US, Marshalls meet on Compact funding in 2018

HONOLULU, HI—Representatives of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the United States met last August in Hawaii and jointly approved $28 million that would go to the Marshall Islands under the Compact of Free Association.

The bilateral Joint Economic Management and Financial Accountability Committee of the RMI and United States meeting took place on Aug. 29, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Committee members jointly approved $28 million in the sectors of health, education, environment, and public infrastructure as identified under the Compact of Free Association, as amended, for the benefit of the people of the RMI.

This annual meeting of the JEMFAC serves to promote the effective use of funding under the Compact and provides the opportunity for RMI and U.S. officials to discuss bilateral priorities pertaining to Compact funding and how best to achieve them.

“I am encouraged by the JEMFAC meetings and discussions we held regarding the Marshall Islands,” said JEMFAC chairman and acting assistant secretary Nik Pula. “The Marshall Islands continues to make progress on all fronts with respect to Compact funding.”

At the annual joint meeting, the committee members:

• Reaffirmed our mutual commitment to peace, prosperity, and shared democratic values.

• Recognized the importance of the enduring relationship between our two countries and highlighted areas for continued cooperation to advance our shared goals.

• Reaffirmed that the goal of funding provided under the Compact, as amended, is for the benefit of the people of the RMI.

• Recognized the significant progress made by the RMI Government in developing the capacity of its Ministry of Finance and the submittal of the RMI’s Fiscal Year 2016 Single Audit in a timely and unmodified manner. Minister Brenson Wase and Secretary Maybelline Bing’s (RMI Ministry of Finance) extraordinary efforts in improving the RMI’s financial management operations were particularly recognized.

• Received presentations on RMI efforts: to strengthen the RMI Public School System, support the College of the Marshall Islands, strengthen the RMI’s school accreditation processes, improve access to primary healthcare, and implement infrastructure projects to contribute to economic advancement, budgetary self-reliance, and sustainable inclusive development.

• Resolved to make Compact sector financial assistance available to enable the RMI to undertake a third party review of the RMI’s education system

• Approved funding for community projects on Ebeye within Kwajalein Atoll.

• Reaffirmed the importance of sustainable and inclusive economic development through improved education standards, access to primary healthcare, and data collection.

• Recognized the RMI’s progress in developing clear, simple, measurable and verifiable performance indicators in health and education.

• Welcomed Mr. Paul Curry, Principal Operations Coordination Specialist at the Asian Development Bank, who observed the JEMFAC meeting.

The JEMFAC allocated fiscal year 2018 Compact assistance to the following sectors:

• $11,022,660 Education

• $6,869,099 Health

• $2,647,699 Ebeye Special Needs – Education

• $1,957,635 Ebeye Special Needs – Health

• $1,484,556 Ebeye Special Needs – Capital

• $180,766 Environment

• $2,050,000 Public Sector Infrastructure

• $240,780 Kwajalein Environmental Impact

• $2,287,410 Kwajalein Development Fund

Additionally, the JEMFAC allocated “prior-year” unexpended Compact assistance to the following sectors:

• $500,000 Ebeye Special Needs – Capital (Section 211(b)(1))- Ebeye Sea Wall Project

• $1,126,250 Ebeye Special Needs (Section 211(b)(1)) – EWSSP Phase 3

• $462,000 Kwajalein Development Fund (Section 211(b)(2)) – Power Generation Support

JEMFAC passed the following resolutions:

• JEMFAC 2017-1 Mid-Corridor Housing Project

• JEMFAC 2017-2 Support of Education Institutional Strengthening

• JEMFAC 2017-3 Infrastructure Projects – Professional Design and Engineering

• JEMFAC 2017-4 FY2018 Compact Grant Allocations

The JEMFAC will reconvene for its mid-year meeting in spring 2018.

The JEMFAC is composed of the following members: Pula (Department of the Interior), vice chair John Silk (RM, Minister of Foreign Affairs), Brenson Wase (RMI, Minister of Finance), William Gallo (Health and Human Services), and Philip Roskamp (State Department). (PR)