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Friday, May 2, 2008
Soldiers' friends
An organization to support Marshall Islanders serving in the US armed forces is being formed in the RMI. The non-profit group will be known as “Mije,” an old Marshallese word that means “to stand behind or support,” says Jessica Langijota, one of the organizers.
Training phase at loining plant
Pan Pacific Foods loining plant is up and running, with 234 Marshallese workers now in training in various parts of the plant. Zuliang Zhang, president of the company, told the Journal that the plant currently has only a small amount of fish that is being used to train the new staff.
AMI Dash-8
is down
It was a short-lived run of scheduled service — unfortunately for Air Marshall Islands and outer island passengers.
After re-launching scheduled services late last week, AMI’s Dash-8 developed a problem with its nose wheel steering gear on Tuesday, forcing a halt to further flights until the problem is fixed.
US hands over 6 million bucks
US Ambassador Clyde Bishop met with Acting Finance Minister Amenta Matthew Tuesday this week for a ceremonial hand-over of $6,065,518 of Compact and related US funding to the RMI.
Olympic athletes named for Games
Five Marshall Islands athletes will get their 15 minutes — or 30 seconds — of prime time at the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing, China this August. The Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee announced its delegation to Beijing this week, with sprinters Roman Cress and Haley Nemra, tae kwon do black belt Anju Jason and swimmers Jared Heine and Julianne Kirchner the athletes who will make history when their competitions start in Beijing from August 9.

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PO Box 14 Majuro, MH 96960 Marshall Islands
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On the ocean road behind Formosa in Uliga, Majuro
WASC impressed by CMI turnaround
Top American accreditation officials visiting earlier this week were highly complimentary of the College of the Marshall Islands’ progress in meeting accreditation requirements. But they also expressed concern about recent government statements recommending a major shift in priorities for the college. “CMI has made a 180 degree change from four years ago,” Barbara Beno, the president of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accrediting commission. “It’s quite a turnaround.” CMI remains on “warning” — the least severe WASC sanction — and is hopeful of getting back to full accreditation in January. Beno pointed out a caution in regards to recent comments by Minister in Assistance Christopher Loeak at CMI’s Foundation Day. He recommended a focus on vocational training. According to Beno, schools on “sanction” cannot make “substantive changes” — which is what a change to vocational education would amount to. “If CMI wants to make change, they need to go through a whole examination of their mission, charter and so on,” she said. “It takes time.” Beno added that vocational and technical education is “extremely costly and takes a lot of investment.” Beno was accompanied by commission vice chairman Floyd Takeuchi. She also stressed the requirement of the college having a “very independent board.” Takeuchi said the government cannot choose the chair and vice chair of the CMI board, which is an internal matter for the board of regents to determine.
The General Fund shortfall balloons to $2.7 million
The Marshall Islands General Fund deficit ballooned in fiscal year 2007, more than doubling over FY2006, according to preliminary figures issued in the RMI government’s FY2007 Compact report to US President George W. Bush. Tax and fishing revenues fell far short of projections and while the government reduced spending by about $200,000 from the budgeted amount, the government ended the year with a nearly $2.7 million deficit (shortfall) in the General Fund. This deficit was for the financial year that ended September 30 last year. from the homepage) The RMI government has run a deficit in its General Fund for the past three years, accumulating debt of more than $5.5 million since FY2005. In 2006, the deficit was $1.2 million and in FY2005 it was nearly $1.6 million. Revenues in FY2007 were $2.9 million under what was expected for the year by RMI budget planners, according to the report issued last week. The RMI government blamed the shortfall on “poor revenue forecasts (and) also the under-performance of items such as fishing licenses and fuel taxes.” The RMI said it has reviewed how it forecasts next year’s budget to improve accuracy and avoid the shortfall that occurred last year.
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Taiwan visitors' birds nest coup
All eyes were on the mule (inset) at Anil Island on Wednesday. From left: Steve Why, Amb. Bruce Linghu, Vice Minister Elizabeth Chu, Legislature President Wang Jin-Pyng, and Ecological Socieity CEO Liao Shih-ching. Front: China Bird Association Chairman Kuo Tung-hui.