PALIKIR, POHNPEI. September 28, 2018 – The Congress has, through Congressional Act (CA) 20-130, passed $ 64,819,927 as the Federated States of Micronesia National Government budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2019 and starts on October 1, 2018.
During Day Ten of its Fifth Regular Session, the 20th Congress passed the Budget Act to fund operations of all branches of the National Government, its agencies, various programs along with the Grants, Subsidies and Contributions upon which various organizations throughout the Nation rely. The Budget Act is also to fund National Government areas of Capital and Human Resources Development.
Since the transmittal of the national budget in early April, the Congressional Committees had been working diligently to balance the requested budget and also meet the expressed needs of the National Government. The FY-19 budget is allocated as follows:
1. Executive Branch - $ 22,721,204;
2. Legislative Branch - $ 5,956,360;
3. Judicial Branch - $ 1, 548,267;
4. National Public Auditor - $ 876,771;
5. Agencies of the National Government - $ 2,741,713;
6. Special programs - $ 410,017;
7. Grants, Subsidies and Contributions - $ 14,267,831; and
8. Capital and Human Resources Development - $16,297,764
The Act has been signed into law as Public Law No. 20-131.
While the National Government’s share of the amended Compact has been zeroed out, it however retains the Compact Sector Grant funds for the College of Micronesia and 10% of the Supplemental Education Grant funds maintained by the National Department of Education.
Another significant budgetary measure of this session is CA 20-120, through which the Congress passed a supplemental budget of $ 73,140,000 for the current fiscal year. Seventy million of which is an appropriation to the FSM Trust Fund with the remaining funds allocated to the various outstanding and urgent needs of the National Government. The Act has been signed into law as Public law 20-122.
Along with the budgetary measures, the Congress passed CA 20-122, to appropriate the sum of $ 200,000 for the purpose of funding relief efforts in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands due to damages caused by Typhoon Mangkhut. In early September, Typhoon Mangkhut had swept through the Micronesian region with damaging effects mostly on Guam and the CNMI. The Act has been signed into law as Public Law 20-121.
With work on the national budget for FY-19 completed, the remainder of the Congress session is now focused on oversights on pending national issues.
The Fifth Regular Session of the 20th Congress convened on September 17th and as a regular session it is scheduled for 20 days to adjourn on October 6, but can be extended or shortened through a resolution by the Body. The Congress sessions, as always, are open to the interested general public.
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