Contrary to some circulating reports, the closure of the institution will take place in December 2013 — not in August. This additional delay gives employees five months to prepare for their professional transition.

Regarding the 2013 budget allocated to the institution, the announced 735 million XPF includes a special subsidy of 500 million XPF. This funding had originally been earmarked for the creation of the SEM Tahiti Pearl Consortium under the previous administration. The Ministry recalls that the autonomist groups Tahoeraa and A Ti’a Porinetia voted for the dissolution of this SEM, which was deemed too costly given the country’s current budgetary constraints.

Today, the Maison de la Perle employs eight people. Among them, one person is seconded from the administration and will soon be reinstated in their original department. The other employees are undergoing dismissal procedures that will strictly comply with labor law, with special care given to ensuring each person is treated fairly and respectfully.

The Ministry emphasizes its commitment to managing this transition in accordance with social regulations and pays tribute to the dedication of the teams who have worked to promote Polynesian cultured pearls through this organization.