Latest News and Information

• Australian company building 500kW solar hybrid plant in Tonga

  Australian solar firm Ingenero has begun construction of a 500kW solar PV project with battery storage that will account for around 13 per cent of the electricity demand on the Tonga island of Vava’u. The first solar panels are already in place (see photo) on the project, which will reduce diesel... Read more ›

  17 May 2013

• Dramatically increased access to mobile phones and lowered call costs in Samoa

  Samoa’s Connected Dramatically increased access to mobile phones and lowered call costs for the Samoan people, with improvements to the postal system Samoans gained vastly enhanced access to phone and mail services, attributable to the Telecommunications and Postal Sector Reform Project that hel... Read more ›

  17 May 2013

• Ageing population Pacific islands not a worry

  SUVA, Fiji --- Fiji and other Pacific islands should not worry about its population ageing facing advanced economies, says Australia’s Griffith University Professor Ross Guest. Presenting at the Pacific conference on Finance and investment held at the Fiji National University last week Professor ... Read more ›

  13 May 2013

• The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) forecasts significant growth in intra-MSG trade

  The Melanesian Spearhead Group says it’s forecasting significant growth in intra-MSG trade for 2013 and 2014 based on statistics and positive developments.The Permanent secretary for Industry and Trade in Fiji, Shaheen Ali, says the period from 2005 to 2009 saw a substantial increase of intra-MSG ... Read more ›

  09 May 2013

• Lessons learned from Solomons’ Temotu tsunami

  Recommendations from communities affected by the tsunami that hit Solomon Islands’ Temotu province in February are to be incorporated into existing plans for dealing with disasters. Tomorrow the National Disaster Management Office and other agencies are taking part in a region-wide drill called P... Read more ›

  09 May 2013

• Solomon Islands: Possible USD$10 Million Funding For SolTuna

  Solomon Islands may soon see changes and expansion to its current infrastructures worth USD$10 million (SBD$80m). Under the proposed expansion and upgrade of SolTuna’s tuna processing plant, it would allow the company to increase its current production capacity from 90 metric tonnes per day to 15... Read more ›

  07 May 2013

• PNG floods at crisis point

  PORT MORESBY, PNG -- The international aid agency Oxfam says the flooding situation in Papua New Guinea's East Sepik province has now reached crisis point. Seven people have been confirmed dead and about 11,500 people have been affected by flooding along the Sepik River. Phillippe Allen, Oxfam Aus... Read more ›

  07 May 2013

• Fiji government to revive pineapple industry

  The Fiji government is planning to revive the pineapple industry to help farmers to boost their income. The Director of extension, Vatimi Rayalu told FBC that Fiji used to export pineapples to New Zealand from Vanua Levu but high transportation costs means this has declined. Mr Rayalu says the gov... Read more ›

  06 May 2013

• Auckland firms urged to donate to Pacific disaster fund

  Auckland companies with links to the Pacific are being urged to stump up 10-thousand New Zealand dollars each to help the islands cope better with cyclones and natural disasters. The call has come from Auckland’s mayor, Len Brown, at the launch of a new Mayoral Fund for the Pacific. It is a resp... Read more ›

  03 May 2013