Minutes of the Ministerial Meeting on 12 June 2024

The Council of Ministers met on Wednesday to review the following documents.

Civil service recruitment competition opens

On the proposal of the Minister of Civil Service, Employment, Labor, Administrative Modernization, Archipelago Development and Vocational Training, the Council of Ministers adopted the draft decree aimed at authorizing the opening of competition for the civil service in the years 2024 and 2025.

The project stems from a forecast competitive plan for 2024-2027 prepared by the Department of Human Resources (DGRH), which took into account the needs expressed by various services, public institutions and ministries.

Therefore, it is proposed to authorize opening to competition in the following sectors and employment frameworks by 2024:

• For Administration and Finance: Administrative Officers (Category A);
• For technical departments: technicians (category B), airport firefighters (category C);
• For the Social Education Department: Social Education Assistant (Category B);
• For the health sector: doctors, hospital practitioners (category A).

In addition, the following sectors and employment frameworks will be open to competition by 2025:

• For the social education sector: Arts Education Consultant, Physical Activity and Sports Consultant (Category A), Arts Education Assistant (Category B);
• For technical departments: professional training teachers, engineers (category A);
• For the health sector: doctors, hospital practitioners, nurses, healthcare managers (category A), nurses (category B) and nursing assistants (category C).

The move is aimed at meeting civil servant recruitment needs and ensuring the smooth functioning of the public service. It is part of a proactive approach to human resource management to maintain the administrative workforce and strengthen the skills of key departments.

The terms of the organization of the competition, in particular the registration dates, the positions to be filled and the conditions of participation, will be determined by an order of the Ministry of Civil Service.

Draft national law regulating the prices of products or services exempted from taxes or duties

The economic and geographical specificities of French Polynesia often expose it to a persistent inflationary environment. To compensate for this, there are a number of specific tax or customs regimes that apply, including full or partial exemptions from entry taxes and taxes on certain products or services.

The purpose of the state’s efforts in taxation is to protect the purchasing power of consumers or to promote the country’s economic and social development. Today, it is impossible to guarantee the effectiveness of these systems, especially their impact on the final buyer, because the products and services that benefit from these specific tax systems are largely resold at free prices.

The country’s regulator noted that the benefits of these tax exemption schemes are often gained through the profits of middlemen in the supply chain (importers, distributors, service providers, etc.), while end users also receive more than a slight benefit.

Thus, on the proposal of the Minister of Economy, Budget and Finance in charge of Energy, the Council of Ministers transmitted to the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council and the Polynesian Competition Authority a national bill aimed at amending the Competition Act to provide for the possibility of regulating the maximum selling price of a product or service in exchange for benefiting from a specific tax or tariff exemption regime.

Inflation: -0.3% in May 2024

In May 2024, the general consumer price index, based on the recommendations of the Minister of Economy, Budget and Finance in charge of Energy, fell by 0.3% to 110.76. The main reason for the decline was a decrease in the prices of food (-1.3%) and transport services (-1.3%).

Excluding international air transport, the price index fell by 0.3% in May 2024 and rose by 0.7% in the past 12 rolling months. The workers’ index fell by 0.2% in May 2024 and rose by 0.8% year-on-year. The general consumer price index rose by 0.7% from May 2023 to May 2024. The average change in the past 12 months is +1.5% (source ISPF).

Detailed progress

The change in the consumer price index in May was due to a decrease in the prices of food products (-1.3%), but also seafood products (-9.5%), vegetables (-1.6%) and fruit (-1.8%). Thus, the price of seafood products returned to a level close to that of February 2024. The prices of transport services also fell (-1.3%), including the prices of passenger air transport (-1.7%). On the contrary, the prices of non-alcoholic beverages rose (+1.0%), including mineral water (+0.8%). The prices of housing maintenance and repair (+0.6%) and real residential rents (+0.2%) also rose.

Price index changes Consumption	Mars 2024		Avril Lavigne 2024		possible 2024
	France	French Polynesia	France	French Polynesia	France	French Polynesia
12 months shift	2,3	1,5	2,2	1,2	2,2	0,7

Construction and Public Works Index May 2024

In May 2024, on the recommendation of the Minister of Economy, Budget and Finance in charge of Energy, the Building and Public Works (BTP) Index rose by 0.2% to 132.71. This increase was mainly due to an increase in the prices of building materials (+0.2%) and an increase in the prices of wages and expenses (+0.4%). This latest increase is due to the increase in SMIG from May 1, 2024. In construction, the main works index rose by 0.5% and the secondary works index by 0.1%. Over the twelve months, the composite construction index fell by 0.9%. In public works, the civil works index grew by 0.2%, while the professional works index remained stable. Over the twelve months, the overall public works index fell by 1.4% (source ISPF).

BRICK Pacific seminar achieved satisfactory results

The Louise Mallard Institute organized the BRICK Pacific workshop – Biobanking and Research in Pacific Island Countries, from 9 to 11 April 2024 in Papeete, bringing together a large multidisciplinary group of experts (researchers, public health actors, clinicians, members of ethics committees) from mainland France, Australia and several Pacific Island countries and territories: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Palau, French Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Initiated and coordinated by the Emerging Viral Infections Research Laboratory, on the proposal of the Minister of Health responsible for Prevention and Universal Social Protection, and funded by the Pacific Fund, the goal of the BRICK Pacific project is to promote the development of a regional scientific partnership with a focus on ethical and regulatory aspects related to research involving Pacific populations.

The aim of the approach is to increase the representation of Pacific communities in major international research and to promote Pacific community leadership in research. At the end of the work, participants expressed interest and confidence in the ability of the BRICS Pacific Initiative to achieve these goals. ETIO representatives also expressed their desire to see new opportunities for meetings and recalled the importance of exchanging and sharing their expertise, experiences and feelings in the face of social challenges faced by the different peoples that make up the great “Pacific” community.

Providing general and technical training to traditional artisans of Presgilles

Following advice from the Minister for Sport, and as part of the professionalisation and development of the traditional craft sector, the Traditional Craft Service, Te Pū ‘ohipa rima’ī, has proposed a technical and general training programme for the first half of 2024, which is already underway in Wairau.

General Training

In response to a request from the Taiarapu West Tourism Board, two general training sessions were held in Vairao, with the aim of enabling traditional artisans to master their skills before the Olympic surfing competition and meet the public’s expectations of professionalism at the event. Thus, 23 artisans benefited from sales techniques and English training, two days per subject.

Technical Training

Technical training enables participants to re-use ancestral techniques, maintaining and supporting the quality and diversity of their expertise while developing their innovative capacity. These training courses also preserve expertise and promote its dissemination. 18 artisans from Presqu’île benefited from this approach through the following training:

• an introduction to Pae’ore weaving (54 hours) with Inarii NUUPURE, an experienced artisan in the field;
• an introduction to nī’au rāraga mātua weaving (72 hours) with Tevahine TEARIKI, an expert artisan and “Ihi rima’ī mā’ohi” card holder from French Polynesia;
• Take a shell ornament training (32 hours) with Mareva ORBECK, a professional artisan from French Polynesia and “Ihi rima’ī mā’ohi” card holder.

Bamboo preparation and weaving training

Finally, a training on bamboo preparation and weaving is planned for August 19-28, 2024. This technique has almost disappeared and today few artisans master this practice. It is therefore necessary to plan the organization of such trainings to support the dissemination of these techniques. This training will take place in Presqu’île and will benefit 10 participants, especially because of the presence of raw materials. The course will be taught during two weeks by Ms Maureen TAPUTU, a basket maker from Rurutū who herself learned these techniques from her mother, Tiare TAPUTU.