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Friday, January 25, 2008
Surf's up...in Arno Atoll!

E-mail:
   journal@ntamar.net

Phone:
   (692) 625-8143
   (692) 625-8146

Fax:
   (692) 625-3136

Mail:
   PO Box 14
   Majuro, MH 96960
   Marshall Islands

In Person:
   On the ocean road
   behind Formosa
   in Uliga, Majuro
Taiwan VP Lu
to visit Majuro
Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu will kick off a four-nation tour of the Pacific islands next week with a visit to Majuro. Taiwan Ambassador Bruce J.D. Linghu informed the Foreign Ministry of the planned visit Monday, and Foreign Minister Tony deBrum announced the visit to the nation during Tuesday’s Nitijela session.
Tomeing defends
people plan
President Litokwa Tomeing and Cabinet ministers kept it low key on Monday when challenged about their new “people first” policy, but took the gloves off on Tuesday and stepped up the tempo at Wednesday’s session. When questioned Monday about the government’s slogan “armij mokta” (people first), President Tomeing and his Cabinet downplayed their responses, offering up generalities and avoiding sharp answers. “This is our goal,” said Tomeing in defense of his administration’s slogan.
Taiwan helps
AMI with $1 million
Taiwan Ambassador Bruce Linghu presented a check for $1 million to RMI Ministers Jack Ading, Dennis Momotaro and Tony deBrum last Friday. The funding is to assist Air Marshall Islands to get its planes back in the air after more than three months with no service.
Cabinet tackles cars
President Litokwa Tomeing’s new administration has hit the ground running announcing on Monday two new Cabinet approved policies to cut government expenses. The first announced by Minister in Assistance Christopher Loeak was a complete ban on government funds paying for alcohol at government functions or parties. “Government money will not be used to buy alcohol,” said Loeak. The second policy he announced regarded government paid-for vehicles for the ministers. Minister of Finance Jack Ading asked for the former ministers under Kessai Note’s administration to return their vehicles which were issued to them.
Australian tourist Anthony Phillips surfing, with Ben Graham angling for a ride. To promote surfing locally, Graham, Marshall Islands Tourism Association chairman, is planning a surf contest in Majuro next month. Photo Satoshi Yoshii.
RMI would save big with health solution
By GIFFJOHNSON
The current health system is not serving the public adequately nor is it addressing skyrocketing, but preventable, health problems in the Marshall Islands, says the RMI government’s chief planner. The need to spend more than $35 million on a new hospital is also being questioned when the country is in need of urgent action and attention to step up prevention action in local communities, said Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office director Carl Hacker in a policy discussion paper issued earlier this month to government officials. “The status quo for public and preventative health is not serving the people of the RMI the way it can or should,” Hacker said. A “public health reinvention is needed sooner rather than later. ”His report focuses on water and sanitation-related health problems that could be prevented but instead are on the rise and costing the RMI huge sums of money for treatment at the hospital.
Roberts: Lights won't go out
The lights won’t go out in Majuro. That’s MEC general manager Billy Robert’s promise, despite the dwindling diesel fuel supplies in the power company’s tanks and a delayed SK fuel tanker. Public Works Minister Kejjo Bien on Wednesday told the Nitijela the problem is that SK Networks’ tanker has been delayed. Roberts told the Journal Wednesday the tanker was supposed to arrive on January 24, but is now scheduled for February 1. MEC has fuel in its tanks to keep the plant running until January 29, Roberts said. SK blames the delay on the bad weather. The tanker is now underway and making good time, Roberts said. He said MEC ordered the fuel on time, so he wants SK to come up with plan to ensure MEC doesn’t run short until its tanker gets here. In addition, “we’re looking at all options” to make sure the lights stay on, he told the Journal. “One way or the other, we’ll keep the lights on,” he said. Bien, who is chairman of MEC’s board, told Nitijela Wednesday that everything is being done to ensure that the power does not go off since this would cause havoc in the capital. He recognized MEC management for doing an excellent job, adding that the current situation is the fault of the fuel supplier, not MEC.
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