9 May 2013

Airport expansion part of French Polynesia economic plan

4:27 am on 9 May 2013

A senior member of the incoming French Polynesian assembly majority says there is a plan to build an international airport on Bora Bora, allowing travellers to bypass Tahiti.

Jean-Christophe Bouissou says this is one of the pillars of the new government's approach to revive the economy and cut unemployment running at a record high.

Mr Bouissou says there will be large public housing projects, and the private sector will be asked to help absorb the jobless and contribute to balancing the budget.

He says Mr Bouissou says tourism is expected to be revived.

"We have some kind of investors from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Zealand, rich, because we have 100,000 people coming here to go to Bora Bora, so this is a new approach."

Jean-Christophe Bouissou says he is confident the incoming government can fulfil its election promises.