August 19 Pacific News Brief

Samoa – Dengue Fever

Samoa’s Ministry of Health says the dengue fever outbreak in the country is over.

The Ministry of Health said there have been 496 cases since November 2023, but six cases occurred in the two weeks before that.

There have been no deaths in this outbreak.

The Ministry of Health said the areas with the highest concentration of cases continue to be the north-western island of Upolu and the urban area of ​​Apia.

Fiji – Google

Fiji will soon host a new Google data center worth FJD 200 million, the government says.

Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica made the announcement in an interview Fijian Village This week.

Kamikamica said that in addition to the data center, Google will also install four new undersea internet cable connections in Fiji.

Samoa – Landscape

The leader of the opposition in Samoa’s parliament has called on the Government to address public concerns about New Zealand’s increased visa fees.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi told local media that Samoans are deeply unhappy with the significant fee increases that will take effect in October.

He said the increased fees were a significant burden and would exacerbate already significant delays in the visa application process.

However, despite Tuilaepa’s concerns, the New Zealand Government said it remained committed to supporting its Pacific neighbours and would continue to subsidise fees for visa applicants from Pacific countries.

Solomon Islands – Roads

Australia has pledged to provide road infrastructure support to the Solomon Islands’ Malaita Province.

High Commissioner to the country Rod Hilton and Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the South Road Rehabilitation Project.

The road is the only land link between the communities of South Malaita, but is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles.

Australia has said it will provide the necessary infrastructure support to ensure the reliability and climate resilience of the Malaita South Road.

$1.3 million worth of emergency repairs are currently underway while long-term restoration plans are being developed.

Meanwhile, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manele said asphalting work on roads in Auki, the capital of Malaita Province, will begin soon.

Maneleta, on his first visit since taking office in May, said improving infrastructure could spur economic growth.

Learn more about Solomon Islands China reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with the Solomon Islands government in October last year, agreeing to pay for the project.

Malaita Province is the most populous province in the Solomon Islands and has a well-developed network of dirt roads.

Tonga – Language

Tonga Language Week has begun in New Zealand.

This year’s theme concerns the sustainability of language use in homes, churches and the wider community.

The University of Auckland’s School of Business and School of Economics will host a lea faka-Tonga celebration on Monday afternoon.

The Tongan diaspora in New Zealand is estimated at 82,000 people, most of whom know their native language, but less than half can speak it.

Australia/New Zealand – Commitment

Australian and New Zealand leaders redoubled their commitment to a united Pacific.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said after a meeting in Canberra that their respective countries’ success was closely linked to the strength of the region.

The leaders said the “Pacific is strongest when it is united” and reaffirmed their support for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and its “Blue Pacific Continental Strategy 2050”.

Both leaders stressed their preference for Pacific-led regional security and support for the Pacific Police Initiative.

They acknowledged the position of regional leaders that climate change is the “greatest threat facing Pacific people”.