2 Aug 2010

Cook Islands government to put greater focus on pearl farming

5:50 am on 2 August 2010

The secretary of the Cook Islands' Ministry of Finance, Kevin Carr, says the Government intends putting more focus on pearl farming and agriculture as it strives to develop the economy.

The Cooks has been struggling financially and MPs have been debating a supplementary budget for the current year while Mr Carr says the budget for the coming year, presented tomorrow, has been a difficult one to write.

"People have generally been prepared for a difficult budget, a budget that doesn't have a lot of extra income for new development and I think the government's performed very well in being able to do what it can do with its limited funds."