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Friday, June 06, 2008
| Cost of living soars by over 10 percent The cost of living rose by more than 10 percent in Majuro from January to March this year — more than double the inflation rate for all of fiscal year 2007 (FY2007). According to a report just issued by the government’s Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office (EPPSO) last week, the one-quarter (January-March) inflation rate was 10.19 percent compared to an inflation rate of just 4.43 percent for all of FY2007. Majuro vote to happen There will be an election for a new Majuro mayor. That is the legal opinion issued on Monday by Attorney General Filimon Manoni to both the Majuro Atoll Local Government and the RMI’s Electoral Administration. Electricity bill goes up 25 percent The largest ever power rate hike went into affect this week. Marshalls Energy Company general manager Billy Roberts said that MEC has raised rates by eight cents per kilowatt hour for all customers based on world market prices when the latest shipment of fuel was loaded in late May. Ship registry booming The Marshall Islands ship registry has broken the 40 million gross ton mark, more than doubling the tonnage of vessels flying the RMI flag in less than five years. International Registries, Inc. (IRI) reported that the fleet size has grown from 18.5 million gross tons and 626 vessels at the end of 2003 to 40 million gross tons and 1,736 vessels as of last month, reflecting an average growth rate of 18 percent. |
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E-mail: |
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Phone: |
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Fax:
(692) 625-3136 |
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Mail:
PO Box 14 Majuro, MH 96960 Marshall Islands |
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In Person:
On the ocean road behind Formosa in Uliga, Majuro |
It’s never too late to change your life around, as Morson Lautiej (right) has demonstrated. He has taken control of his diabetes by exercising every morning and eating right. Because of this, he does not need to take any medication. You get his message: fresh produce is great ‘medicine’ for diabetics. Continental Micronesia worker Morson Lautiej had been suffering from diabetes-related health problems since 1995 when, about two years ago, he enrolled in the Diabetes Wellness Center's program at Majuro Hospital. That changed his life. “On the first day, they checked my blood sugar and it was 260,” he said. “Every day after that, my blood sugar went down. I was surprised because the food and exercise was really working.” He continues to exercise regularly and “not eat junky foods” and the result is amazing: “I feel so good. You wouldn't believe it now my blood sugar is 78. I'm 57 but now I feel like I'm 18 years old!”
By GIFF JOHNSON
A Delap businessman who called the national police last Thursday night to report a crime in progress said he was arrested, forced to take off all his clothes at the station, pushed into a jail cell, and then ordered to pay $100 before the national police would let him go. At the same time as this incident allegedly occurred, a Chinese man who was already in jail was allegedly assaulted by the same police officer that arrested the Delap businessman. Chief Public Defender Russell Kun has threatened to sue the police, and has lodged a formal complaint over the incident with the prisoner, and is also representing the Delap businessman, Zhou Xian You, an RMI citizen who has lived in Majuro for 10 years. “I can confirm that the Office of the Attorney General has received these complaints and that these complaints have been discussed with the Department of Public Safety,” Attorney General Filimon Manoni told the Journal. “These two matters are now under investigation.” Kun told the Journal that he’s waiting for the investigation to be done, but expects action to be taken. He described one of the cops as acting like “Dirty Harry,” and added: “They mess around with my clients, they mess around with their lawyer.” You told the Journal that last Thursday his storekeeper in Delap complained that a drunk guy smashed the back window of one of his vehicles, so he immediately went to the store and called the police for immediate assistance.
A Delap businessman who called the national police last Thursday night to report a crime in progress said he was arrested, forced to take off all his clothes at the station, pushed into a jail cell, and then ordered to pay $100 before the national police would let him go. At the same time as this incident allegedly occurred, a Chinese man who was already in jail was allegedly assaulted by the same police officer that arrested the Delap businessman. Chief Public Defender Russell Kun has threatened to sue the police, and has lodged a formal complaint over the incident with the prisoner, and is also representing the Delap businessman, Zhou Xian You, an RMI citizen who has lived in Majuro for 10 years. “I can confirm that the Office of the Attorney General has received these complaints and that these complaints have been discussed with the Department of Public Safety,” Attorney General Filimon Manoni told the Journal. “These two matters are now under investigation.” Kun told the Journal that he’s waiting for the investigation to be done, but expects action to be taken. He described one of the cops as acting like “Dirty Harry,” and added: “They mess around with my clients, they mess around with their lawyer.” You told the Journal that last Thursday his storekeeper in Delap complained that a drunk guy smashed the back window of one of his vehicles, so he immediately went to the store and called the police for immediate assistance.
By SUZANNE CHUTARO
Most bargain buyers on Majuro will know 48-year-old Thompson Lanwe. If you don’t know him by name then you will at least recognize his face. He works at Pacific Basin’s Cash ’n Carry container in Uliga. Every day he sells hundreds of bags of rice, frozen chicken quarter legs and other popular canned foods that make up the the ri-Majuro diet. Lanwe lives directly behind the capital building in Delap and the sight of the building surrounded by luxurious yellow-licensed-plate vehicles leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. “Government workers benefit from my sweat,” said Lanwe. “I pay taxes and they get to have good salaries, drive government cars and the government also pays for the fuel. I see them drive these cars to the stores with their families and I know that my tax money is supporting them — I can’t even benefit from my own sweat.” But it’s not only the politicians and civil servants that benefit from Lanwe’s “sweat.” Like many families in Majuro, Lanwe directly supports his relatives in two other households. His relative neighbors who are unemployed have no electricity — no other means except for Lanwe’s generosity. In total he and his wife support 12 people, six of whom are elementary-school-aged children. The remaining are unemployed adults. Between his and his wife’s salary the Lanwes make about $400 every two weeks. That translates to $2.38 per head per day. “This money used to last us until the next pay period,” said Lanwe. “My electricity bill used to be less than $20 a month. We used to be able to buy chicken quarter legs."
Most bargain buyers on Majuro will know 48-year-old Thompson Lanwe. If you don’t know him by name then you will at least recognize his face. He works at Pacific Basin’s Cash ’n Carry container in Uliga. Every day he sells hundreds of bags of rice, frozen chicken quarter legs and other popular canned foods that make up the the ri-Majuro diet. Lanwe lives directly behind the capital building in Delap and the sight of the building surrounded by luxurious yellow-licensed-plate vehicles leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. “Government workers benefit from my sweat,” said Lanwe. “I pay taxes and they get to have good salaries, drive government cars and the government also pays for the fuel. I see them drive these cars to the stores with their families and I know that my tax money is supporting them — I can’t even benefit from my own sweat.” But it’s not only the politicians and civil servants that benefit from Lanwe’s “sweat.” Like many families in Majuro, Lanwe directly supports his relatives in two other households. His relative neighbors who are unemployed have no electricity — no other means except for Lanwe’s generosity. In total he and his wife support 12 people, six of whom are elementary-school-aged children. The remaining are unemployed adults. Between his and his wife’s salary the Lanwes make about $400 every two weeks. That translates to $2.38 per head per day. “This money used to last us until the next pay period,” said Lanwe. “My electricity bill used to be less than $20 a month. We used to be able to buy chicken quarter legs."
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