PALIKIR, POHNPEI. April 5, 2012 – The Third Special Session of the Seventeenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia adjourned sine-die on April 2nd with adoption of various national policies and passage of the FSM Revenue Administration Act of 2012, Congressional Act (CA) 17-49.
The Revenue Administration Act (RAA) is the 2nd of the tax reform bills passed by the Congress, the first being the Unified Revenue Authority (URA) created through Public Law 16-75. The RAA categorizes the administrative rules that will guide the URA in collecting tax by providing guidelines for taxpayers as well as procedures and deadlines for filing tax returns, appeal procedures and record keeping requirements.
When the Revenue Administration Act of 2012 becomes law it will then, as part of the nationwide tax reform effort, await the passage of similar measures by the four State Governments in order to guide the Unified Revenue Authority in its mandate of collection taxes. The Revenue Administration Act of 2012 has been transmitted for the President’s signature.
The remaining Congressional Acts passed during the Third Special Session were changes to allottee previously designated or funds previously appropriated for public projects and or social programs in all the four states.
Among the national policies adopted during the Third Special Session is Congressional Resolution (CR) 17-62, the National Energy Policy which lists the among its strategic goals the following:
To improve coordination and program management; to provide a safe, reliable and affordable supply of conventional energy; to increase share of renewable energy (more than 30% in 2020); and to conserve energy consumption and improve energy efficiency (50% efficiency improvement in 2020).
The National Energy Policy identified its four primary components as: Policy and Planning, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Planning and Conventional Energy (fossil fuel).
Other resolutions adopted during the Third Special Session included two grant approvals:
CR 17-126, a grant from the United States Center of Disease Control and Prevention for 19,360 and CR 17-134, an emergency assistance of 50,000 from the Government of the People’s Republic of China towards assisting the dengue outbreak in Yap.
Congress adopted CR 17-130 to express sadness and condolences of the 17th FSM Congress on the passing of His Majesty King George Tupou V of the Kingdom of Tonga. The Third Special Session also adopted CR 17-135 expressing sincere gratitude and appreciation of the FSM Government for the visit of the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce AC, CVO.
Another adopted measure is CR 17-135, which invited the President to deliver a State of the Nation address during the Fourth Regular Session of the 17th Congress in May 2012. Also adopted were CR 17-128, which confirmed Kasio Mida as the National Government representative to the Board of Regents of the College of Micronesia-FSM and CR 17-139, authorizing the President to resubmit the nomination of Ignacio Stephen for the position of FSM Consul General in Hawaii.
Congress had defeated the nomination for the FSM Consul General in Hawaii along with the nominations of Dion G. Neth for Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration, Judy Diane Lee for Secretary of the Department of Justice and the Rose Nakanaga as one of FSM’s member on the Joint Trust Fund Committee under the amended Compact.
Details of the legislative measures and their corresponding Committee Reports are available on the Congress website at: www.fsmcongress.fm
According to the Congress Rules of Procedures, the next convening of the FSM Congress will be on May 11th for the Fourth Regular Session, unless called for earlier or later by the Presiding Officers. Regular Sessions are 20-days unless extended or shortened by resolution.
As usual, sessions of the FSM Congress begin at 10am and are opened to the interested general public.