15 Mar 2007

French Polynesia public companies in need of fresh cash injections

10:29 am on 15 March 2007

French Polynesia's finance and public service minister is anticipating further necessary cash injections into some of the territory's most prominent public companies to bail them our of "extremely grave" financial situations.

Armelle Merceron says that those public companies identified as being in the poorest financial health are local government television Tahiti Nui Television (TNTV), as well as international flag carrier Air Tahiti Nui (ATN).

While acknowledging those public companies brought "essential services" to the country", the minister labels their situation as "extremely grave".

Air Tahiti Nui had ended its last two financial years with deficits of respectively around 21.5 million US dollars for 2005 and an estimated 42.6 million US dollars for 2006.

As for TNTV, the minister says the government-funded television channel is "living above its means" and that the situation had "aggravated" over the past two years.