While politics do no interfere with business, the government assists economic development through incentives, tax rebates, soft loans, etc. Business confidence is high, and in fact has never been as high for many years. Unemployment is at 11 per cent but reducing and the population of 223,000 inhabitants is growing by 1.5 per cent per annum.
Tourism is up with arrivals growing at a pace of eight per cent each year.
Black pearl returns are high and fishing revenue is growing. The Tahiti public hospital project is now back on track. Demand for individual housing from the growing middle class society is also growing, boosted by incentives and soft loans designed to stimulate construction of commercial buildings and individual houses. Growth in the fishing sector is offers some prospects for the boat building industry, although most fishing boats are locally built. Flower production is picking up and French Polynesia is ready to export to niche markets.