KPress Vol. 08 Iss. 02
Jaynes, Bill (2007-12-22). KPress Vol. 08 Iss. 02 (PDF) (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Kaselehlie Press.
- Has attachment: File:8HJXR49W.pdf
Abstract: Press Vol. 08 Iss. 02: NEWS: Doone says that most recent figures show Chuuk’s debt is over $48 million; Weno, Chuuk—on December 11 the recently reorganized Chuuk Chamber of Commerce met in the VIP room of the Truk Stop Hotel in Weno, hosting special invited guest Gillian Doone, the newly confirmed Director of the Chuuk State Department of Administration, who succeeded Winipilat Bisalen after JEMCO demanded that the department be “professionalized”; prior to Doone’s remarks, a representative of Aten and Associates, acting as DHL’s agent, drew attention to recent transactions in which DHL accepted shipment of 30 computers sent directly to Chuuk from the United States through Pohnpei Computer Consulting, owned by Pohnpei resident Noel Boylan, noting that the computers were externally funded, customs fees were prepaid in Pohnpei, and that although the computers never physically entered Pohnpei State, Pohnpei would receive 50 percent of the customs revenue rather than Chuuk, which normally receives half of customs payments made in its jurisdiction; chamber members stated that such transactions occur frequently and that Chuuk State is losing significant revenue from customs on items shipped directly from outside the country, with Doone asserting that the national government does not want to share information on such shipments to Chuuk; Chamber President and former FSM Vice President Redley Killion said the problem of lost revenue extended beyond customs, noting that national government employees working in Chuuk have their taxes paid in Pohnpei, resulting in revenue credit going to Pohnpei rather than Chuuk; when Doone addressed the chamber, he said he had been in office for two months, had not yet seen a copy of the resolution confirming his appointment, but was working hard nonetheless, often having to say “no” to financial requests since assuming the position; Doone stated that Chuuk State’s finances were in serious disarray and that, contrary to past secrecy, he was being fully transparent, reporting that Chuuk State owed business owners more than $6 million and that overall state debt exceeded $48 million; OPINION / EDITORIAL: a brief item references a 2004 legal opinion of the Attorney General noting that during the audit period in question none of the dividend payments owed to Pohnpei State—amounting to approximately $85,000—had been made; another item reports that the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs accepted a donation of 100 courses of Tamiflu from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), with Acting Secretary Marcus Samo in a letter dated October 31, 2007 thanking SPC for its assistance and requesting that FSM be reconsidered should another opportunity arise; the column concludes with a disclaimer that opinions expressed are those of the author.
