Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Niue acting premier still in dark over Matavai plans

Posted at 05:09 on 29 September, 2006 UTC

The acting premier of Niue, Fisa Pihigia, says he still wants to know if an effort is being made to purchase the flagship Matavai Resort, but has not received a response from the alleged buyers.

The government owns 51 percent of the Matavai that offers half of the island’s tourist accommodation.

There are claims that some followers of an ideology, called Vastu Shastra, want to purchase it and let only its members stay.

The alleged followers have been staying at the resort for the past five months and have booked five rooms until early next year.

The acting premier, Fisa Pihigia, says although his secretary has demanded an answer from them to learn who they are and what their agenda is, they have not yet given him an explanation.

“They haven’t come back yet to the government with the information we want to get from them. I did not give them any timeline to come back with the information we want. But we need this information as soon as possible in order for the government to consider. Otherwise, we think of declaring their permit invalid.”

Fisa Pihigia