GIE the Undead

Last month, the GIE Perles de Tahiti was officially declared defunct. Now though, like a phoenix rising from its ashes, and with the Conseil d'Etat (State Counsil) in Paris annulling the local law that allowed the French Polynesian Assembly to do away with the pearl export tax last August, four Tahitian cultured pearl associations are clamoring to regroup into a new professional organization. Buried in the phoenix's ashes, the GIE Perles de Tahiti remains, but Robert Wan, Philippe Chenne, Georges Mataoa and Elisabeth Moe, who were all part of the former GIE Perles de Tahiti, are now part of the new endeavor.

"The aim is to pool resources and actions to better defend the interests of all pearl producers, to better market and promote a quality product at the international level," according to the famous four. Where have we heard that before? Oh yes, 15 years ago when the GIE Perles de Tahiti was instigated.

Wait! Mr. Effisk just reported that it seems the buried GIE Perles de Tahiti has begun smoldering and trying to rise up from its ashes too! All it needs is for the flame to be fanned with some money – a bit of that money that was lost during October when the export tax was rescinded and exports jumped 84 percent. Then, Tahiti will not only be the land of the luxurious black pearl but also the land of the tax collecting undead.