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Friday, October 24, 2008
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(692) 625-8143
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PO Box 14 Majuro, MH 96960 Marshall Islands
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On the ocean road behind Formosa in Uliga, Majuro
DOE: No RMI $$
cuts next 5 years
How about some good news from Washington, DC? Rongelap Mayor James Matayoshi told the Journal Wednesday he and other nuclear affected island leaders were happy to hear from a top Department of Energy official Tuesday that “there will be no budget cuts for five years” to the DOE medical and logistics program in the Marshall Islands. “This is very good news,” Matayoshi said. Glenn Podonsky, the DOE’s chief Health, Safety and Security Officer — a post equivalent to an assistant secretary-level position — led a delegation on a visit to Majuro this week.
PTI into NTA partnership
A Guam-based communications company says a partnership with National Telecommunications Authority will bring RMI’s telecommunications services into the 21st Century. With only 28 days left for the Marshall Islands to come up with its share of $17.9 million — or its minimum 10 percent deposit — to secure inclusion with the US Army’s planned marine fiber optic cable project slated for 2010, Pacific Telecommunication Inc. (PTI) officials told the Journal they want to highlight this fast approaching deadline and to offer a mutually beneficial solution. “We want to work hand in hand with NTA,” said PTI’s Board Chairman Riccardo Delgado. “Without the (fiber optic) cable RMI can not get the types of technology it needs to connect to the 21st Century.”
MEC cuts 8¢
off KW hour
Electricity rates will drop November 1 in Majuro, giving Majuro residents, businesses and the government some needed relief. Minister of Public Works and MEC board Chairman Kejjo Bien told the Journal that MEC will be reducing the price of electricity next month.
MIMRA in red for 2007
The latest audit of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority shows that the agency’s income in fiscal year 2007 dived to about half what it netted in 2006, causing MIMRA to lose money in 2007 ending its run as one of the few RMI agencies that has been profitable. MIMRA said the poor revenue picture for FY2007 was caused by a decrease in foreign fishing vessel license fee collections and a reduction in the number of fishing vessels using port Majuro.
Kwaj rent $$$ late
The Ministry of Finance issued rent checks to Kwajalein landowners on Monday this week, about 10 days later than normal. The $7 million payment was transferred to the RMI’s account at First Hawaiian Bank last Friday and was further transferred to the Ministry of Finance over the weekend. US Interior Department official in Majuro Alan Fowler said the cause of the delay was still unknown as of earlier this week. He said Interior had requested the quarterly payment from the US Treasury as usual on October 1, but it took longer this year than in years past to process it. “Normally it’s like clockwork,” Fowler said of the first quarterly payment of the year. “We’ve always been able to do this the first week of October. We’ll work to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
The $17 million deal
Kwajalein landowners have less than two months left to their crucial $20 million deadline for US rent money. But the National Telecommunications Authority and the Marshall Islands is facing a
One month to lock in fiber optic cable
more pressing deadline — in less than a month, the initial payment is due to secure a contract for an underwater fiber optic cable to connect Majuro and Ebeye with the outside world. The cable, while costly, will provide the RMI with a huge communications upgrade. “Cabinet has already endorsed it,” Minister of T&C Dennis Momotaro told the Journal Wednesday. “We really want it to happen. I’m going to push for the government to guarantee the loan. We’ll finalize it either this week or next week.” NTA General Manager Tony Muller told the Journal, “roughly $2 million will be required upon signing (of the contract).” The NTA board and the RMI Cabinet have endorsed the cable project. The US Army is spending $100 million over a 10-year period to bring the cable from Guam to Kwajalein, and the Ebeye/Majuro leg will cost the RMI about $17.9 million. NTA has talked to the US Rural Utility Service about loan options, and reportedly RUS has indicated its willingness to refinance NTA’s existing loan, provided NTA has a guarantor. Muller said November 21 is the deadline for NTA to make the first payment confirming the deal. The Federated States of Micronesia’s telecom company has reportedly already signed up for its portion of the cable project with the firm handling the project for the US Army.
Disputes put MALGov budget for FY09 in limbo
By SUZANNE CHUTARO
Majuro Atoll Local Government’s administration failed to gain Council approval of its fiscal year 2009 budget and is operating on a three-month continuing resolution giving it only enough to function until December 31. Council members who opposed the budget told the Journal there are many problems with the
budget that led to their ‘no’ vote. Majuro Mayor Titus Langrine (pictured) told the Journal Wednesday that “we’re starting from scratch” to produce a new budget for reconsideration by the Council taking into account the concerns raised. The top concern is the original budget proposed spending more in FY2009 than collected in FY2008. Uliga councilman Robert Pinho, a member of the budget appropriations committee, says his committee only saw the budget one day before it was given to the rest of the council to vote on. “I voted against the budget because the proposed expenditures didn’t match income,” said Pinho. To justify the higher level of spending in FY2009,
Langrine said his administration isn’t planning to raise taxes. Instead, they plan to improve collections. Iolap Councilwoman Jouban Kabua, who shares Pinho’s concerns, expressed shock over what she says were arbitrary pay raises proposed for some local police officers. “There has been no performance evaluation to base their raises,” said Kabua. In a detailed letter to MALGov’s executive council and the budget committee, newly elected Rairok Councilwoman Deborah Shoniber said she outlined her reasoning for voting against the budget. She questioned why there are no supporting documents or income statements to justify expenditure levels way over MALGov’s 2008 revenue. “MALGov hasn’t been audited since 2003,” Langrine said. “We’ve asked (MEC board Fiscal Officer) Saeko Shoniber to come in and help us prepare our books. “If the council can just wait and give us some time, we’re preparing for an audit and I’m hoping that by January the audits can start.” Councilwoman Shoniber says, howeer, that since she’s joined the council she’s repeatedly asked for these reports. She’s also questioned the poor level of service MALGov provides for waste management and public safety for Majuro. “Whenever I ask about these, the answers I get are: ‘there’s no money, there’s no fuel, there are no vehicles, no bins, we owe MISSA.’”
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No confidence motion fizzles
By GIFF JOHNSON
An expected vote of no confidence fizzled Tuesday when opposition party Chairman Senator Ruben Zackhras withdrew the motion before a packed Nitijela chamber. In contrast to a normally nearly empty chamber during session days, on Tuesday the public jammed into the Nitijela like a standing room only audience at a rock concert. But the drama was soon over, for after the usual speech preliminaries and a Bible citation, Zackhras announced that the opposition was withdrawing the motion of no confidence filed last Tuesday. Speaker Jurelang Zedkaia (pictured) then went to “break” format, when V7AB turns off live broadcast of the session in favor of island music. Meanwhile, in the Chamber the nearly 500 people were treated to a modest debate between the ruling AKA party and opposition UDP. The UDP was criticized by the Speaker and some ministers for wasting the Nitijela’s time and damaging the country by the motion of no confidence. The UDP shot back that it was simply exercising
'The UDP was criticized by the Speaker and some ministers for wasting the Nitijela’s time and damaging the country by the motion of no confidence.'
rights guaranteed by the Constitution. While the session was off the air, Speaker Jurelang Zedkaia pointed out that despite Zackhras’ withdrawal, “It’s been on the Internet, in Island Rumors and in the newspaper. Can it be withdrawn?” Although a number of AKA senators and ministers called for a vote on the motion anyway, ultimately both AKA and UDP agreed that Nitijela
rules allowed for the motion to be removed from consideration. Once that was decided, Foreign Minister Tony deBrum moved for the Nitijela to recess until January and that was that. The public rushed for the exits to line up for sandwiches and drinks provided by the Nitijela in the foyer area. Outside the chamber after the aborted vote, Kwajalein Senator Jeban Riklon told the Journal, “We knew we had the numbers (to defeat the motion). We were solid.” Zackhras told the Journal, “We want to make peace. Most people won’t deny the truth of the issues (raised in the motion of no confidence).” He added that the purpose of filing the motion was to put a focus on the issues. “We don’t want to tear this country apart,” he said.
Journal 10/73 Journal 10/83
P1 A sprawling gray structure with a yellow-green roof, supported one story off the ground by concrete posts, and with the heavy, blank look that only unpainted concrete can have — this is the new Marshall Islands Museum as it nears completion at its site near Uliga Protestant Church. The contractor, American International Constructors, is P1 When President Amata Kabua spoke at the United Nations Day two years ago, he assessed then that in 1981 the UN Trusteeship will be terminated. Well, it has not ended and UN Day 1983 (October 24) was observed as a holiday just like past UN Days. Only this time, most people, including government officials, either stayed
due to turn the building over on November 15 to the Museum Committee, who will be in charge of painting the building. The building was designed by Carleton Hawpe, an architect now residing in Majuro.
P2 Another round of the Micronesian political status talks, the first in over a year, will be held in November. The talks will open in Washington, DC on November 10 and will consider public land in Micronesia and completion of a draft compact of free association between the US and Micronesia.
P2 The new Territorial Housing Commission, it its first meeting recently, elected William Allen, chief of the Community Development Division and member-at-large on the commission, as its permanent chairman.
home or went fishing. To put it mildly, there was no UN Day this year as one knows it. As one Cabinet member observed: “The UN Day spirit was just not there anymore. The Cabinet didn’t even talk about it in its meetings before UN Day. I guess everybody is just tired of it.”
P1 A recently resigned engineer who was until last week employed by the Airline of the Marshall Islands has taken strong objection to certain comments attributed to the airline’s new general manager, Tim Smith. Gordon Armstrong, the former chief engineer of the airline, claims that Smith is incorrect and possibly lying in some of the statements attributed to him in an article carried on the front page of the Journal Tuesday, October 18.
Journal 10/98
P1 “Close, but no cigar” — Opposition legislators came up one vote short to unseat President Kabua’s government at Friday’s unprecedented vote in the Nitijela. Needing 17, the opposition managed 16 to the government’s 14 (three government party members, including President Kabua, were absent from the chamber). Many Nitijela members, both government and opposition alike, expressed relief that the vote of no confidence was finally over. But both sides viewed the outcome as a victory: President Kabua’s government continues to have the majority, albeit a slim one-vote majority, while opposition members say they proved that theirs is a rising power with the strength of the “yes” vote.
P1 Air Marshall Islands is promising improved domestic air services by early 1999. Everybody has seen the AMI Dornier 228 sitting at Amata Kabua International Airport,
minus two engines, wondering if it will ever fly again. “It will,” said AMI general manager Marc Mackay, “and sooner rather than later.”