KPress Vol. 11 Iss. 22
Jaynes, Bill (2011-10-03). KPress Vol. 11 Iss. 22 (PDF) (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Kaselehlie Press.
- Has attachment: File:LJJACPFR.pdf
Abstract: KPress Vol. 11 Iss. 22: NEWS: Colonia, Yap—The Exhibit and Travel Group (ETG), a private company headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan, presented a proposal to invest heavily in Yap through large-scale tourism development that includes expansion of port capacity, construction of eight to ten hotel complexes totaling up to 4,000 guest rooms, and associated convention facilities, casinos, and entertainment centers, claiming the project would showcase indigenous Yapese culture while making tourism a leading FSM industry and stimulating agriculture, fisheries, and other sectors, though reporting notes the plan would require substantial infrastructure upgrades to support its scope; national budget reporting notes that during the final session of fiscal year 2011 the Seventeenth FSM Congress passed a $213,503 supplemental budget to cover cost overruns at the FSM Department of Justice and the Coconut Development Authority, with lawmakers framing supplemental requests as indicators of poor planning or management and identifying salary obligation overextensions as the primary cause, including just over $22,000 for CDA and more than $191,000 for DOJ; additional coverage notes the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Technical and Compliance Committee meeting in Pohnpei and community sports coverage of Pohnpei Little League championship games; corporate and governance reporting centers on allegations by Transco leadership that state interference harmed private-sector operations, prompting the FSM Congress Committee on Justice and Governmental Operations to investigate claims that executive actions influenced work-permit and immigration decisions affecting management specialist Elsa Lagradilla, that corporate records were sought in ways Transco viewed as retaliatory or intrusive, and that related disputes intersected with earlier litigation filed in 2008 by FSM President Mori as a Transco shareholder against the company and other defendants; OPINION / EDITORIAL: commentary summarizes the investigative mandate assigned to the J&GO Committee chaired by Senator David Panuelo, outlines the sequence of work-permit denial and appeal outcomes in Chuuk, notes President Mori’s intent to submit a communication to Congress on the matter, and calls for a more transparent, consultative review process involving stakeholders to reach durable resolutions.
