Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

FSM to Collect Household Information for Negotiation Purposes

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): June 26, 1997 –
President Jacob Nena wrote to all state governors informing them that
the FSM is making preparations for the Compact renegotiations and in
doing so, the FSM must clearly understand the performance of its
fragile economy’s environment and the social condition of the people.

Nena said FSM must equip itself with sound economic statistical
trends because he believes the U.S. Government would like to know the
situations in the FSM before giving consideration to FSM’s requests
in any matter. Human resources characteristics information including
economically active population, employment, unemployment and
underemployment, income, production and expenditure at household
level, which are also essential for the design and evaluation
programs geared for employment creation, vocational training, income
maintenance, poverty alleviation and similar objectives for the
formulation of macro-economic policy, Nena said.

In accomplishing this task, the President requested the FSM
Governors for their assistance in providing office space and staff to
the representatives from FSM’s Office of Planning and Statistics and
the FSM Department of Resources and Development in collecting
information from household sectors in their states by designating a
survey coordinator from among his staff in the Office of Planning and
Statistics, and forwarded to the FSM Office of Planning and
Statistics as soon as possible the name of selected individual.

A pretest survey is scheduled for September this year. However,
the actual survey will be early next year, Nena said.

The cost of the project will be shared with the U.S. Department of
Interior contributing $150,000 and the FSM’s share is $45,000, which
was originally designated for the formulation of a comprehensive
system of manpower and employment information. Further clarification
can be obtained from the Chief of Statistic in the Office of the
National Planner.