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Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF)

ʻAkatango’anga i te Kōpapa Moni ʻAkarangatira: Utuutuʻanga nō Āpōpō

Introducing the Sovereign Wealth Fund: Securing our Future

E takaʻianga tēia na te Kavamani Kūki ʻAirani i te ʻakapapa i tētaʻi Kōpapa Moni ʻAkapūʻapinga na te Kūki ʻAirani.  Kua rave ia i te iririkapua i roto i te nga marama Tiurai e Aukute mataʻiti 2024 ki runga ia Rarotonga, te Pa Enua, e ki runga i te roro uira kia ʻakarongo i te au manako o te iti tangata Kuki Airani.

The Cook Islands Government is taking steps to introduce a Sovereign Wealth Fund for the Cook Islands and during the months of July and  August 2024 have conducted public consultations throughout the Cook Islands.  The consultations were well-attended, with meaningful contributions from individuals across the Cook Islands.  We carefully considered the suggestions and concerns raised, many of which have been integrated into the final version of the SWF policy.

The SWF policy was officially approved by Cabinet in September 2024, marking a significant milestone in securing the future prosperity of the Cook Islands.  A summary of consultations feedback document as well as the final policy document can be viewed in the key documents below.

Key Documents

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Public Consultations

To reach as much of the Cook Islands people as possible, several public consultations were conducted either in-person or via a virtual platform.  Fig 2 below is a live recording of the virtual consultation that was conducted via MFEM's Facebook Live platform.  It gives a sample of what was presented at all public consultations through out the months of July & August 2024.

Fig 1). Planned Public Consultations

Fig 2). Facebook Live Recording of the Virtual Consultation 

ʻEaʻa te Kōpapa Moni ʻAkarangatira?

What is a Sovereign Wealth Fund?

Ko te Kōpapa Moni ʻAkapūʻapinga(SWF) e kopapa moni tēia tei ʻakaputuʻia no tētaʻi tuātau roa, te ka tāʻangaʻangaʻia e te uki monomono tuatau. Ka vai ki roto i teia kopapa moni te akakeanga tāpiri nō tētaʻi tuātau roa, tē ka rauka kia tāʻangaʻangaʻia ki roto i te au tuʻanga pūʻapinga i tēia au tuātau ki mua. Ka ʻakakōtingaʻia te tāʻangaʻanga i tēia tuʻanga moni, kia rauka i te ʻakapāpū i tōna tupuʻanga.

A Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is a long-term savings account for future generations of the Cook Islands. It will hold funds that will earn interest over time, providing a source of funds for key areas in the future. This income will be restricted to ensure the fund continues to grow.

Ko te ʻakakoroʻanga tumu o te SWF koia ko te ʻakatupu i te oraʻanga meitaki nō te uki ki mua, ʻē kā riro te reira ʻei ʻakapouʻanga pūʻapinga nō tā tātou au tamariki.

The goal of the SWF is to enhance the quality of life for future generations, making it a vital investment for our children.

Ko tētaʻi au tuʻanga ka rauka mai te moni koʻikoʻi no te SWF a te Kūki ʻĀirani ko ia ko te ʻakapouanga moni kavamani, moni tūtaki ki te au ʻakaʻapaʻanga aorangi, e te kokotiʻanga mīnera papa moana.

Some potential revenue sources for the Cook Islands' SWF include government budget transfers, environmental fines and seabed mineral harvesting.

Nā roto i te tangoʻanga i tētaʻi SWF, ko te ʻakakoroʻanga tumu koia ko te ʻakameitaki i te oraʻanga no te uki ki mua, tē kā riro ʻei ʻakapouʻanga pūʻapinga nō tā tātou au tamariki e te ʻare mokopuna.

By establishing an SWF, the primary goal is to improve the quality of life for future generations, making it a crucial investment for our children and grandchildren.

ʻEaʻa te tumu ka ʻinangaro ei tātou i te Kōpapa Moni ʻAkarangatira?

Why Do We Need a Sovereign Wealth Fund?

Ka rauka mai te puʻapinga tūkētūkē ki te Kūki ʻAirani me tangioʻia te Kōpapa Moni ʻAkarangatira(SWF):

The Cook Islands will benefit in several ways from establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF):

  1. ʻAkaʻāiteʻanga Tūranga Oraanga: Ka ʻakapāpū te reira e kia tuʻa ʻāiteiteʻia te pūʻapinga ipukarea ki roto i te au uki tangata, te ka riro i te ʻakaroa e te ʻakatupu i te pūʻapinga.

      Intergenerational Equity: It ensures that the country’s resources and economic benefits are shared fairly across multiple generations, promoting long-term prosperity.

  2. Pūʻapinga Ipukarea Mātūtū: Kā turu te SWF i te tūranga moni mē tupu ake te manamanatā i te tuʻanga kimi pūʻapinga, tē ka tauturu i te ʻakaiti i te ʻarapakiʻanga ki te au tuʻanga kimi pūʻapinga mei vaʻo mai, mei te maki Koviti 19 e te au manamanata nātura.

     Economic Stability: A SWF provides a financial buffer against economic downturns, helping to mitigate the impact of external economic pressures, like the recent COVID 19 pandemic, and natural disasters.

 

  3. ʻAkaputuʻanga no Āpōpō. Ka ʻōronga tēia i te tikaʻanga ki te ipukarea kia akaputu i te moni koʻkoʻi o tēia rā ei ngaki i te ʻiti tangata Kūki ʻAirani i tēia tau e tuātau ki mua. 

      Saving for the Future: It allows the country to save today’s revenue for the benefit of future generations to benefit Cook Islanders now, and in the future.

 

  4. ʻAkatūkēanga o te Moni ka rauka: Nā roto i te ʻakapou kāpitiʻanga ki to tēia nei ao, ka rauka i te Kūki Airani i te ʻakatūkē i tana moni ka rauka mai, nā roto i te tauturuʻanga i te manamanatā nātura te kā tupu, e te ʻakamātūtū i te pūʻapinga ipukarea, e pērā te tikaanga kia rauka i te ʻakapapaʻanga moni mataiti i te turu i tētaʻi au ʻangaʻanga ʻakapūʻapinga, tē ka ʻakapāpū katoa mai e ka mātūtū te tūranga moni mataʻiti noātu e ka ʻarapakiʻia te au tuanga kimi pūʻapinga rikiriki.  

      Diversification of Income: By investing globally, the Cook Islands can diversify its income, support disaster response and economic stabilization, and potentially use the resulting fiscal space to fund more development projects, ensuring fiscal stability even if the local economy is affected.

 

  5.  Tauturu Manamanatā Nātura: Me rauka i te akaputu i tētaʻi tuʻanga moni tauturu viviki, ka riro te reira ei tauturu maʻata i te au tuātau tūmatetenga, ʻakamātūtū oraʻanga e te tauturu viviki i te tuātau manamanatā nātura e te tauiʻanga reva.

       Disaster Resilience: Building reserves in the emergency response fund provides a financial safety net for funding emergency responses, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in the face of natural disasters and climate change.

 

  6. Akaputuʻanga Pūʻapinga: Ka ʻōronga te SWF i te tikaʻanga ki te Kūki ʻAirani kia koʻi e kia ʻakaputu i tētai uatu moni mei roto mai i te au ʻakanekeʻanga moni ipukarea, tūtakiʻanga aorangi e te kokotiʻanga mīnera papa moana, te ka riro ei pūapinga no te uki ki mua, kāre ki te au tangata ʻua o tēia rā.

     Building Wealth: A SWF allows the Cook Islands to capture and preserve any revenue which may come from national budget transfers, environmental fines and seabed mineral harvesting, so it can benefit generations to come, not just those present now.

Ka ʻakapēʻea te ʻakatupuʻanga i te Kōpapa Moni ʻAkarangatira(SWF)?

How will the Sovereign Wealth Fund be established?

I tēia ʻatiʻanga te ʻanga nei te Kavamani Kūki ʻAirani i tētaʻi tāmanakoʻanga ʻakakoʻu nō te SWF e ka raveʻia tētaʻi ʻiriʻirikāpua nō te tikiʻanga i te au manako pūʻapinga mei roto mai i te ʻiti tangata Kūki ʻAirani. Ko te ʻakakoroʻanga tumu o tēia kaveinga tāʻokotaʻi ko ia oki i te ʻakapāpū e ka mātūtū te tūranga moni o tā tātou au tamariki i tēia au tuātau ki mua. Tei roto i tēia tāmakoʻanga te ʻakanoʻoʻanga i tētaʻi au vairanga moni e toru, e ko tō rātou koronga tumu ko te ʻakaputuʻanga moni no tētaʻi au ʻakakoroʻanga tei tāiroʻia.

The Cook Islands Government is currently developing a comprehensive proposal for the SWF and will undertake public
consultations to gain valuable insights from the people of the Cook Islands. This collaborative approach aims to secure the financial future for our children.The proposal includes the creation of three accounts, each designed to accumulate savings for specific purposes.

Ko tēia au vairanga moni nei koia te:

These accounts are:

Tūranga Mātūtū:Pāruruʻanga tau te ka anoanoʻia me tupu te manamanatā nātura.

Resiliency: To provide for responses to natural disasters
 

ʻAkamātūtūʻanga: Tauturu me tūkaui te tūranga kimi pūʻapinga.

Stabilisation: To buffer against economic downturns.

ʻAkaputuʻanga nā te au uki: ʻEi rāvenga ʻakatinamou i te tūranga moni o te uki ki

mua, ma te ʻakapāpū i te tūtakiʻanga moni ʻokotaʻi na te Kūki ʻAirani kātoatoa,

kāre e ko te uki ʻua ʻō tēia rā.

Intergenerational Savings: To secure the economic future forupcoming generations, and ensure one-off revenues benefit allCook Islanders, not just those in the current generation.

Contact

For more info contact us via:

Email: mfem.economics@cookislands.gov.ck or

Ph: 29511 (Economic Planning Division)

Follow MFEM’s Facebook page for updates.

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