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CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 439|23 March 2012

News Briefs

DPM receives overseas visitors

On Wednesday, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Tom Marsters received a courtesy call from-
1.) Captain Stephanie Moles, formerly of the Royal Australian Navy and now the new Defence Adviser, based in Wellington; and
2.) Stephen Broadbent, Director of New Zealand and Pacific affairs, International Policy Division in Canberra, Australia.
The topics of discussion included-
1.) the Australian and Cook Islands bilateral security engagement.
2.) Australian government assistance to the Cook Islands in terms of assisting in the management of the Cook Islands Maritime Surveillance Centre at Avatiu harbor;
3.) The review of the effectiveness of Australian and New Zealand personnel arrangements for the Pacific Patrol Boat Program.
Other topics included the Pacific Maritime Security program and maritime surveillance in our EEZ. It was mentioned that the Cook Islands is “punching above its weight” as a small country in the region as it is doing excellent work in the regional Patrol boat program and as part of RAMSI.
The Minister assured Captain Moles and Mr. Stephen Broadbent that the Cook Islands Government and people placed great value on the continuing mutual assistance, funding and support, provided by the Australian Government and navy, in partnership with the New Zealand government and navy cooperation.
- DPM Office release

Response to “windfall tax” claim
Kia Orana everyone,
I just thought I would take the opportunity to clarify some points on recent discussions that have seemed to have sprung up on a “windfall” tax being received by Government.
The Crown’s revenue estimates which are included in the 2012/13 budget (or any update in that case) are on the basis of the best information that MFEM has at that particular point in time. In the case of numbers presented in the Budget these are usually around mid May and take into account actual collections to April and other important information such as tourist arrivals to end April.
The estimates for revenue in 2012/13 will continue to change on the basis of new information which is received by MFEM from a number of sources including updated statistical information which is collected and actual collections made by the Revenue Management Division of MFEM. These estimates may rise and they may fall, it depends on how things track along.
In future updates the public will be able to reconcile why an estimate has changed, and be clear on whether a decision of Government has changed the revenue base or other parameters outside of the immediate control of Government have impacted on revenue estimates.
MFEM aims to be diligent and regular in its reporting of revenue to the public.
Updates on current year actual revenue and expenditure are released on a quarterly basis by MFEM, any variations to either budgeted revenue or expenditures are contained within these reports which are available at www.mfem.gov.ck.
Any changes to revenue received in the last quarter of 2011/12 (April, May and June ) will be available for public viewing in around mid August 2012, any changes to revenue received in the first quarter of 2012/13 (July, August and September) will be available in mid-November 2013.
An update on the overall fiscal position will be provided in the half yearly update, which should be around December, but must be presented at the latest by February.
Lastly, MFEM is happy to provide more factual information on public financial management issues. I think it is an absolute necessity for us to do that, so that public discourse is conducted on the basis of facts.
However, MFEM will not discuss the tax issues of any particular individual or business to anyone except as required by law or international agreement (e.g a court order or an information request from another government where there is tax information exchange agreement or from one of our own institutions domestic empowers them to request it). Either myself or Andrew are happy to discuss tax and revenue issues at a macro level, but not at the individual or corporation level.
Happy to discuss further Meitaki Ma’ata
Richard Neves- Secretary of Finance

Young business tycoons impress
For the past 18 weeks students have been partaking in the Business Trade and Investment Board’s, BTIB, Young Entrepreneurs Programme, an initiative still in its infancy stages, but gaining huge success from participating students.
The programme which was launched by BTIB in 2011 is aimed at students enrolled in business study classes and was initiated with the intention of developing the necessary business skills to start a fictional business.
With 18 weeks to digest a plan of action students were to produce a sound business and marketing plan for a locally produced good or product of their choice. Thursday saw all their hard work and effort pay off as the four business studies groups each individually presented their mock up plans to a panel of judges that consisted of BTIB’s CEO Terry Rangi and Melina Tuiravakai, local business women Mii Quarter and Ina Bishop and Tereora College Business Studies tutor Daniel Beer. Among the groups, students had taken to either using specific local products, such as the humble nu to produce coconut toffees, while other students had taken a white collar approach importing offshore products such as iPod covers and mobile phone accessories. For one particular group, their chosen locally produced product had already gained a fair amount of success with pre orders placed and discussions of the possibility of a local outlet store stocking their goods in the near future was currently in the throws.
As part of the Young Entrepreneurs Programme, students will not only be show casing their efforts to the judging panel, but will put their newly acquired business skill set into practice at the upcoming BTIB “Go Local” milestone night market held on the Wednesday 20th June. The judging panel expressed their admiration for each group’s efforts in adhering to the programme’s outlines and producing some innovative products for the Cook Islands market. -Maria Tanner

Fire and Ice Ball
Looking to raise much needed finances for the Turangi based privately operated school, organizers have gathered together far and wide to help restore the historic preschool section of Apii Te Uki Au.
Working in conjunction with Club Raro, Motone Productions and the BCA Art Gallery Association fundraising the Queens Jubilee Fire and Ice Ball will be held Saturday 16th June at the BCA gallery setting the Rebuilding Project in motion. With a dress to impress theme attendees of the fundraiser will not only get the chance to be crowned King and Queen of the ball but enjoy entertainment from local DJ GDUB and international guests, the New Zealand based Mermaid Dance Band. The band members who touched down in Rarotonga for the first time early Friday morning say they enjoy benefit functions and have crooned the ears of many charitable donators in the past.
With a limited number of tickets still available oragnisers are urging guest to get in quick as they also go in the draw to win a weekend for two in Atiutaki. Tickets are available for purchase at $75 per person from Club Raro.

Tauturu a te au Taote Nio
Kua takai mai ki runga i te tua o to tatou enua e 6 au tereni taote nio e pera katoa to ratou puapii tei apai mai ia ratou mei te enua mai ko Aotearoa i roto i te apii University of Otago. E riro ana na te puapii taote nio a Jonathan W Leichter e apai mai ana i teia au tamariki tereni i te Kuki Airani nei i te au mataiti. Na roto katoa i te tauturu a te taote nio a Danny Areai i tupu ei teia. Kua mataora tikai ratou i teia tere no ratou i Rarotonga nei no te 7 mataiti. Na roto katoa i te angaanga kapipiti ki te au taote nio ki te Kuki Airani nei kua rauka tetai tauturu rima oronga na ratou ki te au taote nio tuketuke i te Kuki Airani nei. Kua teretere katoa ana oki ratou ki Aitutaki, Mauke e te angaaanga maata nei ratou kia tae ratou ki Pukapuka i te oronga i to ratou taime i te tauturu i te taote nio i Pukapuka e pera katoa i te rapakau i te nio,akarianga i tetai au tu meitaki te ka riro i te paruru i te nio tangata. Mei te mea oki e, i apii ia ana a Danny Areai i roto i te University of Otago kua akatinamou ratou i tetai taime i te aere mai i te tauturu ia tatou i te Kuki Airani nei. Kare oki ko teia to ratou tere openga ki te Kuki Airani nei, mari ra ka akatinamou ratou i te Kuki Airani ei ngai angaanga na ratou i te taturuanga i to tatou iti tangata. I teia nei kua umuumu maata ratou i te apai atu i teia karere ki roto i te au apii tuketuke mei te mea oki e, te inangaroia nei ta tatou tamariki apii kia uru e te adkono i to ratou nio. Ko teia oki tetai manamanata maata e kitea ia mai nei i roto i te apii. Kua akameitakiia te au taote nio i roto i te oire,e pera i roto i te au apii i te uru nio,toothpaste e te vai atura tetai au apinga ta ratou i inangaro i te oronga atu. Te tuera nei te ngutupa no tetai uatu e inangaro nei i te maani i to ratou nio kia aravei atu i teia au tangata nei ma te tutaki atu no to ratou taime. Te rauka nei ia ratou i te oronga mai i to ratou aroa e te inangaro ia tatou te iti tangata Kuki Airani no to kotou tu oaoa ia ratou. Kia tauturu tatou ia ratou e kia tauturu katoa mai ratou ia tatou e kia angaanga kapipiti tatou no teia au mataiti ka aere ia ki mua. -Bernadette Teremoana

Arts Council elects Board Members

On the Thursday evening Te Konitara Are Taunga members met at the Inanui hall to elect the board members. The art council, the first of its kind in the Cook Islands, is a necessary legal platform suggest art council member Anna Rasmussen, to preserve and protect the local arts with a focus on international show casing of such products. Assembling an arts council in the Cook Islands will not only help to develop local arts but create an appropriate channel for necessary government and overseas funding.
“Cook Islanders are such talented people,” says Rasmussen, “and with art these days it’s a real career. This – the arts council, is a huge resource for action but its pretty unrecognized,” Rasmussen encourages the formation and development of a council of this nature in the Cook Islands.
With 9 candidates running for one of the 7 vacancies on the art council’s board, members were to cast ballots upon the completion of each candidate with the final proceedings of the voting revealed that evening. Appointing the 7 new board members of the Konitara Are Taunga include Micheal Tavioni, Barbara Arbon, Murice Newport, Tokerau Jim, Anna Rassmusen, Ani O’Neil, and Rutera Taripo.

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
- Lucky $1,000 winner
- Century old palm trees and the French connection
- Koutu Nui takes part in Raui meeting in Moorea
- WOM Award Dinner for Ake Hosea-Winterflood
- Island of Atiu to host Koutu Nui AGM in June 2009

 
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