Travel Expense is Real Trouble

By Santy

I am writing to express my worries on excessive travel spending especially by OEK members. As a member of the 7th Senate, I took upon myself not to spend one penny on traveling during my entire term. Though some of these trips are important for building relations with other nations, I did not see that anyone of these trips was required for me to carry out my function as a senator. Today I still strongly hold to this belief so much so during this time of global economic crisis. That is why I am coming out as a private citizen to speak out against waste of public money. Besides traveling to other countries falls under the responsibility of the executive branch; therefore, foreign matters are best left to the Office of the President and Ministry of State or the affected ministry to handle.

What campaign plegde?

By Kambes

Members of the 8^th Olbiil Era Kelulau have finished passing themselves a $50,000 a year salary. An amount that puts them in the top rang of salary scale than every government employees except for the court justices and judges, doctors, and even places them equally with the President of Palau.

Why are we concerned with accepting the Gitmo detainees

Why are we concerned with the decision to relocate the Uighurs from Quantanamo Prison to the Republic of Palau? The reasons some of us in Palau are reluctant to accept the Uighurs are as follows:

Traditional practices operates with a set of criteria and guidelines

By Santy

Alii Professor Richard,

With your non-conformist outlook towards major players in the international arena, especially US, I am surprised and then again I should not knowing your perseverance for attaining such a monumental achievement-Professor. Sign me up. Congratulations are in order.  Easy on them college especially on their infractions in Pacific studies and issues. At least I know that no thesis paper is going to misconstrue Pacific cultures and get passing grades from you for it for being too exotic to be verified.

Economy in the doldrums, what is the solution in the short term?

by Kambes

Are there any answers to Palau’s economic crisis?

President Johnson Toribiong in his communication with Speaker Noah Idechong on January 26 spells out the problem clearly, “I point out the obvious when I state that the economy that my administration and the Eighth Olbiil Era Kelulau have inherited is suffering mightily. Tourism is down by over ten percent. From all anecdotal accounts, sales are down at businesses throughout Palau. Businesses have closed and it is likely that more will be forced to do so in the future. Apartments and commercial buildings sit vacant with no prospects of occupancy in the near term. Jobs have been lost with little hope that new ones will be created to replace them.”

The folly of not reading

Santy

Alii Brien and mardi,

In light of the global economic down turn and hardship it poses on Palauans in paying their loan, the 7th Senate introduced a bill to reduce NDBP rate to something like 2 to 3% on top of the rate where the money came from. So if the money was from OEK then interest rate should not be more than 3% because NDBP is not paying back that money. EU gave money to NDBP I believe at 3% so that money should be loaned out at no more than 6%. However the House put about seven riders that were highly controversial including raise to president and ministers’ salaries in that bill. Even though it was a senate bill, it was rejected unanimously when it came back to the senate floor for approval because of the House riders.