Articles by Utopia Support

Kata - September 12, 2012

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Questions should be asked over 'systematic ripoff'

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Dear Editor, You have reported the significance of tax issues faced by Norman George and his associated company and made considerable ground in your attempt to ridicule the man with Kata. But failed you have and miserably, to ask more serious questions relating to the millions in uncollected taxes from CITC – being permitted to […]

Tougher catch limits 'very important'

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

The Pacific Islands tuna industry says fishing pressure on the vital Southern Albacore tuna is much more severe than scientific data suggests. The Pacific Islands Tuna Industry Association (PITIA), which has members in 14 Pacific countries, says a rush of new Chinese boats has made it impossible for local fishermen to join the industry. The […]

Disaster recovery changes for Cook Islands

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

A report highlighting where the Cook Islands can improve its disaster recovery plans has been handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Known as the Cook Islands IDRL Report, the paper was undertaken by Cook Islander Fine Tuitupou-Arnold. The report analyses the way the country responds to international disasters and suggests a number of […]

Congress continues to build

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

Progress is continuing to happen at the world’s biggest conservation event in Jeju, South Korea. Local representative Ana Tiraa, who was recently elected to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) council as an Oceania councillor, described the event as “unique” in its approach to major international issues. “IUCN’s World Conservation Congress is […]

Sea Shepherd helps police shark fishing

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

In the first enforcement collaboration of its kind in the South Pacific, Sea Shepherd has partnered with Kiribati to combat illegal shark fishing. After spending nearly two months in the South Pacific on its latest shark campaign, Operation Requiem, working in several island nations on marine protection, outreach, education and partnerships, Sea Shepherd concluded the […]

Prison – not bail – for teen

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

A 16-year-old was imprisoned as a precautionary measure before his sentencing in two months time. Chief Justice Tom Weston was due to sentence Bishop Bailey in the High Court last week on four burglary charges and one of receiving stolen goods. But the young man’s lawyer Norman George was sick, meaning sentencing could not go […]

MOE secretary pursues education initiatives

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

Secretary of education Sharyn Paio and the language and culture manager Jane Taurarii attended the South Pacific Board of Educational Achievement (SPBEA) conference in Nadi, Fiji, recently. Heads of education systems and curriculum and assessment managers from all 15 Forum member countries were also in attendance. The objective of the conference was to raise awareness […]

NZ aids maire man's dream

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

It’s taken Taratoa Metuariki nearly a year to advance his mission to salvage a maire industry teetering on the brink of collapse. He’s paid for five tickets to Rarotonga from Mauke to lobby for government assistance in his effort to prop up his island’s failing maire operation, and all for nought. But after a single […]

48 apply for loans

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

BTIB chief executive Terry Rangi says he is satisfied with the expressions of interest in the agriculture development loans (ADL) after they formally closed last Friday. As part of the successful soft-loans scheme, agricultural entrepreneurs were invited to apply for a loan of between $2000 and $3000 to buy items related to the agriculture industry. […]

Turuturu'ia mai to tatou au metua pakari

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

The Are Pa Metua is under-resourced and running quickly out of funds. The organisation was established by wives of Rotarians to give elderly people something to look forward to, and for years has been bringing together older people for a hot meal and a bit of socialising. But the budget Are Pa Metua receives from […]

Italian and Dutch credentials presented

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

The Italian and Dutch ambassadors participated in an historic credentials ceremony at Government House yesterday. It was the first time two national representatives have presented credentials to Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin on the same day while the visit was also the first from a Dutch ambassador. Italian ambassador Alessandro Levi Sandri is his country’s […]

Vaka Te Au O Tonga is back

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

Traditional voyaging double hulled canoe Vaka Te Au O Tonga is back on Te Moana Nui o Kiva and ready to be a mother again to the next crop of voyagers and sailors. The 72-foot vessel was commissioned by former prime minister the late Sir Geoffrey Henry and built in 1994 by the late Sir […]

Weak El Nino means less rain

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

The emerging El Nino in the Pacific region is currently not expected to be as strong, nor last for as long as previous El Nino events. This could mean less rainfall than usual over the coming months, says Meteorological Service director Maara Vaiimene, as the emerging possibility of a weak El Nino has been predicted […]

Abandoned children gone home

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National

The three children abandoned by their mother at Rarotonga International Airport last week have been reunited with their parents in Australia. On Sunday September 2, a mother left her three children, aged five, seven and eight, with a Cook Islands woman working at the airport – a complete stranger – then boarded a flight back […]

Police pay rates are 'a disgrace'

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes regarding the police pay figures published in Monday’s CINews: “There is an old saying: ‘If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys’, and that seems very much to be a truism regarding the pittance Cook Islands police are paid. Morale must be very low indeed in a force bereft of decent pay […]

Oceania conservation role for Tiraa

Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Environment

The Cook Islands has a greater presence on the international conservation stage. Te Ipukarea Society member Ana Tiraa was voted in as an Oceania councillor for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She joins Australian Brendon Mackey and Andrew Bignell from New Zealand as the three new representatives from the Oceania region. A […]

Hot, dirty rubbish roundup

Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Environment

The first event of Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative’s 2012 Rubbish Roundup, supported by CITC, National Environment Service (NES), WATSAN and General Transport, was a community driven success. Volunteers comprised of large groups from Turama Pacific, the Filipino Community and Telecom, who sponsored the Blackrock/Social Centre event on Saturday. Fifty participants collected and sorted 249kg of […]

$1.2m not paid in Coca-Cola levies

Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Local

A damning Audit report reveals that for over 20 years, CITC avoided paying full levies on Coca Cola, thereby depriving government of millions in taxation revenue. Owing to an arrangement with Customs, CITC routinely separated contents from packaging on invoice sheets – paying a 10 percent levy on packaging and a 40 percent levy on […]

Maintenance workers back at work

Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Local

A poorly worded and interpreted Budget Policy Directive is being blamed for the misunderstanding that had five Cook Islands Investment Corporation maintenance workers thinking they had lost their jobs. The CIIC work gang of five men were yesterday assured they are still employed – resulting in broad smiles and handshakes all round. Yesterday minister of […]