Economy
Workers lured to New Zealand with higher pay
Monday 20 September 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
Local businesses continue to struggle to find employees and the situation is only set to get worse as more local workers are recruited for work in New Zealand, where they can earn higher wages and possibly find a path to residency.
Runway repairs restart following multiple delays
Saturday 18 September 2021 | Written by Al Williams | Published in Economy, National
Runway repair work at Rarotonga International Airport has picked up again following multiple delays.
Will Cook Islands have to learn to live with Covid-19?
Saturday 18 September 2021 | Written by Caleb Fotheringham | Published in Economy, Health, National
Countries around the world are ditching lockdowns and slowly opening borders. Life in the United Kingdom has minimal restrictions, Australia has a plan to get life normal-ish again and even New Zealand has indicated slowly opening up to the world in the first quarter of 2022. So does the Cook Islands also need to learn to live with the virus or could we forever keep our zero tolerance approach?
Chamber welcomes support but challenges remain
Thursday 16 September 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
Government is being commended by the Chamber of Commerce in responding swiftly with aid after the latest border closure, however challenges remain for businesses currently grappling with zero tourists.
Border closure leaves vendors with piles of produce
Thursday 16 September 2021 | Written by Alana Musselle | Published in Economy, Local, National
Scenes from the quiet streets of Rarotonga as borders remain closed.
Government closer to announcement on seabed mineral exploration
Wednesday 15 September 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
The Cook Islands Government is moving forward with a process to potentially issue exploratory licenses to companies interested in mining the ocean floor as international conservationists, diplomats, and scientists call for a moratorium on all deep sea mining activities.
Additional business support announced
Tuesday 14 September 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
Government has announced additional financial support for businesses affected by the ongoing border closure.
Cook Islands will only accept vaccinated tourists when travel bubble resumes
Monday 13 September 2021 | Written by Caleb Fotheringham | Published in Economy, National
All future tourists to the Cook Islands aged 12 years and older need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, says Cook Islands government.
Superfund decreases rates again
Friday 10 September 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
The national superfund has decreased contribution rates, putting more money in the pockets of employees and employers during the ongoing economic downturn caused by New Zealand’s Covid-19 outbreak.
CIIC shares their outer islands plan
Thursday 9 September 2021 | Written by Supplied | Published in Economy, National
A lunch event put on for the Pa Enua mayors and executive officers by the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) last week was a resounding success.
Taskforce to provide travel bubble update on Monday
Thursday 9 September 2021 | Written by Caleb Fotheringham | Published in Economy, Local, National
An update on quarantine free travel will likely come Monday, says Border Easement Taskforce.
Noni growers positive despite setbacks
Tuesday 7 September 2021 | Written by Al Williams | Published in Economy, National
Noni growers remain positive despite Covid-19 and disrupted shipping routes placing pressure on their market.
Alert level drop in NZ reignites travel bubble hope
Tuesday 7 September 2021 | Written by Caleb Fotheringham | Published in Economy, National
Cook Islands should consider reopening its border to Kiwi tourists when New Zealand’s alert level drops to two, says a leading Pacific health expert.
Private sector renews push for long-term visitor stays
Tuesday 31 August 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
The current border closure has business leaders once again calling on Government to consider longer term visitor stays to cushion the industry during downturns and reduce the stress on Rarotonga’s infrastructure.
Tourism council braces for challenging months ahead
Monday 30 August 2021 | Written by Supplied | Published in Economy, National
After retaining the presidency of the Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council, Liana Scott is ready for another challenging year as the industry hits the speed bump to its ‘Road to Recovery’.
As assistance rolls in, business community ponders what it will take to get by
Saturday 28 August 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, Features
After the travel bubble commenced in May, Kiwi visitors began visiting in numbers that exceeded estimates. That has come to an end with NZ’s Covid-19 outbreak, and once again the industry is facing uncertainty even as government support kicks in.
‘There’s always something else you can do’
Saturday 28 August 2021 | Written by Al Williams | Published in Economy, National
Father of three Corey Fisher is facing struggles head on as he’s thinking outside the box to beat the pandemic.
Wage subsidy, sole trader grants reinstated
Saturday 28 August 2021 | Written by Al Williams | Published in Economy, National
Government will be spending an estimated $6 million over the coming month to prop up wages and support sole traders following the pause to the economic recovery due to the Delta community outbreak in New Zealand.
Banks pledge to work with clients affected by border closure
Friday 27 August 2021 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Economy, National
At least two of the major banks operating in the Cook Islands have pledged to continue working with customers facing financial difficulties from the recent border closure with New Zealand.
New Zealand provides $2m funding for private sector
Thursday 26 August 2021 | Written by Supplied | Published in Economy, National
New Zealand is providing a further $2 million in funding to support the recovery of the private sector in the Cook Islands, in partnership with Business Link Pacific (BLP) and the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce.
