Page 9 - IB July 2018

Whispers

Red bank buys blue t
So the blue bank is bleeding red with
the announcement finally by the ANZ Irrelevancy of Candidates
Group that its retail, commercial and Each new day brings interesting tit bits
SME banking operations in Papua New along the cocktail circles of Suva as the
Guinea has been sold to Kina Bank, the island nation prepares for a general elec- Front Page Limited
country’s fourth largest bank with listings tion on a date yet to be revealed. One day 117 Amy Street
in both the Australian and Port Moresby there was news of a new political party PO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands.
Stock Exchanges. While the handover seeking registration to contest the polls, Tel: +679 330 3108, 330 8795.
won’t happen until 2019, ANZ is saying which apparently has been supported Email: advertising@islandsbusiness.com
the sale includes all of its 15 branches in by over 200 signatures of supporters of Circulation & Distribution
PNG, and that it will now concentrate on another different party. They now say that Sara Vafoou
its bigger clients of institutional and large they have resigned from the other party. svafoou@islandsbusiness.com
corporations. At one stage, they were This happens as another party begins the subs@islandsbusiness.com
strong whisphers that the blue bank was tedious process of interviewing potential Accounts
going to bleed lime green especially in candidates, the main question being their accounts@islandsbusiness.com
Solomons, Vanuatu and Fiji, but ANZ has willingness to be subserviant to the Regional and local magazine sales agents
made it clear that the sale is limited to its number one in the party. Their electoral Sanatan Bookshop - Tebara Shopping Complex
PNG operations only. number which will appear in the ballot Nausori Airport Bookshop – Nausori
papers is irrelevant, the candidates have Kundan Singh Supermarket – Tamavua, Suva, Fiji
t been warned. Lami Pharmacy – Main Street, Lami
Total Lami - Lami Town
t
Methodist Bookstore – Stewart Street, Suva, Fiji
Suva Bookshop – Downtown Boulevard, Suva, Fiji
MHCC – Suva, Fiji
Textbook Wholesalers – Bsp Centre Suva, Fiji
Kays Kona Shop – Dolphin Plaza, Suva, Fiji
USP Bookcentre – USP, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji
Samabula Drugstore – Samabula, Suva, Fiji
Kundan Singh Supermarket – Arts Village, Pacific
Harbour, Fiji
Number crunching Tappoo outlets – Fijiwide
Reports that two more opposition Gulabdas & Sons – Beach Road, Levuka, Fiji
MPs in PNG have crossed the floor to
join the ruling coalition government of Stop Press – Port Vila, Vanuatu
Prime Minister O’Neil has sent a few po- Paper boycott bites Nouvelle Messageries
litical analysts into doing some number So did the three-week newspaper boy- Caledoniennes de Presse – Noumea, New
crunching. Now with the government cott nationwide in Papua New Guinea Caledonia
numbers boosted to 88 out of the opposi- instigated by an opposition MP working? Robert Reimers Enterprises – Majuro, Marshall
tion’s 23, one analyst says all it takes is Not so says one of the two dailies, pro- Islands
for all the non-members of PM O’Neill’s moting MP Bryan Kramer to extend the Hachette Pacifique – Papeete, French Polynesia
People’s Party Congress, about 45 of ban for an additional three weeks. And Yap Cooperative Association – Colonia, YAP, FSM
them, to withdraw their support and join this time, the parliamentarian vows to One Stop Stores – Bairiki, Kiribati
the opposition to form the next govern- extend the boycott to include newspaper Pacific Supplies – Rarotonga, Cook Islands
ment. But as the saying goes, its easily advertisers, lobbying them to reconsider Boroko Foodworld – Boroko, PNG
said than done given for one thing, the buying advertising pages. The campaign Pacific & Occidental Capelle & Partners – Yaren,
18-month grace period offered new gov- Kramer says is done to weed out corrup- Nauru
ernments where confidence motion could tion in newspaper companies because they South Seas Traders – Alofi, Niue
not be entertained, plus the fact that the employ some journalists who are paid by Friendly Islands Bookshop – Nuku’alofa, Tonga
opposition would have to outbid O’Neill politicians including those in government National Stationery Supplies – Honiara, Solomon
in the carrots they will dangle, and not to write stories in their favour, an accusa- Islands
to mention the proverbial big elephant in tion both newspapers supported by the WCTC – Meketii, T- Dock, Koror, Palau 96940
the room as to who will be the alterna- Media Council of PNG have vehemently
tive PM. denied. Kiribati Newstar – Bairiki, Kiribati
UPNG Bookshop – Waigani, PNG
Wesley Bookshop – Apia, Samoa
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