CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 267 | 08 September 2008
Special agency to look after northern affairs?
The northern group would benefit from having government body set up specifically to see to its needs and development says Hon Wilkie Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs and also MP for Penrhyn.
Rasmussen informed the Times on Friday morning that Minister Tangata Vavia was promoting the amalgamation of the Ministry of Works and OMIA (Office of the Minister for Island Affairs) and the creation of one agency, “Infrastructure and Planning.”
Rasmussen said he considered there could be two divisions within this new body, one to look after the affairs of the northern group and the other to look after the affairs of the southern group.
He said Prime Minister Hon Jim Marurai appeared to be supportive of the idea.
Staff would not be affected said Rasmussen however, Minister Hon Kete Ioane would lose the OMIA portfolio.
The northern group deserved to be a focal point said Rasmussen because of the common problems and issues shared by the northern islands. Isolation, depopulation, cost of living and transportation were serious issues. Other issues were lack of employment opportunities, labour shortage and information gaps and retardation.
With the cut back in air services north, information from printed media sources was not reaching the people in a timely fashion.