Photo: RNZ Pacific/Kelvin Anthony
Vanuatu - parliament
Vanuatu's first extraordinary parliament sitting for 2023 has been adjourned to Friday.
Parliament was scheduled for a special sitting on Tuesday to debate and approve the national budget.
But Speaker Simeon Seoule was forced to postpone the session as several MPs remain stranded in their constituencies following back-to-back cyclones last week.
Meanwhile, Air Vanuatu has resumed its domestic flight services.
Fiji - schools
Schools in Fiji which were closed due to bad weather on Monday and Tuesday were due to resume classes on Wednesday.
Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro, confirmed his office was kept updated during the adverse weather conditions by Divisional and District Education Offices.
But he urged parents and guardians to advise their children on their safety, as Fiji is still in the cyclone season and the weather may change anytime.
Fiji - debt
Fiji's Finance Minister has warned that without significant changes to government finances, the country's debt-to-GDP ratio could reach nearly 100 percent in 10 years.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is a key indicator for the sustainability of government finance.
Biman Prasad, who is also deputy prime minister, told FBC News this would leave the government with no room to borrow for urgently needed capital expenditure.
Prasad said when the new government came into power the World Bank shared its Public Expenditure Review, which is nearly finalised, and the advice is "alarming".
"We have to find billions of dollars to invest in health, water and sewerage, energy, roads, housing and climate adaptation.
"We have to be ready to respond to cyclones, floods and other natural disasters when they happen. In Government's current economic state, we cannot do this effectively," he said.
PNG - corruption
Papua New Guinea police and other investigators are now better placed to tackle corrupt activities, following updated training.
The attendees were introduced to online sources and software which could lead to effective and efficient investigations of corruption-related offences, conduct, and money-laundering activities, in the country and overseas.
It was undertaken through the Papua New Guinea Anti-Corruption Project, funded by the European Union, and jointly implemented with the UN Development Programme.
Pacific - disaster management
The Asian Development Bank has approved $US38 million in contingent disaster financing to help Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga respond to disasters triggered by natural hazards and health emergencies.
The support comes from the fourth phase of the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program and will provide Kiribati with an $8 million grant, Samoa with a $10 million grant, Solomon Islands with a $5 million grant and a $5 million loan, and Tonga a $10 million grant.
All four countries have made strong progress on building the resilience of their institutions, which build on the previous phases of the programme.
The ADB director general for the Pacific, Leah Gutierrez said the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program will provide the participating countries with quick disbursing, flexible budget support for urgent relief, and early recovery from disasters
Pacific - biosecurity
The Pacific Community, with New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries, has been helping Pacific experts to protect fresh produce export commodities from pests and diseases and to improve safe trade.
A recent Phytosanitary Certification System workshop in Fiji brought together over 30 participants from the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture and the National Plant Protection Organisation Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) officers.
The workshop is part of the Enhanced Pacific Market Access Partnership.
The workshop discussed opportunities to strengthen Fiji's export certification system for fresh produce export pathways.
Fiji/Pacific - banking
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has opened a new office in Suva, covering the Pacific.
EIB is the bank of the EU.
EU Pacific said the new office will be located on the premises of the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific.
EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said the opening shows EIB's growing ambition to be closer to the people, companies and institutions of the Pacific, and to invest more in projects there.
