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ADB approves plan to expand presence in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
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MANILA,18 SEPTEMBER 2018 (ADB) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expanding its presence in 11 Pacific island countries to enhance the impact of its growing programme of assistance in the subregion.

The expansion, which was recently approved by ADB’s Board of Directors, will involve the conversion of four extended missions—in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu—into country offices, and the establishment of seven new country offices in the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu.

“Engaging full-time staff in our 11 smallest Pacific member countries is consistent with the recent scaling up of ADB operations in the Pacific,” said ADB Principal Operations Coordination Specialist for the Pacific Mr. Paul Curry.

“The new country offices will increase ADB’s responsiveness to the development needs of the subregion and will better support aid coordination and aid effectiveness.”

Across the Pacific, ADB is significantly scaling up financing to help developing member countries achieve sustainable economic and social development, while enhancing climate and disaster resilience.

ADB’s overall assistance to the Pacific has doubled every 5 years since 2005, and now stands at $2.9 billion. Total assistance is expected to surpass $4 billion by 2020.

The new country offices will allow ADB to have more regular contact and substantive communication with government and development partners, enhance donor coordination, and improve project implementation.

ADB will have staff posted in each Pacific developing member country by the end of 2019.

The country offices will serve as extensions of ADB’s two Pacific regional offices in Fiji and Australia.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region.

In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in cofinancing.

Kaniva news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

Metal allegedly found in banana an ‘isolated’ incident

By
Kaniva Staff
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by Stephanie Bedo, The Bulletin

UPDATE: A 62-YEAR-OLD woman has been cautioned after a banana was allegedly contaminated with a metal object at a Maryborough supermarket.

Queensland Police said in two statements the alleged incident was not linked to the ongoing strawberry sabotage crisis that has seen fruit stripped off Queensland shelves.

“Police are confident no other products were contaminated in this alleged incident,” the statement said. 

“The community is reminded that contaminating food is treated as a serious offence and a threat to public safety.”

Police said the woman was issued an adult caution.

The Queensland Government has confirmed the alleged incident was mental health-related.

A spokesman for the Premier clarified a person with a mental health issue allegedly put the object in the banana.

EARLIER: QUEENSLAND Police are investigating an incident where a “metal object” was found inside a banana.

The news comes in the wake of needles found in strawberries across the country, plunging the industry into chaos and sparking consumer panic.

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed officers were investigating an incident.

The banana was found in a Maryborough supermarket on the Fraser Coast.

He said they were investigating leads.

The news came out a press conference on another issue when Commissioner Stewart was reportedly asked on the banana case.

A media spokeswoman for the Police Minister who was at the event said fortunately the Commissioner was aware of the incident.

It is understood the case is unrelated to the strawberry issue.

“It looks to be a copycat thing,” the spokesman said.

He said police were still interviewing the people involved.

The banana drama follows the extraordinary strawberry sabotage saga, which has spread overseas as the search for the culprit turns into a nationwide manhunt.

A New Zealand supermarket chain has stopped selling Australian strawberries as the strawberry needle scare widens.

Needles or pins have been found by consumers in six states and territories: NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

Queensland Police are leading an investigation into the source of the needles, and the state’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has stumped up a reward of $100,000 for anyone with information that leads to the capture of the culprits.

NZ Māori-Tonga league match called off

By
Kaniva Staff
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NZ HERALD / PACNEWS A blockbuster test match between Tonga and New Zealand
Māori, pegged to be hosted in Rotorua next month, has been called off.

The game was to be staged a week before Tonga’s historic clash against the Kangaroos in Auckland on October 20.

However, a spokesman for Walco Events told the Rotorua Daily Post the game had been called off because it did not get support from the NRL.

Tonga were arguably the most popular team at last year’s World Cup, selling out matches in Hamilton (twice) and Auckland, on their memorable run to the last four.

Mate Ma’a Tonga boasts some of the best players in the sport, including Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo, Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita and Warriors winger David Fusitu’a.

Kaniva news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

King launches multimillion wind farm project in Tongatapu

By
Kaniva Staff
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by Tonga Government

His Majesty King Tupou VI marked the beginning of the work on Tonga’s largest wind farm project worth over 40 million pa’anga in a ground breaking ceremony on Friday at Niutoua Village.

Dubbed as the 1.3 MW Wind Power System, the project is part of Japan’s grant aid to Tonga. The new system once completed is expected to cover approximately 8 percent of Tonga’s electricity supply.

Ambassador of Japan to Tonga H.E. Mr. Tetsuya Ishii said, “This Wind Power Generation System will be Japan’s first-ever Wind Power Generation project under our grant aid scheme, and it is Japan’s second major project in the field of renewable energy in Tonga, following the Solar Generation Facility.”

He stated that the system together with the solar generation will help Tonga reach its goal by achieving 50% renewable energy by 2020.

“Through this system, the ratio of renewable energy in Tonga’s whole power supply will also increase by 6 percent. I also hope this system, as a result of buying less petrol fuel, will further alleviate some of the financial burdens of the Government of Tonga and the TPL.”

Mr. Ishii explained that the system consisted of two major components; 5 windmills and the Grid Stabilization.

“The windmills are unique and advanced because they are tiltable which will make them more resilient against cyclones and the effects of climate change.”

“The Grid Stabilization System will play a very important role in providing excellent quality electricity which means the un-intermitting provision of electricity that is stable, both in voltage and frequency. When these features are combined, the advanced windmills and Stabilization System will further improve the lives of the people in Tonga.”

The Minister for Public Enterprises Hon Saia Piukala said: “The groundbreaking ceremony this morning, marks not only another significant milestone in the life of this project, but also tangible progress towards the Government’s overall objective of reducing reliance on costly imported diesel, through substantial investments in renewable energy.”

He stated that more than 91% of Tonga’s overall grid connected electricity demand is supplied by generators powered by imported diesel and an estimated 13 million liters of diesel is used to generate the electricity at a cost of about 10% of the country’s GPD and 15% of the total value of imports.

Hon Piukala said that achieving 50% renewable energy generation and a 50% reduction in diesel consumption by 2020 is a “firm declaration of Tonga’s intent” and an important part of the government’s strategy to “guard against oil price volatility” to reduce Tonga’s carbon emission footprint.

CEO for Tonga Power Limited Mr Setitaia Chen said, “Severe Tropical Cyclones are a yearly risk to Tonga and hence the wind technology chosen has been tested to safely withstand up to a category five cyclone. TC Gita was a category 4.”

He said that Tongan technicians will also receive on the job training from Japanese technicians to ensure that the long-term operation and maintenance of the system are established locally.

CEO for MEIDECC Mr Paula Ma’u told guests that the new system will make a significant contribution towards Tonga’s ambitious renewable energy and energy efficiency targets to be achieved within 15 years.

“It is true that these targets are so ambitious but critically important mitigation measures against the devastating impact of climate change and we have to implement it now for our survival and for the future of our children.”

Specific national energy targets include:

-50% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020, 70% by 2030, and 100% by 2035
-Improve energy efficiency like reduction of electricity line losses to 9% by 2020 and
-100% access to electricity by 2020

PM Ardern’s fellow for Tonga visits New Zealand

By
Kalino Latu
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Tonga Deputy Police Commissioner Operations Support Services, Pelenatita Fe’ao Vaisuai, was in New Zealand last week on a Prime Minister’s Fellowship to gain insights into policing in New Zealand.

A highlight of the visit was Vaisuai’s meeting with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The Prime Minister congratulated Vaisuai on her work, and wished Vaisuai all the very best for the rest of her visit and her future career.

While in New Zealand Vaisuai spent time shadowing senior members of the New Zealand Police executive.

She learnt more about New Zealand approaches to youth justice and deportee management.

Vaisuai has previously worked in the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre in Suva and was the Coordinator of RAMSI’s Pacific Islands Contingent in the Solomon Islands in 2012.

She was also the Tonga Police Liaison Officer for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Mate Ma‘a Tonga vs Kangaroos a game between NZ and Australia, says MP Jenny Salesa

By
Kalino Latu
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Tongan New Zealand MP Jenny Salesa said she believed many non-Tongan New Zealanders would support the Mate Ma’a Tonga team when it will clash with the Kangaroos on October 20.

This was just like a match between New Zealand and Australia and was a game to support, she said.

Meanwhile, Tongan star Jason Taumalolo has hailed Kangaroos players for accepting arguably the biggest pay cut in rugby league history to stage their historic Test match next month.

Australia will face the Mate Ma’a for the first time after Kangaroos players agreed to slash their normal $20,000 match payments to under $5000 for the Test in Auckland.

“For them to take a pay cut, for all the players to do that, it means a lot,” Taumalolo told AAP.

“Not just to us boys who get to play against Australia, it means a lot to international rugby league. For them to do that, it’s going to go a long way to us bettering the international game.”

The development comes a year after Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita controversially turned their back on New Zealand and Australia respectively to pull on the Tongan red in the World Cup.

In doing so they also knocked back lucrative money negotiated in the CBA.

Kangaroos players pocketed around $50,000 each for winning last year’s World Cup, while tournament surprise packets Tonga received only $500 a game.

Now Taumalolo and his teammates will earn the same amount as the Australians.

Taumalolo and Simaima Taufa, both won Player of the Year awards at the 2018 Players’ Champion accolades ceremony held in Sydney last week.

Taumalolo took out ‘the big one’ in the form of the club’s Paul Bowman Medal for Cowboys Player of the Year.

The popular lock was one of the game’s hardest workers in the 2018 season, averaging 177 metres per game and becoming the first forward to run for over 5000 metres.

Taumalolo was awarded the Player of the Year and the Player’s Player Awards for the third time in 2018.

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Decision needed soon on Tonga-Australia match to keep clash viable says coach

Scholarship applications close on Friday

By
Philip Cass
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Applications for summer internships with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Pacific Cooperation Foundation close this Friday, September 21.

The internships are open to current New Zealand Scholarship students studying at undergraduate level.

They are intended to give high achieving students from the Pacific and Timor Leste the chance to obtain professional experience with reputable New Zealand companies and government organisations, to develop professional networks, and to improve their readiness to enter employment on return to their home country.

Internships will last from November 19, 2018 until February 15, 2019.

Although most internships are unpaid, MFAT will continue to pay standard scholarship stipends for the period of the internship.

Interns will still be entitled to take Reunion Travel during the summer period, but will be expected to do so at a time that does not interfere with their internship or study responsibilities.

If you are interested, fill out the application form on the link at the bottom of this story and send them by email to internships@pcf.org.nz by no later than 5pm – Friday, September 21, 2018.

For more information 

Summer internship

Youth support group holds fund raising dinner

By
Philip Cass
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Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship will hold a corporate fund raising dinner on September 27.

The dinner will be held at Ancient Tonga Fangaloto from 6.30pm.

Not-for-profit organisation TYEE was founded by Lusia Latu-Jones in 2014.

Latu-Jones said the organisation trained Tongan youth to be work-force ready and offered support for those who wanted to go into business.

She said Tonga  suffered from a high rate of youth unemployment in Tonga and an increasing number of school-leavers who were unable to find a job.

“Our youth comprise a large portion of the nation’s population,” she told the Pacific Cooperation Foundation.

“However, the simple fact is there are not enough jobs in Tonga to cater for our growing population and not everyone who completes their education will get a job.”

She described TYEE as a safe space that provided a range of free services.

It advocated for policies to support youth employment and raised awareness about youth employment challenges in Tonga

For more in formation 

Unlocking Tongan youth potential

Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship

Australian police say needle found in banana as strawberry sabotage spreads

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Queensland police are still unsure if the sabotage devastating the nation’s strawberry industry is the work of a single person or several people acting independently.

The crisis is spreading after metal needles were found in strawberries in Queensland, and as far away as Perth, Tasmania and New Zealand.

The Queensland police commissioner, Ian Stewart, said the investigation was complicated by the vast web of supply chains.

“There is a range of really complex scenarios which could play out here, and we’re looking at all of them, and that’s what’s taking the time,” he said on Monday.

The investigation was complicated further when a woman was caught putting a needle into a banana in central Queensland, in an apparent copycat act.

However, it is understood the woman, who was caught sabotaging a banana at a shop in Mackay, has mental health issues.

Stewart did not give details but confirmed police were also investigating a banana contamination.

The Queensland agriculture minister, Mark Furner, met with strawberry growers nervous about their future as the number of needle contamination cases grew to 10 and New Zealand food distributors removed Australian strawberries from their shelves.

The vice-president of the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association, Adrian Schultz, said what started with a single “act of commercial terrorism” had brought a multimillion-dollar industry to its knees, with jobs beyond the growers now likely to be lost.

“I’m angry for all the associated people, it’s the farmers, the people who supply them, the packaging people, the truckies with families to support, who suddenly lose their jobs … it’s far-reaching,” he told ABC radio on Monday.

Growers met with Furner on Sunday to discuss the commercial effects of the contamination that began at a south-east Queensland farm eight days ago.

Furner said industry specific assistance packages were being considered but no plan would be made until an understanding of the “complete effect” of the sabotage was understood.

“We won’t be coming up with any half-baked outcomes … we need to listen to what is required,” he said.

There are about 150 commercial strawberry growers in Queensland.

Furner said a variety of generic government assistance packages were available and these would be offered to growers.

He said many growers were already experiencing economic stresses before the contamination began due to an oversupply of fruit, which had led to retail prices for a punnet falling to around $1.50.

-The guardian

Teen arrested after stealing police car despite being handcuffed

By
Kalino Latu
-

AUCKLAND,NZ – A person is in custody following an incident this morning where a male allegedly stole a Police vehicle.

Police were assisting Oranga Tamariki in the transport of a 16-year-old male on a flight from Auckland bound for Wellington.

The incident occurred at around 10.22am, when the teenager was handcuffed in the back of a marked police vehicle at Auckland Airport Police station.

As Police staff were briefly out of the parked vehicle, the youth allegedly managed to get into the driver’s seat and took off in the patrol car, driving through a closed roller door and fleeing the scene.

The vehicle was observed overhead by Eagle helicopter, and was located by ground staff abandoned outside an address in Randwick Park.

Police surrounded the address and at around 11am a male was apprehended and taken into custody.

He will be appearing in the Youth Court this afternoon on charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and escaping custody.

Police cannot rule out further charges.

Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Jill Rogers, says this was a serious incident and we will be carrying out a review to establish the full circumstances around how this occurred.

“Thankfully no one was injured during this incident.

An internal review will be carried out to ensure the officers followed best practice and to see what, if any learnings we can take from this incident.”

The matter will be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

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