A former Fiji Land Transport Authority staffer issued fraudulent driving licences to several individuals in return for money. Photo: Unsplash/ Rupixen
Fiji - fraud
A former Fiji Land Transport Authority staffer who issued fraudulent driving licences to several individuals in return for money has been jailed by the Ba Magistrates Court.
The Fiji Times reported Aisea Tabakau Maiteci was charged with seven counts of obtaining financial advantage.
He committed the offences between 1 January and 31 December 2019.
His sentence was partially suspended with Maiteci to serve one year of imprisonment immediately, with the remaining eight months suspended for a period of five years.
The court said Maiteci took advantage of the trust of the public in his role as an IT officer at the Land Transport Authority .
Kiribati - politics
A former president of Kiribati says all members of the government of Taneti Maamau are either in cabinet or sitting on select committees.
Sir Ieremia Tabai said this is the way Mr Maamau is maintaining support, with the MPs receiving substantial daily payments.
Sir Ieremia, who was the country's first president and re-elected last year as an opposition MP, said three select committees were set up last year and they only include government MPs.
He said the last parliament changed standing orders to allow committees to include only government MPs.
Sir Ieremia said the MPs get AU$100 dollars a day and their spouses get AU$50 a day, every day, which he says over the course of the year gives a huge income, not only by Kiribati standards but for many other countries.
RNZ Pacific is yet to receive a response from the Kiribati Government.
Papua New Guinea - betelnut
Betelnut chewing in Papua New Guinea is becoming a growing concern.
Prime Minister James Marape has called on all citizens to stop using betelnut, saying the country can not continue to celebrate its independence while public spaces are covered in betelnut stains.
RNZ Pacific's PNG correspondent Scott Waide said there has to be a long-term campaign stretching decades to reduce consumption.
"Papua New Guinea has the one of the highest rates of mouth cancers in the world second only to Bangladesh, so it's been a concern both for health authorities as well as municipal authorities - because people just spit everywhere."
The government is launching a nation-wide cleanliness campaign this year as part of its 50 years of independence celebrations, including betelnut-free public spaces.
Pacific - shipping
The world's two largest shipping registries are aligned with the Pacific calling for a greenhouse gas emissions levy.
Panama and Liberia represent most of the world's shipping fleet.
The levy has long been pushed by a group of Pacific nations who are calling for US$150 a tonne on greenhouse gas emissions, while Liberia wants a fee of US$18.75.
Atina Schutz, a legal advisor for the Marshall Islands, said he is heartened to see Panama and Liberia backing the flat tax on every tonne of emissions.
Papua New Guinea - business
As a Papua New Guinea business leader calls for more local involvement in the development of major projects, the government has said international companies need to allocate 40 percent of the project to locals.
The prime minister, James Marape, said his government is committed to giving priority to PNG contractors when public contracts are awarded
He said his government is the first to set such benchmarks.
In a statement responding to a call from the president of the PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ian Tarutia, for greater local participation, Marape said it's important to ensure local businesses benefit.
Fiji - social concerns
The president of the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma says some ministers and deaconesses in the church have become "slaves" to cigarettes and kava.
The Fiji Sun reported that Reverend Semisi Turagavou is urging them to quit smoking and manage their kava consumption.
Reverend Semisi said the church needs to lead by example and personal reform is vital if the church is to grow.
He has called for increased evangelism to tackle pressing social issues include crime and drug use.
