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The Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) has decided to keep its headquarters in Fiji and is looking at registering its secretariat in Suva as a non-commercial company, a decision that would end its registration in Samoa since 1985 as a non-charitable organisation.
The decision was made during a teleconference of the PINA executive board last week ending a public row that culminated with the resignation of vice president, John Woods of Cook Islands News.
Woods had questioned PINA’s administrative and financial affairs, calling for it to be relocated from Fiji.
According to resolutions from the meeting, the PINA board accepted Woods’ resignation.
The association’s secretariat will also write to him for clarification on the hosting of the second Pacific Media Summit planned for 2011.
“If Cook Islands withdraw(s), Fiji will be asked to host the 2011 regional media gathering,” the resolutions stated.
The board also reiterated its decision in December 2009 not to move the PINA secretariat out of Fiji.
It also discussed the advice of PINA lawyers, Munro Leys “on the proposed new status of PINA and the need to register the organisation in Fiji”.
PINA manager and training co-ordinator Matai Akauola told FijiLive that based on consultants’ recommendations in 2005 on keeping PINA sustainable, lawyers had suggested that since the PINA secretariat was based in Fiji, it was advisable that PINA be registered here.
The suggestion was for PINA to become a company limited by guarantee, a non-commercial company, Akauola said.
“I believe the timing is right to explore the suggestions from our lawyers,” he said.
However Akauola said PINA members would eventually decide what they wanted the association to look like.
“This is why discussions will be going to and fro on this matter.”
Akauola said the 19-member association remains an independent body funded by subscriptions to its news service PACNEWS and from membership fees.
By Richard Naidu
