Page 4 - IB May 2021

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to another issue from Fiji, where a single breach in COVID-19 protocols
at a quarantine centre has seen us enter into our second month of strict restric-
tions on movement, business and life in general. As I write this, we have almost 100
active cases of COVID-19 reported in the country, most of them transmitted in the
Managing Director / Publisher community.
Samisoni Pareti
This number may seem small in comparison to the caseload we’ve seen in Papua
Managing Editor
Samantha Magick New Guinea, French Polynesia and Guam, let alone India and the United States. And
the partial lockdown we are experiencing may seem short compared to many other
parts of the world. But the impact has been devastating.

Designer A hard lockdown in Fiji’s most populous area, the Suva-Nausori corridor, saw
Dick Lee people queue in desperation for a $90 payment the day before we were all confined
to our homes and all stores closed for four days. It was a scene that must have
Contributors frustrated the health administrators, doctors and nurses working so hard to stop
Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola community transmission and large gatherings. But it also demonstrated the financial
Bernadette H. Carreon pain being felt by many in the community, as only essential services are allowed to
Debbie Singh operate, and the informal sector grinds to a halt.
Dennis Rounds
Non-government organisations have made enormous efforts to feed and keep
Iliesa Tora
people in locked-down areas stocked with essential supplies, but they too are feel-
Monica Miller
ing the strain. Just this week one of the most prominent ones working in Fiji’s west
Netani Rika
reported that their offices had been broken into. Basic foodstuffs were taken— rice,
Nic Maclellan
flour, sugar and baby milk.
Satish Chand
We look to other parts of the Pacific with hope that there is light at the end of
the tunnel; the opening of a travel bubble between New Zealand and Cook Islands,
signs of economic recovery in Papua New Guinea, even the on-again, off-again
Islands Business is published monthly by
Front Page Pte Limited travel bubble between Palau and Taiwan.
Editorial & Advertising Offices And we especially acknowledge the efforts of our development partners to get
GPO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands. vaccines into the Pacific (more on that in our cover story on page 12). We urge them
Tel: +679 9719660
and local health authorities to ensure that there is equity in the deployment of vac-
Emails cines and that all our people get access to protection, including those in vulnerable
Editorial: editor@islandsbusiness.com remote, island and rural communities. Fiji has started mobile vaccination clinics
Subscriptions: subs@islandsbusiness.com now which are taking vaccines to the community. It’s an important next step, and
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we hope it will mean we can write with more cause for optimism next month.
Until then, take care
Printing:
PrintHouse, Suva, Fiji.

editor@islandsbusiness.com

January 2021 FJD $8
www.islandsbusiness.com www.islandsbusiness.com February 2021 FJD $8

THE ECONOMIC DIAGNOSIS • TC YASA • FIJI’S FISHING CRISIS PACIFIC REGIONALISM
Tonga .............................P10.00
Solomon Islands ............. SL$20.00
Solomon Islands ............. SL$30.00
Samoa ............................T10.00
Tuvalu .........................AU$10.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
New Zealand .................NZ$10.00
Hawaii ........................US$10.00
Palau ..........................US$10.00
New Zealand .................. NZ$6.00
Niue ............................ NZ$6.00
Tuvalu .......................... AU$6.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Kiribati ........................AU$10.00
Hawaii ......................... US$6.00
Kiribati ......................... AU$6.00
Palau ........................... US$6.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Australia .......................AU$6.00
Papua New Guinea .............K15.00
Australia ......................AU$10.00 French Polynesia .............. CPF500 Niue ...........................NZ$10.00 Tonga .............................P10.00
Federated States of Micronesia ......
Cook Islands ................... NZ$6.00
Samoa ............................T12.00
FSM ............................US$10.00
Nauru .........................AU$10.00
Marshall Islands .............. US$6.00
Cook Islands ..................NZ$10.00 Marshall Islands .............US$10.00 Papua New Guinea .............K10.00 Federated States of Micronesia ...... Rebuild, Reform or Re-shape?
Nauru .......................... AU$6.00
Fiji Islands.......................F$8.00
Australia ......................AU$10.00
Australia ....................... AU$6.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
Fiji Islands.......................F$4.35
FSM ............................US$10.00
Cook Islands ..................NZ$10.00
US$6.00
Cook Islands ................... NZ$6.00
US$6.00
French Polynesia .............. CPF500
Fiji Islands.......................F$8.00
French Polynesia .............. CPF500
Hawaii ........................US$10.00
Hawaii ......................... US$6.00
Kiribati ........................AU$10.00
Fiji Islands.......................F$4.35
French Polynesia .............. CPF500
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Nauru .........................AU$10.00
New Zealand .................NZ$10.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
Marshall Islands .............US$10.00
Kiribati ......................... AU$6.00
Marshall Islands .............. US$6.00
Nauru .......................... AU$6.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
Niue ...........................NZ$10.00
New Zealand .................. NZ$6.00
Palau ..........................US$10.00
Palau ........................... US$6.00
Niue ............................ NZ$6.00
Samoa ............................T10.00
Solomon Islands ............. SL$30.00
Papua New Guinea .............K15.00
Solomon Islands ............. SL$20.00
Samoa ............................T12.00
Papua New Guinea .............K10.00
Tonga .............................P10.00
Tonga .............................P10.00
Tuvalu .........................AU$10.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Tuvalu ..........................AU$6.00
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4 Islands Business, May 2021