Articles by Utopia Support

Workshop for couples on happy marriage

Friday 18 May 2012 | Published in National

A three-day workshop to be held next week is aiming to shed some light on the secrets and strategies to a happy marriage. The Rotaianga Men’s Support Group is hosting the workshop, which is calling on two couples from long-lasting marriages to share their experiences and advice on how to build a strong family. The […]

PM to co-chair PALM6 in Japan

Friday 18 May 2012 | Published in National

Prime Minister Henry Puna will open and make closing remarks at key events to occur as part of the 6th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM6) to be held in Nago, Okinawa, Japan on May 24-26. Co-chaired by Japan and the Cook Islands, the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting is a summit-level meeting held every three years […]

Needing ticket departure tax answers

Friday 18 May 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: ”As a regular traveller it would be a help to know if I have to pay $65 for departure tax in the future or $75 if the finance minister can clear it up, or are they going to hide it in the purchasing of tickets? Surely we Cook Islands people are […]

Queen's Jubilee expense criticised

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in Local

Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen believes the $130,000 government spent to send a team to represent the Cook Islands at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee could have been put to ”better use“. ”That’s a huge amount of money for probably a five-minute appearance,“ Rasmussen said. ”I would rather that money had been spent on remedying the problems […]

7 vaka arriving

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in Local

Avatiu harbour will be abuzz today for the welcoming of the seven voyaging canoes that departed Aitutaki early yesterday afternoon. The fleet is expected to arrive at Avatiu harbour at around 2pm where Ngati Uritaua will conduct the traditional welcome for the 120 voyagers including Prime Minister Henry Puna. Pacific islands communities on Rarotonga along […]

Departure tax going up to $65

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands government will increase the pension for pensioners aged over 70, increase the departure tax paid upon leaving the country in 2013 and have it embedded in airline tickets in the next financial year, Minister of Finance and Economic Management Mark Brown said. In a pre-budget press conference held yesterday, Brown announced some […]

Kata - May 17, 2012

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in Kata

Test time

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

Saunders and Haible are on a mission to raise awareness of the biggest killer of Pacific people – diabetes. Every Wednesday the pair is stationed outside the pharmacy in the heart of Avarua where they do a free glucose test for sugar levels in blood and can also do weight and height checks too. The […]

Suicide survey goes to town

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

Members of the Youth Suicide Prevention Steering Committee will be out in town again today and tomorrow with surveys for parents and caregivers to help collect data on the attitudes to and impacts of suicide in the Cook Islands. Committee members were yesterday stationed at the Bank of the Cook Islands Avarua branch with the […]

Advisors finish job

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

The budget support group has submitted its final report to cabinet, which this week is going through the numbers. Chaired by John Kenning, the budget committee this year comprised Teresa Manarangi-Trott, Christina Newport and Sharyn Paio, in addition to finance minister Mark Brown and finance secretary Richard Neves. Neves handpicked each member based on his […]

Pension to double

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

Pensioners will receive an increase in their government payments under the next financial year’s budget in a three-year plan that will see the pension double by 2015. Minister of Finance and Economic Management Mark Brown yesterday said the Cook Islands government would make good on its promise announced in December last year to double the […]

Departure tax to be included in airfare

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

The Cook Islands government will introduce new laws that will force airlines to include the departure tax within ticket prices from December this year. The laws will be put to parliament when it next sits, which is expected to occur in June, and will bring an end to the days where travellers leaving Rarotonga International […]

Social impact fund meeting

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

Community groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are being encouraged to join a meeting today to discuss the limitations and difficulties of applying for grants under the Social Impact Fund. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which administers the fund, will hold the meeting today between midday and 2pm at the Sinai Hall in Maraerenga to help […]

New community group to advise on health

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

Community members and the Ministry of Health now have a new route for dialogue thanks to the formation of a community health advisory committee. The committee, which met for the first time this week, includes volunteer representatives from Rarotonga’s three vaka, two non-government organisations, the national youth council and a religious representative. The committee will […]

Budget warning: beware of razzmatazz

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in National

Ahead of the presentation of this year’s Budget, opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen encourages the public to scrutinise the government’s financial decisions carefully. ”I just want to warn the public to be careful of the razzmatazz associated with the incoming annual budget by the government,“ Rasmussen said yesterday. ”The government seems to be covering the real […]

Pa Ariki's nu in schools idea 'a winner'

Thursday 17 May 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”Pa Ariki is to be congratulated for her continuing education on local foods,“ a smoke signaller writes in response to her recent CI News articles. ”The idea that every school child would have a drink of nu [young coconut] every day has to be one of the best ‘go local’ concepts ever. One would hope […]

Tax take down in Budget

Wednesday 16 May 2012 | Published in Local

The 2012-13 Budget is likely to be tabled in parliament on June 7. While the date is not set in stone, government is treating it as a benchmark. Financial secretary Richard Neves is tight-lipped about budget figures but indicates previous estimates might have been ”a little bit optimistic“, noting that tax revenues for the 2012-13 […]

Naomi returning

Wednesday 16 May 2012 | Published in National

The MV Lady Naomi will again be employed to transport people from the northern group islands to Rarotonga for the Te Maeva Nui festival in August. The islands of the northern group have already signalled their intentions to use the service, which is expected to again be funded by the Cook Islands government through the […]

Floating laboratory passes through

Wednesday 16 May 2012 | Published in National

A 100-metre long floating science laboratory has passed by the Cook Islands on its way to Mexico. The ‘Dorado Discovery’ stopped at Rarotonga over the weekend to take on supplies and drop off crew members on its voyage across the Pacific. The Dorado Discovery carries out underwater and deep sea research and mapping, which can […]

Tuna brand about 'feeding the people'

Wednesday 16 May 2012 | Published in National

Combine a flying tuna with 15 stars, a splash of green, yellow and blue, and the creative thoughts of some Cook Islands youth and you have the new Cook Islands Golden Tuna logo. The finished piece, which combines elements of designs by students Dennise Nanai, Tekake William and Joshua Milne, features a green and yellow […]