Government Briefs
Government Briefs
Samoa Twenty Samoan police officers are joining the United Nations as security officers. Samoa has no armed forces but Samoan police officers have served for the United Nations in East Timor, and more recently with the regional peace keeping force in the Solomon Islands. -AT Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa S. Malielegaoi has warned that misbehaving public servants will be caught and brought to justice. This follows ongoing investigations that have seen the Health Department chief executive officer and several senior officers facing charges under the Public Service Act. Investigations are also being conducted into the Airport Authority and Customs Department. -AT Fiji The Fiji government is looking at issuing passports at some of its diplomatic missions in other countries. Embassies in Canberra, Wellington, London, Tokyo and Washington are expected to soon begin issuing Fiji passports, according to Foreign Affairs chief executive officer Isikeli Mataitoga. -MK FSM The 13th FSM Congress recently voted nearly unanimously to confirm the nomination by President Joseph Urusemal of Nena S. Nena, director of Kosrae's Department of Land, Agriculture and Fisheries, to the cabinet post of secretary of the FSM Department of Health, Education and Social Affairs. Nena replaces the late Dr. Jefferson Benjamin, also from Kosrae. -OW Emanuel "Manny" Mori, former chief executive officer of the Chuuk Public Utility Corporation, garnered the votes necessary to win the FSM Congress' Chuuk at-large seat vacated by Jack Fritz. In the special election, Mori beat four political rivals. -OW Guam Guam is the recipient of more than $5 million in U.S. federal grants according to Congressional Delegate Madeleine Bordallo. Of the funds, $4.34 million will come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist community improvement projects, homeless shelter improvement and the development of affordable housing for low and moderate income individuals and families, respectively. In addition, four grants totaling $760,000 were awarded by the Administration for Native Americans under the Department of Health and Human Services. -FW Kiribati The Asian Development Bank's program in Kiribati will focus on outer islands development, promoting social development, and improving governance over the next two years, according to a recently issued strategy. Loans of about $10 million over three years, coupled with technical assistance (TA) grants of $800,000 annually will support the program. -GJ Palau Then-Vice President Sandra Pierantozzi spoke at the 59th United Nations General Assembly in New York recently and for the second time in two years called upon the United Nations to sanction membership for the Republic of China (Taiwan). She addressed the difficulties of being a small or developing country in today's world-including the enormous threats to the marine and terrestrial resources of tiny island states like Palau arising from the "failure of the world to implement the Kyoto Protocol." -NC United States Department of the Interior director of the Office of Insular Affairs Nick Pula joined President Tommy Remengesau, Jr., Vice President Sandra Pierantozzi, government ministers and traditional chiefs at the October ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Malakal Natural Wastewater Treatment Park. The ponding/wetlands treatment system is an expansion project that doubled the capacity of the existing plant at a cost of over $5 million. -NC Papua New Guinea The Papua New Guinea government has approved the establishment of a third fish processing plant. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare said the facility would be built by Thailand company Offshore (PNG) Ltd. in Wewak. It will have the capacity to process 60 to 120 metric tons of tuna per day and employ about 1,200 nationals. Construction of the plant is expected to start early next year and be completed within the first quarter of 2006 with commercial operations to follow. -AR Officials representing the Bougainville interim government and the Papua New Guinea national government have prepared a common set of proposals, which would see the draft Bougainville constitution being promptly finalized. Inter-Government Relations Minister Sir Peter Barter led the PNG government delegation while Bougainville Governor John Momis and Bougainville People's Congress president Joseph Kabui led the Bougainvilleans in the talks. -AR Contributors: Giff Johnson, Afamasaga Toleafoa, Frank S. Rosario, Makareta Komai, Olivier Wortel, Frank Whitman, Nancy Chism and Alex Rheeney.
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