Pacific news in brief for 23 July
Photo:
Tonga High Commission Canberra
Tonga's Civil Aviation Office has temporarily lifted its suspension of Lulutai Airlines engineering licence.
The Office took action against Tonga's only domestic airline on Friday, due to breaches of Civil Aviation rules.
It said it is now satisfied all non-compliances identified have been resolved.
It also warned any further breaches could trigger the reinstatement of the suspension, and it will be closely monitoring.
Last week's grounding of Lulutai Airlines two aircraft left dozens of travellers stranded on Ha'apai over the weekend.
The director general of the justice ministry says the minister is awaiting legal advice before deciding on next steps for a Commission of Inquiry report into Vanuatu citizenship and related matters.
The
Vanuatu Daily Post
reports the inquiry was launched to investigate alleged irregularities in the country's citizenship programme which has faced scrutiny domestically and internationally in recent years.
Arthur Faerua confirmed the report has been completed and was officially handed over to the minister in May.
He said legally justice minister Job Andy has full authority to decide on next steps but he is seeking advice from the State Law Office on which parts of the report can be made public.
The leader of the opposition Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau recently called on prime minister Jotham Napat to release the report directly to the public and not to the Council of Ministers.
Kalsakau argues the public deserves full access to the report, particularly if it involves national leaders.
Bougainville's government has given a one million kina cheque to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to help re-establish air services in the region.
The ABG chief secretary Kearnneth Nanei said the cheque symbolises the government's appreciation of MAF, and their ongoing partnership.
He said the government is committed to opening up Bougainville's airspace.
Nanei said it is part of the promise of open skies in Bougainville within 10 years, and the re-activation of airstrips in Nissan, Buin, Torokina, Oria, and in mountainous communities.
A Commonwealth delegation will be in Tonga this week for a number of workshops.
Dr Elizabeth Macharia, acting head of the Commonwealth's Rule of Law Section, will host dialogue on the Latimer House Principles, for members of the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
Adopted by Commonwealth countries in 2003, the Latimer House Principles are a set of guidelines to make sure that democracy functions effectively by keeping the executive, legislature, and judiciary independent, accountable and respectful of each other's roles.
The workshops this week are at the request of the Tongan government.
Palau's President is asking the national congress to approve US$237,000 to open an Embassy in Canberra, Australia.
The Island Times
reports Surangel Whipps Jr says establishing a diplomatic mission in Canberra could strengthen bilateral ties and ensure Australia's continued engagement.
He told the news outlet that, whether Palau likes it or not by December 2026, it will no longer be eligible for financial assistance from the EU.
Whipps said traditional allies like Japan, the United States and Taiwan are expected to continue supporting Palau while Australia remains undecided.
The funding request is included in the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026.
Tourism in Fiji has slowed down slightly, with lower annual visitor numbers and earnings in the summer months.
The Fiji Bureau of Statistics has recorded a 0.3 percent decrease in tourism revenue between the March 2024 and 2025 quarters.
This corresponds with a 4 percent decrease in visitor numbers, or around 10,000 fewer visitors, over the same period.
The Bureau puts this down to fewer visitors from neighbouring Pacific nations and territories.
Pacific Trade Ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system.
The comments were made during the Forum's Trade Ministers meeting last week.
Ministers agreed given the Pacific's geographic challenges, countries need to work together through regional initiatives.
The initiatives include the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development and the Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy.
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