With the 2025-2026 financial year now in effect with a new pay structure; Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) will see an increase in salary for their engineers.

This was revealed by the secretary for ICI Elizabeth Wright-Koteka in response to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommendations to ICI after reviewing ICI’s financial report of 2022-23.

The report noted challenges such as staffing, which is difficult in retaining or attracting qualified technical staff such as engineers due to inadequate compensation.

PAC recommended that ICI review and adjust the compensation packages for technical staff to attract and retain personnel.

Since assuming the role as ICI secretary, Wright-Koteka says the ministry has been one of the most vocal advocates for technical skills and qualifications to be better recognised in the Public Service job sizing system, “given the demand and remuneration of such roles in other markets.”

“For context, on average a graduate engineer in New Zealand is paid between $60,000 - $70,000, while the average experienced engineer earns over $120,000. 

“In the Cook Islands senior engineers are ranked in the Band H and the maximum base salary of that band is $49,628. 

“With the new pay structure that will come into effect in 2025 FY, this will increase to $52,513.  ICI has to pay its engineers a market premium to offer a more reasonable salary package.”
She explained that for expatriate engineers, “we pay a modest accommodation allowance, airfares at the start and end of contract and immigration costs.  Because we cannot compete from a financial perspective, we hope that the non-monetary advantages of working for ICI and in the Cook Islands can be enough to persuade technical staff to work for ICI.”

Another challenge is persistent understaffing which affects the timely delivery of key infrastructure projects.

PAC recommended that ICI consider offering market premiums for critical positions and invest in specialised training programs. 

Wright-Koteka said that like every other employer in the Cook Islands, ICI continues to face recruitment challenges across the board. 

“The public service remuneration policy only allows market premiums to be paid in ‘exceptional circumstances’ and is limited to bands F-K. 

“Therefore if for example, ICI wanted to retain its machine operators, it cannot offer a market premium because they are banded above F. 

“We therefore try and offer other allowances such as danger and inclement conditions allowances for those who are banded in our view too low.”