NEWSPAGE 28 January
2011

(Photo: spacific pr)

NEW ZEALAND: 645KM cancer bike ride set to promote health care for Pacific men

(Photo: Samoa Observer)

SAMOA: Samoa tops world economic freedom ranking for Pacific
Source: Samoa Observer

The 2010 Wall Street Journal-Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom has put Samoa highest among Pacific Island countries.

Samoa is 84th among the 179 countries listed, with Fiji two places behind in 86th place.
Vanuatu and Tonga make the top 120 countries, while Solomon Islands and Kiribati are in the bottom quarter.
The report says Samoa’s weaknesses include a small, underdeveloped financial sector, which does not supply adequate financing for entrepreneurial activity, and significant barriers to foreign investment.

It says in Fiji corruption and the weak rule of law undermines productivity, and financial freedom has deteriorated as a result of continuing state interference.

Meanwhile, higher government spending failed to arrest a slight gain in New Zealand’s ranking as one of the most economically free in the world.

The 2010 Wall Street Journal-Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom maintains New Zealand’s fourth ranking behind Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

While New Zealand’s score of 82.3 was o.2 points up on the previous year, Australia’s slipped by 0.1 point.

Hong Kong, with a score of 89.7, held the first place for the 17th year and was well above the world average of 59. Another “capitalist” territory of China, Macau, was fifth, while China itself ranked a lowly 135 out of the 183 economies surveyed.

"Hong Kong, one of the world's most competitive financial and business centres, demonstrated a high degree of resilience during the global financial crisis," the report said.

Freedom in trade and finance was the biggest boost to Hong Kong's ranking, while inve
stment freedom and property rights, business and monetary freedom all scored highly.

The US fell to ninth freest from eighth last year and the UK slipped to 16th place from 11th in 2010 due to more policy responses to the global economic turmoil, the report added.

New Zealand was weakest in government spending among the 10 criteria, with a score of just 49.3 compared with an average of 63.9. The NZ score was down two points, offset by gains in other criteria.

North Korea ranked 179th, at the bottom of the list with a score of 1.0, followed by Zimbabwe in 178th place with a score of 22.1. Afghanistan, Iraq, Liechtenstein and Sudan were unranked.

Rank Economy Overall score (out of 100)
1 Hong Kong 89.7
2 Singapore 87.2
3 Australia 82.5
4 New Zealand 82.3
5 Switzerland 81.9
6 Canada 80.8
7 Ireland 78.7
8 Denmark 78.6
9 USA 77.8
10 Bahrain 77.7


HOW THE RANKING IS DETERMINED

What is economic freedom?

Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property.

In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, with that freedom both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself.


How do you measure economic freedom?

We measure ten components of economic freedom, assigning a grade in each using a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the maximum freedom.

The ten component scores are then averaged to give an overall economic freedom score for each country. The ten components of economic freedom are:

Business Freedom, Trade Freedom, Fiscal Freedom, Government Spending, Monetary Freedom, Investment Freedom, Financial Freedom, Property Rights, Freedom from Corruption and Labour Freedom.

Photo Caption: Losivale Palepa Tulaga shows off her business skills in Apia.
 

(Photo: U.S. House of Representatives)

AMERICAN SAMOA: 9 Medicare beneficiaries to receive prescription drug cost relief
Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Press Release

Congressman Faleomavaega has commended Secretary Sebelius and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for their hard work to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). DHHS recently announced that 9 Medicare beneficiaries in American Samoa, and three million people nationwide, have received prescription drug cost relief through the Affordable Care Act. These eligible beneficiaries have been mailed a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate check.

“One of the objectives of the Affordable Care Act is to help seniors and Medicare beneficiaries pay for prescription drugs by providing cost relief to eligible beneficiaries in the States and the Territories, and I want to acknowledge the efforts of my fellow colleagues who worked together to ensure that the Territories were included in this historic legislation, especially the Territorial Delegates,” Faleomavaega said. “I also want to commend Secretary Sebelius for her leadership and DHHS for its work in implementing these provisions of the Act.”

The seniors who will benefit from these provisions are those who fall into the coverage gap, known as the donut hole. Covering this gap has remained a problem for many years and is one of the many issues that the Act addresses.

These rebate checks are only the first step in how the Act will reduce prescription drug costs for beneficiaries in the donut hole each year until the gap is closed in 2020. Following this first phase of implementation, this year Medicare will offer a 50-percent discount on covered brand name medications and begin paying 7-percent of the price for generic drugs for eligible beneficiaries in the donut hole.

“For a fuller description of how the program works, I am including a press release issued by HHS and, once more, I want to thank my colleagues in Congress, especially the other Territorial Delegates, for working together to make sure that those living in the Territories will continue to benefit from the many provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that have yet to take effect,” Faleomavaega concluded.

Photo Caption: Congressman Eni Faleomavaega.
 

COOK ISLANDS: China gifts $1.94 million to the Cook Islands
Source: Cook Islands News

A Chinese delegation signed an agreement yesterday to gift $1.94 million to the Cook Islands government.

The money is a grant, not a loan, so it doesn’t need to be repaid. The government has free reign on what they will spend the money on.

As yet the government has not decided what will be done with the money - but the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Jim Gosselin said that environmental projects and training projects have already been given some consideration.

Gosselin said that the ministries were being invited to put proposals for projects together so that the money could be distributed by the end of the year.

The special envoy from China Du Qiwen and Prime Minister Henry Puna presided over a meeting of diplomats from China, including ambassador Xu Jianguo and five members of the Cook Islands Cabinet. The meeting included the signing of the framework agreement to give the Cook Islands the grant.

Prime Minister Henry Puna said, “My government appreciate the interest shown by China in the relationship with the Cook Islands over the last 13 years. This agreement on economic and technical co-operation will offer support for our development plans.”

China’s Du Qiwen said “The Chinese government feel that 13 years after establishing a diplomatic relationship with the Cook Islands, the relationship is a good example of developing relationships based on equality and mutual benefit, regardless of how big or small, rich or poor, weak or strong the counties are.

“It is our policy to our friends in developing countries that we should try within our means to give help to countries for the betterment of people’s lives. As a developing country we are working towards the same objectives - a modern economy, a modern society and an improvement of standards for our people.

“We have successfully carried out a few projects on construction and are happy that they have contributed to development efforts of government and been well received by the people.”
 

(Photo: Oceania Football Confederation)

FIJI: Fiji plot beach soccer success
Source: Oceania Football Confederation Press Release

Coach Intiaz Khan has named an 18-member squad he hopes will bring the OFC Beach Soccer Championship title, and with it qualification for the World Cup, to Fiji.

The squad will go into camp this Sunday as Khan steps up his preparations for the event, which will be held in Tahiti from February 22 to 26. There is much at stake for the four participating teams as the winner will go on to represent Oceania at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011, set to take place in Ravenna, Italy during September.

Fiji will be joined at the Oceania qualifiers by defending champions Solomon Islands, reigning runners-up Vanautu and hosts Tahiti.

The Bilikiki, as the Solomon Islands side is known, have dominated past tournaments and will go into this year's edition as hot favourites. The Bilikiki have represented Oceania at four consecutive FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups since 2006 and posted a 7-6 win over Uruguay, then ranked fourth in the world, at the 2009 event.

Fiji took part in the last OFC championship in 2009 and posted a fourth place finish after losing 6-3 to Tahiti in the 3rd/4th play-off.

But Fiji Football Association technical director Saiyad Ali believes there is plenty of talent in the current crop and is backing them to challenge for the title this time.

"I had a meeting with Intiaz and we have mapped out our plans," Ali says. "It is more straightforward for Fiji to qualify for the Beach Soccer World Cup than other tournaments as this code does not require as many tactics and techniques as futsal and the 11-a-side game."

Ali adds that fitness will be a major focus of the team's preparations for Tahiti 2011.

"Players need to be fit and able to adapt to the code quickly. Most of our squad members are occupied with their districts and that should keep them fit as we prepare for the play-offs," he says.

Khan's side has been drawn to meet Solomon Islands in the tournament's opening game and will go on to face Tahiti on day two, before squaring off against Vanuatu on day three.

The fourth day of action will see the sides finishing first and second on the points table fight for a World Cup place in the final, while the other two teams will play-off for third.


Fiji squad for OFC Beach Soccer Championship Tahiti 2011:

Simione TAMANISAU Rewa
Epeli SAUKURU Rewa
Archie WATKINS Rewa
Esava NAQELECA Suva
Benaminio MATEINAQARA Navua
Sheik MOSHIN Navua
Rajinesh RAJU Navua
Ratu Josefata DUGUCAGI Nadi
Kamal HASSAN Lautoka
Alvin AVINESH Lautoka
Valerio NAWATU Lautoka
Samuela DRUDRU Lautoka
Luke RAWADAMU Nadroga
Sanaila CAGAICA Nadroga
Maciu DUNADAMU Labasa
Taniela WAQA Labasa
Sandeep NAIR Labasa
Pita BOLAITOGA Labasa

For more on Fiji football, visit www.fijifootball.com.fj

Photo Caption: Fiji beach soccer coach Intiaz Khan, left, and technical director Saiyad Ali hope to win the Oceania title in Tahiti next month.
 

(Photo: Pacific Islands Applied GeoScience Commission)

WORLDWIDE: Fresh water supplies a continual challenge to the region
Source: Pacific Islands Applied GeoScience Commission Press Release

Pacific island countries will continually be challenged to develop and maintain a sustainable and economically viable supply of fresh water.

The island nations have traditionally been dependant on ground and surface water as well as rainfall as their primary source of supply.

This is still true today, but increased population growth, economic development and irregular rainfall caused by changing weather patterns as well as climate change have placed a tremendous strain on these traditional water supply sources, according to the SPC, Applied Geoscience and Technology Division, Deputy Director for Water and Sanitation, Marc Overmars.

Greater attention is now being placed on holistic approaches such as Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), to optimize water supplies in the region and make more efficient use of available resources.

“But for some of the Pacific island countries the availability of freshwater resources is limited especially on atoll islands such as Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu or raised limestone islands such as Nauru,” said Mr. Overmars.

He said that these islands are frequently affected by periods of drought, often caused by changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures.

“This results in a naturally occurring phenomena known as El Niño and La Niña. During an El Niño or La Niña, the patterns of tropical rainfall are affected and satisfying fresh water demand becomes a continuous challenge.

“For example, the current La Niña conditions are causing below normal rainfall in Kiribati and Nauru forcing the countries to put drought mitigation and response plans in place,” he said.
Some island countries have introduced alternative sources to supplement their water supplies. As an example, Nauru is almost totally dependent on desalination for its freshwater supply.

A recent study undertaken by SOPAC’s drinking water advisor Alan Freshwater, reviewed the use of desalination plants in Pacific island countries as a method to supplement the water supplies, such as in Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu or deployed in times of drought such as in the Marshall Islands and Tonga.

The study analysed the many factors that determine the viability of utilizing desalination plants, not least is the cost of producing drinking water due to the high energy and operating expenses (in Kirbati, the desalination costs can be up to 16 times higher than groundwater extraction).
Other considerations include the high investment and maintenance costs and the shortage of trained individuals and spare parts to maintain such systems.

As a result, many of the desalination plants introduced into the region since the l980s and 1990s are no longer working because of operation and maintenance problems.

The Japanese Government has provided a fund of US$66 million for Forum member countries to develop projects to “mitigate the effects of climate change” with the focus on the provision of solar power and desalination plants.

Mr. Overmars said that the choice for desalination should always be made in conjunction with conventional water supplies and much care needs to be taken to address the issues around their sustainability.

“What I believe to be essential is to maximize the use of traditional water sources such as rainwater harvesting before investing in desalination as it should mainly be considered as an option of last resort or be temporarily used in an emergency,” said Mr. Overmars.

Photo Caption: A technician checks the operation of one of the three desalination plants on Nauru.