost deemed too expensive by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.  With budget cuts in most Ministries, the Agriculture Ministry was also affected by the cuts, making it impossible for them to carry out an eradication exercise on the Rhino beetle.  For Solomon Islands, coconut and copra is the longest standing commercial small holder income generating activity.  In a report by the Coconut Sector Strategy, it says there are risks that production and exports will decline un...

A Regional workshop on Search and Rescue is currently being held in Auckland, New Zealand.  The aim of this workshop is to improve regional collaboration through formal protocols and communication to ensure the SAR response in countries is the same throughout the Pacific. In his opening address, Director Maritime New Zealand, Keith Manch said “the Pacific’s wild weather and vast distances make it a challenging location for search and rescue. We’re privileged to host this workshop – it’s a key event for building SAR relationships and capability across the region.” SPC Deputy Director Transport, Thierry Nervale in his keynote address said: “an effective and successful search and rescue operation is always founded on good coordination and cooperation between leading and supporting agencies, at national, regional and international levels.” “No single agency can effectively deliver search and rescue services. It requires many partners, agencies and volunteers to share wil...

The national government has been applauded by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) for making the declaration of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle as an emergency pest. The Chamber as a member of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Committee (CRBC) has been highlighting the urgency to eradicate the beetles since last year. SICCI CEO, Dennis Meone said, the foreign beetle is a threat to the coconut and oil palm sector.  He says it is evident that farmers and businesses in these sectors are already feeling the effects of these beetles. Many farmers and families rely on these commodities for income generation and basic survival as well as for employment.   For the country’s economy, coconut and oil palm are critical resources both commercially and on a subsistence level. Mr Meone says “It’s a relief that our government has taken the positive step in making this a national emergency issue and we urge all stakeholders including the Government, busines...

‘I started off with no capital, no money, just these ideas..! I am a risk taker” were the words uttered by entrepreneur Ender Rence.   Running a business and making it work is a big challenge and it takes courage to step out of the comfort zone, into the unknown. It has been 3 years now since Ender quit employment in the formal sector and decided to team up with her husband to run a business of their own, called ‘Imperial Travel Service’. Ever since they entered into the niche market of ‘meet and greet’, she says they haven’t regretted their decision.  ‘Gina, now I can rent a house with my own money for $2000.00, $3000.00, something which my previous employers couldn’t’, she says. Ender & family  Currently business is good and Ender has her business plans all laid up for the coming years.  'It is my aim to employ people to work for me in my business.  It is one way in which I can give back to my country, by providing employment for our p...

The decision to relocate the entire Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) to a new rented Office building at Ranadi in East Honiara was made for a number of genuine reasons. The Minister for Rural Development Hon. Jimson Tanangada explained the relocation exercise following continued calls by the Opposition Leader in both Parliament and the media in recent weeks. Hon. Tanangada said the run-down state of the former SMI Building coupled with lack of space to accommodate the 200 staff members of the Ministry are amongst the reasons for their decision to relocate early this year. He explained that the former SMI Building is very old and heavily invested with termites with continued leakages during wet seasons which have caused ongoing damages to office equipment, files and other properties. Furthermore, as a result of the old state of the SMI building, there were threats of fire hazards due to electrical defects which have caused a fire incident during the 2016 Christmas period. Accord...

The Minister for Rural Development, Honorable Jimson Tanagada has been challenged by the Parliamentary Opposition Group to reveal the rental cost of the new MRD office at Ranadi. The Opposition Group said that the Minister has promised to provide details of the rental costs when questioned in Parliament recently but failed to do so. The Opposition questioned why the Minister has chosen to withhold vital information that should be made known to taxpayers of this country. Minister Tanagada (Photo SIBC) The Parliamentary Opposition Office said that it has also received information from sources within MRD that the allocation for rental costs for the whole year has already been exhausted in the first quarter. “If this is the case then it means that the rental costs for the new office up at Ranadi is very high compared to the one at SMI,” it said. Meanwhile, the Opposition Office reiterated its earlier call in questioning the relocation of the office from SMI to Rana...

The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) has announced the winners of its annual PNA World Tuna Day Art and Talent Quest. Singer/musician duo Raychel & Richard Narruhn from FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA won the First Prize and $USD 3000 for their original composition “We Call Out to the World” (viewable on the  PNA Tuna Facebook page ). Runners Up Prizes of $500 were awarded to DARRYL MEGIARNI from PAPUA NEW GUINEA for his poem “How Many?” and LLOYD NEWTON from SOLOMON ISLANDS for his painting “How people see tuna”  LLOYD NEWTON (SOLOMON ISLANDS) painting “How people see tuna”  A Community Prize of $1000 USD was awarded to a women’s group entry by Mwoakilloa women (directed by Emihner Johnson) for their Winehk (bird school) dance depicting tuna fishing and consumption in Pohnpei, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA (viewable on the  PNA Tuna Facebook page ). In 2011, PNA...