Page 34 - IB FEB 2018

Business Intelligence

Bougainville says no

THE Bougainville Autonomous Gov-
ernment has rejected the Bougainville
Copper Limited (BCL) Panguna mining
license bid following divisions among
landowners.
According to BCL company secre-
tary Mark Hitchcock, the Bougainville
Government said “it was a tight split
between approval for mining and non-
approval for mining and as it was too
close, they felt that it might lead to
conflict.”
“There are small groups of opposi-
tion but there is always mining and
those opinions have to be listened to
and understood, but as a general rule
we see strong support for mining and
for Bougainville Copper,” Hitchcock
said.
The Bougainville Government also
recently imposed a moratorium on any
company restarting mining at the site.
Hitchcock said BCL would continue
discussions with the Bougainville Gov-
ernment and wouldn’t abandon plans
to restart the mine.
He said it was up to the landowners,
who have the final and ultimate say on
whether they go for mining and who
What’s left of the Panguna mine after years of conflict and violence over its operations. Source : Bougainville
Copper Limited (BCL) website they go mining with.

Trade with Australia is key Regular visitor MS Paul Gaugin, oper- yum said the construction of the e-Centre
The government of Samoa is establish- ated by Paul Gauguin Cruises was the first would be a major step forward in gov-
ing a consulate in Liverpool, Australia to cruise ship to visit the country for the year, ernment’s campaign to bring all Fijians,
boost its trade there. after calling into Aitutaki. regardless of geography, into the fold
The Samoan Consulate in this Sydney Cook Islands Tourism director of desti- to meet the demands of a dynamic 21st
suburb is opened with the hope that it nation development Metua Vaiimene said century economy.
will facilitate trade and investment op- it was the first of six scheduled visits by
portunities. the Paul Gaugin for 2018. ‘Worst major airline’ on fuel
Samoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Other vessels such as the Silver Whisper Qantas has been ranked as the worst
Trade’s Henry Tunupopo was focused on also visit the Cook Islands in February, major airline for fuel efficiency and carbon
establishing his office and building key with Crystal Symphony expected to call emissions when flying across the Pacific.
partnerships that would achieve the pur- in March. In a new study, the International Council
pose of trade and investment opportunities on Clean Transportation (ICCT) analysed
for Samoa. Faster internet for Fiji’s north fuel emissions of 20 major airlines con-
The focus of the role would be to effec- The people of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second ducting trans-Pacific flights.
tively engage and coordinate trade promo- largest island, can expect high-speed in- It ranked Qantas the worst in 2016,
tion and facilitate trade related activities in ternet services as Fiji has commissioned finding that it burned on average 64 per
the interests of Samoa in Australia, based Swedish internet infrastructure specialist cent more fuel per passenger- kilometre
on Samoa’s economic and trade policy Flexenclosure to build an e-Centre cable than the top ranked airlines, China-based
priorities and direction. landing station in Savusavu. Hainan and Japan’s ANA.
The cable will connect to the Tui Samoa The other major Australian carrier,
Growth in Cook Island tourism undersea cable and provide high-capacity Virgin Australia, was ranked sixth in the
Fourteen different cruise ships are and high-availability fibre optic link be- study — only 6 per cent below the top
scheduled to make 24 separate voyages tween Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. performers.
to the Cook Islands this year. Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khai- The study suggested Qantas’s fuel

34 Islands Business, February 2018