NEWSPAGE 16 November
2011

(Photo: Maori Party)

(Photo: Savali News)

SAMOA: EPC appointment based on merit
Source: Savali News

The Cabinet decision appointing Galumalemana Tologata Tile as new Electric Power Corporation general manager was explained this morning by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

It follows pointed criticism by Opposition MP Levaopolo Talatonu, alleging, Galumalemana was not the best candidate for the top job.

“Such criticism is very irresponsible,” said Tuilaepa.

“It affects the integrity of the appointee, the integrity of all those who applied and reflects very poorly on Levaopolo’s character.”

The Prime Minister said that under EPC legislation, the general manager “should hold an electrical engineering degree or the equivalent.”

“The appointment is a mechanical engineer which satisfies the equivalent part. He deals with big generators which generates electricity. That satisfies the technical component of the post.

“The General Manager of EPC is a management position. The appointment also has an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) which is essential to effective management and the administering of the Corporation’s finances.

“In terms of experience, the appointment has been working at EPC for 24 years. That’s 24 years of service. He was overseeing some of the big projects at EPC. One of them is the (US)$100 million power generation relocation project at Fiaga. The appointment has also been serving as Acting General Manager for some time now since the last GM’s contract ran out.

“And he has been doing a good job.”

Tuilaepa said that Cabinet normally does not explain its decision processes. But because an appointment’s integrity has been slandered by a politician, he is prompted to respond.

The Prime Minister cautioned Levaopolo of running people down to score political points.

“It shows how very green, very shallow the MP from Saleaula is.”

Photo Caption: New Electric Power Corporation general manager Galumalemana Tologata Tile.

AMERICAN SAMOA:  DOH asks to increase funding for diabetes awareness program

Rep. Larry Sanitoa, a member of the American Samoa Diabetes Coalition says one of the big setbacks in the Health Department's diabetes prevention and awareness programs is the limited amount of funding.

Sanitoa told Samoa News that the diabetes program with the Health Department used to get $200,000 a year from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention but it was about five or six years ago, that CDC started providing only $50,000 a year for prevention and awareness program while local funds are made available for this purpose.

"The limited funds makes it very difficult for health officials to carry out diabetes programs. Materials and equipment used for screening does not come cheap," he said. "A request has since been submitted to CDC to increase funding."

Last week the Coalition released data - based on information from the LBJ Medical Center - showing there are currently 115 dialysis patients and the hospital spends $43,422 per patient annually.

The Coalition predicts that by 2022, the hospital would spend more than $122 million annually on dialysis patients as the number of patients increase.

These amounts do not include expenses for diabetes patients, according to the Coalition, who held yesterday the "Act on Diabetes Now" Walk, attracting more than 100 participants from various sectors of the community including Miss American Samoa Skyline Nua, young children and senior citizens. The walk is part of the November Diabetes Awareness Month in the territory.

"The turn out is great and we are very pleased to see some of our senior citizens took time out to participate in this important walk," Dr. Faiese Robie, the Diabetes Coordinator at the Health Department, told Samoa News at Utulei Beach, where the walk ended followed by a round of dance exercise.

Several participants also took time out to be screened for diabetes by Health Department officials. The Coalition and the DOH says there are over 6,000 diabetes patients in the territory, but Sanitoa and Robie told Samoa News these are only "confirmed numbers with the hospital" but the number could be higher, if more people are screened.
 

(Photo: Atu Rasea/Fiji Times)

FIJI: Flood warning
Source: Fiji Times

PEOPLE living in low lying areas have been warned of possible flooding because of rainfall associated with a tropical disturbance in the north of the country.

The National Weather Forecasting Centre in Nadi yesterday said the tropical disturbance was slowly moving south-southeast.

Director of Meteorology Alipate Waqaicelua said yesterday afternoon that heavy rain and flooding of low lying areas was expected in the next 24 hours.

"The disturbance is expected to move down south with the trough of low pressure," Mr Waqaicelua said.

"There will be rain and strong winds of between 25 and 30 knots with gusts up to 40 knots in the next 12 to 24 hours," he said.

Mr Waqaicelua said the chances of the tropical disturbance developing into a tropical cyclone were quite low.

"It will remain a tropical disturbance or maybe a tropical depression but is not likely to develop into a cyclone," he said.

The forecasting centre has forecast periods of rain and thunderstorms over most places in the country until tomorrow.

National Disaster Management Committee director Pajiliai Dobui said people living in low lying areas should move to higher grounds if flooding occurred.

In a Ministry of Information statement yesterday, he advised people to take precautions because of the tropical disturbance.

Mr Dobui advised parents to be vigilant in looking after their children.

A heavy downpour was experienced in Suva yesterday, with rain starting in the early hours of the morning.

People in the Northern Division also experienced rain from yesterday morning while it started raining in some parts of the Western Division later in the day.

Photo Caption: The heavy downpour yesterday in Suva took many by surprise after a sunny weekend.
 

TAHITI: Tahitian Noni International Receives Worldwide Award for Best PR and Marketing Strategy
Source: Tahitian Noni International PR via Sacramento Bee
 
Tahitian Noni International (TNI) received the Obtainer Worldwide Direct Selling Award for Best PR / Marketing Strategy from the Obtainer Media Group. After considering Tahitian Noni's impressive 15-year history and its current focus on science and bioactives, the Obtainer Media Group said, "Therefore it is only logical that this year's Obtainer Worldwide Direct Selling Award in the category of 'Best PR / Marketing Strategy' goes to TNI.

"The marketing of noni juice by Tahitian Noni International can absolutely be regarded as a revolution in the food industry," Obtainer wrote. "Success naturally attracts imitators...however; the major advantage of TNI over its competitors has always been their scientific research.

Today, the focus of TNI lies in the bioactivity (or biological activity) of their products. By definition, bioactivity is the effectiveness of biological ingredients on living tissue. As an example, the enormous potential of bioactive substances is made clear in the TNI Defy, Age Intervention System, which can produce incredible, immediate, and perceptible results."

"Tahitian Noni International consistently pursues this principle of bioactivity-even in the field of weight management. In January 2011, TNI launched a holistic weight management program called the FIT Body Composition System.

Through its new focus, TNI is again playing a pioneering role within the industry, which is reflected in the refined and professional marketing of the company's exclusive and highly effective products."

In regards to Tahitian Noni's 15th anniversary OBTAINER said it "marks a milestone, not only for the company itself, but also for the very fast moving direct sales industry."

About the CompanyTahitian Noni International is a global, research-driven bioactive products company that was the first to introduce the health benefits of the noni plant—a bioactive-rich, adaptogenic plant, containing iridoid compounds—to the world outside of Tahiti.

Tahitian Noni International is the leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of noni-based bioactive products including nutritional supplements, beauty, and weight loss lines.

Headquartered in Provo, Utah, Tahitian Noni International has a presence in over 70 markets worldwide, and is the world-wide leader in bioactive supplements.
 

TUVALU: Tuvalu working with donors to improve water storage following drought
Source: Radio New Zealand International
 
Help from international aid donors is being sought by the Tuvalu government as it endeavours to bolster the country’s long term water storage capacity.

Tuvalu is emerging from months of severe drought which required de-salination units to be flown in.

Most of Tuvalu’s atolls rely on collecting rainwater but the head of Tuvalu’s national disaster committee, Pusinelli Laafai, says two recent surveys have shown how inefficient this process can be.

He says collection using roof guttering may be satisfactory but storage is a problem in many areas.

“Most of these things on some islands are not being well maintained. They often leak and they don’t hold any water or not much water at all, and those are the things that we’d like to address, you know, including adding additional public huge storage reserves, storage tanks.”