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Friday, September 26, 2008
| Hospital waste is sight for sore eyes Overflowing trash bins and garbage-strewn grounds — medical waste combined with trash — was the picture presented by Majuro Hospital from late last week until earlier this week. Weavers revive Jaki-ed designs Thursday evening will mark the second Jaki-ed (traditionally woven clothing mats of the past) revival competition and silent auction night at the Marshall Islands Resort. With about 20 intricately woven pieces expected in this years competition, co-organizer Irene Tafaki from the University of South Pacific promises this year’s event to be more spectacular as master weavers have “perfected their skill”. Kathaejar flies out to Philippines Kili/Bikini/Ejit Mayor Kathaejar Jibas was flown out of Majuro Wednesday morning for emergency treatment in the Philippines. He was hospitalized with severe injuries following a freak vehicle accident by his home in Rita last Wednesday. He is paralyzed from the chest down as the result of a broken neck. More degrees happen For the first time in the history of its operations, a majority of the RMI Ministry of Education staff has college degrees. In 2006-07, only 54 Ministry staff had bachelor (four-year) degrees. This number jumped 130 percent to 124 BA holders in 2007-08. PII's Lanki named new chairman of EPA Board Five months after a top Cabinet official said the country needed a new Environmental Protection Authority board of directors, the Cabinet has replaced four of the five members. Cabinet named PII manager Biten Lanki as the new chairman of the EPA board, replacing previous chair Yumi Crisostomo. Other new members are Candice Guavis, Hideo Milne and Dwight Heine. Returning member is Kirt Pinho. |
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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 |
The Marshall Islands should not sell MEC’s fuel storage capacity, “lifeline” electricity rates should be changed, and the government should limit solar power on Majuro to 25 percent of the current 10-megawatt peak usage.
These are among recommendations issued by Peter Johnston, an Asian Development Bank-provided energy advisor who spent two weeks in the RMI to do a “rapid energy assessment” for the government as a result of the economic emergency declaration. The “findings were submitted to the Cabinet, Disaster Committee, and Energy Task Force last week and all of these findings and suggestions will be adopted for implementation and follow through by the Energy Task Force over the coming weeks and months,” said Energy Task Force official Ben Graham. The rapid energy assessment fully acknowledged the critical short-term problems with the Marshalls Energy Company’s need for cash to buy fuel. “The need for an input of some millions of dollars of cash is real,” Johnston said. “There may well be opportunities for more efficient management but this is not the key problem. MEC genuinely requires enough funding — repaid to government over time — to allow it to purchase sufficient quantities of fuel to significantly expand its sales to fishing fleets (and possibly supply neighboring countries). If this is not resolved soon, tariffs must either need to increase further or the high quality electricity service that Majuro has had for years will deteriorate.” Johnston said there are numerous opportunities for reducing the cost of power to local customers, as well as cutting MEC losses.
These are among recommendations issued by Peter Johnston, an Asian Development Bank-provided energy advisor who spent two weeks in the RMI to do a “rapid energy assessment” for the government as a result of the economic emergency declaration. The “findings were submitted to the Cabinet, Disaster Committee, and Energy Task Force last week and all of these findings and suggestions will be adopted for implementation and follow through by the Energy Task Force over the coming weeks and months,” said Energy Task Force official Ben Graham. The rapid energy assessment fully acknowledged the critical short-term problems with the Marshalls Energy Company’s need for cash to buy fuel. “The need for an input of some millions of dollars of cash is real,” Johnston said. “There may well be opportunities for more efficient management but this is not the key problem. MEC genuinely requires enough funding — repaid to government over time — to allow it to purchase sufficient quantities of fuel to significantly expand its sales to fishing fleets (and possibly supply neighboring countries). If this is not resolved soon, tariffs must either need to increase further or the high quality electricity service that Majuro has had for years will deteriorate.” Johnston said there are numerous opportunities for reducing the cost of power to local customers, as well as cutting MEC losses.
By GIFF JOHNSON
The fourth Micronesian Traditional Leaders Conference opened in Majuro Tuesday with a call by Nitijela Speaker and Iroij Jurelang Zedkaia for people from the islands to “fight to maintain our respective cultures so that we remain firm, unified and unique.” Numerous other speakers highlighted conflicts between traditional systems and western style democratic governance. Palau traditional leader Roman Bedor emphasized the importance of caring for natural resources for the next generations. “Language and culture is our identity,” he said. “But land and water is our home.” Chiefs representing Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, Palau and Guam are in Majuro for the week-long conference with their Marshall Islands counterparts. Both Zedkaia and Acting President and Iroij Christopher Loeak spoke about culture in these islands withstanding the onslaught of multiple foreign colonizers. “Flexible and adaptive, Micronesian cultures have remarkably withstood the test of time and technological innovations,” Loeak said. “They have made adjustments within the new structures and located for themselves a respectable niche in the governance of the affairs of our islands, proving the intrinsic capacity of culture to survive and to reconstitute itself under the changing circumstances.” “Culture is our self-identity” that sets the Marshall Islands apart from every other nation, Zedkaia said. “We may be small compared to other countries, but our culture sets us apart.”
The fourth Micronesian Traditional Leaders Conference opened in Majuro Tuesday with a call by Nitijela Speaker and Iroij Jurelang Zedkaia for people from the islands to “fight to maintain our respective cultures so that we remain firm, unified and unique.” Numerous other speakers highlighted conflicts between traditional systems and western style democratic governance. Palau traditional leader Roman Bedor emphasized the importance of caring for natural resources for the next generations. “Language and culture is our identity,” he said. “But land and water is our home.” Chiefs representing Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, Palau and Guam are in Majuro for the week-long conference with their Marshall Islands counterparts. Both Zedkaia and Acting President and Iroij Christopher Loeak spoke about culture in these islands withstanding the onslaught of multiple foreign colonizers. “Flexible and adaptive, Micronesian cultures have remarkably withstood the test of time and technological innovations,” Loeak said. “They have made adjustments within the new structures and located for themselves a respectable niche in the governance of the affairs of our islands, proving the intrinsic capacity of culture to survive and to reconstitute itself under the changing circumstances.” “Culture is our self-identity” that sets the Marshall Islands apart from every other nation, Zedkaia said. “We may be small compared to other countries, but our culture sets us apart.”
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Traditional chiefs were wowed by these RMI flag-wearing Assumption High School and Marshall Islands High School dancers who performed a flag dance at Monday’s opening ceremony for the 4th Micronesian Traditional Leaders. Back row from left: Marline Joel, Jessica Lajar, Rosie Hitto, Illene Philippo, Danica Kabua, Aileen Sefeti and Netha Gideon. Front row from left: Kimie Kabua, Roseia Aiseia, Danica Muller, Bernadette Philippo, Davina Nathan and Francina Silk.
P1 The copra price has now gone up to $250 per ton in the outer islands and $280 in the center or 14 cents per pound, Minister of Finance and Copra Stabilization Board Member Toke Sawej announced today on the Nitijela floor.
P1 Ebeye will soon have a hundred and 50 new telephones installed. Minister of Transportation and Communications Atjang Paul said the telephones and drop-line has arrived from Saipan and will soon be installed by staff from Majuro ComSat. Paul said for some reason the phones and drop-line did not come with the other equipment.
P6 Shipping service in Micronesia is vastly improved but terminal warehouse operations are still in the same bad shape, according to Henry Samuel, president of Majuro’s Island Transport Service Company (ITSCO).
P1 The citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands can sleep well tonight: Jaluit Senator Alvin Jacklick has announced that not only will he be running again in next year’s election, but that he will also accept the position of President when a new Nitijela is convened in January 2000.