Tropica

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Although much of its operations predates the nation's more modern intelligence agencies, the Tropican Communications Establishment remains one of the most important components of Tropica's modern intelligence and domestic security apparatus. Born out of the Interception of Communications Act, the Tropican Communications Establishment is the foremost agency of Tropica responsible for matters about signal intelligence (i.e.) intelligence gathering related to the interception between two entities, primarily individuals and/or groups. The agency started most of its operations as an extension of the Tropican Defence Force, acting as the quasi-military signals intelligence agency, with much of its operations being aimed at preparing the Tropican Defence Force for combat environments where signals intelligence could allow for unique tactical/strategic advantages. As time passed and the Tropican Defence Force birthed its intelligence agency, the Tropican Army Intelligence Corps, the Tropican Communications Establishment found itself becoming relatively redundant in terms of its usefulness to the nation's domestic security. With the hopes of breathing new air into the organisation, a secret cabinet-appointed committee was commissioned to provide recommendations on how the TCE could reform its operations to remain relevant to the future domestic security needs of the nation. The committee comprised of former intelligence officers from the Tropican Defence Force and the Tropican Security Intelligence Organisation. The now-famous report, known as the Scott-Moore Report (compiled by attorneys at law Ralph Moore and Lukas Scott), recommended that the Tropican Communications Establishment use its expertise in signals intelligence for domestic intelligence gathering. The advent of technological advanced has presented numerous challenges to conventional law enforcement intelligence gathering methods and thus in the interest of domestic security, a new approach had to be taken to ensure the nation's national security policies kept pace with the threats of the day. Thus, the Tropican Communications Establishment became the government's foremost agency for domestic signals intelligence including interception of communications, cryptography and advanced data analysis among other disciplines. This meant that aside from its signals intelligence, the TCE would be responsible for matters related to COMINT (communications intelligence) and ELINT (electronic intelligence).

Following months of deep stakeholder consultations and numerous debates with human rights organisations and other advocacy groups, the House of Representatives approved the Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill, thus granting the TCE sweeping surveillance powers, and expanding the scope of the organisation's mandate. The bill, aside from granting the agency alongside its employees with near-complete immunity, allows for enhanced domestic surveillance powers. Bulk data collection remains a major stipulation of the bill, allowing for the TCE to maintain expansive registries containing personal details via data collected about national and non-nationals within the nation. The bill has also authorised "data collection" operations against foreign nationals existing outside of Tropica aimed at targeting individuals with ulterior motives planning potential attacks against the nation from foreign nations. Speaking about safeguards, which feature heavily in the bill alongside its regulations, Minister of the Interior Marika Hamutana stated that surveillance and data collection against nationals and non-nationals would require warrants from a special court appointed by the Kaitiaki. Alongside the bill came an appropriations package for the proposed construction of a major signals intelligence site somewhere within the country, with some 1.3 billion TOD being set aside for the project. In what has been dubbed as the first public appearance of the Director of the Tropican Communications Establishment, Dr Thomas Paxton answered questions following the passing of the bill where he stated that the expanded mandate and resources would allow for the TCE to conduct large operations and prevent potential threats via electronic surveillance via wiretapping, phone calls, emails etc. "Much of the work we do is subject to parliamentary oversight via the JSC (Joint Select Committee) on Defence and National Security which publishes annual reports on our success rates, with an independent human rights watchdog to be established by the government in the future to monitor the ethics behind much of our actions. The security environment within the wider world is changing, it is time for the TCE to catch up."

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Prime Minister Patariki Akarana embarked on his first international tour since his appointment a mere three (3) days prior, with the hopes of strengthening the nation's diplomatic and economic relations with major nations in the northern hemisphere as well as securing new agreements as it relates to trade amidst growing domestic concern over the nation's export competitiveness and access to larger export markets. He is expected to travel to Chinasa, North Dovani where he is expected to hold a series of discussions with the North Dovanian government. Prior to his departure, the University of Tropica released a damning report on the state of the nation's export potential wherein it noted that amidst the relative decline in economic activity within Tropica's traditional export markets (i.e. the Dovani Pact), exports have decreased by 15% in the previous year with projections for a further 3% decrease in the coming year. Exports remain the single most important piece of Tropica's economic model of export-oriented industrialisation, with foreign earnings from exports enabling the government to maintain a steady exchange rate against speculation. As a result of the decline in exports, numerous business chambers have called on the federal government to address the numerous challenges faced by the nation's exports primary being access to larger, more competitive markets. Accompanying the Prime Minister is Minister of Foreign and Dovanian Affairs Andrew Neilson, Minister of Economic Development, Industry and Trade Dr Evelyn McNeil and Minister of State for Energy and Industrial Strategy Amiria Waititi. According to a statement from Puarangi House, Minister Neilson is expected to sign a diplomatic agreement with his North Dovanian counterpart, and Minister McNeil is expected to hold a series of conversations with her North Dovanian counterpart on establishing closer trade relations. Although much of the visit is expected to focus on formalising North Dovani and Tropica's diplomatic and economic relationship, Minister Waititi's presence points to a more urgent situation. A month prior, the Department of Economic Development, Industry and Trade announced that the nation's longstanding crude oil and natural gas import agreement with Temania and Vascania was coming to an end, with neither government expressing their intention to re-negotiate the agreements. With much of Tropica's electricity being derived from natural gas turbines powered by LNG imports from both Temania and Vascania, the situation has become a major cause for concern among numerous energy experts and commentators, who note that the situation had the potential to create widespread uncertainty and economic hardship. According to Minister Waititi, the return of stable democratic governance in North Dovani following the nation's bloody civil war provides the Tropican government with a unique opportunity to secure a long-term crude oil and natural gas supply agreement from the nation. She noted that although importing crude oil and natural gas from North Dovani would be more costly due to the distance between the two nations, she explained that outside of Temania and Vascania, North Dovani remained the only nation capable of meeting Tropica's needs. "It isn't a perfect situation as we would prefer to import fuel from closer sources, however, we will continue to work in the best interests of the Tropican people. It should be noted that we do not intend on placing all our eggs in one basket and thus will not be seeking to source all our crude and natural gas needs from a singular source, but we intend on negotiating agreements with suppliers both within Dovani and within the adjacent continents of Majatra and Artania."

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Similar to the industrial revolution experienced by numerous states in Artania, Seleya, Majatra and Dovani, the integration of technology and the workforce has ushered in a major transformation of national economies and has had a profound impact on productivity and participation. The use of digital technologies/the digital transformation of agriculture remains one of the major pillars in developing a "digital economy". Digital technologies, similar to their older, mechanised counterparts, have the potential to transform the lives of farmers and the agricultural value chain in profound ways. By enhancing productivity and increasing output, digital technologies within agriculture have the potential to address numerous issues including food insecurity and hunger. Tapoan Treasurer Miriama Safenu believes that a digital transformation of agriculture can be far-reaching in terms of its impact on the provincial and national economy. She explained that similar to the experiences of the public sector transformation, the digital transformation of agriculture will lead to greater efficiency and accountability. Drawing the example of the inefficient distribution of government support to farmers, Safenu championed that an agricultural sector with a foundation firmly planted in the use of digital technologies will eliminate inefficient and inequitable grant/assistance distribution overnight. Having established Ijkpieland's agricultural sector as one where the provincial government does not have an active role (i.e.) there are no state-owned agricultural companies/agri-business firms, the government has established itself as an enabler, seeking to spur development within the sector through strategic interventions be it through policy reform, the expansion of physical infrastructure or incentives. Safenu stated that the digital transformation of agriculture will not see increased government intervention in the form of a direct hand in the business of the various farmers of the industry but would continue on its path as an enabler of growth. Through the Tapoan Agricultural Development Bank, the provincial government hopes an enact its agenda for the transformation of agriculture, recognising that although the numerous private sector companies will be allowed to conduct their own affairs within the industry, the government remains the arm responsible for its operationalisation.

Having boosted the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB's) budget from 30 million TRD to around 1 Billion TRD, Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Paau Kerehoma explained that the agency, with assistance from the Department of Agriculture and Food Production and the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation, will be largely responsible for the digital transformation of the island province's agriculture sector. Among the projects proposed by the ABD, a registry of farmers within the province including information such as the size of the farm, the number of animals present within the farm and its location; the creation of a digitised provincial seed bank to allow for greater accountability on the types of seedlings within the possession of the government and the development of an e-commerce platform to allow for farmers to sell their produce outside of the farmer's market; digitisation of municipal cold-storage facilities. One of the major problems associated with agriculture within Tapoa is the lack of space to do so. The province's savannah terrain allows for the creation of mega-farms, however, Safenu noted that the Tapoan Socialist Party wanted to avoid the creation of mega-farms owing to the previous difficulty to decouple the once dominating mega-farms within the province. Instead, she notes that the Provincial Government is prepared to explore alternatives including vertical farming and a managed approach to industrial agriculture with potential mega-farms being managed exclusively through a purpose-built state enterprise. Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank Eruera Arana stated that the bank had been working with the Provincial Treasurer on crafting numerous loan financing arrangements to encourage farmers to transform their territorial-based farmers into vertical farms. It is expected that the bank will make an announcement on such a programme in the coming months. On the protection of indigenous farming techniques, Safenu notes that although the push remains towards modernising agriculture within the province, indigenous farming techniques will remain the backbone of the province's future agriculture output, as she notes that projections show that although the province could increase production, family farms using indigenous farming techniques will contribute a growing 65% of output.

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With the government expressing its continued commitment to national economic development, the launch of the National Fibre Optic Policy strengthens its commitment to forcing the transformation of society through digital infrastructure instead of waiting for the private sector to sponsor innovation. As it is slowly becoming a major disruptor in the local IT industry, the federal government's plan to strengthen domestic broadband through quality infrastructure and robust competition is beginning to take shape as Tropica's telecommunication regulator, the Office of Communications and Regulation reaffirms its commitment to the digital transformation project. It has granted numerous private telecommunications companies 4G LTE to offer greater broadband connectivity. It has been stated that of the numerous telecommunications companies operating in Tropica, only three (3) have met pre-existing standards required to gain access to the license—TropikaTelecom, Microband and Vision Telecom. Minister of Public Administration and Digital Transformation Marama Kawhena, stated that the decision to begin the government's digital transformation drive through infrastructure comes as the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation estimates that internet penetration in Tropica was extremely low compared to other territories. In its decennial "Digital Penetration Report", it highlighted that internet penetration in Tropica stood at a miserable 60.7% while in nations such as Lourenne, Liore and Ostland, internet penetration stood at around 90%, 84% and 95% respectively. Minister Kawhena noted that for the digital transformation project to be a success the government is aiming to bring a larger percentage of the population into the digital age. She earmarked 80% internet penetration for Tropica during her term.

Currently, there are discussions in the cabinet on the continued liberalisation of the telecoms market in Tropica. According to Minister Kawhena, a cabinet sub-committee comprising of the Federal Ministers for Economic Development, Industry and Trade, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Infrastructure and Transport and the Attorney-General was established to determine whether liberalising the telecommunications market in Tropica (i.e. breaking TropikaTelecom's statutory monopoly) and allowing for private telecoms companies to have a larger role in the market beyond the small 40% reserved for private telecommunications providers. It has been suggested that out of the liberalisation discussions are whispers of potential privatisation of TropikaTelecom. Minister Kawhena noted that the government had incurred significant debt picking up for the budgetary shortfalls of the company, suggesting that a restricting of the company would be more realistic than wholesale privatisation. Apart from releasing more and more licenses, the infrastructure development portion of the digital transformation project also entails fibre optics. The modernisation of the nation's landline/overhead infrastructure will accompany to programme. According to TropikaTelecom, it intends on embarking on a programme of replacing miles of copper cabling with fibre optic cable. The new fibre optic cables to be rolled out by the company would allow for greater connectivity and bandwidth with data transfers set to increase 300-fold. According to the company's corporate press office, the programme is expected to cost some 1.6 billion TRD. It has been stated that the roll-out of the fibre optics is a precursor to the hopeful roll-out of 5G infrastructure. The company has envisioned Tropica as being the first nation to truly embrace 5G infrastructure through a series of strategic interventions from infrastructure to processes to education. Minister Kawhena stated that although Tropica has a long way to go for 5G infrastructure, she noted that the steps being taken to upgrade Tropica's IT infrastructure where the aforementioned strategic interventions in the lead-up to 5G infrastructure. Kawhena stated that he had been given the strategic lead on the government's 5G infrastructure drive and was actively preparing to spearhead the programme once the National Fibre Optics Policy had been fully implemented and operationalised, working with provincial governments to achieve a digital nation.

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Having stated its intention to transform Moorland into a major technological centre, it is important that the government recognised the value of an educated, technologically competent population. In almost any other territory where technology continues to be the driving force of the economy, the major underpinning of the education and moreso the skills of the population. It is through competent workforces that economies truly develop and maintain their momentum even in times of economic downturn. In the instances where the workforce must be retooled to fit the needs of the future economy, in many of these extra-regional territories are tens, if not hundreds of universities specifically established to provide the workforce with the skills needed to remain flexible. From Visual Arts Universities to Performing Arts Universities, they are all specifically suited to fit the needs of an advancing population. In recognising the aforementioned preamble it should be clear to many as to why Moorland so often lags behind its extra-regional partners in competition and other development rankings. Unlike many territories, Moorland does not possess specifically tailored universities ranging from economics to performing arts. These disciplines are instead amalgamated into a singular ecosystem known as the University of Tropica. "When it comes to leveraging our competitive advantages, we are at a disadvantage as it pertains to higher education," said Rawiri Kerehoma, Minister of Education, Research and Innovation. Unlike many territories, Tropica does not possess a technology college needed to transform its workforce into one of extreme technological competence; until now. On the backdrop of the government's intention to drive economic development through technology, the University of Tropica and one of the rising stars in Tropica's technology startup scene, Digital Instruments are partnering to create a technology and innovation college to add to the government's commitment to transformation through technology.

UoT College of Science and Technology as it will be known will be constructed directly from funds made available from the University of Tropica with an initial financial subvention coming from DI once the college opens its doors to students in the next 5 years amidst its completion. Acting President of the University of Tropica, Dr Onaona Leilani has hailed the partnership as a significant step in the University's goal to become a genuinely ambidextrous university. Minister Kerehoma stated that the decision to create the college was a step in the right direction for the University. He stated that she had great intentions of reaching out to other territories in bringing the University of Tropica and other schools/colleges in the country such as Hutori and Lourenne. Currently, the Departments of Labour and Social Development and Economic Development, Industry and Trade are conducting a manpower survey to determine the types of jobs needed for the future economy. An initial report entitled "The Future Workforce: A Manpower Report for Tropica" highlighted the high demand for skilled persons with degrees in technology and mathematics. Minister of Labour and Social Development, Vikram Singh stated that the University of Tropica would have to dramatically increase both its intake and output as it pertains to domestic and international students and also degree programme graduates. Minister Singh linked the nation's development to the capacity of its education system. He stated that no nation could genuinely unlock its potential when its educational institutions are being disadvantaged. "Tropica needs to unlock its full potential as a major player in the digital world. We must leverage our competitive advantages and use them to ensure that we remain an extremely agile and competent society," said Dr Evelyn McNeil, Minister of Economic Development, Industry and Trade.

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In the evolving domestic security environment, the proliferation of illegal, unregistered firearms and their increasing involvement in firearms-related situations around the country is becoming a topic of major concern for the nation's policymakers and numerous law enforcement agencies. In its crime statistics report for the previous decade, the RTPF noted that there was a 35% increase in murders, robberies and other violent crimes involving firearms, with a large percentage of the weapons recovered from said incidents being obtained via otherwise illegal means. For both the RTPF and the Serious, Complex and Organised Crime Agency (SCOCA), the increased use of firearms in criminal activity paints a bleak picture of the future and represents a significant failure on their collective parts to stem the flow of illegal firearms. Seeking to provide a much-needed boost to law enforcement, Minister of the Interior Marika Hamutana piloted the Firearms Control Act, which would seek to impose a complete ban on all firearms and ammunition within the nation (be they pistols, shotguns and/or assault rifles). The bill comes amidst a similarly shocking report from the Office of National Assessments (ONA), which notes that on its current trajectory, firearms-related incidents will continue to intensify, with said incident becoming the majority in terms of crime. Speaking to the specifics of the legislation, Minister Hamutana stated that although the legislation bans the personal use/holding of firearms and ammunition, it provides for a unique exception for hunting and auctions. She noted that insofar as the bill allows for firearms to be used and owned by individuals for hunting, such an exemption is highly regulated, noting that individuals will only be allowed to acquire specific types of hunting rifles, from hunting rifle stores approved by the Department of the Interior. On auctioning, Minister Hamutana noted that rifles for auctions/shows had to be historic rifles, noting that more modern/contemporary rifles, handguns and shotguns would not be exempted as rifles for auction. "It would be remiss of us to allow for modern and sophisticated high-power rifles to be viewed as auction rifles. This creates too much wiggle room for persons to have these types of firearms in their possession. This bill intends to ensure a complete ban on firearms of that nature," Minister Hamutana explained. Commissioner of the RTPF, Kale Hamakua stated that the RTPF intends to conduct a firearms recovery exercise whereby it could encourage known firearms users to turn in their rifles for a reward, noting that individuals who fail to do so before a given deadline, could see their firearms forcefully seized in raids. "We maintain a national registry of individuals who own firearms legally and the types of firearms have in their possession and we will be requesting that these individuals hand over their firearms for monetary rewards, based on an assessment of the value of said rifles," Commissioner Hamakua explained. Already the entire move to outlaw firearms within the nation has placed the central government at odds with numerous firearms owners' associations who have stated that the law is not aimed at tackling crime but is aimed at "relieving them of their abilities to defend themselves." Attorney-General Taonga Herewini stated attempts were already being made to strike down the law in the nation's courts, however as he notes "Tropica is not like other societies whereby the ability for an individual to have a firearm in his/her possession is viewed as an almost inalienable right. Having a firearm is not a right under our laws and thus I expect that the courts will those the majority of these litigation attempts out."

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Scientist's from the University of Tropica and the Tropican Climatic Research Commission have embarked on an expedition to the Perarctic with the intention of establishing a major research center on the frozen continent. The expedition follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the University of Tropica and the Tropican Climatic Research Commission on establishing synergies between the two bodies on matters related to climatic research. Principal architect of the agreement, Dr Ano Matao Raharuhi, a Professor of Climate Science explained that the agreement is the result of years of negotiating between the two parties. She noted that much of the research conducted by both the UoT Institute of Climatology and the Tropican Climatic Research Commission was similar and that the agreement sought to break down the silos in which the two entities operated and establish clear synergies between the two entities. The agreement had been signed in the presence of Minister of Education, Research and Innovation Rawiri Kerehoma who heralded the MoU and the subsequent expedition as the "beginning of an exciting time for scientific research in Tropica." The Tropican Climatic Research Commission is a state entity established under the Climate Research Act, with the intention of conducting research and providing recommendations to the federal government on potential policies to respond to matters related to climate resilience. Director-General of the TCRC, Dr Kahale Keaweamahi noted that although its founding mandate remains to provide the government with timely assessments and recommendations of solutions to matters related to the climate, its core function remains public sector scientific research. He explained: "The climate isn't really a "sexy" area of research and thus it doesn't get the type of attention from the private sector as would biotechnology, chemistry or physics. I believe that this agency is well positioned to both conduct much-needed research into this underserved area as well as sponsor (fund) research conducted by other (third party) entities." The expedition is being primarily coordinated by the Royal Tropican Navy, with the navy providing logistical assistance in terms of bringing the research team and construction crews to the Perarctic. Captain Elijah Whitford is the commander of the HMTS Breakwater, and the overall coordinator/commander of the expedition which includes the HMTS Breakwater, the HMTS Aumangea and two C-130Js of the Royal Tropican Air Force. According to Captain Whitford, the expedition is expected to last for around 4-6 months, wherein construction of a permanent research station will commence. Dr Raharuhi stated that once the team arrives at the designated location, research from both the UoT and the TCRC will carry out numerous research exercises in a temporary research station and once the permanent station is complete much of the team's work will be shifted to the said station until the end of the expedition. When asked whether expeditions to the research centre will be done on a rolling or periodic basis, Dr Raharuhi stated that since the research centre will be managed by the TCRC and UoT jointly, it hopes to conduct rotating expeditions to the site. "We hope that every 6-8 months, we can send new people to the site to conduct research on a rotating basis. We are in advanced discussions with the federal government on ensuring that the support we have gotten from the Defence Force continues indefinitely."

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In a move to rescue one of the province’s largest employers from bankruptcy, the Government of Coromaru has formally nationalised Papamaru Shipyard, preventing the company from being placed under administration. For the past few months, the shipyard has been in considerable financial trouble following the relative collapse of the Tropican shipbuilding industry. Following the bankruptcy of the shipyard’s former owner, Cilliers-Kock a bidding process had been launched to sell the shipyard and its respective assets. Amidst the lack of interest on the part of private sector entities, primarily due to the calamitous state of the company’s records as well as its numerous industrial relations issues, Cilliers-Kock’s bankruptcy lawyers were prepared to transition the firm into administration wherein its assets would be liquidated and much of the shipyard’s 1,000+ employees would be sent home. In a last-minute attempt to prevent a major unemployment crisis within the shipbuilding sector, Coromaran Treasurer Pakeka Herangi announced that the provincial government would nationalise both the shipyard and the holding company Cilliers-Kock. At a press conference in Skidmore, Treasurer Herangi stated that the provincial government’s intervention comes in recognition of the potential crisis which would arise should the company have been allowed to liquidate its assets and send employees home. Pointing to the province’s already strained labour market, Herangi stated that the shipyard’s closer would place increased strain on the province’s social welfare system which isn’t coping well amidst the decline of economic activity within the province. Speaking about the specifics of the agreement, Herangi stated that the provincial government intends on restructuring the company to ensure its business model is in keeping with established standards on transparency and good corporate conduct. She highlighted the firm’s poor auditing/accounting as being one of the principal reasons behind the firm’s failure. “From documents which we have received from bankruptcy lawyers, the firm’s accounting and auditing practices were simply not where it was supposed to be. Although internal audits point to zero leakages, an external audit from a Luthorian-based firm confirmed numerous leakages, all pointing to the firm’s poor business practices,” the Treasurer explained. When asked whether a criminal investigation into the business practices of the company’s former management team was to be conducted, Herangi confirmed that the RTPF had been instructed to investigate the matter via a directive from the Attorney-General of Coromaru Pango Rehipeti. Outstanding industrial relations issues remain a key area of concern for the Treasurer as before the company’s collapse, negotiations between Cilliers-Kock and the Industrial Union of Shipbuilders (IUS) on salary increases had stalled.

A meeting between the General Secretary of the IUS and Treasurer Herangi is expected to occur in the coming days wherein the treasurer intends on outlining the provincial government’s position on wage negotiations. Outstanding orders for the shipyard are to be completed, according to the Treasurer, however, operations shall temporarily cease following the completion of pre-existing orders. This, according to the Treasurer, would allow employees to become accustomed to the new business model as outlined by the government-appointed transformation committee. At the head of this transformation committee is Maaka Rara, a chartered accountant. Rara's task would be to transform the nationalised firm’s business into a profitable one as Treasurer Herangi has said that she intends on bringing about a revival of the shipbuilding sector within the province through the shipyard. To finance, both the nationalisation and the transformation, the Treasury has sourced a loan from the Infrastructure Development Fund, with future loans lined up as Rara has stated that the restructured company intends to expand the Papamaru Shipyard to potentially construct larger vessels.

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Business leaders, politicians, technocrats and academics are expected to descend on the Chilton Hotel and Conference Center on the Eastern Islands as the Outer Islands Forum holds its second summit since its foundation years prior. The event is timely as it comes amidst growing discourse among persons residing within the outer islands chain, regarding the direction of their respective economies. Championing the gathering as the "beginning of something special", Chief Minister of the Eastern Islands Sinasamoa Afamasaga, expressed optimism as to the fruitfulness of the discussions to be held during the summit. She noted that the summit's agenda; "Policies for Growth among SIDTs" focuses on determining the optimal strategy/policies needed to ensure sustainable economic growth among small island developing territories (SIDTs) within Tropica. "In developing sustainable economies, we need to identify strategies suited for the structure of our small, open economies. In doing so we must take into consideration matters related to cost, the speed and means by which said strategies are implemented and how we build on both successes and failures," Afamasaga explained. Attending the summit on behalf of the federal government are Minister of Economic Development, Industry and Trade Dr Evelyn McNeil, Minister of State for Finance Jamie Newman and Minister of State for Rural Development Anekelea Pookalani. According to Dr McNeil, the federal government remains committed to assisting the territories of the outer islands in building sustainable economies. "In her most recent budget presentation, the Federal Treasurer highlighted continued attention on the outer islands as an area of focus for the federal government in the coming fiscal term. We [the federal government], will continue to adhere to our agreement to support the efforts of the people of the outer islands in designing their own economic futures alongside policies unique to their situations."

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For the economies of the outer islands, the question of greater interconnectivity remains an issue of great importance. At the inaugural summit of the Outer Islands Forum back in September of 5175, it was agreed by the delegation that instead of pursuing separate economic growth agendas, the territories of the outer islands (the Eastern Islands, the Leeside Islands, the Windside Islands and Faiwald and Roxbirna) would seek out policies and strategies aimed at increasing interconnectivity among their various economies, virtually creating an unofficial single market and economy among the territories. With the second summit of the Outer Island Forum entering its second day, Chief Minister of the Eastern Islands Sinasamoa Afamasaga spoke to some of the proposals made during a technical seminar. She noted that tourism remains the foundation of many of the economies of the outer islands, with revenue from the sector accounting for around 30-60% of all revenue earned by the respective territorial administrations. The vast majority of tourists coming to the islands are primarily Tropicans from Coromaru and Tapoa, with seasonal tourists coming from Vascania and Temania. She noted that during the seminar, Chief Economist of the Eastern Islands Development Bank Dr Thomas Harman proposed a radical review of the tourism economies of the outer islands with a focus on multi-destination tourism. Harman explained that the current arrangement of paying regional carriers to fly to the territories is unsustainable as it drains much-needed foreign exchange from the territories and primarily hasn't resulted in an increase in tourist arrivals as most flights are often half empty. "It is as a result of this unsustainable arrangement, the importance of connectivity can be understood." Dr Harman also highlighted the effect of taxation on tourism, explaining that the outer islands' dependence on tourism revenue translates into higher taxation on tourism, be it in the form of travel, accommodation or goods/services. He stated that varying prices among the territories created confusion not only for foreign tourists but also for domestic tourists, as he cited a study conducted by the Department of Tourism, Culture and the Arts which concluded that domestic tourism had been on the decline due to numerous issues including taxation. Dr Harman proposed that the territorial government agree to a common tax regime in the tourism sector. He noted that although a common tax regime could potentially mean lower revenue for the territories that are more dependent on taxation than others, it would signal to both domestic and foreign tourists that the outer islands are making considerable efforts to enhance their appeal and hence attract more to the islands.

According to Samasoni Pulefaasisina, the focus of the governments of the outer islands should be on infrastructure. Mr Pulefaasisina is a Senior Policy Adviser at Irwin-Clarke, a consultancy firm hired by the governments of the outer islands territories to provide technical assistance. Pulefaasisina noted that although changes can be made to taxation regimes, the development of a resilient multi-destination tourism product among the territories would require a unique focus on building infrastructure to support the growth of such a product. He lamented the state of road infrastructure on the islands, noting that the in the absence of a functioning transportation network on the islands, tourists continue to find it extremely difficult to arrive at certain destinations. "Be it the construction of new roads, maintenance of existing infrastructure or the creation of functioning bus, tram and/or trolley networks on the islands, there is much of the focus should be centred on ensuring projects of this nature are at least commenced." He highlighted airport and seaport infrastructure development as extremely important to the realisation of any plans for sustainable economic growth among the island territories. Pointing to the creation of the Inter-Island ferry service, Pulefaasisina stated that the service represented a proactive step by the provincial and territorial governments to promote greater connectivity among their populations and economies. He explained that a focus on enhancing routes throughout the outer islands will not only serve to aid in the development of multi-destination tourism but could also aid in the growth and development of other sectors as economies become more connected and the move of person, goods and services becomes easier. With access to funding being the lynchpin of much of the plans and proposals made during the summit, Minister of Economic Development, Industry and Trade Dr Evelyn McNeil made a firm commitment to aid the outer island territories in accessing funding. Speaking at the tail-end of the summit, Dr McNeil lamented that the federal government would continue to act as an enabler of economic development in the outer island territories and would continue to respect their collective intentions to mount their unique economic recovery with assistance from the federal government. "We are committed to ensuring that the economic development agenda as set out by the Prime Minister is realised in all corners of Tropica. To this end, we commit the Tropican Investment Corporation to aid in the development of sustainable economic development among these economies."