APRIL 30, 2010
Pages draw in a flash with fast new Internet
We can confirm that NTA’s new broadband “128kpbs” service is significantly faster than the regular dialup. This is the service that costs $89.95 a month, plus a one-cent per minute charge when on from 7am-7pm. How can we tell? Try opening the www.continental.com/ website home page on dialup. It can take three-to-four minutes to load. With the 128kpbs broadband, it loads in fewer than 30 seconds.
Audit shows up big issues with personnel
A limited audit of government workers in three ministries shows that a majority have incorrect job descriptions, and many workers are doing the same work as other employees.
“Outcomes from this limited personnel audit suggest it would be of benefit for the Public Service Commission to conduct a similar but more detailed audit across all ministries,” said the report compiled in December by the late PSC deputy commissioner Lenest Lanki and consultant William Pitkin.
BOMI offers cell service
Cell phone users will soon tap into their account at the Bank of the Marshall Islands to recharge or credit their phones while having an ice cream at home anytime. According to BOMI Information Technology Director and Programmer Joe Kaios, who is writing the program, cell phone users may soon be able to access their BOMI account to recharge their phones when all retail stores are closed, transfer money to different accounts or do a bank-to-bank money transfer, and pay their electrical bill.
“This mobile banking may launch in June and it will be a great benefit to all,” said Kaios, “especially people who stay in Laura.”
EU: $6 million for RMI solar
European Union and Marshall Islands, FSM and Palau officials are expected to sign off on two funding packages — worth a total of $32 million — for solar power for remote islands and regional fisheries programs. The agreements are to be signed Friday in Pohnpei by EU Ambassador Wiepke van der Goot and officials from the three freely associated states. Van der Goot was in Majuro this week heading a three-man delegation to review projects in the RMI. “The aim of the Northern Pacific Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program (North-REP) is to improve the overall efficiency of the energy sector through energy efficiency and grid-connected renewable energy, and increase access to remote populations to affordable and reliable renewable electricity services,” the ambassador said.
'Magnificent' performince
New Japan tourist link
Non-stop Continental Micronesia flights from Japan to Majuro? That’s a definite “yes,” tourism operator Satoshi Yoshii told the Journal this week.
(Continued below)
When Joseann Leer (left) won Wednesday’s spelling bee at the ICC, students from Majuro Baptist Christian Academy went wild, cheering for the victory in the four-and-a-half-hour marathon contest sponsored by Seventh Day Adventist Schools.

Photos: Giff Johnson
The chance
of a lifetime
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is footing the bill for airfares so a group from this year’s Youth Nitijela will be able to attend a ‘Youth in Government’ conference being run by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in North Carolina in June. The assistant secretary of MOE for finance, Richard Bruce, made the financial aid announcement on Monday evening at a meeting of the nine students, their parents, and school officials at the Marshall Islands High School (MIHS) library. The students are Niten Anni, Gabriella Hitchfield, Stephen Clark, Stella Marie Kibin, Peterson Larry, Jemima Lorak, and Darrel Saimon.
New Japan tourist link
(Continued from above) After the disappointing halt to Japan Airlines-sponsored charters nearly two years ago, Yoshii turned to Continental to negotiate flights to Majuro. He said negotiations are in the final stage for several flights to happen later this year. He indicated that he hopes by next month an agreement will be finalized for Continental Micronesia charter flights. Yoshii, who operates scuba diver operations in Majuro and Pohnpei, said he is optimistic about the Continental plan, in part because Continental will use Boeing-737 planes, which are smaller than the Boeing-767 used by JAL. “The aim is to bring 120 passengers per flight,” Yoshii said. The JAL 767s hold about 230 passengers, and proved more difficult to fill for the Majuro charters. He is also talking with Continental officials about a two-stop package that would bring visitors to both Pohnpei and Majuro on the same flight. “Once combined, there will be more demand from non-dive market visitors,” he said. His aim is to see about eight charter flights this year. “Since the last JAL charter was 18 months ago, we have to show what we can do,” he said. Yoshii said there is strong demand from Japanese to come to Majuro. “On our website, the top Google search words are ‘Majuro direct 2010,’” he said. At the Marine Dive Fair in Tokyo late last year, many of the 45,000 visitors asked when flights to Majuro will start again, he said. The goal with Continental is for more frequent flights with a smaller number of passengers on each, he said.
A crime ring involving Payless employees and at least four Majuro stores has been broken up by Payless management with help from RMI National Police investigators. “We are hoping for strong prosecution of those involved,” said Payless General Manager Ray Bandy (pictured left). Prosecutor and Acting Attorney Jack Jorbon said his office expects to file charges soon. Police, acting with High Court-approved search warrants, found stolen goods from Payless at four local stores that are not regular customers of the major wholesale and retail company. “We raided the stores,” Jorbon said of the National Police action to get evidence of the crime ring. “We will prosecute them for receiving security officers as well as warehouse workers — who were in on the theft that has cost Payless tens of thousands of dollars over the past few months. Security officers would sign off on “dummy” (fake) invoices, allowing goods to be taken out of the warehouse and sold to cooperating stores. “What really alerted us to the problem was one of our warehouse guys quit out of the blue and left island,” Bandy said. “He was one of the big thieves. He saw the train coming.” The crime ring, apparently emboldened by their early success, started taking goods out the Payless front door and loading it into taxis for delivery to stores that were accepting the stolen goods. Then, a Payless video camera caught one of the employees pushing a shopping cart piled high with canned products out the front door. “That video busted the case open,” Bandy said. “The next day, we had the police here and busted the case.” By confronting first one worker, then another, Payless management was able to get to the bottom of the crime ring, Bandy said. “It was going on for at least three-to-four months and maybe longer,” he said. All eight workers were terminated. Bandy praised the National Police and the AG’s office for its work.
stolen goods.” He indicated he is waiting for more specific financial loss information from Payless to prosecute the individuals involved. Bandy said the store’s inventory in October tipped them to a problem in the warehouse. At the time, the count of products came up with thousands of dollars of high-value merchandise — such as Ox & Palm Corned Beef, Morinaga Milk, and canned tuna — missing from the warehouse. Neither the main retail store nor Payless satellite outlets in Rairok or Laura showed missing goods. Then in January, a second inventory again showed a problem in the warehouse. “Our monitoring picked up after the inventories,” Bandy said. The Payless investigation would turn up eight workers —
Bank of Marshall Islands held its annual shareholders meeting Tuesday at the ICC. Shareholders returned eight of the nine previous board members and added a new ninth member, David Paul, replacing Ebeye’s Tommy Milne. Photo above: BOMI shareholders picked up their annual dividend checks and received ballots to elect a new board at Tuesday’s meeting at the ICC. Photo: Bank of Marshall Islands.