Congress Pass Supplemental Budget and Pending Nominations

PALIKIR, POHNPEI. September 23, 2024 – Wrapping up the second week of the 5th Regular Session, the 23rd Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia passed the much-needed supplemental funding for Fiscal Year 2024 along with some pending nominations.

Following consultations with the Executive and thorough discussions with the Standing Committees, the Congress passed Congressional Act (CA) 23-124, to appropriate from domestic revenues a supplemental funding of $3,947,824 to address the outstanding and most urgent issues for the national government. Accordingly, those issues contained in the approved supplemental budget included:
  • Contractual Services for the President’s Office and for the Congressional Delegation Offices;
  • Fuel/Provision and Dry-Docking for the Nation’s passenger ships;
  • Subsidies for staff housing, FSM Social Security and the FSM Trust Fund;
  • replenishment of Court Annex funds which were used for the Drought Emergency; and
  • the anticipated State Funeral expenses.
An additional amount of $753,444 in Supplemental Education Grants (SEG) was also appropriated through CA 12-124. All remaining items not addressed in the supplemental budget will be considered in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025 Budget for the National Government. Along with passage of the supplemental budget, the Congress confirmed several of the President’s pending nominations among which included the Nation’s first Ambassador to Australia. Congressional Resolution (CR) 23-189, confirmed the nomination of Mrs. Jane J. Chigiyal to serve as the FSM’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Commonwealth of Australia. Chigiyal is a seasoned diplomat who was the Nation’s first woman Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations where she served for 10 years. Her current role is also the first woman Chief of Staff to the President, a role she will vacate to establish and head the FSM’s new mission in Australia. Through the adoption of the following resolutions the Congress confirmed,
  • CR 23-183, for the nomination of Christopher I. Christian to serve as a member of the Board of Directors on the FSM Petroleum Corporation, representing the Private Sector;
  • CR 23-188, for the nomination of Pilika W. Palik to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of the FSM Trust Fund;
  • CR 23-203, for the nomination of Joseph Giliko to also serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of the FSM Trust Fund; and finally
  • CR 23-214, to authorize the President to resubmit the nomination of Leonito M. Bacalando Jr., to serve as the Secretary of the FSM Department of Justice.
Sessions of the FSM Congress are open to the interested general public with the congressional measures accessible on the FSM Congress website at: www.cfsm.gov.fm *      *      *