GIFF JOHNSON A medical evacuation by Army helicopter of two pregnant women, an elderly man and a child from Lib Island this past Sunday was hailed as “extraordinary” by a Kwajalein member of Nitijela. “On a moment notice, a humanitarian and selfless act by Colonel Jeremy Bartel and his team saved six lives by dispatching […]
GIFF JOHNSON At a time when most people’s focus has turned to jeptas, holiday parties, shopping and family gatherings, this December has featured an usual development. Nitijela and the Cabinet are in a dust up over several public hearings scheduled by chairmen last week, one of which the Cabinet cut off from V7AB radio broadcast […]
Finance Minister Alfred Alfred, Jr. introduced a $257.7 million FY2021 budget to Nitijela last Thursday. It is nearly $40 million above the $219 million budget for FY2020. The Nitijela Appropriations Committed launched daily hearings on the budget Monday this week. The budget includes money for a new Ministry of Environment, $8.8 million for state owned […]
HILARY HOSIA The first Marshallese to re-enter RMI during the lockdown was released Tuesday to the general public following 21 days of strict quarantine at the US Army Garrison – Kwajalein Atoll. Immediately after his release, longtime USAG-KA employee Joe Rubon met with US Ambassador Roxanne Cabral, Col. Jeremy Bartel, Kwajalein Mayor Hirata Kabua, Kwajalein […]
HILARY HOSIA For the first time in history, power will be available to the people of Ennibur Island, more commonly known as Santo or Third Island on Kwajalein Atoll. The island is home to nearly 1,000 Marshallese, many of whom are children.The development unfolded in a discussion by Kwajalein Mayor Hirata Kabua and President David […]
By Daniel Popa, Anchor CEO and Founder The Republic of the Marshall Islands has used the US dollar as its main currency since becoming an independent democratic nation in 1979. With the US dollar depreciating in value and losing more than 55% of its purchasing power in the last 25 years https://theanchor.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Anchor-Official-Whitepaper-5-3-1.pdf , combined with […]
GIFF JOHNSON The big news coming from several hours of meetings on Pohnpei Monday between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Hilda Heine and leaders of the FSM and Palau is Pompeo’s announcement that negotiations to extend Compact funding agreements have begun. The post-2023 period, when US grant funding for RMI and FSM […]
KELLY LORENNIJ While Nitijela (Parliament) was split in half during Monday morning’s vote of no confidence, both sides reiterated one common concept: “Kien eo en jerbal ippen armij ro, kon armij ro, im nan armij ro ilo jokkwin wot juon.”* President Hilda Heine’s opening remarks were met with applause from the packed audience, resonating most […]
A Marshall Islands government team, led by Finance Minister Brenson Wase and Minister in Assistance David Paul, attended the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group last month in Indonesia. The delegation included Secretary of Finance Maybelline Bing, Assistant Secretary Ywao Elanzo, Acting Assistant Secretary for Division of International Development Assistance […]
HILARY HOSIA Arguments over a reported bribe attempt, the RMI’s “SOV” plan, and the proposed Rongelap investment zone dominated Nitijela’s first session day Monday after a three-week break for committee hearings. You could describe Monday’s session as a rugby scrum, with battling parties locked head to head and kicking the ball back and forth.