FSM President Mori and State Governors review 2023 Planning Committee timeline of action

FSMIS (April 1, 2014): In the morning of March 27, Federated States of Micronesia President Manny Mori met with Governor John Ehsa, Pohnpei State; Governor Sebastian Anefal, Yap State; Governor Johnson Elimo, Chuuk State; and Governor Lyndon Jackson, Kosrae State in Palikir.

The Governors were in Pohnpei primarily for the meeting of the Tax Reform Taskforce Steering Committee held the day before.

President Mori, accompanied by Vice President Alik L. Alik, welcomed the Governors to Palikir and discussed a few matters relating to the activities of the 2023 Planning Committee along with its Secretariat.

With assistance from Chief of Staff Leo Falcam Jr., President Mori provided a review of the completed round of community outreach meetings throughout the Nation as part of the mandate that the 2023 Planning Committee is currently undertaking.

The President stressed that as the 2023 Planning Committee moves further along its timeline of action, more emphasis will be placed on engaging the Private Sector actively in identifying specific development targets and activities within the priority sectors of tourism, fisheries, agriculture and renewable energy to have a focused view on well-defined development agenda.

In furthering decisions of the 2011 FSM Economic Summit, the Leaders also emphasized the critical importance for the Governments, the Private Sector and relevant stakeholders to deepen efforts in identifying and removing impediments to growth and nurture an business-friendly climate to boost stability.

The President made mention of the need for the 2023 Planning Committee to review its timeline of actions and determine a more enabling funding level with the help of the Governors who comprise the Committee.

The Leaders also touched upon other pressing topics such as the Compact Trust Fund investment and the backlogging of Compact infrastructure development projects already identified by the State Governments through their respective infrastructure plans. The Leaders agreed to jointly address infrastructure development project concerns through a sanctioned body, in addition to normal procedures pertaining to the amended Compact.

Witnessing the Leaders discussions were members of the Unified Revenue Administration Board of Directors, a few staff of the Tax Reform Program Office.

For further information on the meeting, contact the FSM Information Office at 320-2548 or email fsmpio@mail.fm.