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Pacific News In Brief For 24 July
Bougainville - prisoners
Reports out of the Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville say prison warders are illegally freeing offenders from jail.
The Post-Courier reports the warders are bypassing legal procedures and allowing dangerous individuals to roam communities unchecked.
Bougainville's head of Correctional Institute Services, Vincent Kundi, says inmates are walking out of Bekut Correctional Facility on unauthorised release - for weeks or months and sometimes even years.
He said legally that makes them escapees.
Calls are ongoing for a maximum-security prison to house Bougainville's high-risk offenders.
Papua New Guinea - water
Police Commissioner David Manning is warning that there is zero tolerance for threats to essential services.
Landowners are threatening to shut off the water supply through the Rouna 2 Hydro Station in Central Province, which feeds Port Moresby.
Manning said police will not tolerate attempted extortion.
The Post-Courier reports Manning saying there are appropriate, lawful mechanisms for resolving disputes.
He has directed police to arrest the landowner group's leader.
Solomon Islands - immigration
The Solomon Islands is modernising its immigration services with a new Digital Border Management System.
Immigration Minister Trevor Manemahanga has hailed it as a major step towards more modern, efficient, and secure border management.
He said digital visas will enhance service delivery and national security.
The digital platform is supported by Australia.
Fiji - sacking
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will not rule out sacking his Chief Justice Salesi Temo.
This comes as the government works through the Commission of Inquiry report into the appointment of sacked anti-corruption commissioner Barbara Malimali.
Some have accused the government of double standards.
Rabuka said no decisions will be made until Temo has explained his involvement.
Fiji/New Zealand - agriculture
A $3.2 million funding boost from New Zealand should help Fiji support cleaner and greener agriculture under the Pacific Climate Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Land Management Partnership.
Longer-term, Aotearoa has committed nearly $14m over four years to Fiji, Niue, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Pacific Peoples Minister Dr Shane Reti said the funding will provide scientific and technical support in climate-resilient crop trials and also help in soil monitoring and landscape planning.
Fiji - HIV
Fiji's fight against HIV has received a boost of $5.4 million from the New Zealand government.
Pacific People's Minister Dr Shane Reti met with Fijian Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu over the weekend, to hear firsthand about the country's nationwide HIV outbreak, and Fiji's response plan.
Reti said the funding reflects Aotearoa's ongoing commitment to Pacific health security.
He hopes it will help ease pressures on Fiji's public health system.
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