Friday, February 27, 2009
|
E-mail: |
|
Phone: |
|
Fax:
(692) 625-3136 |
|
Mail:
PO Box 14 Majuro, MH 96960 Marshall Islands |
|
In Person:
On the ocean road behind Formosa in Uliga, Majuro |
| Jerry: 'We're letting millions slip away' PII chief executive officer Jerry Kramer’s message to anyone who is listening: there is money available to RMI that is not being accessed and that means jobs, spending money and tax revenue are being lost. • The RMI is eligible for a $6 million to $10 million annually in major infrastructure projects from Japan, “but we haven’t had one project in five years.” A total of $30 million to $50 million has been available but RMI “hasn’t taken advantage of it.” • Up to $40 million in US FAA money could be in danger because of a law passed in 2008 concerning land-filled areas. The FAA-funded airport road diversion project is being held up by the Nitijela law. “A one-sentence change in the law can bring in $30 million to $40 million for construction work and jobs.” “There are other revenue sources,” he said. “If the right buttons are pushed to grow the economy we can get more money into the country.” DOI okay with the pace of RMI construction work The Department of Interior “is not concerned about the current pace of Compact-funded construction work in the RMI,” a Honolulu-based Interior official told the Journal last week. Interior official Stephen Savage said while the total balance for RMI construction projects now stands $28.4 million, “a substantial portion of this cash balance has been obligated by the Ministry of Finance for ongoing infrastructure contracts.” MEC short $3m to pay for fuel bill The Marshalls Energy Company is a month overdue paying a nearly $3 million fuel bill and MEC’s South Korean diesel supplier is demanding payment. MEC reportedly made a nearly $300,000 payment on the bill to SK Networks this week. But the overdue bill has sparked a payment demand letter this week from SK to the RMI government — which guaranteed the MEC fuel purchase. Confusion reigns over USAKA report There are conflicting opinions about whether the executive branch of the US government needs to submit a report to the US Congress on the status of the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll. US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee staff member Allen Stayman told the Journal the report is overdue, though with other matters on its agenda, Congress is not pushing the administration to submit it. But US Ambassador Clyde Bishop told the Journal that the State Department’s view is the report is required only if the money now held in escrow is returned to the US government. Since the State Department waived the December 17, 2008 deadline indefinitely, a report should not be needed, he indicated. Loans up to $650k Bank of Marshall Islands has provided over $651,000 in micro loans to local residents through December 31 last year, according to a report from the bank. The bank report shows that 228 loans have been approved since September 2006 for an average loan of $2,857 — though many of the loans are significantly smaller. |
|
Leadership talks reach fever pitch
|
The sacking this week of Foreign Minister Tony deBrum from Cabinet appeared to end weeks of speculation as to what President Litokwa Tomeing’s response would be to a barrage of criticism the former minister directed at Tomeing’s administration in Nitijela early this month. But as the Journal went to press Wednesday, the political picture was murkier, not clearer, despite the President’s apparently final act of removing deBrum from Cabinet. Even before Foreign Minister deBrum took to the microphone three weeks ago at Nitijela to publicly criticize the administration, the brewing splits and disagreements had been visible to those paying attention to the vagaries of RMI politics. But deBrum’s public comments brought the behind-the-scenes squabbling into public view, prompting much speculation about the current government’s future and how it would affect the Cabinet lineup. DeBrum confirmed to the Journal Wednesday afternoon that he indeed received a letter this week from the President seeking his resignation, but said he had not responded to it. To the question “Are you in or out?” deBrum replied: “I don’t know.” DeBrum further said Wednesday that the issue of his tenure in the Cabinet was being worked on within the party and he hoped it would be worked out amicably within a few hours. Within minutes of receiving deBrum’s comments, the Journal was told that the President had signed a letter “revoking” deBrum’s status
|
PII head Jerry Kramer (with Hirobo Obeketang) showed Friday's Chamber of Commerce meeting cigarettes and alcohol that were purchased at prices below import tax levels, confirming rampant smuggling that is undermining RMI tax revenue and hurting business competitors that pay taxes.
Don't blame us for '07 result
While the Commission of Inquiry into the 2007 elections identified a chain of events that culminated with a botched 2007 national election, those involved in setting off these events say they are not at fault as they were only doing their job. But the report suggests they may have overstepped their bounds and committed unconstitutional acts. Appearing before Nitijela’s Judiciary and Government Relations Committee (J&GR) on Tuesday, former Minister of Internal Affairs Rien Morris and Public Service Commission Chairman Cent Langidrik, commissioner Raynard Gideon and deputy Linest Lanki said there was no funny business going on when the decision to hire Chief Elec-toral Officer (CEO) Carl Alik was made. “I went to PSC to sell my idea (on Alik’s qualifications and suitability for the job),” said Morris. “I sold my idea but I didn’t force them. I negotiated and try to get my point across. What’s wrong with that?”
Morris defends his recommendation to PSC on the hiring of Alik as the CEO based on his qualification. “He went to school in China and New Zealand,” said Morris. “Not because he’s my relative as some have accused. ” The Commission of Inquiry report, however, identifies Alik’s lack of managerial experience as a major
“PSC bowed to pressure, appointing an inexperienced CEO to the job, yet PSC members are still there,” said McCaffrey. “The CEO who didn’t run the election properly is still in his position and the (former) minister has admitted to unconstitutional interference.”
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
P2 A new pool hall for teenagers only is nearing completion in a section of the Kitco warehouse located behind the Downtown Club, according to Toke Sawej, assistant manager of Kitco. “The new pool hall is not for adults,” said Sawej, “but will be for young people 15 years age and younger.” He also said there will be a manager on duty to see that there is no drinking on the premises.
P3 Ad KITCO “The most progressive Islander-owned company in the South Seas.” New shipment of meats just arrived: T-Bone steak, $1.85 lb., Rib Eye, $2.58 lb, Sirloin Tip Roasts, $1.49 lb. MV Militobi due to return to service by the end of March.
P5 Editorial There is unquestionably a recent sense of urgency to something about Micronesia at the highest government levels in Washington and Saipan. What will happen in the next few years is uncertain, but the long-range answer lies in education. It is true the islands are better off now than ever before, but after 25 years of US Trusteeship. To think of political or economic independence is laughable. Was this done intentionally? The UN Visiting Mission now touring Micronesia has been quizzing people about political status without receiving any positive responses. This reflects a lack of political awareness and political education. The few activities in the Trust Territory resembling industry are marked by no capital, poor management and an untrained labor force. All of this is a reflection of the public educational system of the Trust Territory, which seems geared for, at the present time, training bellhops for tourists and mess boys for army bases.
P9 The Nite Life, By Stoney. Last Thursday night, while playing music, my Palauan buddy from USP (United States of Peleliu) John walk in, he was drunk already, this friend of mine, when he’s drunk, you can tell, because everything he says, it’s about Palau or Peleliu, but when he’s sober, really quiet. Anyway he come in and go straight to the bar, and was talking with some Marshallese friends, he was talking about fishing, when I heard what he was saying. I told the boys in the band, hey you guys, let’s have a brake, so I went and sat beside John and tell him, John, how come you always talk about Palauan? Hey buddy, don’t you know I’m a Palauan? But since I came from Fiji back 1967 you were here, I think you change already, from Palauan to Marshallese, since you like to run against Senator Kabua in the next election, you cannot be a Palauan and you come and run for Congress in this district. Hey, I’m sorry Stoney, I forgot about that, anyway, Palauan are the best fishermen. I told him, John I think we better prove this. Tonight after the bar close, we gonna go spear fishing, Fijian versus Palauan, just you and me. So when the bar close we went, he was drunk, we went diving for 45 minutes. We came back, I catch 27 fish, John only catch seven. So I told him when we were riding back to town, OK John, now you prove it, Fijian is the best, and he told me, you right, Fijian is the best in everything.
.jpg)
P4 The elephant is severely malnourished and could die if she doesn’t receive hay. That is the word from animal handlers, who thanked people for generous donations, but say the elephant cannot get the food she needs on the island. The Chamber of Commerce, Kirt Pinho in the lead, is soliciting donations to purchase hay from Hawaii and Air Marshall Islands has offered to match whatever is raised in order to deliver it here. Helen Carpenter, who takes care of the lions, tigers and other assorted animals that are in Majuro awaiting the PM&O ship, says she has been left in the lurch without the necessary funds to feed all the animals until they depart March 7. She says people have been extremely gracious about helping with food for the animals, but they will need to supply the animals with food for another two weeks before the ship comes. She says when they came out, the baby tigers were small and could all fit in one cage. But after six months, they have grown to the point where she is violating US laws by keeping them in the same cage.
P3 Marshalls Supreme Court Chief Justice Clinton Ashford swore in new High Court Judge Philip Bird at the President’s Office. With them was President Kabua and High Court Judge Witten Philippo.