8 Sep 2011

Pacific countries abandon fuel bulk buying plans

1:48 pm on 8 September 2011

Pacific Island leaders have abandoned a plan for bulk procurement of fuel in the region.

In 2008, Nauru, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands signed an MoU launching the Pacific Petroleum Project, followed by other countries.

Nauru's Foreign minister, Kieren Keke, says leaders at yesterday's Small Islands States meeting decided to take the plan off the table.

"It is, I think, clear that it is too complicated and too difficult to get multiple countries aligning their procurement of fuel. Whilst the concept sounds good it's technically more challenging than was earlier envisaged."

Kieren Keke says there has been positive work done, in terms of how individual countries can better procure fuel.