Articles Search

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

FSM Information Services Colonia, Yap, FSM

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The 2013 Joint Committee Meeting or JCM between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the United States of America was held here on Nov. 19, 2013. The JCM is an annual consultation between the FSM and the U.S. on issues of mutual interest under Title III of their Compact of Free Association relating to security and defense obligations.

Prior to the JCM, on the 17th of November, both delegations were invited to participate in a traditional ceremony, hosted by Larry Raigetal, a founder and coordinator of Waa’gey, a non-profit organization aiming to preserve the cultural and traditional practices of the people of the outer islands of Yap. The ceremony ended with an invitation by Raigetal to a canoe sailing in the Colonia harbor,...

Current contract with Aetna set to expire on Dec. 31

By Haidee V. Eugenio

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Dec. 4, 2013) – Health insurance premiums for CNMI government employees and retirees could go up by 30 percent to 45 percent as early as Jan. 1, 2014, unless the government finds innovative ways to keep the costs low, Gov. Eloy S. Inos told lawmakers yesterday.

The anticipated increase in health insurance premiums was among the topics of discussions at the governor and Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider’s meeting with members of the House and Senate yesterday, along with needed changes to both the pension obligation bond and Commonwealth Development Authority laws.

Inos said right now, the premium paid to service provider Aetna is around $18 million.

Half or $9 million of that is paid by the employer/government and the remaining $9 million is by government employees/retirees.

"Of the $9 million that the employer pays, about $7 million is...

Greens MP says government should facilitate peace talks

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 3, 2013) – Protestors against Indonesian rule in West Papua rallied outside New Zealand’s parliament on Monday, raising the banned Morning Star flag and calling for more New Zealand Government action to support the region’s quest for self-determination.

The protest action coincided with activities in Papua itself, Vanuatu, Australia and Papua New Guinea marking the 52nd anniversary of the West Papuan declaration of independence.

Our reporter Amelia Langford attended the Wellington protest.

Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty, who attended the rally, says the New Zealand Government should be facilitating peace talks rather than sending in police advisors.

"CATHERINE DELAHUNTY: It is the Palestine of the Pacific and our Government is colluding and providing funding for police and military ties - which is unacceptable and people just...

Staff re-entering information from 3,000 hard copies

By Dance Aoki

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, Dec. 4, 2013) – The government office that keeps Guam’s birth, death and marriage certificates lost thousands of those records when its electronic database broke down a few weeks ago.

The Office of Vital Statistics announced Monday it will be limiting its hours because employees are manually entering information into the database, using an estimated 3,000 hard copies of the computer records that were lost.

The lost computer records were from the month of October 2013 -- most of them birth certificates, officials said.

The broken piece of equipment responsible for the lost data was repaired, but the information needs to be re-entered into the system.

Deputy Director of the Department of Public Health and Social Services Leo Casil said the department also has asked the National Vital Statistics System -- where Guam sends its records -- to...