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News Release

Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands June 3, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Marshall Islands Postal Service launched a new series of stamps yesterday in a first day of issue ceremony held at the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition. The issue of twenty new stamps is a reprise of the United States 1922-1925 Regular Series. Chosen to complement the re-issue of other stamps in the series by the United States Postal Service on Monday, May 29, 2006, the much anticipated release of the RMI stamps was covered in Mekeel’s & Stamps Magazine, which said "the Marshall Islands may have come up with the best idea for a new issue."

The ceremony itself drew a crowd of over 300 intrigued by both the subject of the stamp series and the unique history of the Marshall Islands. Mr. Sailass Andrike, Controller of Posts for the RMI, and Ms. Kristina Stege, First Secretary at the RMI Embassy, presided over the ceremony. In their remarks before the...

Editorial

Marianas Variety

SAIPAN, CNMI (June 2) – The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands government believes that its problem is lack of money.

It is, but only because it spends too much. And now it cannot raise more money because its main source of revenue, the private sector, is scraping the bottom of the local economy’s almost empty barrel.

The economy has been in a slump since 1998. To cope with a shrinking revenue base, the two previous administration’s "solutions" were to reprogram funds; delay payments to vendors, taxpayers, CUC and the Retirement Fund; beg the feds for more grants; hire more people in election years — and hope for the best.

The result is what the new administration has inherited: a bankrupt government.

To his credit, the new governor has been candid about the CNMI’s worsening state, and he has correctly pinpointed its cause. He says the government is addicted to spending. He says it is too big. Now, he...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, June 3) – Solomon Airlines is currently negotiating with an overseas airline operator to lease one of their aircraft to do international flights to various destinations in the region.

Chief Executive Officer of Solomon Airlines Joseph Anea confirms that negotiations have been taking place over the last weeks and is progressing well.

"The process is in hand at the moment and it's a long and exhaustive process and we are progressing very well".

He says the Airline's Air Operating Certificate is expected to be issued within a week to allow negotiations to take further steps forward.

But Mr. Anea says the company which Solomon Airlines is negotiating with cannot be released at the moment until such time matters are sorted out and cleared.

With the government's intention to allow other airline operators do business in the Solomon Islands, Mr. Anea says, Solomon Airlines cannot do much...

By Gaynor-Dumat-ol Daleno

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, June 6) – Guam could see not just US$10 billion over eight years, but up to US$15 billion worth of military-related projects on the island over 15 years, the Pentagon's information service quotes the commander of Naval Forces Marianas as saying.

The lower, $10 billion cost previously confirmed by the U.S. and Japanese governments was specific to the relocation of about 8,000 U.S. Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam by 2014. Japanese taxpayers will pick up most of the tab for the Marines' move to Guam as part of a broader agreement between the two countries on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.

But there might be substantially more military growth on Guam besides the Marines' relocation.

Rear Adm. Charles "Joe" Leidig, Naval Forces Marianas' commander, outlined details of the Joint Guam Military Master Plan that calls for $10 billion to $15 billion in infrastructure...