Government cars are detained in Vanuatu, visa system causes confusion among Samoans and PNG MP dies
State officials illegally hold state-owned cars
In Vanuatu, political secretaries and government officials hold on to their state-owned vehicles following the dissolution of parliament.
The Daily Post reports that Public Service Commission chairman Simil Johnson said staff had no legal right to keep the vehicles.
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Drivers were warned to return them.
Johnson said the law was clear government vehicles would have to be returned after Parliament was dissolved to await the election of the new government and the new officers who would drive them.
There are exceptions, for example, for officials who work weekends and nights, especially at border controls.
This follows last week’s seizure of 50 state-registered vehicles deemed unroadworthy.
Vanuatu will go to the polls next month after Bob Loughman’s government called snap elections.
Aotearoa’s visa system worries many Samoans
Many Samoans find New Zealand’s online visa process inconvenient and inaccessible.
Online applications for New Zealand visas were introduced in 2019, but Immigration New Zealand told the Samoa Observer that the recent move to a full-time online service was made in response to the growing number of applicants and for health and safety reasons.
The transition has been a challenge for many rural Samoans who end up spending money on travel agencies to help them.
New Zealand’s Immigration Services Borders and Visa Manager, Nicola Hogg, acknowledged that people might find it difficult to adjust to the change at first.
She says Immigration NZ has its own post box and telephone in the office where applicants and their families can seek help.
She added that more than 1,300 visa applications from Samoan nationals had been received through the online submission platform.
Hogg said there are already online applications to other nations, which are receiving large numbers of applications from Samoa.
Death of a PNG politician
Newly re-elected MP for Wewak in Papua New Guinea Parliament Kevin Isifu has died in Port Moresby.
Isifu won a second term in July’s elections under the banner of the United Resources Party.
The broadcaster NBC reports that he died of complications from colon cancer.
After moving to Parliament in 2017, he became Secretary of State for Intergovernmental Relations in the O’Neill/Abel government and was then appointed to the Constitutional and Legislative Reform Commission.
It is the second death of an MP in the last election, after North Bougainville incumbent William Nakin died while voting but still won the election.
Food push from Washington for American Samoa
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service awards a $10 million grant to increase nutritional benefits in American Samoa.
The extra money means current participants in the American Samoa Nutrition Assistance Program will be paid $277 per month for the year beginning Oct. 1.
This is an increase of $100 to $183 per month over current performance levels.
For the lowest-income participants, American Samoa also provides $208 per month for an additional household member, bringing the total household benefit to $485 per month.
The US Department of Agriculture says this grant will help mitigate the ongoing effects of the pandemic and boost local food systems.
The money is in addition to the annual block grant the area receives.
Head of state represents Samoa at Queen’s funeral
The Samoan Head of State, Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi, will represent Samoa at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Tuesday September 20 Samoan time.
Tuimaleali’ifano and his wife traveled to Australia, where they will join other Pacific leaders to fly to London with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
They are accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Agafili Shem Leo and the Head of the State Adjutant.
Futsal wins for New Zealand, New Caledonia and Vanuatu
The New Zealand futsal team beat the Fiji FA President’s five-man team 5-1 in the opening game of the Oceania Futsal Cup.
Meanwhile, a hat-trick in the last 10 minutes by Use Qenegeie saw New Caledonia beat main Fiji 4-2 after falling 2-0 behind.
And three players all scored doubles to help Vanuatu defeat Tonga 9-0 in their opening match at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
Futsal is a modified form of football played with five players per side on a smaller, usually indoor, pitch.
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