FSM Audit shines spotlight on Public Projects
By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press February 9, 2015 Pohnpei, FSM—
See also Speaker Halbert's response at the bottom of the page.
"People want progress. People deserve better," wrote Haser Hainrick, the FSM's National Public Auditor in his cover letter on an inspection of the Congress of the FSM's Public Projects and Social Programs that was released today. The letter also served as the press release that went out today to all of the office's media resources in the Pacific. They also hand delivered a hard copy of the complete inspection to The Kaselehlie Press office before the day was over . By the next morning, the PDF copy of the audit was pervasive on social media.
The audit inspection (2015-04) lists four findings and provides several examples under each heading:
1. Lack of definitive parameters led Congress to appropriate $1.6 million for all sorts of activities and programs under "Public Projects" which did not yield any meaningful and lasting benefits.
2. $685,650 Public Projects lacked transparency and,
3. At least $93,381 CFSM funds were spent for badly constructed and unimplemented projects, unused materials and equipment, and unaccounted expenditures.
Pohnpei school buses on hold
By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press February 12, 2015 Pohnpei, FM—
Five brand new, massive Hyundai school buses have been parked in front of the Pohnpei State Government Complex for just over a week. A representative of the government unofficially says that putting those school buses into service is on hold for the moment due to some type of funding problem but did not specify exactly what that problem was.
Salter Lohn, Pohnpei State Legislature's Public Information Officer said that three committees of the Pohnpei State Legislature have held hearings regarding the purchase of those school buses. He said that they had prepared a report based on those hearings. However, the committee chairs told him that they could not release the report until after the entire Pohnpei State Legislature has adopted that report if they choose to do so.
[Editor's note: This morning (February 18) the editor was present to cover the handing over of the keys for the buses to Secondary Education. We were told by Governor Ehsa that there is no problem.]
U.S. Coast Guard provides law enforcement training in FSM
15 FEB 2015 - Embassy of the United States of America Kolonia -
In February four U.S. Coast Guard personnel, representing the Mobile Training Branch and District 14, arrived in FSM on Law Enforcement training. The training, which stemmed from the international partnership between Australian Defense Force (ADF) and the United States Coast Guard Director of International Affairs and Foreign Policy (DCO-I), focused on the continued expansion the Maritime Law Enforcement capabilities in Micronesia.
Read more: U.S. Coast Guard provides law enforcement training in FSM
Bill Raynor speaks on conservation to Pohnpei’s Paramount Chief’s Council
Editor's Note: This article was transcribed and translated from Pohnpeian from a video of Bill Raynor's appearance before the Paramount's Chief Council.
The Nature Conservancy's Pacific Director Bill Raynor appeared before the Mwoahl en Wahu in Wein Pohnpei (The Paramount's Chief's Council of Pohnpei Island) on Jan. 27th, 2015. He thanked the island's paramount chiefs for 35 years of hospitality and respect during which time they made him the first American village "talking" chief (Pelien Dahl). He also urged them to take control of the Pohnpei Forest Watershed and the Island Marine Protected Area Work around the state and to finish our partnership of 29 years of improving the lives our poorest people who depend on Pohnpei's natural resources for their livelihoods and survival.
Read more: Bill Raynor speaks on conservation to Pohnpei’s Paramount Chief’s Council
Japan turns over new police vehicle to the National Goverment
A turn-over ceremony was held at the President's Conference Room on the morning of February 2, 2015. A Japanese delegation, composed of four members paid a courtesy call on Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Emanuel (Manny) Mori to officially turn over a new law enforcement vehicle to the FSM Government. In accepting the vehicle, President Mori expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FSM Government. Mr. Shigeru Kawano, the President of ASKA and MPI - a captive insurance company that was established in Micronesia donated three vehicles to the National DOJ.
At one of the Captive Insurance Seminars held in Tokyo in 2013, Mr. Kawano met Attorney General April Skilling and became aware of the need of police cars in the FSM Government. In the President's remarks, he echoed his sincere appreciation as promises, "I want to promise you that we are going to use the vehicles as the government's most valuable assets," and further expressed, "another promise is that we are going to do our very best to serve you and also continue to improve the relationship between the captive association in Japan and also in the FSM."
Read more: Japan turns over new police vehicle to the National Goverment
Sophia University presents scholarship to Risa Mairana Oue
By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press February 6, 2015 Weno, Chuuk—
Father Toshiaki Koso, Sophia University Chancellor announced today that Risa Mairana Oue is the next scholarship recipient under the Xavier High School International Scholarship Program. She will attend the prestigious Jesuit school with campuses in Tokyo, Japan. She will be enrolled as an undergraduate student in the Science and Technology program in the Fall Semester. Fr. Koso pointed out the statue of Francis Xavier on the Xavier High School campus and said that Sophia University has a similar statue of the man who 460 years ago was the first to spread Christianity in Japan."Overcoming the subsequent ban and persecution of Christianity, Xavier's dream materialized approximately 360 years later in 1913 through the efforts of Pope Piux X.
Read more: Sophia University presents scholarship to Risa Mairana Oue
