FSM Congress Appropriates $4.9 Million for Grassroot Level Needs
Yap Congressional Delegation
Press Release YCD1401-01
Colonia, Yap. January 21, 2014 – On January 13, 2014, the 18th FSM Congress during its Third Regular Session voted to override the President’s veto on Congressional Act No. 18-34. The Act, now Public Law No. 18-35, is a $4.9 million appropriation out of the FSM General Fund for public projects and social programs in all four FSM States.
In a recent communication to President Mori, Speaker Halbert explained that Congress opted to override the said Act for “policy reasons.”
Speaker Halbert further explained that Congress has been “very conservative” when it comes to revenue projections for the Nation, and that Congress, in its own evaluation of the current FSM’s financial resources, chose to excise “its constitutional prerogative to respond to a number of grassroot level needs” in all four FSM States.
For the Yap State, for instance, its $700,000 share of the $4.9 million appropriation was earmarked towards public projects and social programs relating to vital and fundamental grass root needs of the population.
Line item appropriations show that some of the public projects funded in the State of Yap included a combined funding of $55,000 for various heavily used unpaved village road repair projects, as well as a $100,000 for road maintenance projects in the municipalities of Tomil, Gagil, Maap, Rull and Gilman. Two building renovation projects – the Kanifay municipal building and the outer island community center in Daboch – were also funded for a combined total of $65,000.
Social programs, with a priority outlook on health, education, and emergency relief programs in the State of Yap, were also funded through this appropriation.
Relating to health was a $50,000 appropriation into the Yap medical referral revolving fund, as well as a $100,000 appropriation as matching fund to purchase medical equipment for the outer islands.
Relating to education was $25,000 funding for scholarship for Yapese students with a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) studying at the COM National Campus; and another $100,000 in scholarship funds for Yapese students with a 2.5 GPA studying at any four-year college or university.
Through this appropriation also was a $100,000 for recovery assistance, adaptation, and mitigation programs related to the recent Typhoon Hiayan that passed over Yap State.
All funding requests for the above projects and programs, like all other funded requests earmarked, at least for the State of Yap, came by way of formal request to the Yap Congressional Delegation Office after a review and approval process involving various State offices not limited to the Yap State Office of Planning and Budget, the Yap State Governor’s Office, and the two Councils of traditional leaders in Yap.
The above public projects and social programs are only some of the grass root level needs of one State funded under this recent act of Congress. For a complete listing of all the line item appropriations for the various public projects and social programs in all four FSM States, please visit the FSM Congress website at www.fsmcongress.fm. For specific questions on a particular State’s public project or social program, please visit the State’s Congressional Delegation Office.
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