The declaration was made by the leaders of the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Palau following discussions in Nadi, Fiji, on Friday in light of the looming energy crisis as a result of the illegal US-Israel war on Iran.

The meeting brought together the incoming Chair, President Surangel Whipps of Palau, and outgoing Chair, the Prime Minister of Tonga, Lord Fakafanua.

On a social media post, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele noted that Solomon Islands continued to experience the impact of global fuel price volatility and highlighted the importance of practical regional solutions to support vulnerable Pacific economies.

Leaders noted that Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands had declared energy emergencies, while Solomon Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia were implementing national mitigation measures.

Other Forum members remain on a regional watch phase, with ongoing monitoring by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware the Forum Troika has invoked the Biketawa Declaration to respond to the current global fuel and energy challenges.

A spokesperson for MFAT said they are supportive of regional efforts to respond to regional crises, including through the Biketawa Declaration.

They said they are working closely with Pacific Islands Forum partners to understand the fuel supply situation, and potential needs, across the region and how they could assist.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Although New Zealand and Australia seem to have escaped the worst of Donald Trump’s latest tariffs, some Pacific Islands stand to be hit hard — including a few that aren’t even “countries”.

The US will impose a base tariff of 10 percent on all foreign imports, with rates between 20 and 50 percent for countries judged to have major tariffs on US goods.

In the Pacific, Fiji is set to be charged the most at 32 percent, the US claiming this was a reciprocal tariff for the island nation imposing a 63 percent tariff on it.

Nauru, one of the smallest nations in the world, has been slapped with a 30 percent tariff, the US claimed they are imposing a 59 percent tariff.

Vanuatu will be given a 22 percent tariff.

Norfolk Island, which is an Australian territory, has been given a 29 percent tariff, this is despite Australia getting only 10 percent.

Most other Pacific nations were given the 10 percent base tariff.

This included Tokelau, despite it being a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand, with a population of only about 1500 people living on the atoll islands.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Four Micronesian leaders skipped the Pacific Islands Forum’s 51st virtual session yesterday, in a continuing protest over the organisation’s refusal to assign the leadership post to the subregion as previously agreed.

Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s official apology proved not convincing enough to break the impasse and appease the Micronesian leaders.

The Micronesian nations — Palau, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and Nauru — declined to reconsider their collective decision to exit from the regional body if the gentleman’s agreement was not honoured.

Nauru President Lionel Aingimea, chair of the Micronesian Presidents’ Summit (MPS), was the only leader from the breakaway group who attended today’s meeting, where PIF discussed a planned in-person leaders’ retreat scheduled for 2022.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Aingimea said Micronesian leaders “are standing on the principles of the Mekreos Communique” and “are not attending the retreat”.

“The Mekreos Communique articulates that if the long-standing gentlemen’s agreement is not honoured, then the Micronesian presidents see no benefit in remaining with PIF,” Aingimea said.

The Mekreos Communique is a declaration signed by Palau, FSM, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati in 2020.

Micronesians support Zackios
The Micronesian leaders maintain that their candidate, Ambassador Gerald M. Zackios, must assume the secretary-general position in line with the gentlemen’s agreement’ for sub-regional rotation.

“Presidents agreed that the solidarity and integrity of the PIF are strengthened by the gentlemen’s agreement, that this issue is one of respect and Pacific unity, and that it is non-negotiable for the Member States. Presidents agreed that in the ‘Pacific Way’, a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ is an agreement, and if this agreement is not honoured, then the presidents would see no benefit to remaining in the PIF,” the Mekreos Communique stated.

Nauru, FSM, RMI and Palau commenced the process for withdrawal from the PIF in February 2021 and will take effect by February 2022.

The 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders virtual meeting today also coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Nauru is a founding member of the Forum, along with six others — Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa (now Samoa).

Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano handed over as Forum Chair to host leader of the 51st Pacific Islands Forum, Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

Bainarama welcomed Secretary-General Henry Puna and said they were looking forward to working with him.

Samoan PM welcomed
Bainarama also welcomed Samoa’s new Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata-afa to the meeting.

While the forum celebrates 50 years of milestones, it is also facing a crisis with the looming fracture of the regional body.

Bainarama apologised anew to the Micronesian head of states over the PIF secretariat leadership row.

“To our Micronesian brothers, I offer my deepest apology, we could have handled the situation better, but I remain confident that we will find a way forward together,”

“I hope this meeting provides an avenue for frank dialogue,” Bainarama said.

He said he did not expect a resolution of the rift yesterday but he said the forum would continue dialogue with the Micronesian leaders.

“None of us can do this alone,” he said, and urged solidarity and to retain Pacific regionalism, especially on the issue of climate change and covid-19-related economic crisis.

Puna in his statement said the region was in the midst of “unprecedented challenges” of covid pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical interests.

He also cited the challenges the forum is facing among the members.

“Our bond as one forum family is being put to the extreme test,” Puna said.

But he was hopeful that the members would stay together with continued dialogue.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

If the world wants to beat back the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure no one is left behind in the recovery, two issues thrown into sharp relief by the pandemic need attention: digitalization and regional cooperation.

Ensuring the digital transformation reaches all in Asia Pacific is one of the greatest challenges we face

Even before COVID-19, the digital revolution was transforming how people and businesses work. As the pandemic unfolded, the accelerated adoption of digital technologies helped governments, education, private enterprise and people keep activities going amid social distancing, lockdowns and other containment measures. High-speed internet connectivity and financial technology hold immense promise for deepening financial inclusion, and keeping local economies alive, even in times of crisis. Yet many poor households, women and vulnerable groups have been unable to afford or access the benefits of digitalization.

Digital divides within and between countries in the region threaten to exacerbate existing gaps in economic and social development. We need more equitable access to digital technologies to drive innovation and create new business models.

Regional cooperation must refocus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Regional cooperation plays a critical role in managing the transition out of the current crisis, and a renewed focus on environmental and social dimensions of cooperation is essential. Working together can also help countries achieve digital transformation for all, including through joint efforts to develop and expand digital infrastructure, and legal and regulatory reforms that make these services more accessible.

The pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of the region’s health, education and social protection systems, making life even more difficult for the poorest and socially excluded, and deepening inequalities within communities and countries, particularly for women. The crisis has shown the value of building universal social protection systems for all members of society — from infancy to old age — which can be bolstered to provide additional relief in times of crisis. There have also been huge disparities in the ability of countries to insulate themselves from the pandemic and roll out vaccines. This is widening development gaps. A renewed focus on people, their well-being and capabilities is needed through regional cooperation.

In recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental sustainability needs to become much more central to economic, social and global value chain integration efforts. By building low-carbon economies, including through a new focus on industry and tourism sectors to generate green jobs, we can help create a more resilient region. While governments recognize the potential to pursue more environmentally sustainable development as part of recovery, much more needs to be done if we are to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and protect our planet’s natural capital and biodiversity.

Meeting the needs of people and planet

These issues, highlighted in a recent joint report by our three organizations, warrant greater emphasis as countries meet this week to review implementation of the SDGs at the United Nations High-level Political Forum. Policymakers have necessarily focused on containing the pandemic and meeting peoples’ immediate needs. Tangible action on the multiple interconnected dimensions of the SDGs poses difficult policy and fiscal choices. Regional collaboration around financing can help countries raise and expand resources to meet the SDGs. Key priorities include cooperation on tax, through common standards, and efforts to address tax havens and avoidance. In addition, countries in the region can work together to design incentives to align private investment with the SDGs and expand the use of sustainability-focused instruments that tap regional and global capital markets.

Another form of international cooperation is worth noting. Governments, multilateral organizations, development banks, philanthropic organizations and the private sector have joined forces in unprecedented efforts to fight the pandemic, such as through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative. Science, technology and innovation enabled by such partnerships will continue to drive countries’ efforts to recover and build resilience.

Today, what begins as highly local can soon become a global phenomenon. A reinvigorated multilateralism can and must respond faster to take on new challenges and expand provision of public goods. Together, our organizations will seek to nurture such cooperation to achieve the SDGs.

—————–

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Kanni Wignaraja is the Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Development Programme

Bambang Susantono is the Vice-President, Asian Development Bank

PACIFIC PANDEMIC DIARY: By Sri Krishnamurthi, contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch

The collapse of tourism across the world in the face of the covid-19 coronavirus pandemic could plunge thousands of people into poverty in the Pacific, predicts a new International Labour Organisation report.

Thousands of jobs in countries like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are dependent on visitor numbers, which have fallen to zero.

READ MORE: Trump resumes attack on China over coronavirus

The crash will have serious impacts on many island economies.

“Economies such as Fiji, the Maldives and Tonga are heavily dependent on tourism, with shares of tourism in total exports reaching 52, 84 or 47 percent respectively,” the report says.

“In many Asia and Pacific countries, more than three in four workers in the tourism sector are informal jobs, leaving them especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of the covid-19 crisis.

“Informal sector jobs are characterised by a lack of basic protection, including social protection coverage.”

Thousands of jobs lost
Thousands of jobs have already been lost, with resorts and hotels closing in Fiji, the Cook Islands and Samoa, countries where tourism makes up more than half the economy, reports RNZ News.

And the ILO says that with the pain brought by the pandemic expected to be long-lasting, workers with previously stable incomes are sliding into poverty.

Many of these people are also informal workers, with few protections if their jobs fall through.

They don’t have a social welfare system to fall back on, unlike New Zealand or Australia.

The ILO says few Pacific countries have the money to fully cope with the coronavirus response, and solidarity from the likes of Australia, New Zealand and the World Bank will be vital.

The economies of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Palau, Samoa, and Vanuatu are the Pacific countries likely to feel the brunt of the covid-19 pandemic most, according to a separate new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) earlier this month.

Assuming even just a three-month interruption in travel and trade, the tourism-based economies are all expected to contract this year, with Tonga forecast for zero growth, according to the latest  Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020, ADB’s flagship economic publication.

Pacific contraction
Growth of ADB’s Pacific developing member countries (DMCs) in 2020 is forecast to contract by 0.3 percent, as the covid-19 pandemic directly impacts on tourism and trade flows, while also affecting construction activity.

The recovery in 2021, at 2.7 percent, will rely on improvements in tourism numbers, the commencement of delayed construction projects, and the resumption of labour mobility and cross-border trade

“While most Pacific countries moved quickly and decisively to restrict travel from a fast-growing list of COVID-19 affected countries, such restrictions can come with a high economic cost,” says ADB director-general for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez in a statement.

“ADB is committed to supporting the Pacific cope with the covid-19 pandemic and help address immediate needs.

“We are providing grant financing and support to procure needed medical goods and equipment in selected countries.

“We are also working with Ministries of Finance to assess their budget support needs and coordinating on these closely with other development partners. Strengthening social protection will be key to safeguarding vulnerable groups during this downturn and will also help support the eventual recovery process.”

Economic growth in Papua New Guinea in 2019 was 4.8 percent, tempered by the deferral of large investment projects.

Construction decline
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries continued to expand, but construction is estimated to have declined. The  ADO 2020 says the government faces important challenges in managing public debt.

The covid-19 pandemic is an added shock for the PNG economy and is already negatively affecting commodity prices. Growth in PNG is expected to remain weak at about 0.8 percent in 2020, rising to 2.8 percent in 2021, it said in its statement.

After uninterrupted growth for the past nine years, growth in Fiji is estimated to have slowed to 0.7 percent in 2019, a hangover from the effects of cyclones Winston and Harold.

Fiji’s economy is projected to further decline by 4.9 percent in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The tourism and air transport sectors are expected to be the worst hit. The report suggests the government must strengthen and empower the private sector to innovate, diversify, and drive the economic recovery after covid-19, while finding the right balance between investing in climate resilient

infrastructure, limiting debt exposure, and building fiscal buffers. As a priority, Fiji needs to improve its business and investment climate, while encouraging business innovation. The report says growth will improve in 2021 and reach about 3.0 percent.

Economic growth in Solomon Islands is expected to slow to 1.5 percent in 2020, slightly down from 2.6 percent in 2019, as exports fall because of the covid-19 pandemic.

Continuing logging decline
Growth is expected to recover to 2.7 percent in 2021 as construction on large infrastructure projects offsets a continuing decline in logging.  ADO 2020  says that with the logging sector contributing less to growth over the longer term, reforming the tax system will become critically important to ensure that it supports broad-based growth in other areas.

Vanuatu’s economic growth is forecast to contract from 2.8 percent in 2019 to -1.0 percent in 2020 as travel restrictions arising from covid-19 undermine tourism. Growth should recover and reach 2.5 percent in 2021. The report notes that with more workers accessing labour mobility schemes, policies must ensure that the benefits are both broadly enjoyed and sustainable.

The covid-19 pandemic will severely hit tourism, with the South Pacific economies the most affected.

Growth and fiscal outcomes will be undermined in the Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tonga. The Cook Islands’ economy is expected to contract from 5.3 percent in 2019 to -2.2 percent in 2020 due to a collapse in tourist arrivals.

Growth is forecast to recover in 2021 to 1.0 percent. Samoa’s economy is expected to contract from 3.5 percent in 2019 to -3.0 percent, before slightly rebounding to 0.8 percent in 2021.

Tonga, where economic growth was 3.0 percent in 2019, will see zero growth in 2020 due partly to a plunge in visitor arrivals. Growth will likely reach 2.5 percent in 2021, buoyed by tourism recovery and faster government implementation of rehabilitation and recovery from Cyclone Gita, says the ADB report said.

More covid-19 cases
Meanwhile, Guam has recorded more positive covid-19 results, taking cases there to 144 and five people have died from the virus in the US territory.

In the curious case of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, now docked in Guam there were 840 cases, but the origins of covid-19 remain a mystery.

In New Zealand, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced today that there were three new cases, two confirmed and one probable.

The new national total of confirmed and probable cases is 1472.

And, as New Zealand moved to alert level 3, the queues at MacDonalds and other takeaway sites after four weeks of lockdown were something to behold.

In the Northern Marianas they had 14 cases and two deaths, New Caledonia 18 cases, French Polynesia 58 cases, Timor-Leste 24 cases and Hawai’i has 607 cases with 16 deaths.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

ANALYSIS: By Tess Newton Cain of Griffith University

Across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has prompted countries and governments to become increasingly inward-looking. Australia is not immune to this.

One of the effects of this situation has been that the “Pacific Step-up” appears to have dropped entirely off the political radar.

The step-up is – or was – the signature foreign policy of the Morrison government. Although it predates Scott Morrison becoming prime minister, under his leadership it had really come to the fore.

READ MORE: Despite its Pacific ‘step-up’, Australia is still not listening to the region, new research shows

We saw an increase in ministerial visits to the region, a ramping up of labour mobility opportunities for Pacific islanders, and the establishment of a A$2 billion infrastructure financing facility.

So, how does the Pacific Step-up need to evolve to help respond to the challenges posed by coronavirus?

It is important to acknowledge that Australia and the island members of the “Pacific family” share more than just an ocean. They have many common challenges. Addressing them requires sharing resources.

The coronavirus response presents an opportunity to move the Pacific Step-Up from something that is done “to” or “for” the Pacific to something that Australia does “with” the Pacific.

Time for real respect
It is too easy for the Australian media (and indeed the Australian public) to perpetuate the trope that Pacific people are helpless – chronic victims who need to be rescued from whatever calamity has most recently befallen them.

Now is the time for Australian policymakers to step up and demonstrate real respect for their Pacific counterparts.

On top of the increasingly devastating effects of climate change, Pacific island countries are now managing the twin challenges of a potential public health emergency and its severe economic ramifications.

When it comes to the former, the focus has been on prevention. Many countries took swift and significant steps to minimise the risk of the virus entering their communities. Borders have been closed, restrictions on movements enforced and health and medical systems enhanced.

Pacific island countries are also already feeling the economic impacts of the global shutdown. This is particularly evident in those countries that rely on tourism and remittances for revenue, livelihoods and employment.

Several countries have moved quickly and decisively to introduce economic support and stimulus packages to meet some of the most pressing needs of their populations. Maintaining these into the medium and longer term will be a challenge.

In Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga, the impacts of the recent Tropical Cyclone Harold are presenting additional challenges. Reaching Category 5 strength, it caused more than 30 deaths and left large amounts of damage and destruction in its wake.

Australia and other partners (particularly France and New Zealand) have provided assistance to government agencies in the region that are charged with responding to disasters of this type.

Geo-strategic anxiety
In the Pacific, and among many Australian commentators, it is widely acknowledged that the step-up is driven largely by geo-strategic anxiety about the growing influence of China in the Pacific islands region. Coronavirus has done little to dilute this angst.

In some instances, it appears to have accentuated it. Certainly, China has made it abundantly clear it is ready, willing and able to be a friend in need for Pacific island countries.

A more sophisticated and nuanced Pacific Step-up that addresses the challenges posed by coronavirus provides Australia with an opportunity to demonstrate to Pacific counterparts its ability and willingness to offer something that is different and more valuable than is available elsewhere.

This can take one or more of several forms. First of all, Australia should continue to advocate to the global community the need to provide tailored financial support to Pacific island countries. This must include lobbying for meaningful debt relief to underpin economic recovery.

The IMF has already made some moves in this regard. Australia has also moved quickly in relation to its most recent loan to PNG. When the Pacific Islands Forum’s finance and economic ministers meet online in the near future, this will likely be on the agenda. Australia should look to have something concrete to put forward in support of this, including offers to lobby the G7 and G20.

Recently, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters raised the possibility of a New Zealand-Australia “bubble” based on low numbers of infections in both countries. He saw this as a basis for reopening the borders to allow for freer movement of people and goods.

‘Pacific bubble’ option
“Pacific island countries that have no covid-19 cases – there are several – should look to be part of a “Pacific bubble” if this conversation goes forward. This would maintain Pacific islanders’ participation in labour mobility schemes.

Australia and New Zealand are also the key markets for Pacific tourism. The sooner tourists can be welcomed back to the resorts and beaches, the sooner island livelihoods can be restored.

The rhetoric of the Pacific Step-Up has been couched in terms such as “Pacific family”. We now need to know what this means for how Australia can and will support Pacific states and communities in the face of coronavirus.

Dr Tess Newton Cain is adjunct associate professor at Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By RNZ Pacific 

A range of initiatives for Pacific people was announced in the New Zealand Budget last week.

This Wellbeing Budget included increases in funding for Pacific health, education, language and economic development.

While the Ministry of Pacific Peoples has hailed it as an unprecedented support package for Pacific people, there is concern that it does not go far enough to address issues in the community.

LISTEN: Mixed reactions to NZ Budget initiatives for Pacific people

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT
Porirua community leader John Fiso says considering Pacific people figure in the lowest end of health and housing statistics, and have the lowest median income in New Zealand, the budget is disappointing.

He says the government talked about providing an equity model, but it should have focused on a needs model.

“What do we mean by equity? Because if it’s based on needs [for] Pacific it falls well short. I think we’ve got to come back to the key requirements for Pasifika – it is health, it is education, it is economic development. We can talk about it all we want, but there doesn’t seem to be any resources following it.”

Fiso says while the budget is known as the Wellbeing Budget, he believes it should focus on specific issues.

“What we don’t have, is we don’t have houses, we have pay that’s $12,000 – the lowest in the country, we have the highest health statistics in terms of needs. Those are the things you can measure if you are improving on. How happy you feel – disregarding those factors and to Pacific people, are you happy? It’s a redundant question for me.”

He says there should have been an emphasis on targets that are measurable and achievable.

“If I was telling a third form group to set their goals for the future, two of those things would be measurable and achievable. I’m not sure you can achieve or measure happiness – and I’m not sure you can achieve a whole lot of these other things that are on the table. If it’s not measurable for me, then it’s almost a negative for Pacific or under-served communities because you’ve got no way of holding anybody to account.”

The Wellbeing Budget included a particular focus on improving mental health in New Zealand.

The chief executive of the Pasifika mental health organisation Le Va is Monique Faleafa. She says that from her perspective the budget’s holistic approach to Pasifika wellbeing was encouraging.

“So it’s a budget, not with just an economic and fiscal outlook, but it’s included health and welfare and even the environment. So that holistic approach we know will benefit Pasifika communities.”

But Dr Faleafa says that access to support services is the biggest issue for Pasifika people in New Zealand and this needs to be further supported by the community, alongside the funding boost.

“Now the trick is in how do we get Pacific leadership to co-design and communities, and people with lived experience, these services that are going to be more accessible. Because they’re still not going to be accessible no matter how much funding they’ve got.”

Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the budget was unprecedented in what it provided for Pacific people in New Zealand.

He says there is NZ$13.2 million specifically tagged for Pacific people, but additional funding will also be provided through a number of government initiatives.

He says that he sees it as a package that addresses issues that Pacific have faced for a long time in New Zealand.

“The package that we’ve put together is the first package ever, that in my view lays the foundation of tackling the long-term issues that Pacific peoples have always faced.”

Aupitoa says the budget aims acknowledge that well-being Pacific people is more than just in economic terms, but also is also centred around language, culture and spiritually.

• This article is published under the Pacific Media Centre’s content partnership with Radio New Zealand.
• More Pacific stories

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By RNZ Pacific

The well-being of Pacific people in New Zealand has been recognised in this year’s Budget with increases in funding for the community in education, languages, health and business.

The government said the initiatives announced in the Budget would provide Pacific peoples with more scope to lift their own well-being.

It also said that by embracing Pacific values and co-designing initiatives with Pacific peoples, equality can start to be a reality.

READ MORE: NZ’s 2019 ‘Wellbeing’ Budget – ‘Building the blocks’

Boost for Pacific education
The Budget provides NZ$27.4 million over four years to ensure Pacific students and their families have the skills, knowledge and opportunities to pursue education.

This includes Pacific PowerUP, an educational programme that aimed at actively supporting Pacific parents, families and communities to support their children’s learning.

The Budget will also provide $NZ14.5 million to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples to grow opportunities for young people not in employment, education or training.

Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said the the funding will grow opportunities with education providers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to place up to 2220 Pasifika young people into employment, education or training though the Pacific Employment Support Service.

Pacific Language Unit to be established
A major boost for Pacific Languages was also announced in the Budget.

It allocated NZ$20 million over four years so the Ministry for Pacific Peoples can establish a new Pacific Language Unit, with a set of language support functions to help ensure their survival.

New Zealand currently holds Samoan, Cook Island, Tongan, Tuvaluan, Fijian, Niuean and Tokelauan language weeks every year.

Many Pacific languages are struggling to survive within their communities in New Zealand and Aupito said that without action Pasifika risk losing their wisdom, culture, and sense of belonging.

Funding for Pacific peoples’ health and well-being
An important part of delivering improved health outcomes for Pacific peoples will be to increase their health workforce.

This will be done with funding of NZ$14.3 million over four years for a strengthened training pathway, from secondary school to tertiary study, work experience and work placements including increasing the number of Pacific people who are nurses and midwives.

There will also be increased investment of NZ$9.8 million over four years in developing innovative Pacific community initiatives, including some aimed at sharing evidence-based Pacific models of care.

The Budget also provides NZ$12 million in funding for rheumatic fever programmes to reduce the incidence rate among Māori and Pacific peoples and support better management of the illness.

In addition it invests $NZ1 million to research how a whānau-centred approach to primary healthcare can improve outcomes for Māori and Pacific peoples.

There was a focus on mental health in the Budget and there has been provision to fund up to eight programmes for Māori and Pacific people designed to strengthen personal identity and connection to the community.

Transforming the Pacific economy
The Budget provides NZ$11 million over four years to boost the Pacific Business Trust.

This funding will expand the delivery of business services, and support industry and community economic development activities focused on growing Pacific businesses and job opportunities.

It will also include research, monitoring and evaluation of Pacific peoples’ contribution to New Zealand’s economy.

• This article is published under the Pacific Media Centre’s content partnership with Radio New Zealand.
• More Pacific stories

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz