Government Briefs
Government Briefs
Kosrae, FSM Conservation of an island environment is just as much a part of saving local culture as preserving the language, or practicing and teaching traditional customs. In Micronesia, the islands that are able to save their ecosystems in the face of increasing development will be the islands that protect their heritage and ensure a perpetual bank account for future generations to draw from. - ADVERTISEMENT - This has been part of the task set forth by a respected group of leaders within the region, called Micronesian Leaders in Island Conservation. MLIC have made it their mission to work together to assist in the conservation and preservation of vital and threatened natural areas in the FSM and Palau. A primary aim of the network, which started with a retreat at Black Coral Island in Pohnpei a year ago, is to strengthen the capacity, financing, and effectiveness of local NGOs and government agencies concerned with environmental issues. Members of the group include NGO and government officials from Pohnpei, Kosrae, Palau, and Yap. MLIC will expand with more leaders being invited from Chuuk and Palau before next year's retreat in Yap, and within the next two years the organization will extend the network to Saipan, the Marshalls and Guam. -OW Sen. John Martin confirmed after a brief opening day of the Kosrae State Legislature's Second Special Session that the FSM state would invest $500,000 in the new regional airline, Palau Micronesia Air. Following meetings between legislators, Gov. Rensley Sigrah, and airline CEO Alan Seid over the course of 2003, both the executive and legislative branches of the Kosrae Government, and Seid, have come to terms over Kosrae's decision to be a "major investor." Palau Micronesia Air is scheduled to fly its first flight in December with a Boeing 737-300. The aircraft will be leased and operated under the Air Operators Certificate of Air New Zealand. Flights to Kosrae will not begin until April or June of next year, according to Rebluud Kesolei, Administrative Officer for PMA. A second Boeing is scheduled to begin operations in June of 2004. -OW
CNMI The U.S. federal government has awarded a $226,000 grant to the Chamorro Carolinian Language Policy Commission for the preservation and promotion of Chamorro and Carolinian languages. The grant will fund a one-year project aimed at strengthening the cultural identity of Chamorros and Carolinians by promoting the use of their native languages at home and schools. CCLPC is under the commonwealth's Department of Community and Cultural Affairs. -FR The Northern Marianas administration of Gov. Juan N. Babauta claimed that it has achieved, for the first time since fiscal year 2000, a balanced budget for fiscal year 2003. In an Oct. 1 memorandum to all government employees, Gov. Babauta congratulated the employees and all who helped his administration achieve this feat. The CNMI government's operating budget for fiscal year 2003 is $214.1 million. The current fiscal year's budget passed the Legislature in late September, but has been returned to the Legislature by Babauta due to a dispute surrounding the legality of the current Senate leadership. The case is still before the Superior Court, which has scheduled the hearing on Nov. 19. Babauta stated that many government agencies and offices "had to make do with less money" during the past fiscal year and maintain the quality of services expected by the general public. "I believe you accomplished this by working smarter and by focusing on the core responsibilities of your agencies," he added. -FR Joseph M. Mendiola from Tinian has been elected to serve out the remaining two years of Sen. Jose M. Dela Cruz's Senate term in a special election held Oct. 4th. Mendiola, running under the Covenant Party banner, defeated Republican Manual P. Villagomez, a former senator from Tinian. Mendiola was the deputy treasurer for the Tinian Municipal government. Tinian has 1,069 registered voters. About 800 cast their ballots. -FR
Guam Guam Gov. Felix Camacho announced on Sept. 21 that he had reluctantly signed into law the budget bill that had been passed by the Guam Legislature. Seated before a newly-made banner that read "Blackmail Budget FY 04," and flanked by key advisers, the governor said he had been forced to sign the bill because legislators had threatened a government shutdown and included a provision allowing the Guam International Airport Authority to refinance its bonds saving the authority US$14 million. "It is truly a sad day in a representative democracy when protecting the public interest is held hostage by self-serving politicians, whose complacency will only perpetuate the business-as-usual attitude that put this government in financial crisis in the first place," he said. Specifically, Camacho questioned the legislature's revenue projection of $410 million despite the effects of the Bush administration's tax cuts, which will mean a reduction of $30 million to Guam. He also criticized spending priorities, other revenue projections and funding sources. -FW Gov. Felix Camacho traveled to China to promote Guam as a tourist destination for Chinese citizens. On Sept. 30, he met with Chinese Foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing and had a separate meeting with He Guangwei, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration. Camacho is hopeful that Guam will be granted approved destination status by the Chinese government, opening Guam to the world's largest market. The move will require a U.S. visa waiver for Guam-bound travelers. -FW
New Zealand Despite criticism from U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, Charles Swindells, the New Zealand government says it will not back down from its several-decades-old anti-nuclear policy, which prohibits nuclear-powered ships and submarines from docking in New Zealand. Swindells was quoted as saying that Washington "just won't get over" New Zealand's anti-nuke law. He said that until this is changed, Washington is unlikely to negotiate a free trade agreement with New Zealand. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met Sept. 24 with New Zealand Foreign Minister Philip Goff. According to a U.S. State Department news release, "the two discussed a wide range of issues, including reconstruction in Afghanistan, reconstruction and stabilization operations in Iraq, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, and international trade Post-Cancún." Armitage was said to have "reiterated U.S. appreciation for New Zealand's contributions in both Afghanistan and Iraq." He also complimented New Zealand, along with Australia and other participating nations, on RAMSI's progress in bringing peace and stability to the Solomon Islands. He congratulated New Zealand on the success of the Pacific Island Forum, held in Auckland this past August, and noted the many regional initiatives arising out of the Forum. There was no mention of the nuclear disagreement in the Goff - Armitage meeting press releases. -SW
Fiji According to Radio Australia, a traditional apology will be made to the descendents of missionary Rev. Thomas Baker, who was killed and eaten in the village of Navatusila of the Navosa district during the "era of cannibalism." Baker's descendents will arrive in the country this month on the invitation of the Tui Navatusila, Ratu Filimoni Wawabalavu. The villagers believe that they were being cursed for what their forefathers did to Rev. Baker and a traditional formal apology needed to be made to his descendents. Rev. Baker was slain and eaten by the people of Navatusila in the 1800s. The missionary's shoes were boiled by the villagers, but remained inedible. One boot is in the Fiji museum. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase is expected to represent the government at the event. -Fijivillage/PINA Nius
Samoa Former Secretary for the Legislative Assembly, Tanuvasa Isitolo Lemisio, has been appointed as Samoa's Electoral Commissioner for three years. Lemisio began his schooling in Samoa before continuing his education abroad. He previously held the position of Secretary to the Legislative Assembly and he also worked in different election fields. He is currently the Registrar of Electors and Voters. -FS In Apia, heavy rains caused its inadequate and constricted drains to overflow, flooding homes and closing schools. The drains are often choked with foul-smelling litter, vegetation and occasional industrial waste. With only a few small and old wastewater treatments plants that service specific facilities, Apia's wastewater collection and treatment system is grossly inadequate. To improve the situation, the Asian Development Bank is preparing to build a new sewerage system, including 1.5 km of sewers and a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 950 cubic meters a day. The system will serve Apia's central business area and be linked to the National Hospital and Apia's main school. The proposed Sanitation and Drainage Project, which will involve an ADB concessionary loan estimated at US$7.8 million, will also clean and widen drains, rehabilitate septic tanks for up to 500 households and provide regular pump-out services for individual septic systems, which will include environmentally safe methods of treatment and disposal. In addition, the project will build technical and administrative capacity for the provision of urban services and management. ADB's Board of Directors expects to consider the project for approval. -ABD
American Samoa By the end of fiscal year 2003, the American Samoa Government was in the black for the third fiscal year in a row. Gov. Togiola Tulafono said the government did so well at the end of fiscal year 2003, with no budget overruns, that his administration did not need to use any of the US$16 million the government received from the judgment in the government's lawsuit against its insurance company, Affiliated FM. At the start of FY 2004, on Oct. 1, 2003, the government's new budget is US$232.6 million, up $10.4 million from FY 2003's budget. The government's FY04 budget is funded by a Department of Interior subsidy of $33.3 million while other federal grants provide $68 million. Local revenue makes up $58.5 million and local Enterprise Funds added $72.6 million. The projected local revenues for FY04 remained at FY03 levels. -FS Certified public accountant George Webster is now officially the Territorial Auditor, a post left vacant for many years. Webster, appointed by Gov. Togiola Tulafono and confirmed by the Legislature, holds CPA licenses in American Samoa, California, Oregon and Washington states. Before his appointment, Webster was Controller for CBT Ho Ching in American Samoa since 2001 and he holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California. -FS
Region In close consultation with its Pacific developing member countries, the Asian Development Bank is finalizing a new Pacific Regional Environmental Strategy, due to be published by the end of 2003. ADB's Pacific developing member countries depend heavily, economically and culturally, on the environment, yet their fragile ecosystems and limited land and freshwater resources make them highly vulnerable. This situation is aggravated by rapid population growth (leading to increased resource use and pollution) and a vulnerability to natural disasters, including a possible rise in sea level as a result of global climate change. The most urgent issues are: threats to freshwater resources, degradation of marine and coastal environments, land and forest degradation, increasing waste and problems of urbanization, depletion of biological diversity, and energy-related environmental concerns. -ADB |
