Islands Business - WHISPERS

Forum witch-hunt: The leak of a draft report on the Pacific Plan forced the Forum Secretariat (ForumSec) to launch a witch-hunt to find out who leaked the document to ISLANDS BUSINESS.
The premature release of the draft report—only a few days after it was presented to the ForumSec—angered ForumSec officials so much so that they decided to hold the consultant's pay, WHISPERS has been told. The ForumSec has so far paid only two months salary totalling A$20,000. Two more months salary is yet to be paid despite the fact that she has completed her task. Interestingly, the witchunt was later called off in a hurry. Did they find out who leaked? Sources close to the Forum suspected the leak was from one of their own and the million-dollar question is: Will he or she be punished?

Regional tug of war? Mammoth they say is the tug of war taking place behind the scenes over a decision to move a regional agency out of Fiji. The decision to close SOPAC’s Nabua office and move most of its operations to Samoa’s Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was taken by the Forum leaders. But executives of SOPAC, backed up rather belatedly by its host government, are now resisting the move and asking the powers that be to reconsider. Another report on the proposed merger is out, but still SOPAC and Fiji are not giving up just yet. Ironic in many ways is the fact that the current head of SOPAC was appointed to be the new boss of SPREP but turned the offer down reportedly due to the marked variance in benefits. Meanwhile, a review of SPREP done recently was critical of the regional organisation. It said that greater transparency, accountability, sensitivity, including to gender equity, is required in SPREP’s processes such as recruitment, contract renewal or termination, awarding salary increments to individual staff and funding/support decisions. “The secretariat is not operating in ways that are consistent with good practice in organisational management, which is having a negative impact on staff morale and productivity,” the review said.

Another Aussie for Forum job? Word is that Dr Chakriya Bowman is headed to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to be the new Director for Economic Governance. It’s been whispered to WHISPERS that she will replace Dr Roman Grynberg whose contract was not renewed. Apparently, she was in Samoa for the Forum Trade Ministers meeting. Would her appointment have some serious implications for the Office of the Chief Trade Advisor (PACER-Plus), which will be temporary placed with the Forum Secretariat until it moves to Vanuatu? Bowman is the Trade Advisor to AusAID’s Pacific Group. She has responsibility for trade policy issues ranging from WTO and “aid for trade” through to Pacific economic integration, trade agreements and bilateral trade issues. Previously, Bowman worked on trade policy for AusAID’s Asia regional programme, where she managed trade and APEC programmes. Immediately prior to joining AusAID, she worked in the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University on projects including the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research and the Advancing East Asian Integration series of policy-maker meetings. She is the author of “The Naked Investor: Uncovering the Secrets of the Australian Financial Markets” and speaks regularly on the topic of trade and development. At some stage in her distant past, she was a computer systems engineer and worked for CSC and Boeing. Is the Forum Secretariat becoming Australianised?

Racial profiling: A holder of Fiji’s navy blue passport got the shock of his life when he was singled out by Sydney Airport border officials and shown to a small room. Inside, two officials showed him a letter written in Arabic and when the startled Fijian explained that he unfortunately does not read Arabic but Fijian and English only, he was told they needed to test his luggage for explosives. They also gave him a good physical body search. What apparently sent them off in the wrong path was the beard the shocked visitor had grown. So who said racial profiling had long gone?

Changing times: Solomon Islands’ political boss appeared to have learnt from events in PNG earlier this year what the gold liquid could do to even the mighty. There, in Port Moresby, he missed the photo opportunity with other Pacific Islands Forum Leaders. Reports on his recent 29-day junket in Asia suggests he’s truly learnt. One observer said in Taipei, he didn’t take too much of the gold liquid and was prompt to all his appointments. One report suggests the change or perhaps the lull was due to his wife being there with him, proving the adage that behind every leader is a great woman. Nothing’s been said about his stint in Indonesia and later in Japan

Running out of cash: Solomons’ Foreign Minister William Haomae reportedly presented each of his ACP Council of Ministers stringed shell money in appreciation for their support to get Solomon Islands take the Chair of the ACP Council of Ministers. Little did his counterparts know that in the end, Haomae, accompanied by his wife, Felistas, had to get one of his officers' allowance to pay for a meal one evening in Brussels. But that’s just a tip of the iceberg. His officials found that the minister’s delegation of seven, had run out of money to pay hotel bills. An SOS was sent to Honiara for more dough and in came $150,000 [US$18,930]. As this was inadequate, a further $400,000 [US$50,480] was requested and granted. Solomon Islands’ taxpayers are wondering what happened to the initial $300,000 given to the delegation when it left Honiara.

From backpackers to flashpackers: You have backpackers, now the islands have been told to prepare to entice flashpackers! This emerging category of travellers are said to be graduates from their backpacking days, are into their 30s, have stable jobs and more importantly, have the money to flash around. Australia, experts say, is a leader in the flashpacker market, which explains why newer operators there are offering a mixture of backpacker dormitories and motels.

Guam’s lucrative market: It would be no surprise if some islands around the Pacific are now wondering whether Guam is still part of the region.
Despite high hopes that the expansion of the US base in the Pacific territory will open up Guam’s lucrative labour market to its southern neighbours, talks aimed at pursuing this potential has stalled. There’s no interest, complained a senior regional official and he was not talking about the islands countries. Now with Continental Micronesia, which uses Guam as a hub, expressing an interest to fly to Fiji, hopes have again soared that talks for a possible work scheme could be resurrected.

Learning or dobbing trip? It’s not the best of time for scribes in our part of the waters, but still some of us are striking it lucky some days. Like the award-winning journalist who added another feather to his bulging cap of achievements when he was given a fellowship to study the media industry in Australia. The man thought he was off for a month of learning. On his return though, he would be forgiven if he was confused as to who really was the pupil. His arrival at one particular city saw a dramatic change in the programme as he was taken from one briefing to the next, all throughout his stay. Was it because of his job or was it because of the contacts he has?

Diplomatic rating: A popularity contest has crept into the midst of one of the powerful diplomatic missions in the region. On a scale of one to 10, this diplomatic head ranks a low one. His predecessors were not only high in office but high in popularity. This one may be too high up the floor to come down to earth they say and he does not mix with his local staff. Shucks – the things people say about their bosses.

Asco way: When the bosses of car giants Asco Motors arrived in Suva to launch their new servicing centre, they did not take advantage of the hundreds of cars parked out in the nearby carpark or the availability of the top of the range four-wheel drives. Coming from as far as Tokyo and Sydney, they all got into one Pajero when they left the function. A lesson in cost cutting—it should start from the top like the good people at Asco have shown us— Oh what a feeling!

Aggressive marketing: Talk about aggressive selling…well Digicel PNG has been seen in various offices in Port Moresby selling their Blackberry mobile phone deals and there was no sign of B Mobile. Appears, the Digicel Blackberries are selling like hot cakes.

Still on PNG…there seems to be a new money-making scam doing the rounds there. Just recently, there’s been a number kidnapping incidents where money is being demanded. One such case involved the kidnapping of a close relative of NASFUND’s top executive.

Hotel room shortage: PNG will run short of accommodation once the LNG gas project gets underway. Already, parties to the gas project are hunting for accommodation to accommodate at least 8000 expatriate workers who will be based there.
There were talks of the gas project people buying out the top four hotels in POM, but the PNG government was not allowing that. So the gas people have gone into block-booking rooms.
In one particular hotel, the gas people were prepared to fork out 7000 kina a week for one apartment. And they want 24 apartments. Imagine the downside of that! It will now be more expensive for locals and tourists to stay in a hotel and that is if there are rooms available.
To try and at least solve the room shortage problem, WHISPERS has been reliably told that several options are now being looked at. One such option is the acquisition of a floating hotel. And apparently a top business executive has been tasked to look into this. The top brass was last month in Asia, and WHISPERS could not confirm whether the trip was to do with the floating hotel.

Super fuss: The recent removal of a superannuation fund board has raised the ire of various people outside and particularly within. A heated discussion was the order of the day in a certain high level meeting of the disciplined society. Some orderly individuals did not remain so orderly but in the end everyone knows what side of their bread is buttered. Particularly with the lower ranks in solidarity behind the boss. Oh and now it is out with the old and in with the new. Who knows—we may see Fijian Holdings getting the loan that the last board rejected for the controversial BP Oil deal—oops, two different stories here, then again as they say, you never know.

Mistaken identity: It has always been the case of mistaken identity for Fiji’s defence minister Ratu Epeli Ganilau. He has the same first two names with Fiji’s vice-president Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. At a Fijian Holdings Limited (FHL) Memorandum of Understanding signing in Suva late last month, Fijian Holdings Limited boss addressed him as Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. Ganilau said this was the second time it has happened. FHL chairman Isoa Kaloumaira said his name in full after that to correct it. After the formalities, the FHL boss realised and apologised amidst laughter from both Ganilau and Kaloumaira.

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