French Pacific News Briefs

French Polynesia’s new Finance Minister

French Polynesia President Motété Blazeson appointed a new minister of economy and finance last week.

His name is Warren Dexter, 52 years old.

Dexter succeeds outgoing Tevaiti Pomare, who has held the position since May 2023.

The appropriations bill faced strong opposition from the business community.

Dettel previously worked as a tax consultant at the Ministry of Economics and Finance and has experience working in the private sector.

Brotherson said Dexter is expected to be more willing to consult with the private sector.

“To me, he’s the best person to handle this situation,” Brotherson told local media.

On Friday, during Dexter’s tenure, the territorial parliament of French Polynesia voted 38 in favor, 16 against, with 3 abstentions, on a new bill dedicated to tax-free eligibility for land purchases.

Dexter’s appointment was also welcomed by the business community.

New Caledonia’s Senate of Customary Chiefs welcomes new president

Eloi Gowe, 65, from the Ajië-Arö chiefdom, is the new president of the Senate of Customary Chiefs of New Caledonia.

Gowe officially succeeded Victor Kony at a takeover ceremony on Saturday, during which both sides performed traditional chants and dances and exchanged gifts.

In his first speech, attended by New Caledonian President Louis Mapou and Congress Party President Roch Wamitan, Gowe called for “pacification” of the situation in New Caledonia, which has been in a climate of continued unrest, blockade and rebellion since the riots on May 13.

The New Caledonian Senate of Chiefs has come under criticism after one of its members, Hippolyte Sinewami, recently resigned, saying he now wanted to devote his time to the new Grand Council of Chiefs, which he formed to directly challenge the Senate.

Sinewami also said the chiefs wanted to have a say in future political negotiations on the future of New Caledonia.

On the other hand, the new Senate President assured that the body he presides over has no intention of interfering in politics but wishes to participate in negotiations on the issue of the indigenous Kanak identity.

Man arrested for selling alcohol on the black market

A 34-year-old man was arrested and will stand trial on Friday after gendarmes seized a large amount of alcoholic beverages in his home in the city of Mont-Dore (near Nouméa).

The gendarmerie’s cybercrime unit said the man was arrested and seized after posting videos on the social network Tiktok promoting the sale of beer and spirits.

Security forces said they suspected the liquor was bought from individuals who had looted shops in the past three months.

Until recently, the sale of alcohol was prohibited in New Caledonia, although this has now been relaxed.

Prosecutor Yves Dupas said the profit from the sale of the then-banned product was estimated at about $3,500.

UN Ocean Conference Special Envoy visits Pacific

The United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) will be held in Nice, France in 2025 and French Presidential Envoy Olivier Poivre d’Arvor visited Fiji last week.

The French Embassy in Suva said the upcoming UN meeting topped the agenda during talks with local government officials including Fiji’s Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Lenora Kerekeretabua on Friday.

Poivre d’Arvor, who is also ambassador for polar and marine affairs, told local radio Fluidized bed bacteria France is committed to ensuring that the concerns of the Pacific Small Island States remain a priority for the United Nations Pacific Islands Forum.

The UNOC, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, will be held in Nice from June 9 to 13, 2025.

New Caledonia’s parliament raises retirement age to 62

New Caledonia’s parliament approved last Thursday a change in the statutory retirement age from 60 to 62.

The changes will take effect on January 1, 2025, and are part of a series of reforms to local retirement funds (LRFs).

The reforms, described as “inevitable”, also prohibit civil servants from retiring before the age of 55.

Earlier this month, the New Caledonian government voted for an extraordinary emergency measure to save the LRF, which is facing a sharp drop in contributions, mainly due to the dire economic situation caused by the unrest in New Caledonia over the past three months.

In addition, last week, Congress also approved a bailout plan for the local power company ENERCAL.

The plan involves an initial 11% increase in electricity consumer prices starting in October, with a final increase of 34% being phased in over the next two years.

Over the past 12 years, under the subsidized pricing system, ENERCAL has accumulated losses of approximately $10 billion.$180 million.

New Caledonia no longer insured against ‘unrest’ risk

Insurance companies in New Caledonia will no longer cover “riot” risks.

According to New Caledonian Television, local insurance companies, faced with an influx of claims (more than 2,500) from existing clients (mostly companies that have suffered varying degrees of damage since the violent riots began on May 13), have decided not to include “riot” clauses in any future insurance agreements.

The riots affected as many as eight hundred businesses, which were attacked (burned and/or looted) by rioters, and left as many as 20,000 people unemployed.

The total losses were approximately 2.2 billion euros.

David Guyenne, president of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), said that the U.S.$So far, the insurance amount paid has reached 1.1 billion, and the existing insured enterprises have only received about $37.5 million.

“This is a real problem and not having more future ‘risk’ cover means our business can’t restart,” he said.