FSM COMPACT IMPLEMENTATION - NEXT STEPS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLONIA 000069 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/ANP; INTERIOR FOR OIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: FM PGOV EAID SUBJECT: FSM COMPACT IMPLEMENTATION - NEXT STEPS REF: STATE 048532 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Pursuant to reftel, Ambassador discussed follow-up actions to implement elements of the Compact of Free Association with FSM President Emanuel Mori and separately, with the Director of the Office of Statistics, Budget, Overseas Development and Compact Management (SBOC) Fabian Nimea. Director Nimea reviewed a list of actions that the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) aims to accomplish in a timely manner, although not necessarily in time to meet all deadlines. President Mori focused mostly on the financial crisis in Chuuk and the erratic course of fiscal reform in that state. Both the President and the SBOC Director observed that the FSM lacks the internal capacity to fully and efficiently implement Compact requirements, although they are clearly taking the challenge seriously. End Summary. CHUUK'S UNSTEADY COURSE ¶2. (SBU) At lunch on May 8, FSM President Mori shared with Ambassador Hughes his deep concern about the recent resignation of Chuuk's Director of Administrative Services Gillian Doone, who has been the linchpin of fiscal reform in the FSM's largest, debt plagued state. "Without Gillian, the reform of Chuuk is doomed," Mori said. He lamented that the FSM simply had no one else capable of maintaining strict financial discipline in Chuuk. Under prodding from the FSM's Secretary of Finance, Doone had subsequently agreed to remain on the job - for the time being, Mori confirmed. However, Doone's position remained precarious. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador urged Mori and the FSM National Government (GFSM) to provide more concerted, ongoing support to Doone, who is isolated and buffeted by intense pressures that verge on harassment, especially as public services continued to deteriorate. Mori said he planned to meet shortly with Doone in Pohnpei and additionally to travel to Chuuk on May 13. Mori will urge Doone to return quietly to his administrative duties and to drop his self-publicized intention to file a lawsuit against Chuuk's Governor Simina. At the same time, Ambassador asserted, the Governor needed to rescind his order to Doone to disburse USD 450,000 for special allowances to Chuuk legislators, which would break the state budget that Doone had balanced meticulously and single-handedly. Mori affirmed he would press the Governor. However, he also hinted that Doone ;might leave in any event to run for public office, either for an FSM Congressional seat or as Lieutenant Governor of Chuuk, sharing a possible gubernatorial ticket with former FSM Vice President Redley Killion. (Note: Such a powerful challenge to incumbent Governor Simina would build steam for an exciting electoral contest in Chuuk in April 2009 and serve as a bellwether of significant reform.) ¶4. (U) In the meantime and irrespective of who runs Chuuk, Ambassador reminded President Mori of the commitment of the GFSM to a Joint Economic Management Committee (JEMCO) resolution of August 2007 to provide "close and constant oversight" of that state's financial management. The GFSM needed to pay closer attention. Without the leadership of Doone or another manager of similar caliber, Ambassador said the Department of the Interior (DOI) might need to require that the FSM bring in an independent accounting firm to handle Compact and other U.S. federal program funds. In the absence of responsible management, DOI would also consider a cutoff of funds in Compact sectors for capacity building, the environment, and private sector development. President Mori stressed he would deliver an unequivocal message to the Governor, including on delays in implementing an agreement to cut some 400 state positions. Ambassador reminded that Chuuk's Reduction in Force (RIF),which should have occurred last October, appeared to be a paper exercise that still required verification before DOI could release lump sum severance payments. Mori agreed to focus attention in Chuuk on RIF personnel actions and issuance of final salary checks. ¶5. (U) SBOC Director Nimea, who met with Ambassador on May 6, shared letters he had sent to Doone and Chuuk's Attorney General Joses Gallen, who heads the Chuuk Reform Task Force. The letters note discrepancies in separate RIF lists that Gallen sent to Governor Simina and to President Mori. Nimea has requested clarification of the discrepancies, as well as confirmation that Chuuk's 2009 budget excludes all the supposedly terminated positions. He agreed to accelerate attention in Chuuk to reconciling termination notices and personnel action data with those employees who are enumerated on the list(s). Ambassador noted that DOI is prepared to release severance payments even on a partial basis to state employees whose separation can be confirmed. Nimea stressed his commitment to professional integrity, remarking that SBOC has a serious responsibility to ensure there will be no misuse of KOLONIA 00000069 002 OF 002 Compact money, particularly in connection with the RIF. To assist the verification process, Nimea said he might send one of his own employees to Chuuk. PROGRESS ON OTHER COMPACT ACTION ITEMS ¶6. (U) Regarding other areas of Compact implementation (reftel),Nimea asserted that the working level meeting in San Francisco of April 15-16 had clarified expectations and established useful collaboration. He provided action updates as follows: --Fiscal Year 2009 Sector Proposals: SBOC will forward state Compact sector proposals to DOI on a rolling basis, as soon as they receive each submission. Ambassador urged Nimea to try to arrange his travel schedule so that he could accompany DOI grant officers on their May-June budget consultations throughout the FSM states. --USD 3 Million Maintenance Grant: Nimea expressed appreciation for the initiative launched in San Francisco to provide each of the four FSM states USD 750,000 for repair and maintenance of infrastructure projects. Once the DOI grant is signed, President Mori and Ambassador Hughes will try to schedule a joint media event, encouraging the state governments to follow up with prompt submission of their proposals to repair projects related to the infrastructure of health, education, potable water and public safety. --Capital Infrastructure: President Mori and Director Nimea provided assurances that the new Program Management Unit (PMU) attached to the President's office would identify and reprioritize at least ten infrastructure projects by June 1. While task orders were unlikely to be completed by that time, they were optimistic that ten projects would be placed in the pipeline for issuance of future task orders. In the long term, Nimea advocated for weather-resistant, prefabricated construction units for projects on FSM outer islands. Such projects would cut costs and the time required for design processes, he said. Regarding a notion to engage the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in infrastructure design and construction, Mori and Nimea were both aware of the high cost that such an option entailed. They preferred to hold this proposal in abeyance as a last resort, in the event that the new PMU failed to propel projects forward. Nimea remarked on the importance of encouraging "FSM ownership" of projects, although he did not suggest the means by which to do so. --Economic Report: The Compact-mandated Section 214 report for 2007 will not be ready by June 1. However, the FSM recently hired an economist from the USDA Graduate School (on a USD 50,000 contract) to prepare this report. He is now in Pohnpei and has begun to work. --Next JEMCO Meeting: While the Micronesians would prefer the next meeting to take place in the FSM, Nimea said he understood the demands on DOI this summer, and he was prepared to travel to Washington. He hoped to restrict the size of the FSM delegation in the interest of economizing and achieving results. The FSM may seek to introduce more of its own JEMCO resolutions at this session. COMMENT ¶7. (SBU) Although the Mori Administration is deeply engaged in discussions on Compact implementation, the President and his officials tend to lack a sense of time urgency, focus and deliberate strategies to obtain results. Their leverage over the FSM states depends upon the bestowal of benefits as well as informal political persuasion. Few engineers and accountants exist in the FSM, which remains at a fragile stage of development. Technical capability across the board is limited. While the Micronesians continue to struggle with Compact compliance, other nations are already actively implementing projects for them. In general, the FSM would welcome streamlining of Compact directives and closer partnership with Americans and engineering consulting firms on the ground. As fuel prices continue to rise and climate change and access to food loom as more urgent issues, we will need to demonstrate more prominently how the Compact can help meet the most pressing needs of the people. HUGHES