HONOLULU—The State of Hawaii’s administration announced today that costs for hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Honolulu was lower than expectations.

The State spent about $3.2 million for safety related expenses, less than half of the $7.5 million projected by State agencies.

More than two-thirds of the funds were expended for activities conducted by the National Guard and State Civil Defense as hundreds of Hawaii National Guardsmen were activated to full-time status to provide security, crisis management, consequence management, and work with the State Department. In addition, eight other State departments incurred costs related to APEC, much of which was also safety related, according to the State’s administration.

Spending was attributed to a number of responsibilities:

* The Department of Health regularly took air samples of meeting places prior to ensure they were safe areas for large groups to gather.

* The Coast Guard was responsible for ocean security, but the Department of Land & Natural Resources stationed people on jet skis near the shore in Waikiki.

* The Department of Transportation handled arrival and departures of dignitaries at the airport and managed the off and on closure of various roads and streets.

“We were prepared to spend more to protect people and property during APEC,” said State Adjutant General Darryl Wong, “but were able to avoid doing that because we had few problems. The security plan set in place by the Secret Service and local and Federal law enforcement officials was well thought out and effective.”

Overall, the related cost for the Hawaii National Guardsmen brought on to State active duty during APEC amounted to about $2,526,547; while costs for the State Civil Defense were about $84,000, officials said. Costs for all of the other State departments amounted to slightly less than $600,000. These figures do not include contributions from OHA or the Hawaii Tourism Authority to the APEC 2011 Host Committee.

Background & Related Stories

Background

APEC 2011

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a 21-nation club of primarily industrialized or emerging economies. It was conceived in 1996, just as free-market deregulations and trade liberalizations were fostering economic advantages to industrialized nations, when there first emerged a greater consolidation of corporate power across nations, creating international legally binding policies that asserted less government regulations by weakening the labor force and dismantling environmental protections.

APEC member economies include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Russia, and Vietnam.

To view the City’s APEC services information page, click here

APEC’s 21 member economies today account for 55 percent of global GDP, purchase 58 percent of U.S. goods exports, and comprise a market of 2.7 billion consumers. Seven of America’s top 15 trade partners are in APEC.

Proponents for APEC-related globalization efforts claim that by increasing international trade, it promotes diversity and multiculturalism, benefiting the third world by raising living standards and promoting democracy.

A major area of concern for activists is the negotiation of a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Nine APEC countries, but not the full 21 members, are in negotiations over this trade treaty. The nine countries are the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Peru, Malaysia, Chile, and Brunei. China and Japan are currently considering signing the TPPA.

From November 9-11, running concurrent with the 2011 APEC meeting in Honolulu, a group of activists is a counter-conference called Moana Nui. Notable scholars and activists such as Walden Bello from the Philippines, Jane Kelsey from New Zealand, and Lori Wallach of Public Citizen along with cultural practitioners from across the Pacific will discuss alternatives to corporate-led globalization.

For information on Moana Nui, visit moananui2011.org.