Page 8 - November 2021 IB FINAL

Briefs Briefs

Fiji
American Samoa Fiji reopens its borders to international tourists on December
Foreigners living illegally in American Samoa have the chance 1, and the response has been better than hoped. Fiji Airways
to legalise their status under an immigration amnesty. They has booked 30,000 passengers for December and 40,000 for
will need to show they have a valid passport, are fully vac- January, with that figure likely to increase, dependent on
cinated, have job prospects and a sponsor and have court and room availability. Meanwhile Australian actress Rebel Wilson
health clearances. Applications for amnesty must be lodged by has been in the country filming a campaign to advertise Fiji
December 13.
holidays to international audiences.

More than 40 pyramid schemes are being investigated by the
CNMI Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission. At their peak
Northern Marianas Governor Ralph Torres has signed a bill this year, an estimated 500 illegal gifting circles were running
lifting the statute of limitation for child sex abuse cases, al- across Fiji, with over 30,000 people involved.
lowing victims to sue for civil claims regardless of the date of
the incident. Torres hopes the new law motivates victims who
have been afraid to come out and encourages the community
to be advocates for victims by providing support and protec- French Polynesia
tion. Tahiti has won its bid to host the 2027 Pacific Games. French
Polynesia last staged the multi-sport event in 1995. It won the
A recently passed U.S. House of Representatives infrastruc- hosting rights over Vanuatu in a vote this month.
ture bill will fund highway improvements, a public transport
system and broadband subsidies in CNMI once it is signed by
U.S. President Joe Biden. The Infrastructure Investment and Guam
Jobs Act also aims to modernise U.S. airports. CNMI will also
be able to bid for funds to improve water and wastewater Guam has taken another step towards a cannabis industry,
infrastructure. with the Public Health Director Arthur San Agustin contracting
a firm to provide lab tests and other regulatory systems nec-
essary to establish the industry. “With the selection of Metrc
as our provider, we now can begin to build the framework
Cook Islands of Guam’s cannabis regulatory system. We look forward to
Cook Islands finance secretary Garth Henderson believes the working cohesively in creating an industry that will cultivate
economy will return to pre-pandemic Gross Domestic Product medical treatment and revenue for the people of Guam,” San
levels by 2025/6. But he has stopped short of following Prime Agustin said.
Minister Mark Brown in stating debt levels will also return to
pre-pandemic levels in that timeframe. PM Brown said the Taiwan’s Marine Corps has sent a platoon of 40 marines for a
net debt ratio (debt measured against GDP) will reduce from month-long amphibious landing training at the U.S military
41.9% now, to 22% in 2025/26. “We are running a country on base on Guam to enhance their combat capabilities amid
debt,” Henderson said in his more cautious assessment. threats from China. Taiwanese Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-
cheng has confirmed the deployment of the elite platoon for
combat training, telling local media: “This (training) is also a
Federated States of Micronesia part of the cycle of exchanges… There is no need to specu-
The bilateral Joint Economic Management Committee late.”
(JEMCO) has approved a total of US$95 million in fiscal 2022
Compact funding for the Federated States of Micronesia and
Marshall Islands. The FSM will receive $61 million, while the Kiribati
Marshall Islands will get $34 million in grants approved by Kiribati will open the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)
their respective bilateral committees earlier this year. The up to commercial fishing. The government says demand for
Compact grants are earmarked for education and health care fishing permits has declined 8% since PIPA was established,
projects in the FSM and Marshall Islands. JEMCO also approved representing tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue, and
$17.6 million for infrastructure projects - to design and build that this could affect future allocations of Kiribati’s vessel day
schools, health centres and sporting facilities in Chuuk and scheme (VDS) share via its participation in the Parties to the
Yap. Nauru Agreement.

8 Islands Business, November 2021