Journal 12/5/1986
P1 Taking task forces to task
That governments in Micronesia are big and unwieldy is nothing new. But if you thought the many-layered bureaucracy in the Marshall Islands was cumbersome, get a load of this one. In the Federated States of Micronesia, lawmakers have come to the conclusion that something must be done about the multitude of of task forces that are advising the government on everything. At its third special session the FSM Congress asked the president to “join the Congress in the creation of a Task Force on the Reduction of Task Forces…to reduce the number of task forces in the FSM.” What’s one more or less, anyway?
P5 RepMar-US talking over American rights in MI
The Compact is in effect but what exactly that means for Americans working in the Marshall Islands is not clear. Foreign Minister Charles Domnick said RepMar officials have been meeting with State Department Liaison Officer Mike Senko to work out the details regarding application of Compact provisions and Marshall Islands immigration law to US citizens working in the islands. Compact section 141 exempts Marshallese from a variety of US immigration provisions, allowing them to travel freely in the US and take employment. It appears the Compact gives Americans essentially reciprocal rights in the Marshalls, subject to local laws.
Journal 12/4/1998
P17 Middle school kick off
Ministry of Education officials broke ground Wednesday this week to launch the construction of the new Majuro Middle School. The Asian Development Bank is funding construction of the new two story, 23 room school in partnership with the Marshall Islands government.
Journal l2/4/2009
P8 How to ruin good businesses in RMI
For the past few years, local business people individually and the Chamber of Commerce collectively have complained about obvious smuggling activity evident in some Majuro stores. The availability of products for lower cost than the tax for these products confirms the obvious: the items were smuggled in. Finally, the Ministry of Finance launched an investigation into illegal tobacco sales in late 2008. In October that year, Finance and National Police came up with evidence of smuggling, going so far as to get court orders to search two businesses and confiscate tobacco products alleged to be smuggled. So here’s our question: Why does it take the government 13 months to file criminal charges against the companies involved? It does not help to delay enforcement. It just allows illegal activity, if indeed it is happening, to continue unabated. Smuggling hurts the government and tax-paying businesses in two ways: The government is not getting the tax revenue it should be from the companies breaking the law and law-abiding companies that are paying taxes are being put out of business because they can’t compete with the low “no-tax” prices. Taking this to its natural extreme, tax-paying businesses go bankrupt and close, leaving the Majuro and the RMI government with few or no tax-paying businesses. How do you think that will affect the RMI’s budget?
P10 New jail delay leads to prison breakouts
Despite recent emphasis on directly addressing prisoner escape incidents, the RMI National Police haven’t been able to stem the outward flow of inmates. On Monday this week, several prisoners, who had escaped and were retrieved, were on display handcuffed in front of the police station. A witness to the recent spate of escapes told the Journal that prisoners, who often as not secret tools such as crowbars, screw drivers and other implements, compromise the ceilings in the jail and climb about in the rafters. Currently the entire prison population is herded in what is called the “old section” of the building, creating excessive crowding and irritation among the inmates themselves.
P12 Frank makes TOEFL possible
The November 13 meeting of the Marshall Islands Chamber of Commerce began with a presentation by Marshall Islands High School College Access Director Sarah Ketchen (SK) Lipson. Frank Armstrong, president and founder of Investor Solutions Inc., was in attendance to give a talk in his capacity as financial advisor for the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration. Armstrong was moved by Lipson’s presentation about the talented and motivated students at Marshall Islands High School and the many barriers they face applying to colleges and universities off-island, so much so that he contacted Lipson via email upon returning to his home in Coconut Grove, Florida. One of the greatest financial barriers that students from developing nations face in applying to college is the non-negotiable $160 registration fee for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a standardized exam required by admissions offices at hundreds of institutions in the United States. Armstrong remembered this figure from Lipson’s presentation and offered to donate $1,600 to pay for ten MIHS students to register for the TOEFL. Bank of Marshall Islands stepped in and utilized its MoneyGram service and less than 72 hours after Armstrong made his offer, Lipson had a BOMI cashiers check in her hands. The entire process was slowed only by a twenty-eight hour power outage on Majuro, but meant 10 more MIHS students are now scheduled to take the test in January.