Seve_Paeniu
Seve Paeniu (born 11 February 1965) is a Tuvaluan politician. Paeniu was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the 2019 Tuvaluan general election to represent the Nukulaelae electorate.[1] He was appointed as the Minister of Finance in the Natano Ministry.
 | This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Citations of this article are passing mentions of the subject. Without proper citations this article is unverifiable. (November 2021) |
Seve Paeniu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office September 2019 – 27 February 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Kausea Natano |
| Preceded by | Maatia Toafa (Minister for Finance) |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office September 2019 | |
| Constituency | Nukulaelae |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Malama Lipine Te'o |
| Alma mater | Canterbury University University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
Paeniu attended Nelson College, New Zealand (1983–1984). Paeniu graduated from Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1987. He went on to complete a Master of Arts degree in economics in 1995 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
He served as Assistant Planning Officer with Tuvalu's Ministry of Finance from May 1988 to August 1989.[2] In September 1989 he became the Ministry's Director of Planning, serving until December 1993. He was also Economic Consultant with the Asian Development Bank for the Republic of the Marshall Islands May to July 2000. Later that year, he became the director of the Ministry's economic research and policy division. In January 2002, he transferred to the Ministry of Education and Sports, serving as Permanent Secretary until August 2003, when he moved back to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Industries as Permanent Secretary.(August 2003 – December 2005).
On his appointment as Tuvaluan High Commissioner to Fiji, Paeniu presented his credentials to Fiji's Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi on 21 February 2006.[2] He was terminated after a new Government in Tuvalu came into office in December.
He was the Sustainable Development Adviser of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa (March 2007 – June 2010).[3] Secretary for Finance for Nauru (July 2010 – June 2012). Consultant with the UNDP, the UNESCAP and Peer Review Consultant with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (September 2012 – June 2013). Economic and Finance Adviser to the Nauru Minister for Finance (July 2013 – July 2015). Head of Secretariat of the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO), (August 2015 to September 2019).[4]
Paeniu was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the 2019 Tuvaluan general election to represent the Nukulaelae electorate.[1] He was appointed as the Minister for Finance in the Natano Ministry.[2]
As the Minister of Finance, he acts as the governor of the National Bank of Tuvalu, and he represents the government of Tuvalu on the board of directors of the Tuvalu Trust Fund. He also represents Tuvalu on the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank.[5] On 18 October 2019, he attended the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, representing the 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) of the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tuvalu.[6] While finance minister he represented Tuvalu at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.[7]
In July 2020, Seve Paeniu was appointed to the Constitutional Review Parliamentary Select Committee.[8] The Final Report of the Constitutional Review Parliamentary Select Committee was published on 12 December 2022.[8] The work of the committee resulted in the Constitution of Tuvalu Act 2023,[9] which amended the Constitution of Tuvalu.[9]
No candidates contested the sitting MPs Seve Paeniu and Namoliki Sualiki in the 2024 general election, so they were automatically returned to parliament.[10][11][12]
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021) |
Paeniu married Malama Lipine Te'o on 7 February 1990. They have five children.[citation needed]
He is a nephew of Bikenibeu Paeniu, who was a former prime minister of Tuvalu.[13]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Finance of Tuvalu 2019–present |
Succeeded by |
- Tahana, Jamie (10 September 2019). "Tuvalu elections: large turnover for new parliament". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- "Catching the last wave with Hon. Seve Paeniu". UNDP. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- "Niue Develops its Climate Change Policy through PACC Support". Solomon Island Times. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- "WCO visit to the OCO Secretariat". Oceania Customs Organisation. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- "Directory: Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank". Asian Development Bank. 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- "Statement by the Hon. Seve Paeniu, Governor of the Bank and the Fund for Tuvalu" (PDF). International Monetary Fund - Governor's Statement No. 19. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- "Pacific islanders struggle at COP26 climate summit as pandemic keeps leaders away". Indian Express. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- "Final Report – Constitutional Review Parliamentary Select Committee". Department of Foreign Affairs - Government of Tuvalu. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- Simon Kofe and Jess Marinaccio (21 September 2023). "Tuvalu Constitution updated: culture, climate change and decolonisation". DevPolicyBlog - Development Policy Centre. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- Haxton, Tiana (26 January 2024). "Tuvalu elections 2024: Strong voter turnout reported". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- "Tuvalu general election: Six newcomers in parliament". Radio New Zealand. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- Marinaccio, Jess (30 January 2024). "Tuvalu's 2024 general election: a new political landscape". PolicyDevBlog. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- Pareti, Samisoni (19 September 2019). "Tuvalu's new PM is Kausea Natano". Island Business. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2021.