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Congress passes last minute bills in effort to meet World Bank fiber optic funding requirements

Details: Category: News; Published: Saturday, 17 June 2017 13:06; Written by Bill Jaynes; Hits: 414

fiber optic

By Bill Jaynes
The Kaselehlie Press
May 30, 2017
Palikir, Pohnpei—The FSM Congress has passed two bills which they hope, when taken together will meet the World Bank’s requirements for the largest single project grant in FSM history. The bills now go to the President’s office for consideration.
The two bills had the effect of rejecting in its entirety the contents of the bill submitted by TC&I to transfer some FSMTC assets to a new government owned wholesaler for communications capacity. If taken together the bills would give the wholesaler (Open Access Entity or OAE) access to FSMTC’s fiber optic spur at no charge and would also give FSMTC access at no charge to World Bank funded fiber optic lines that are planned if World Bank decides that their funding conditions have been met.

Pohnpei files claims against four former employees of Treasury and Administration

Details: Category: News; Published: Saturday, 17 June 2017 13:08; Written by Bill Jaynes; Hits: 373

By Bill Jaynes
The Kaselehlie Press
June 2, 2017
Pohnpei—Pohnpei’s office of the Attorney General has filed a claim against four former employees of Pohnpei State. The State is seeking to recover financial damages for payments for unauthorized overtime in the amount that the claims say the State will prove in Court.
The claim is based on audit findings on Pohnpei’s Payroll System for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, conducted by the Pohnpei Office of the Public Auditor in 2013. Its finding and subsequent compliance investigation support was handed over to the Attorney General’s office but the AG’s office failed to act at that time.

FSM NORMA Donates World Tuna Day Skirt Proceeds to ECE

Details: Category: News; Published: Saturday, 17 June 2017 13:28; Written by Kpress; Hits: 426

norma

An Outcome & Appreciation Ceremony was held on May 19, 2017 by the National Oceanic Resource Management Authority, during which Executive Director Eugene Pangelinan presented appreciation certificates to all involved in helping to make the FSM’s first World Tuna Day celebrations a success. The unofficial results of an event survey were presented at the gathering, which noted feedback in areas such as better timing, enhanced logistics and improved participation. The overall coordination of the event was reported in the survey as being excellent.
In official remarks, Executive Director Pangelinan expressed expectation that next year’s World Tuna Day event would be even bigger and better than this year’s event and that the Early Childhood Education Centers would continue to participate. Executive Director Pangelinan also indicated his shared hope with Vice President Yosiwo P. George, as expressed during his keynote address at the World Tuna Day Fair that, that as a way to improve on participation and timing of the event, efforts would be underway to work with the FSM Congress to make World Tuna Day an official FSM holiday. “We must improve on public awareness of this important resource. What better way to do that than to designate World Tuna Day as a legal holiday, so that everyone can participate in the celebrations?”

Remote Pacific Regions set for Broadband Internet under new World Bank Project

Details: Category: News; Published: Saturday, 17 June 2017 13:32; Written by Kpress; Hits: 302

$36m grants approved to bring broadband to Kiribati and Federated States of Micronesia

WASHINGTON D.C., May 31, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved US$36 million in grants to help provide reliable fiber optic broadband internet to approximately 80,000 people in Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
The grants, including US$20 million for Kiribati and US$16.26 million for FSM, will finance the installation of a submarine cable system connecting Tarawa (Kiribati) to Nauru, and Kosrae state (FSM) to Pohnpei state (FSM), which is connected to global networks. The Asian Development Bank is preparing finance to support Nauru’s participation in the cable system.
“We have already seen the benefits high-speed, reliable and affordable internet can bring to countries across the Pacific, and we look forward to working with Kiribati and Micronesia to bring faster and cheaper connectivity to the North Pacific,” said Michel Kerf, World Bank Country Director for Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. “These connections will play a crucial role in linking families, creating economic and employment opportunities, reducing transaction costs, providing remote education and healthcare, and boosting national and international coordination.”
The projects are part of the Pacific Regional Connectivity Program, which aims to bring more reliable and affordable internet to the majority of countries in the Pacific Islands. Kiribati and Micronesia are two of the world’s most remote island nations, covering six million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, making access to information, services and economic opportunities a massive challenge.
In Kiribati, the internet capacity will be sold by the wholesaler on an open access basis to ensure equal access for all fixed and mobile networks operated by local retailers in Tarawa and nearby islands, accounting for more than two-thirds of the country’s population. A complementary project, supported by the World Bank, Australia and New Zealand will also help deliver mobile broadband services to more distant outer islands.
“High-speed internet will connect Kiribati to the rest of the world, bringing new opportunities into our homes and offices and promoting overall economic integration. This is crucial for our development,” said Dr Teatao Tira, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport & Tourism, government of Kiribati. “The government has already taken important steps to reduce the cost and improve the quality of services and this cable will take those achievements to the next level.”
In the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), both Yap and Chuuk states are already part of the Pacific Regional Connectivity Program through the Palau-FSM Connectivity phase. The underwater cable systems for Yap and Chuuk states are set for installation late 2017 and are expected to be ready for service by early 2018. With this additional funding, all four states in Micronesia will have access to broadband internet.
This accomplishment will complete a key objective of the FSM Government’s National Development Strategy, which aims to connect all four states to fiber optic cable systems to ensure equality of access.
“Just a few short years ago, no one would have believed such a project was possible. Through vision, persistence and with the mutual support of our regional and donor partnerships we are now on the verge of achieving our dream of connecting our small island state communities to the world,” said Vice President Yosiwo P. George of the national government of the Federates States of Micronesia (FSM). “This project will provide all four states with access to good quality and affordable internet connections. We look forward to being able to overcome some of the challenges our remoteness creates.”
In addition to laying the fiber optic cable, the grants will fund technical assistance provided to relevant government ministries and help develop the regulatory framework needed to promote competition and keep costs as low as possible for consumers.
The US$36.26 million grants are provided through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for countries most in need

Access to justice/enabling rights workshop

Details: Category: News; Published: Saturday, 17 June 2017 13:36; Written by FSM Supreme Court; Hits: 191

justice workshop FSM Supreme Court
The FSM Supreme Court, with the support of the Pacific Judicial Strengthening Initiative (PJSI), conducted a three day Access to Justice/Enabling Rights Workshop from May 23-25, 2017 at the Governor’s Conference room in Kolonia, Pohnpei. A week prior to the workshop, from May 15-20, FSM Supreme Court staff, including General Counsel Danny Rescue, Jr., Acting Director Atarino Helieisar, and Pohnpei State Justice Ombudsman Johnny Peter, along with PJSI Technical Director Dr. Livingston Armytage, went out to various offices, agencies, outer islands, and municipalities in Pohnpei to conduct an Access to Justice Assessment.
The initiative was the first of its kind in the FSM
An Access to Justice Assessment is a tool that can assist courts in planning their work, allocating resources and responding to community concerns. It can assist the courts to improve service delivery by identifying justice needs within the FSM, however, because of limitations on funding and time to conduct the study, only Pohnpei State was assessed. The Assessment provides people with an opportunity to give feedback on their needs and how the National, State, Land, and Municipal Courts are addressing those needs. They also provide the courts with an opportunity to evaluate this feedback and develop a plan of action, taking the views of users and potential users into consideration. The key aspect of the Assessment is not that they are conducted, but how the findings are used. The courts need to be committed to taking action to address community needs expressed in the Assessment and using the findings to improve court performance and increase the public’s access to justice.
The first day of the workshop involved interested stakeholders and court users, and allowed them to give comments on obstacles that individuals may face when accessing courts in Pohnpei. The information gathered during the first day of the training supplemented the data gathered during the Assessments taken during the previous week. Judges and court staff from the FSM Supreme Court, Pohnpei State Court, Court of Land Tenure, and Municipal Courts were in attendance during day 1 of the training.
The second and third day of the workshop were limited to judges and court staff, who discussed the findings of the Assessments, reviewed the comments from the Assessments, and discussed ways to address issues regarding access to our courts. The topics of pro se litigants (individuals who appear before the court without an attorney), and enabling rights were also discussed in the three day training.
A main focus throughout the workshop was access to the courts for victims of domestic violence, child and spousal abuse, human trafficking, people with physical and mental disabilities, and the need for translation as a barrier to justice for many FSM citizens. As a result of the training, various court plans were developed to address the issues raised in regards to access to justice, which will be initiated in the coming months. Scheduled public awareness of people’s rights and community outreach efforts to explain court functions and procedures will be some of the first activities to be implemented by the courts in Pohnpei.

Advance Science, Robotics, Showcased by Island Students

Details: Category: News; Published: Saturday, 17 June 2017 13:40; Written by Habele Foundation; Hits: 281

science 01 Habele - JUNE 2017
Elaborate cultural dances and seafaring canoes have made the Micronesian Islands of Yap famous, but this month it was the ultra-advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills of local students on display.
An annual competition and exhibition organized by Yap Catholic High School drew nearly 200 community members who came to watch and support 70 high school student participants.
Ambitious freshmen students showed off complicated robots designed, built, and refined, over the spring semester. First year students also presented science fair projects completed for their Earth Science course. Sophomores involved with the STEM and Robotics Club ran demonstrations which included sound wave experiments, and tests of strength utilizing complex force sensors.
Upperclassman were not to be outdone. Juniors displayed science fair projects focused on issues directly pertinent to Yap including climate change, erosion, and seawater intrusion. Seniors explained circuitry design and supervised underclassmen’s demonstrations.

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