Articles by Utopia Support

Controversial tax now law

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in Local

Despite criticism from opposition party members and the wider public, the governments controversial last minute attempt to balance its books has passed into law. Towards the end of a parliamentary session yesterday afternoon the Income Tax Amendment Bill was considered and adopted without change. Although some members of the opposition, including Nikao Panama MP Ngamau […]

Tax will hit the wealthy, not the poor

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, May I throw in my pennys worth on the current controversy about Minister Mark Browns 15 percent tax on interest on savings? It seems to me that 15 percent tax on interest on deposits is not much, only 0.75 percent for deposits earning, say, 5 percent interest. It also seems to me that […]

Opportunity to make money being ignored

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With all this talk about taxing the poor peoples savings in an unthinking bid to get more money, maybe the Government should try looking in another direction. There is work being done at Avatiu harbour that the EIA says is going to produce: 150,000 cub mtrs of dredged coral sand and rubble (with […]

Tourism industry deserves better

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write regarding the tourism awards speakers. I will be interested as to what the Rugby World Cup Chief executive might speak on and contribute to Cook Islands Tourism given that his RWC is budgeted to lose around forty million New Zealand taxpayers dollars and growing daily. The International Rugby Board holds total […]

Kata - July 14, 2011

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in Kata

Mock crash response analysed

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

A full debrief of how emergency response agencies handled Tuesdays mock trauma exercise will be conducted to help improve the response of emergency and rescue personnel. A mock head-on car crash was staged on the main road in Maraerenga to assess the coordinated efforts of emergency agencies including health, Red Cross, airport authority, crash fire […]

Coming to grips with good governance

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

New members of parliament are benefitting from the expertise of auditors following a good governance workshop in Arorangi yesterday. MPs including Ngamau Munokoa, Atatoa Herman, Tekii Lazaro, John Henry and Kiriau Turepu attended the half-day workshop. Long time MP and deputy opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen also refreshed his governance knowledge, along with finance minister Mark […]

Banks bring tax concerns to govt

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

The Cook Islands Bankers Association (CIBA) met with the Minister of Finance and representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) on Monday morning. This was the first opportunity for the association to discuss the proposed withholding tax with government. The purpose was therefore to gain clarity about the exact intentions for the […]

Marine park needs broad buy-in

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

Conservation International marine programme manager Sue Taei says that the right partnerships are integral to the success of a marine park. Its important to build leadership and ownership at each level to include the government, traditional leaders and even fishermen in the decision-making process and the drafting of a management plan. As part of involving […]

Support for marine park plan

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

The majority of those who turned up to Te Au O Tongas public meeting on Tuesday evening voiced their full support for the proposed marine park. Still, House of Ariki president Tou Travel Ariki pointed out that while over 30 people were present, he had been hoping for a greater turnout of Cook Islanders. Im […]

Employee bill postponed

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

The governments draft employment relations bill is not ready for adoption and will not be tabled in parliament until the next sitting, a date for which has yet to be confirmed. It was supposed to be tabled and adopted this week. Minister Nandi Glassie, who chairs the select committee preparing the bill, announced the delay […]

Mitiaros men worry experts

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

Data collected on Mitiaro is painting a bleak picture of the health and attitudes of young men in the Cook Islands showing the islands population as being overweight, having a tendency for regular binge drinking and a high rate of smoking. Figures collected by the ministry of health show that almost 100 percent of the […]

Holiday brings out MPs patriotism

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in National

Passionate displays of patriotism took place within parliaments debating chamber yesterday while a public holiday amendment bill was considered and adopted. The Public Holidays (Ra O Te Ui Ariki) Amendment Bill makes July 6 a public holiday to recognise the House of Ariki, which met for the first time on July 6, 1967. The bill […]

Fiji flight subsidy better

Thursday 14 July 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: Fiji, despite being ostracised by Australia and New Zealand politically, is enjoying tourism numbers that Rarotonga would enjoy a part of. Fiji has for the first time ever, recorded over 50,000 visitor arrivals in the month of April, 2011. This was revealed yesterday by the Minister for Tourism, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at […]

Tax figures right despite claims

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Local

Despite a level of error in statistics on which the government estimates its revenue from a new withholding tax, finance minister Mark Brown says the 2011-2012 budget is fiscally responsible and balanced. Questions were raised in parliament yesterday on the basis that Brown had received the wrong advice from the Ministry of Finance and Economic […]

Mock crash important test for real thing

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Local

It was all hands on deck for emergency response personnel yesterday who attended a head-on collision on the main road in Maraerenga. Although the car crash in front of Bamboo Jacks was just a set-up, it was an important exercise to improve both the response time of emergency personnel and the coordinated efforts by emergency […]

Budget passed without changes

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Local

Parliament has unanimously adopted without amendment the governments 2011-2012 budget, tabled on July 1. Government now has the ability to spend $172 million in the next 12 months as planned. Members of parliament approved the bulk of appropriations during an afternoon session yesterday. Debate about the appropriation bill began last week. By 4pm yesterday, with […]

Locals are hard workers

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My mother would talk at length when we were children about how hard they worked as growers and owners of crops and plantations. They would work from early in the morning till sometimes late in the evening. Despite them moving to New Zealand as many did they continued with this same work ethic […]

Rarotonga is comparatively safe

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am a regular reader of your online edition and enjoy the varied news and events in paradise. I am however concerned about the amount of publicity theft and burglary gets. Theft is a problem in the Cook Islands no doubt and there is no silver bullet to mend that. I suspect the […]

Quote taken out of context

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My argument in Parliament during the Budget was that the vote item for the Maeva Nui Celebrations was too much. So for your newspapers article Budget approval begins yesterday to say that I said that at least $1 million should be provided for the celebrations took the whole point of my argument out […]