2018 is very much unique to the Marshall Islands in many ways and its significance is that we now own our Plan. Already following the extensive consultative meetings starting NESS2 and the Working Committees,· the spirit of coordination and partnership within all strata 

Vision 2018 sets out in very bread terms our goals and objectives for the next years and how we would like to go about achieving them. As we reflected and debated our way forward, it became ciear 

formulating our Vision 2018, we discovered that in fact our National Vision endorsed at the NESS2 was merely an expansion of cur National Motto, "Jepilpiiin Ke Ejukaan".

"Jepil" refers to the traditional distributive norm of our people where skills or knowledge is passed down to the children when one dies or leaves our shores And "Ejukaan" refers to an Island abundant with resources and having a society with capable human resources. Our ancestors have lived their lives in the context depicted by our National Motto - capable and skillful, having abundant resources to tap in order to continue the "good and sustainable livelihoods" of our Marshallese people. dynamics and "good life" aspired our National Motto appear to have been gradually eroded over the years of our First Compact with the United States. This would mean that in the years to come our identity as Marshallese couid disappear if we do not take urgent steps to reverse the past trend.

But while appreciating the goodwill of the United States, and albeit that some of us look upon US assistance in view of our strategic importance, we must nevertheless come to a point where we are able to stand on our own "two feet". We have certainly achieved varied degree of self-reliance in terms of our physical development as we can see by the standard of our physical infrastructure on Majuro. Some of these infrastructure including houses, hotels, roads and others are comparable to those in any other developed nations. We have yet to acquire a sense of purpose and true "human" independence in the way we live. This simply means that while we have gained in one way or another over the past 15 years, from our Compact of Free Association with the United States as well as foreign aid from our other donor partners, we have not really addressed the human development issues concerning our people. Therefore we must be seen as a People striving to build on our own sweat and effort, to gradually eradicate the "dependence syndrome" within our beings. For as the saying goes, "skilled fishers are those that not only eat fish all the time but also possess the know-how to catch abundant fish to replenish the supplies". On the same token, while we have indeed benefited from our Compact of Free Association with the United States, we must also posses the know-how to create our wealth from our own sources. It is this know-how that is saliently lacking. We need to establish our own sources of wealth, tap on the potentials we have and build on from there, and when comes a time when there is no more Compact, we would have by then already established a "reserve" upon which we can continue to pursue the development aspirations of our people.

As we therefore face forces of changes from abroad, we must first of all assess our own capabilities and capacities within our society, and build on these assets to enhance the "good life" aspired by our National Motto. In doing so, we would also redirect our attention to strengthen and enhance our pride in our culture and traditions so that our identity as Marshallese will perpetuate into infinity. But first we must establish the essential conditions:

- First and foremost is that we must "help ourselves first";

- We must also undergo far-reaching change in our attitudes and behavior at all levels of our society: Government, Local Governments, Private Sector, Civil Society and our Atoll Communities;

- Our Govenunent ought to concentrate on capacity building and make substantial improvements in the management of our public finances and economic assets and to fully commit to the principles of transparency and accountability;

- We would need considerable improvement in the capacity of our Public Service to instill innovation and competency among our political leaders and civil servants thus pointing further to the need to embark on an aggressive Human Resources Development Program; and

- There is also the apparent need to rebuild on the lessons from our Culture and Traditions where environmental sustainability has always been a major consideration in the lives of our atoll communities.

Our ability to create our own sources of wealth would depend very much on our commitment as Marshallese to changing our attitudes to work, becoming more· patient, enduring dedicated, and honesty. We would still look beyond our shores for assistance.
But the responsibility is on us, the Government and the People of the Marshall Islands. Like our neighboring small Island states, which have achieved higher level of sustainability and self-reliance, we can also do it. In the eyes of GOD all human beings are equal. It is the human beings that inflicted all the disparities among all races in this world. As Marshallese, we can also do equally well just like any other race in this world. Vision 2018 is our opportunity to become more dynamic, have a sense of purpose and dignity, become more self­reliant, and achieve greater degree of true human independence and only then we can truly make "Jepilpilin Ke Ejukaan" a living Motto for all of us. The next step after having adopted our Vision 2018 is to transform this Plan Framework into actions. We will be developing Master Plans on major sectors, and Action Plans for all our Ministries and Statutory Agencies that map out clearly the priority activities for each sector of our economy. Critical to the transformation process of our Plan into actions, is the integration of our Budgeting Process to ensure it complements the priority programs and projects stipulated our Vision 2018. As the saying geofs, "Rome was not built in a DAY" and thus need to exert patience and understanding. We ar going through a reform process and we acknowledge that it will not be an easy task especially when we need to change the attitudes of our people. This calls for the need to change our attitudes towards more hardworking, co-operation and coordination, dedication, commitment, patience, understanding, trusting and honesty both at the family and national level. The process requires time before we can realize positive impact. But we look upon our National Government to set the example and provide the competent leadership making sure each and every public servant understands his/her duties and possess the know-how in carrying them out efficiently.

Our Vision 2018 presents 5 Chapters:­

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION-explains the Vision 2018, the way forward, and a presentation of the required enabling conditions and principles to ensure the achievement o four aspired goals and objectives; 

CHAPTER 2: THE CONTEXT- describes (i) the socio-economic accomplishments, both the successes and failures, of our country during the fifteen years of our First Compact with the United States, and (ii) the emerging international trends that are particularly important for us to take account in the formulation of our policies;

CHAPTER 3: NATIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES-outlines the ten broad goals derived from our National Vision including specific objectives for each goal;       

CHAPTER 4: THE BROAD STRATEGIES-describes the range of options on how we would like to achieve the ten national goals we ⁱderived from our National Vision; and 

CHAPTER 5: PLAN IMPLEMENTATION-presents the overall\organizational structure upon which this Vision 2018 shall be implemented including the immediate major policy initiatives.

Chapter 2 The Context

1. The Socio-Economic Record

Political Developments

The Marshall Islands became a sovereign, independent country in October 1986, ending over 125 years of foreign control. That same year the 1945 UN Trusteeship Council Agreement under which our Islands were administered as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, terminated. With that termination our country became independent retaining however a special political, economic and defense relationship with the United States, under what is known as the Compact of Free Association Agreement. That Agreement recognizes our self-governing status and provides for reciprocal obligatory relationship between our country and the United States, where we allow the latter, the right of strategic denial exchange for annual payments, and receive the right of our citizens to live and work in the United States. The security and defense relations, grants the United States exclusive military access to our country in return for a guarantee of defense against third parties. It also provides for the leasing of most parts of Kwajalein Atoll for military use of the United States for an initial period of 15 years and with an option for another 15 years.

Over the past 15 years we have successfully established ourselves as a fully sovereign nation within the world community. Diplomatic relations has been established with over 70 countries. Our country has acceded to membership of several multilateral organizations including the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, ACP/EU and regional organizations such as ESCAP, Pacific Forum and, Asian Development Bank. We have also acceded to many important international protocols and established a Mission at the United Nations in New York and Embassies in Washington D.C. in the United States, Tokyo, Japan, Suva, Fiji and the Republic of China, as well as a Consulate-General Office in Honolulu, Hawaii.

b.      Social and Economic Development

Majuro -The Capital

The truth of the old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is perhaps most apt in summing up the many faceted socio-economic development in our country over the past 15 years. The physical landscape of Majuro has transformed so much since the 1980s that anyone who visits the country after fifteen years would hardly recognize the place. Numerous developments have contributed to this phenomenal change. Not only is the Capital much cleaner now, but also there has been a vast growth in real estate. The number of buildings including both commercial and residential, has doubled from 1618 in 1980 to 3156 in 1999. This construction boom has resulted, among others, in the growth of the Long Island area from the bridge to the Airport, which was hardly occupied in 1985 into a suburb of modern residential houses, embassies, supermarkets, restaurants, tennis courts and gymnasiums. Even the 20­mile stretch from the Airport all the way to Laura at the end of the Atoll is showing signs of rapid real estate development. Many more people today commute daily from Laura to Majuro city for work.

Other major factors that have so much changed Majuro's landscape include impressive new Capitol building, a new hotel resort, supermarkets and notable expansion in infrastructure service of electricity, water supply and telecommunications. Most roads in Majuro including the secondary roads from Rita to Laura are tar-sealed. This indudes a two­-lane boulevard from the bridge to the Capitol building in Delap. The frequent power outages in the pre-1986 era no longer occur and water shortages are rare. With the fast growing use of e-mail and faxes, the telex machines, which used to be the most common means of rapid commmunications before 1990 have become history.

ii. Ebeye -Second Urban Center

Ebeye, the other major urban center in our country, has witnessed improvements in recent years in the provision of electricity and water supply and a sewage services. The construction of a new hospital facility is under way and should be opened by the end of this year. This will ensure that health problems that are prevalent on Ebeye are addressed internally. The management of the power plant, KAJUR, has recently been privatized and the new management has made considerable progress in terms of collecting arrears of revenue. Moreover, the Causeway between Ebeye and Gugeegu Island is halfway completed and part of the excess population from Ebeye has been able move out to Gugeegu as planned. This has helped reduce the congestion on the island of Ebeye. The telecommunication services have improved significantly. Extension and improvement in the water supply and sewage system in progress and should be completed before the year is over. Renovation of the Desalinization Plant has been undertaken and once completed, will lead to a considerable improvement in the water supply situation. In regard to education, the College of the Marshail Islands had established second Campus on Gugeegu and has been successful in its operations for the last six years. More people in Ebeye have been able to find employment in the U.S Military Base in Kwajalein. The number of person so employed increased from 1100 in 1988, to over 1800 in 1999. Despite the above progress, much more needs to be done on Ebeye to improve the quality of life of our people there. For example utility services are still far from adequate, as are education and health care services. Many of the houses are congested and are of poor quality. There is a need for greater local capacity building and training of personnel in the health, education and environmental sectors. There is a need for greater improvement in solid waste management. There is also a need for improvement in income distribution. When Vision 2018 is translated into action plans, programs will be developed in coordination with the Kwajalein Atoll Authority (KADA) and Kwajalein Atoll Local Government Council (KALGOV) to address these important issues.

iii. Outer Islands

While our Capital has developed fast at a relatively fast speed, the developments in the Outer Islands have lagged behind. First of all, the infrastructure facilities in the Outer Islands have developed only slowly. For example, diesel generated electricity is available to all the households in Kili for lighting and to some extent in Jaluit, solar energy is used by a limited number of families in 16 other Outer Atolls. Most households in the Outer Islands use kerosene and firewood for cooking. Piped water is not available in almost all the Outer Islands. Although the quality of houses in the Outer Islands has improved to some extent, such progress has not matched that of Majurso. There are no private telephones in Outer Islands: common radio communication systems serve this need in the Outer atolls. Similarly, land, sea and air transport systems to the Outer Islands are still inadequate. Most of the Outer lsland runways are not paved as yet resulting in a high degree of wear and tear for the Air Marshall aircrafts, which supplies the domestic air services.

The limited Outer Isiands Development in some of these areas would become clearer from the discussion in the next section. As is explained in Chapter IV below, Outer Island development is one of the high priorities identified in Vision 2018. The main strategies for such development are identified in the present document. The detailed action plans that follow from those strategies will be developed shortly in an Outer Islands Development Master Plan.

c. Quality of Ufe

i. Genaral Trends

Measuring changes in the quality of life of a nation is no easy task because of the complications involved by its many dimensions and because of the diversity of statistical data required. Our National Vision aims at achieving sustainable human development, which means increasing the opportunities available to our people to improve their lives by further developing their capabilities. Among the many capabilities that are needed for improving the quality of life of our people, three are generally accepted as crucial. These are:­

-the ability to lead long and healthy lives;

- the ability to knowledgeable; and

- having access to resources needed for a decent standard of living.

Our achievements in regard to quality of life in the above sense can broadly be summarized in terms of three indicators developed for the Pacific Island Countries by UNOP. The first of these is the Human Development Index (HDI). It takes into account the status of three factors: the average length of life of the people (Life Expectancy), average level of knowledge (Aduit Literacy and a combination of primary, secondary and tertiary enrollment) and the value per person of goods and services produced in the country in a year (average GDP). In terms of this indicator, the HDI value assessed for our nation in 1999 was 0.563 on the basis of which we ranked 10^th country among 15 Island countries. The way the index has been constructed reads that, when the index value is higher, then a country is better off than when the value is lower. A general impression as to where our country stands in regard to this index can be obtained by looking at some of the other Pacific Island countries. For example, in the same year of 1999, Palau ranked number one with an index value of 0.86 while Papua New Guinea with an index value of 0.314 ranked number 15 in the group. Another indicator that has been developed by UNDP for the Pacific Island Countries is the Human Poverty Index (HPI). That index is a way of measuring relative poverty in the sense that there are people who are very much disadvantaged and deprived compared to other people in a nation. This index reflects the proportion of the total population that is not expected to survive to the age of 40, the proportion of underweight children less than 5 years and the proportion of people without access to safe water and health services. In terms of this index our country with an index value of 19.5 ranked 11^th among 15 Pacific Island Countries. In case of this index, a country is considered better off when the index value is lower. Again, in comparison. Niue with an index value of 4.8 ranked Number One and Papua New Guinea with an index value of 52.2 ranked number 15 among the group.
The third index, which is known as the Vulnerability Index is a way of quantitatively expressing the manner in which small Island countries are vulnerable to external economic changes and environmental shocks. Our country is not yet included in the list of countries for which such an index is calculated. However, the 1999 Human Development Report published by UNDP states that our country is vulnerable to coastal flooding, moderately vulnerable to cyclones and droughts and exposed to the impact of sea level rise caused by Global Warming.

The above indicators show that broadly speaking much progress is needed in our country in terms of improving the quality of life of our people. Having said that, however, the following sections summarize the changes in our country in regard to our housing conditions, our population trends and health status and our progress in regard to education.

ii. Housing Conditions and Amenities

Our Vision 2018 refers to elsewhere, under appropriate sections where we as a nation have will continue to improve the quality for life of our people to a level that is satisfactory and adequate. In terms of certain intemationally accepted material yardsticks, we have made significant progress. Tables given in Section I below (Chart 2A, 28, 2C, 2D, 2E) reflect the changes in the quality of life of our people over these years. First of all, the quality of housing has significantly improved over the last two decades. Compared to 1980 more than 80 percent of the houses today are constructed with permanent material and the percentage of houses with modern amenities such as water and electricity, flush toilets, refrigerators, telephones, TVs, vehicles, motor boats, and radio/cassettes had increased significantly. These changes are not limited merely to the urban centers. For example, in the Outer islands the percentage of households using water-sealed toilets increased from 14% to 22.7% over this period. The percentage of households with electricity for lighting, in the Outer Islands has increased from 8.8% to 13.4%. In regard to solar energy the number of households using solar power increased from 2.6% to 15.0%. Likewise In contrast, however, only 1% of rural households have piped water.

iii. Population Trends and Health Status

Improvements in the quality of life of our people can also be understood by looking at changes that have occurred in relation to our population trends and health status. Firstly, after three decades of explosive growth the natural rate of our population growth declined to some extent over the period 1988-99 (Table 2:5 and Chart 2F). Compared to an average growth rate of 3.9 percent over the period 1958-88, the growth rate for the period ·1988 was 3 percent. This was made possible largely by a drop in the total fertility rate from 7.23 in 1988 to 5.71 in 1999. However, allowing migration the actual population growth rate for this period was much lower at 1.5 percent. Ut appears that due to the uncertainty about the renewal of the Compact Agreement and declining job prospects in our country especially after the reduction in force of the Public Service in 1995-97 many of our citizens migrated to the United States in the latter half of the nineties. According to official projections the level of population expected in 1992 was 63,319. However, the actual population counted at the 1999 Census was only 50,840. The difference has been attributed to large-scale out migration to the United States made possible under the provisions of the "Compact of Free Association."

Despite a significant reduction population growth, our population is still young with over 41 percent of it being under 15 years. This phenomenon resulting from high growth rates in population and the labor force, poses two great challenges to our nation. Firstly, as a result of high proportion of our population being made up of young dependents, we will need to continue spending a significant proportion of our resources on consumption. Secondly, when these youngsters grow up they will add to the already rapidly growing labor force and more jobs will have to be created to absorb them. It is also important to note that over the period under consideration our internal migration has also abated. Whereas the urban population increased from 33 percent in 1958 to 67 percent 1988, in the intercensal period 1988-99 it increased only slightly to 68 percent. Compared to the 57 percent growth of the urban population in the intercensal period of 1980-88, the growth of such population in the intercensal period 1988-99 was only 19 percent.

As can be seen from Table 2.5, there has been a considerable improvement in the health status of our population. This shown by the improvement in the average number of years a person can expect to live (Life Expectancy), the proportion of new born children under one year that die (Child Mortality Rate), and the proportion of total deaths per year (Crude Death Rate). Despite these salutary developments, however, the progress in other areas of health services has been slower. For example, there is high incidence of malnutrition among our children and obesity in adults. According to the 1995-­1999 Pilot Survey on Nutrition, 27 percent of children below five years in our country were under nourished. Similarly, 57 percent of the population in the age group of 18-50 is considered overweight and obese. 

Table No. 2.4 : Quality of Life Indicators 1980 1999

Table No. 2.5 : Health Status Indicators

The progress in regard to the policy of promoting preventive health care declared 1987 has been disappointingly slow. Today, most the resources in our health care program are still consumed by curative health care programs necessitated by the predominant influence on our morbidity from life style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer.

The inadequacy of our on-Island health care services still makes it necessary to refer our patients to Honolulu and Manila for treatment. The latter used up a substantial proportion of our Government resources causing heavy strain on our annual National Government budget. Off-Island referrals cost $3.0 million or 34% of the Health Services budget in 1999, which increased to over $7 million in FY 2001.

Many of our citizens still continue to suffer from radiation-related types cancers, tumors and thyroid problems traced to the adverse impact of nuclear testing programs in Bikini and Enewetak over fifty years ago. The Nuclear Claims Tribunal established under the first Compact Agreement to determine and award compensation for victims of nuclear testing program had by 1999 made individual 1656 awards. The Tribunal has, however exhausted the funds allotted for payment of such compensation. We will therefore actively pursue this matter with the US. Government in order to re-evaluate effects of the Nuclear Testing Program and to be able to implement programs to address all possible issues associated with such effects. In so doing we want to ensure that the interests of both our present and future generations are well protected in regard to the effects of the Nuclear Tests related illnesses as welI as for studies that look into the genetic impact of such tests. We also ensure that adequate funding sought and made available to meet the cost of all health programs that address Nuclear related illnesses also to conduct programs that aim at educating our people in regard the impact of Nuclear Tests. 

iv. Educational Progress

School enrolment increased both at the elementary level and at the secondary level in the period 1988-1999. As shown in Chart 21 the number of students enrolled at the elementary level increased from 11,581 to 12421 at the secondary level, the number increased from 1,910 to 2,667 however the school enrolment ratio i.e. the number of children enrolled in schools as a percentage of the total number of children eligible to enroll, at the elementary level increased only slightly from 81.9 to 84.1% over these years. In the case of the secondary school students, the ratio increased from 46.7 to 69.5 percent in the same period. One of our concerns is the slow increase in the elementary level enrolment ratio. Given the existing law which calls for universal, compulsory elementary education, much progress needs to be made in this area. Another major concern is that the total enrolment at the elementary level has declined since 1995 (chart 21). The reason for this is not known. However, given a high degree of migration in the latter half of 1990s it is possible that many families with elementary school age children may have migrated. In the case of high school age children too, the total enrolment has been less than desirable. Three out of every ten children in the high school going age had no access to high school education in 1999. In addition, the high drop out rate between grades has been a problem, especially at the high school level. For example, out of 879 students who enrolled in Grade 9 in school 1995/1996, only 498 or 57 percent reached grade 12 in the school year 1998/1999.

A major challenge still facing our education system is the need for improvement at all levels, elementary right up to post-secondary. This has been shown by than average test scores of our students at standardized tests such TOEFL, SAT and the Pacific Islands Literacy Levels (PILL) Test. The entrance test results of the College of Marshall Islands (CMI) have also shown this. The deficiencies in the tertiary education have been demonstrated by the of our country thus far to produce sufficient numbers of qualified resources required at various levels including the Government and the Private Sector.

d. The Economy 

i. Gross Domestic Product

Available official data shows that the total value of production of goods services in our economy after allowing for price increases (Real GDP) rose from $60.5 million in 1987 to $79.4 in 1995 declining thereafter to $62.6 million in 1999. In per person terms, the total yearly value of production of goods and services (Real Per Capita GDP) increased from $1532 in 1987 to $1656 in 1994 and then to $1231 in 1999. The data on GDP should, however, be cautiously interpreted because before 1990 such estimation was based on the figures on wages, salaries and rents (Factor Incomes Approach) for data was readily available. However, from 1990 onwards that approach has been replaced by another approach under the estimation is based on the valuation of the yearly net production in each area such as agriculture, trade and construction (Value Added Approach) for which data was not readily available. Given the underdeveloped nature of the data collection system, especially in relation to the Private Sector the latter approach tends to result greater degree of underestimation than the former. There is no doubt that the rate was severely and adversely affected by the downsizing of the Public Service by 30% in 1995-97 given that the main determinant of the GDP was government salaries and given the adverse weather conditions 1997 and 1998 Taking relevant factors into account it is possible to assume that our per capita income had 3 steady upward trend, may have raised its level from $1532 to $1931' over the period 1988-1999.

ii. Employment and Unemployment

Total employment the economy increased from 6698 in 1980 10056 in 1988 and to 10141 in 1999. Job declined over the second half of 1990s mainly due to the reduction force program of 1995-97 under the Public Sector Reform which had a downward spiraling on the of the Sector employment However, due rapid of the labor force the economy was unable to provide enough jobs resulting increased unemployment rate. Apparently most of the unemployed were those who had high school education.

iii. Prices Wages and Inflation

The rate of increase of the level of prices per year (lnflation), which was slow in the early years, accelerated towards the end of the 1990s. The Average Majuro Consumer Price Index rose from 111.35 in 1987 to 117.98 in 1990 showing an average annual inflation rate of 1,8%. In the period 1991 /1999 however, the Average Majuro Consumer Price lndex (CPI) rose from 122.65 to 193.99 indicating an average annual inflation rate of 7,2%. Wages without taking into account their worth in terms of good and services (Nominal Wage Rates), however lagged behind the inflation rate. The minimum wage rate, for example, which was $1.50 in 1992 was raised to $2.00 in 1993 and has remained unchanged since then. The nominal average salary in both the public and Private Sector increased from $3866 in 1988 to $4705 in 1999. In real terms, however, the average salary declined by 28 percent to $2782.

iv. Exports, Imports and Balance of Payments

The Merchandise Account in our Balance of Payments remained increasingly in deficit over the years under consideration, from 1988 to 1999. Consequently, the trade rose from $29.4 million to $61.3 million over the same period. The trade was financed mainly from Compact Federal funding from the United States and to a lesser extent with grants from Japan. In more recent years external funding have become more diversified to a limited extent with from ADS and grants from the Republic of The Capital Account has been in deficit in recent years due to large debt payments mainly due Compact related borrowing, borrowing from ADB and short term commercial borrowing as there was little inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the RMI. On average, 65 percent of our exports came from the United States including Guam and a further 15 percent from Japan.

v. Economic and Role of Government

Our economic structure has continued to remain dependent on Government expenditure. In 1985; the total Government expenditure as a proportion of GOP was 79.2 percent. In 1999 the proportion was 89.2 percent. The modern Private Sector the economy is still focused mainly on non-foreign exchange earning services such as and retail distribution of imported goods, construction, hotels and restaurants, banking and insurance, transport and allied activities. There has been little growth in foreign exchange earning activities. The entire economy is based on the inflow of Compact funds from the United States, aid and to some extent loan funds. Although the structure of the economy has not changed over these years, there has been a significant growth in the existing services as would be clear from the above discussion on the improvement in the general picture of Majuro.

vi. Progress in Regard to the Policy Reform Program (PRP)

Since 1995 our Government has been engaged in a Policy Reform Program (PRP) aimed at achieving both short-term financial stability in the Government and long-term structural changes in economy. Accordingly, a time bound action with plan was launched in 1995 with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank, the United States and Japan aimed at ensuring financial stability in the Government both in the short and long run and to restructure the economy through the creation of an enabling environment for the growth of the Private Sector. A goal common to all these objectives was the reduction in the size of the Public Sector in the economy and improving its efficiency and effectiveness.

Through a Reduction in Force (RIF) Program the size of the Public Service (excluding the State Owned Enterprises) was reduced from 2303 in 1995 to 1484 in 1999. The PRP has led to an overall reduction in Government expenditure through a substantial cut in the wage bill and subsidies. In addition the objective of fiscal stability was assisted by several measures aimed at increasing Government revenue such as improving tax collection. Under the PRP a Marshall Islands Intergenerational Trust Fund (MIITF) was established and some accomplishment was made in regard to creating an environment conducive for Private Sector growth. Before the PRP had a chance to be fully implemented, the Programme suffered a setback due to a reshuffle Government and its implementation as only  been resumed recently. The Government has taken several steps to resume the PRP as part of its policy on good governance, transparency and accountability. Firstly, with ADB assistance it has taken all necessary steps to implement Fiscal Financial Management program in Government with effect from June 2001. 

The main objectives of this program are:

- stabilizing the fiscal position of the national Government;

- strengthening Public Sector financial and economic management;

- ensuring sustainable income flow for the future generations;

- improving the effectiveness of the Public Service; and

- enhancing the policy environment for Private Sector development 

Secondly after a lengthy fact-finding and a nationwide consultative process, the Government has begun to formulate Strategic Development Plan Framework for the next 15 years.

II. The International Context

While having established a framework of our development goals and strategies, it is equally important that we strive to understand to the best we could, forces that have and still are transforming the world on the cusp of this new millennium. "The world is becoming a global Village" that carries changes, for better or worse, and cuts and transcends all societies on this earth. The challenge is for us to understand these global changes, and even be able predict them, especially those that fall on us not because of our own doings, but resulting from the globalization process, and to be able to manage these changes within our capacity and capability as a People, and as a Nation. This is especially important since we shall continue cur association with the People and Government of the United States through our Second Compact, as well as with our other multilateral and bilateral donor partners. The responsibility is therefore. On us to be able to predict what is coming around and perform at the same time.

The manifestation of our development aspirations our Matrix of Goals, Objectives and Strategies that.we developed from an extensive consultative process within our society, without our knowing, had reflected and accounted for all global trends that have been documented widely.

see the global trends in six main categories:

- Foundations for social and economic development;

- Science and Technology as the main historical engines of development;

- A Human Resources Economy;

- A Transformation of Authority; and

- A Test of Human  Psychology.

The Foundations of economic wealth had revolved around population, natural resources and the environment, and culture An aging world population of over 60 years is increasing considerably, especially in the industrialized nations. At the same time we find the growth of a youthful population just as our own country. This trend population growth leads to more inequities and intense new pressures such as in rapid urbanization and the resulting problems water supply shortages, waste and air pollution, and high rate of crimes and overloaded schools. In terms of environment and natural resources, the global trend is that the world is becoming more environmentally conscious, leading to the increase the demand for means of sustainability such as conservation, efficient production and use of renewable energy. while most of us may have not realized it, culture has always been major contributor to economic growth and has exercised important influence in world such that it will continue to have profound effects on our relations with other nations and international organizations.

Over the years we have seen the advance of Science and Technology. Medical technology will eventually uncover the means of curing ail kinds of illnesses. We see increased manipulation of genetic make up leading to miniaturization. The most profound change has been the revolution technology, a product of which is the Internet that washes away national and industrial boundaries, autocratic organizations or governments. Unfortunately, these trends may result in a widening of the gap between the rich and poor Consequently, a trend entrenched in modernization is calling for more reform, equality, human freedom, and greater democracy as has been the collapse of communism and the breaking down of autocratic regimes.

The Human Resources Economy trend has changed the character of our conventional understanding of "economy'· The basic trend is towards the increasing rate of knowledge as opposed to the traditional sectors of agriculture and fisheries. We are now living in the global economy. This new economy is based on the production, manipulation, use and dissemination of knowledge and a qualitative, creative, innovative and cooperative human resources is the coin of the realm. Basic organizational structures are changing and success is achieved through greater coordination and partnership among organizations within and beyond national boundaries. Trade in future lies in the focus on trade in knowledge and information rather than in goods and services such that the global trend will see an emphasis on foreign direct investment.

We are aware of the of globalization that is making the world become more integrated while the same time leading to individual nations look mere inwards on how they could benefit from the resulting impacts. Our concern is to better understand the real dimensions and

characteristics of globalization. Trade merchandise and services, is growing faster than world wide economic The main forms of globalization can be seen Global Awareness, in Communications and global production manifested in the role of Multinational Corporations all over the World. in realization of the impact of the globalization process, we have agreed to become a party to the Pacific Free Trade Area, an initiative guided by the Pacific Forum under the framework of WlO. We will soon become member of a Regional Free Trade Area, opening borders throughout the region to commerce and industries Numerous business operations are spread over the world, networking with each other and using· advanced communications technologies. This global trend brings great forces of integration creating an increasing interdependence among nations.

The knowledge era, as a result of the Information Revolution we are now experiencing, is "threatening the existing power structures of the world" and resulting in a Transformation of Authority. Individuals are demanding more of a say in their lives from those in charge parents, their bosses, and political leaders. We saw the collapse of communism the decline of all forms of economically and politically closed societies. the world over, more so in Asia, undemocratic governments confront a growing sense of popular empowerment and demands for more participation of the people in decision-making. Governance is the central issue. Transparency and accountability are now the international norms for expending of public funds and in the making of policy decisions. A spin-off of this transformation is the increasing role of non-governmental organizations and civil society now effectively that were previously functions of governments.

In the center of all these global transformations that are transcending national dimensions all over the world, is the Human Being You and the People of the Marshall Islands. Coping with changes is never easy and already we are undergoing immense strains under the knowledge era with its associated social and economic transformations. The Global Media has instilled among many people over the world the "Pessimism Syndrome" making them think or perceive that things are getting worse when in fact they are not. The erosion of fundamental basic values and "spirituality" brought about by the inability of the human being to cope with a knowledge-rich age is causing people to lose their "Sense of Belonging," making "them" aliens in their own land. The challenge for us, the People and Government of the Marshall Islands is to reinvigorate our traditional values and customs, and renew our trust in leading spiritual lives to continue giving us the sense.

III. Implications for Policy

As much as possible our national policies must address the emerging trends described in Section II above on the 'The International Context'. Whether we like it or not, the fact is we are now living in an interdependent "global village". What is important is that we make ourselves to understand the changes brought about by the global trends and respond to these changes in our way. The bottom line is that we want to benefit from the changes emerging from global trends. Already we have adopted reform programs such as our own Vision 2018 to lay the foundation to enable us to respond to these global trends. Through our reformed planning approach in the formulation of our Vision 2018 we are constructing a "National Development Strategy" framework that would enable us to minimize the risks emanating from the global trends described above. An additional positive important development is the fact that we are stating clearly in our Vision 2018 the Education Sector as "Our Number One Priority". At the same time, our policies must be based on a detailed grassroots analysis of our society.

We are living in the knowledge era, which reinforces the decisive role of education as the prime activity to equipe "us", the People and Government of the Marshall Islands, to become successful in this knowledge-rich era. Our priority is to develop the quality of our human resources. We must be fully versed with the advances of Science and Technology and particularly with the Internet. We need to revamp our education system to generate a reformed mind set for our people, more so the future leaders of our nation, our children and grandchildren. When we get quality people, the next important step is their empowerment by giving them the trust and responsibility to make them creative and innovative. We would need to create partnership at all levels of our society. When we consider our Government and its Statutory Agencies, they are not indipendent Agencies competing with one another but instead, are all actors of one People, and one Government, all having one purpose and serving one people.

The second imperative condition to enable us to benefit from the global trends is to entrench in our systems the primacy of moral values and social responsibility. Our Government must set the example in all areas of good governance. We have to follow the norms of transparency and accountability not only in the expending of our public finances, but more so in the decisions we make based on the expressed priorities of our nation and not on individual or groups' political agendas. We need to devolve relevant powers and functions away from the center to our Local Governments and Traditional leaders to enhance their sense of trust responsibility. Throughout the world, cultural dimensions are adapting to cope with far-reaching changes resulting from these global trends and thus it is important that we re-examine our traditional set up and build on the positive elements that bring about greater productivity, peace and harmony in our nation. Then there is the struggle of the developing world including "us" to better understand and apply the principle of capitalism. Basically we have been following a mirror image of the "western capitalism" model and its associated systems. Obviouslly something is not correct in our effort to follow the capitalistic world since we are still striving to past the boarders of a developing world irrspective of the many years of our free market development. In the past we have looked at our resources endowments of lands, lagoons and vast ocean as "dead capital" and as such we had always looked beyond the horizon for solution to our development problems. But in this knowledge rich era we should now look inwards into our own surroundings and find the solutions. Indeed, we have abundant resources - huge crystal waters, lagoons and thousands of square miles of ocean, sunlight, wind, thousands of White beaches, hundreds of beautiful atolls that are unhabited, blue sky and large air space. There are just the resources millions of people in the west are looking for. We could generate wealth from this natural endowments. With a new approach to capitalism and having the quality people, we will be on our way to enjoy maximum benefits from the advances of Science and Technology.

We can certainly look for better things to come in the future. For dominant threads of the knowledge era are hopeful empowering, democratizing, egalitarian and environmentally friendly. But because of the immense by-products of these global trends, manifested in a series of changes, coulpled with our reaction to Change, we should be cautious in our approach to development. The key is choise. The choise is we make over the next 15 years to shape our future. It is We the people of Marshall Islands upon whom the success of our endeavors will depend. 

"We have reached a moment in history," argues self-esteem guru Nahaniel Branden, "when self esteem, which has always been a supremely important psychological need, has become an urgent economic need." The new global economy is "characterized by rapid change, accelerating scientific and technological breakthroughs, and an unprecedented level of competitiveness", trends that make "new demands on our psychological resources," asking for "greater capacity for innovation, self-management, personal responsibility, and self direction.

Chapter 3 National Goals & Objectives

The Ten Challenges

From the experience of other Pacific Island countries and East Asian Countries and after taking careful review of our own experience in the Marshall Islands, we are reminded that ten key enabling conditions are necessary to achieve Vision 2018:

1.Sound system of governance with political stability and commitment to our Vision 2018, and a competent and honest public service;

2. high investment in education and research;

3. Foster a culture of high savings, investment and productivity; 

4. Our ability to take advantage of emerging global trends;

5. Effective and responsible economic and financial institutions;

6. Facilitating equitable development of our Outer Islands;

7. Strengthening the spirituality of our Marshallese people;

8. More harmonized development in the context of healthy lifestyles, and our prevailing culture and sustainable environment;

9. Fostering fundamental change in the attitudes and behavior of all citizens, government, local governments; businesses, public corporations, and NGOs; and

10.Effective "Partnership and Coordination" among National Government, Atoll Local Governments, NGOs, the Private Sector, Civil Society and the Citizens.

II. Goals and Objectives

Goal 1-Operating in an interdependent world:

(i) Foreign Policy: Having the ability to design and implement our national sustainable development policies and programs in order to maximize national benefits and to foster our international relations, recognizing explicitely the current and future limits imposed and  opportunities provided by our political and economic ties with the rest of the world, globalization, and technological advances; and

(ii) Climate Change: Having adequately strengthened the institutional and procedural mechanism aimed at securing the maximum possible advantage of international and regional co-operation to minimize the adverse impact of Global Warming and Climate.

Objective 1-Strengthening the capacity and ability to successfully manage our external economic and political relations and face the challenges arising from global integration, climate change and to benefit from technological advances.

Objective 2-Strengthening and improving the relationship between governance: human development and economic development.

Goal 2 -Enhanced socio-economic self-reliance

(i) Macroeconomic Framework: Having achieved a level of quality development in our economy and society, such that our dependence on foreign financial and technical assistance and skills, as well as dependence of our Private Sector and households on government expenditures are reduced, by helping ourselves first before we seek others' help;

(ii) Partnership and Coordination: Achieving a state of productive and effective partnership among all important decision makers at all levels of the Marshall Islands society;

(iii) Food Security: To attain food security for all people at all times and to substitute imports to the best extent possible and develop exports;

(iv) Infrastructure: Having developed a level of infrastructure services that is operated smoothly, and maintained regularly, that adequately services the needs of sustainable development and enhancement of self-reliance with minimum adverse impact on the environment.

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Goal 3-An Educated People 

Establishing a knowledge-based economy by equipping Marshallese citizens with internationally competitive skills, qualities and positive attitudes to work and society.

[...]

Goal 4- A healthy People

Build capacity of each community, family, and individual to care for their own health through quality primary health care program and to provide high quality, effective, affordable and efficient health services to the Marshallese.

Goal 5- A Productive People 

Enabling Marshallese within their capacity and capability to develop a sense of purpose, take initiative, participate and contribute in the sustainable development of our nation.

Objective 1· Ensuring a higher level efficiency and productivity among the workforce in the economy including the Public Sector. Private Sector and the self-employed.

Objective 2-Ensuring a higher level of motivation and awareness of duties and responsibilities among all individuals in the society.

Objective 3-Ensuring productivity of all individuals in the society is to developed to and sustained at its full potential

Goal 6- Law-abiding people 

Establishing a just society in which the people are knowledgeable of traditional, national International laws, and uphold and respect the principles of good governance.

Goal 7- God loving people

Acknowledge spirituality of its people and nurtures moral and ethical growth at all levels of the society and at the same time respects the diversity in the religious belief of every single citizen of the Marshall Island. 

Goal 8- Respecting individual freedom and fundamental human rights

While safeguarding the rights and freedom guaranteed under the constitution, the Marshall Islands wishes to strike a "balance" by integrating this freedom with those provided under the traditions of culture.

Goal 9 - Respecting Cultures and Traditions

Goal 10 - Environmental Sustainability

(i) Developing a regulatory system that can be enforced with a high degree of compliance at all levels, in order to achieve the sustainable development of our natural resources, while protecting our environment from any adverse impacts;

(ii) Strengthening the relevant institution and improve procedural mechanisms, so as to be able to secure the optimum support from both international and regional efforts, in minimizing the adverse impact of Climate Change.

Objective 1-To achieve maximum benefit from all Environmental global Conventions through our active commitment participation;

Objective 2-To develop and have in place a contingency/adaptation plan to counter the emerging threats resulting from the adverse effects of climate change including a National Disaster Plan.

Objective 3-Enhance the level of awareness and commitment among all people in the community to contribute towards the minimization of environmental degradation.

Objective 4-To achieve the highest degree of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Objective 5- Reinvigorating our cultural and traditional environmental conservation practices to harmonize development with environmental sustainability.

Chapter 4 The Broad Strategies

I. Macroeconomic Framework

a) Policy Coordination

In order to harness the collective effort of all stakeholders for the achievement of our national vision, the sustaibable development policies and programs identified in our Plan will be carried out through a consciously planned process of participation. Such participation will be sought at several levels:

- Broad national level in the national Governments,

- Between National Government on the one hand and the Private Sectors and the Civil society on the other

- Between the national Government and Local Government

- Among the National Governement, Local Governments, traditional Leadership and the Civil Society,

- and at Family Level.

Effective participation at the national level ensured through our legal which provides the of the game" for everyone in our Constitution and our laws provide Our Constitution as well as our laws be as necessary. Care would to see that the positively towards enhancing the welfare of all citizens by efficient and transparent enforcement of national, of our a public education program will be carried out and our laws will be translated into Marshallese language including these laws to follow from the various international conventions.

We recognize our system of Justice plays a very crucial role in ensuring the maximum possible and most participation of our entire nation in achieving our National Vision. Such a system includes cur Constitution, our legal framework as U-le structure for enforcement of our laws. At the National annual consultations traditional leaders and other stakeholders. so as to support of the former for development programs, annual cultural events, revival and adaptation of traditional production and preservation techniques, as resource conservation methods and nets for the disadvantaged. order to empower Government Councils to take charge of more responsibilities in the development of their respective atolls, steps will be taken to devolve greater to such entities and to enhance their administrative and financial capacity to out those additional responsibilities. Governments be encouraged formulate their own Development Plans based on the National Vision.

In acknowledging the "family" as the prime building block in building a nation, we will implement policies and programs to enhance a consultative process at the family level in relation to matters concerning family welfare. targeted at the following type of activities:

-         encourage family to share household chores,

-           ensuring more democratic decision in relation to the allocation and enhancement of family resources.

-          participation of families acting in partnership with churches nation building activities such as and health as well as economic and social development projects.

-          The participation of parents more actively in assisting children schoolwork

Further strategies pertaining individual and behavior are discussed below under 'Improving Resource Allocation". 

One of the most fundamental requirements of good governance is the of political commitment to the implementation of strategies identified for achieving our National Vision. Such commitment is reflected in three broad strategies that we plan to implement. Firstly, sound and administrative to enable informed and participatory These have been discussed in the section of this Chapter under Coordination. Secondly, strategies will be for achieving sound financial and economic management. These discussed Section C on Strengthening the and Fiscal as discussed in the first section of this Chapter, strategies will be implemented to ensure of the Civil Society in sustainable development programs.

Within the above broad framework, good governance requires making sure all decision-making and policy implementation is done in a transparent, accountable and 3 predictable manner. also requires adherence to acceptable standards of conduct by all leaders and public officials. We are committed therefore to revisit our existing Code of to ensure accountability and transparency is enforced at levels of our..

 We also implement strategies to ensure that these requirements are both at the National and the Local Government level. These strategies explained in full under "Strengthening the Financial and System". Similarly, our and conventions as government ordinances will be reviewed in order to ensure compatibility our existing Code Ethics. Technical support for the Cabinet be strengthened in order to enable to effectively dispense its coordination and monitoring roles. The annual State of the Nation address by the President include Government priorities for the

Strengthening the Financial and Fiscal System Programs and policies will be implemented to achieve both short term and long-term financial stability in Government. After some success in reducing Government expenditure due to the Policy Reform Program in the years 1996-97, we are facing short-term financial instability. This has been due both to a decline in Government revenue and a rise in expenditure. The implementation of a fiscal and financial management program with assistance from the Asian Development Bank to restore fiscal stability in Government will begin shortly. A key strategy under this program as well as under the Strategic Development Plan Framework is the Marshall Islands Intergenerational Trust Fund (MllTF). This Fund, which was established in 1999, will be continued and a substantial part of funds received under the Compact will be invested in it. This will help, among other things, ensure our long-term financial stability.

In addition, we will increase Government revenue through several measures that include the following:

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d.        Creating favorable Investment Climate

We recognize that Sector must the force in of economic development. In this respect, we will implement polices and programs create an enabling environment for the growth of our Sector, as the of our National Vision requires significant Private Sector contributions. Of equal importance is the need to assist our Private Sector in becoming more independent of the National Government's resources, through appropriate business and as business advisory services. We continue to work closely with members of the Private Sector to foster a cooperative partnership where both sides together achieving our National Vision. While some positive steps have been taken, such as streamlining business registration and foreign investment approvals, as enacting important legislation that allows investors access to land, recognize that more to done. 2018 provide development goals objectives the government can promote business activities and direct its resources accordingly. At the same time. the Private Sector can be guided better and assisted in the direction of activities that promote both economic development. We will continue to provide support the Trade and Investment Division to out mandate in promoting Private Sector growth Together the Private Sector, NGO's and aid donors, Government aim to to the needs expressed by business community, including human resource development marketing assistance, product development and establishing joint venture partnerships.

We recognize that in order attract viable, meaningful investment in our country, we must first provide an environment conducive to business growth and success. To this end, we build on our strengths in the marine, tourism and sectors and direct our efforts on activities greatest potential of providing in term benefit to the Marshall Islands.

Some measures have already been taken in regard to the accelerating of the process of approval of ordinary business corporations and foreign investment business licenses. The Development Land Registration Act provides for the registration of land titles, which together with the Mortgage Act would make it easier for land to be offered as security for bank loans. An intensive effort will be made through a consultative process with the landowners to arrive at a system under which the land rights of the indigenous land owners will be protected and yet land will become easily available for investors. Further action aimed at the creation of an enabling environment includes steps to liberalize the economy. Other strategies such as improving the role of the Constitution, the legal framework, law enforcement, transparency and accountability were discussed above under Policy Coordination and Good Governance. Providing adequate infrastructure needs both in the urban centers as well as in the Outer islands will further assist the growth of the Private Sector. These strategies are discussed below under "infrastructure".

Policies will be adopted to encourage the achievement of higher and sustained growth in the level of our Gross National Income. Towards this end, efforts will be made to maximize income earning opportunities at USAKA both for our workforce as well as for our business enterprises. We will also pursue negotiations with the United States to agree on a Tax Platform Agreement where US Contractors on USAKA are appropriately taxed. Greater opportunities will be sought and utilized for earning income from land rent and rent from arrangements similar to those in Usaka and our Atoll. Policies and programs aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency at all levels will be implemented. Policies will be adopted to enable commercial Banks to increase lending by using their excess liquidity and by adopting measure to discourage practices that decrease the Money Supply such as hoarding. Particularly urgent is the need to look into the lending portfolio of the Banks.

Right now the greatest obstacle relates to the very high interest rates they charge to local customers, which runs up to 20 to [...] percent. During the Plan period, measures aimed at improving credit accessibility to the medium and small businesses, especially in the Outer Islands and for export promotion and import substitution activities will be implemented. In this regard, measures aimed at the institutional strengthening of the Marshall Islands Development Bank (MIDB) will be adopted. These measures will especially focus on enhancing the Bank's ability to provide business advisory services, reducing its loan delinquency ratio and improving its capacity to undertake more lending activities aimed at the promotion of Outer Island Development.

The Plan incorporates strategies aimed at encouraging the development of activities in production for export and import substitution. These will be mainly in our productive sectors such as Agriculture, Fisheries, Tourism and Manufacturing especially through Outer Island Development. Specific strategies in these areas are discussed below under the Productive Sectors, Outer Island Development and Infrastructure Development. Special effort  will be made to encourage business activities in the Information Technology (iT) industry. At the same time, efforts will be made lease our air space for launching information transmitter satellites and to make use of opportunities available to us in cyberspace.

The growth of the Private Sector will be encouraged further through greater efforts at human resource development, which entails both the improvement of the quality of our education and enhancing various skills of our labor force. These are discussed below under Education and Training.

Special programs will be implemented to provide training for women and other disadvantaged groups such as the per Providing jobs for the unemployed and our fast growing labor force is one of our key objectives. In collaboration with the Private Sector, aid donors and goals strategies will be implemented to create more job opportunities both in the form of paid jobs and self-employment.

Improving Resource Achieving our National Vision requires improvement in the allocation our resources, include the incomes in the hands of our stakeholders, foreign economic as well as our real resources. The latter include our human resources and natural resources of land, marine resources, environment, and our capital such as the infrastructure. The term improving the sense that existing pattern of allocation must revised in such a that it assists better achieving our National Vision. That means we should improve our in order to all objectives stated Chapter 3. However, we might summarize in broad by saying that we should reallocate our resources order to achieve highest possible growth in our future incomes in a sustainable manner and to ensure that our total income is distributed and equitably, ensuring an improvement in the quality of ail of our strategies for improving of resources be considered three ways: the Public Sector, the Private Sector and the Household Sector. With regard to the Sector, our most strategy ensure that resources the Government in the of compact funds would be used most and rationally in order to maximize the benefits to our people both in the present and the future. In this regard, we want to ensure that by using a part of we establish future sustainability for our nation. That means, in the event we not continue to receive sufficient foreign economic assistance in the future, we should, by the year 2018, have established a reliable and a regular source of income for our nation. As the best strategy for this we will build up our MllTF, which was discussed under "Strengthening the and Fiscal System" Our objective is to build up that Fund at least to a level of US$500 million by 2018 by investing it abroad and managing it efficiently without making any draw downs in the first years.

Other strategies in the Public Sector have also been discussed thus far. These include the following: 

Informed, rational and coordinated decision making in regard to allocation of resources through such mechanisms as the NPCC and Implementation of Vision 2018 by using the Arumal Government Budget as a tool of implementation;

The second item above implies that future development projects will be selected after a careful analysis of their costs and benefits in regard to their contribution towards the achievement of national goals and objectives. It also implies that Ministries and Statutory Agencies will change their present patterns of resource allocation in accordance with priorities of Vision 2018. In order to facilitate and ensure such reallocation, the current budget format will be changed to a program budget (table 4:1).

Changing the budget format will require both the commitment of Ministries and Statutory Agencies to the goals, objectives and strategies identified in Vision 2018. In addition, the change requires the existence of capacity at these levels to formulate their budgets in the new format. Since such capacity is inadequate at present, measures will be adopted to train the Ministry and Statutory Agency personnel in the formulation of program budgets based on the Strategic Development Plan. In addition measures will be undertaken to review and strengthen our public service to enable it to assist in the successful implementation of the Plan Framework.

Strategies aimed at the use of the Annual Budget, as a planning tool will be implemented. This change will create a new process in which the documents shown in Table IV: 1 below will feature on a regular basis. In regard to the improvement resource allocation in the Private Sector, our strategy is to reallocate resources into the development of foreign exchange earning activities. The Plan has incorporated several strategies to encourage the growth of the Private Sector so that the desired reallocation of resources can be achieved.

Many of these strategies have been discussed under the previous section on creating an environment. In addition, the incorporates strategies aimed at the development of our productive resources such as Agriculture, Fisheries, Tourism, and Manufacturing, which are presented under Section 111 of this Chapter. Sections IV and V present further strategies, which enable the improvement of resource allocation economy respectively through Outer Islands Development and developments in the area of Science and Technology. Reference has already been made earlier to policies and programs that will be implemented for encouraging commercial banks to increase lending by using up their excess liquidity.

With regard to the household sector, strategies will be implemented to change our people's attitudes in manner that would lead to a greater level of the Private Sector and to a higher level cost sharing of Government provided services by the consumers. We will implement policies and programs aimed at encouraging our people to save more and become more self-reliant. Policies wilt also be implemented to charge higher user fees for Government provided or subsidized services. In the same vein, policies to encourage people to participate more in the provision of these services such as in maintaining of school buildings and health clinics, participation of parent teacher associations will be adopted. The Government also partnership with NGOs in achieving this objective. More intensive public awareness campaigns to heighten sense of personal responsibilities in these areas and in personal health care will be carried out. A National Symposium will be conducted to better understand the problems associated with the existing consumption and saving habits of our people.

In regard to the former, the strategies that will be implemented will be those aimed at providing equal job opportunities, access to education, better health care and family ensuring better nutrition for and program be pursued for protection of women's rights including those relating to domestic violence, providing support and land rights. In regard to children, steps will be taken to implement the relevant recommendations of the Conventions the Rights the Child.

In order to ensuring more equitable distribution of income among different income groups, our National Vision incorporates strategies aimed at, raising the income levels of low-income groups, for increasing job opportunities. In addition, provide greater social security benefits to vulnerable groups and the disadvantaged. Appropriate be incorporated in cur to ensure more equitable income distribution. During the early years of the Plan, a national Poverty Survey will be undertaken to assess the incidence poverty and to identify groups of our people who fall in that category. Based on the policies programs will be designed and implemented to assist these need assistance. In addressing the needs of the poor and disadvantaged, the in close partnership NGOs and other organizations-interested in assisting the Policies and programs will implemented to ensure prices essential consumer goods in Outer lslands and Ebeye are not far higher those in Majuro. 

1. Foreign Affairs and Trade

We also implement strategies for It is important us to strengthen ensuring an equitable distribution of income our capacity to manage our external affairs in our society. These are aimed specifically successfully in order to be able to meet our ^at:-challenges from Globalization and Climate Change. At the same time, we should also be able to derive much benefits as ensuring optimal accessibility to opportunities ¹ possible from opportunities such as to ensure wider participation of women in our I technological advances that come from self-reliant and sustainable development external sources. In order to be able to do process; and these, we strengthen our institutional structures and mechanisms ensuring an acceptable level of equity in the I established to deal with our foreign relations distribution of national income among different \ particular, steps will be taken to improve income groups and among the and productivity of that part of within families.

We will also effectively participation all relevant international efforts aimed at minimizing the adverse impact from Global Warming, Change and Globalization. At the same time, we will implement measures to reap the maximum possible benefits from external opportunities to achieve our National Vision. These will be policies and programs aimed at attracting foreign investment, obtaining tariff concessions for our in major markets such as the U.S. and benefiting from opportunities in the information technology industry, for employment creation and trade. These policies programs will be further strengthened through strategies aimed at enhancing the skills of our human resources in order to both attract foreign investment and also to improve the chances of our workers finding jobs overseas.

A coordinated and an enhanced effort will be made to diversify our sources of foreign economic assistance so that the risk involved in being dependent on one or two major sources of assistance can be

At the same time, policies be implemented in order to ensure that our foreign economic assistance is channeled into sustainable development enjoy high priorities in accordance with our National Vision. Furthermore, as discussed in the relevant sections in this document, highest priority will be given those strategies that result maximum donor cooperation such as those that enhance transparency and as good governance in general.

g.  Infastructure

Adequate and affordable infrastructure services needed for the achievement of our National Vision would be provided through several strategies. These are aimed at the provision of communications, sea, air and land transportation, water and energy and facilitation of safe residential houses and commercial buildings.

The strategies are particularly aimed at facilitating development in the Outer Islands in view of the existing considerable disparity in rural and urban amenities. Programs will be implemented for the provision of efficient and affordable sea and air transport services to the Outer Islands with reliable flying and shipping schedules. Given the special circumstances of our country having been made up of small atolls scattered over a vast ocean with considerable distances from one another, we view shipping as an essential service similar to providing the national education and health system to our people.

On this understanding therefore, the alternative modes of operating our field trip services be studied and analyzed before adopting the most suitable method. As the population of cur Outer Islands are economically disadvantaged, all factors contributing to this condition be considered ensure the privatization of our the most and efficient system and also benefit cur people at large. At the same time we will ensure that the needs of the Outer Islands are not jeopardized but are adequately provided. Through comprehensive and strictly enforced and monitored operating agreements, we ensure that the internationally accepted standards are followed. At the same time. transport services within Outer Islands be improved by encouraging use "bumbum" sailboats the of means of land transport.

Programs will be implemented to improve the domestic air services are by addressing the problems of the financial weakness and the poor maintenance record of our airline. Already a review of the organizational structure, stuffing and finances of the airline has commenced. Other strategies relate to international air services and proper mantainance of infrastructure. Working in partnership with our Private Sector, the local governments, the airlines as well as our neighboring countries, an effort will be made to improve our international air services. The new development projects needed for improving both the air services and the sea transport between Majuro and the Outer islands will be designed and implemented afgter the current review of the Outer Island transport infrastructure undertaken with ADS technical assistance is completed.

In regard to energy, programs will be implemented to provide both diesels generated electricity as well as solar generated electricity based on their respective viability. In particular a program will be implemented to expand the use of solar energy in the Outer Islands. Energy efficient policies will be designed and implemented. Strategies aimed at improving access to clean water will be implemented. These include, increasing the number of solar energy based reverse osmosis and distribution systems and assisting households to have ground wells and water catchments systems. The quality of water will be monitored more regularly through the increased efforts of EPA and devolving responsibilities for this task to the Local Councils in the Outer islands. The EPA will provide the necessary training in this area. Strategies adopted in the area of communications include those adopted by the National  telecommunications Authority to keep up with technological progress and to improve its financial viability. With assistance from the NTA policies and program will be implemented for improving communications to and within the Outer Islands and to provide opportunities for clients to receive the benefits of international technological progress in this area. An effort will be made to improve the emergency communications network between Majuro and Outer Islands linking both hospitals and the schools. The possibilities of establishing an amateur radio system for inter atoll and intra-atoll communications as well as of the use of satellite system for Outer Islands will be explored.

In addition, policies and program will be implemented to ensure that our entire infrastructure related assets are kept maintained properly and on a regular basis. The funding necessary for this purpose will be included explicitely in our Annual Government Budgets. The Repair Maintenance Fund approved under existing legislation will be established. A program of Training in Maintenance will be started and continued and the necessary Repair and maintenance manuals will be produced for all areas concerned. To the extent possible the assistance of Outer Island communities and Local Government will be secured for mantaining assets in their respective localities. At the same time a comprehensive program of ensuring safety of sea, air and land travel will be implemented. In order to ensure the construction of safe residential houses and to encourage physical planning and zoning, a Building Code will be developed and implemented in consultation with land owners. The Building Code will include provisions aimed at ensuring greater energy conservation, provision for water catchments and planting trees, gardens and lawns around houses and other buildings that are constructed, renovated or remodeled. The Land Registration and Land Management Acts will be implemented and a study will be conducted to verify public and coastal land ownership.

h.  Environmental sustainability

In regard to environmental sustainability, we will implement strategies aimed at meeting external and internal challenges. we will focus all possible efforts on mitigating the threats to our sustainable development indeed our very survival from Global Warming, Climate Changes and Sea Level The greatest threat to the very existence of our nation is the Sea Level Rise. will take all measures to increase the awareness among our people of this to make necessary planning and preparations to meet challenge and to secure international support to reduce its impact on our We make the greatest possible effort to lobby the community call on all industrialized to ratify and fulfill their commitment and obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and other related protocols at the earliest. Strategies will be implemented to have in place a contingency/adaptation plan to counter the emerging threats resulting from the Climate Change phenomena. For this purpose securing the Involvement of elected and leaders will Climate Change Country Team (CCCT). Nation wide education program be carried out educate our people including the Private Sector about the effects Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Ozone depletion on atoll environment. Change Contingency/Adaptation Plan be reviewed and implemented.

In terms of challenges, we strengthen our efforts to minimize the environmental degradation in our country and to harmonize our development efforts with environmental protection. Towards that, we first strengthen a!1 our mechanisms including the EPA, HPO other regulatory authorities well as the of greater coordination collaborative action among relevant regulatory agencies in the Government. The of Local Council also be actively sought. Through these means the relevant laws and regulations will be enforced more effectively.

In addition, we will also implement policies and programs to ensure to ensure greater compliance to environmental protection laws and regulations from the Private Sector the general public. This be done through various means, which include more intensive public education and awareness programs and campaigns. Aid donors be required to follow our Environmental Impact Assessment regulations in the design and implementation of their development projects. will be provided for the general public to more easily dispose their solid waste. At the same a well coordinated and an efficient program will be carried out for the safe and quick disposal of waste in the urban areas. In the immediate future we will formulate a National Waste Management Plan. be made to revitalize specific traditional environmental practices, methods and sites and to enhance public awareness about such methods and sites. Environmental studies be included in school curricula.

II. Human Resource Development

a. Education

Education forms the foundation of our country and therefore is the cornerstone in the achievement of our 2018. We can longer take for granted. is an expression of our the People of the Marshall Islands to place priority an education by investing vital resources that will ensure achievement of our National Vision. education system, which contextually and Culturally suitable, but internationally competitive, is our national priority. We achieve that by building on initiatives already underway to reform education and improve student achievement standards to acceptable levels. Strategic Education Plan, and its accompanying Implementation Guidelines, identifies additional reform initiatives that the Ministry of Education must undertake in the short and long-term future. An audit to align goals of the Strategic Education Plan to the broader framework of Human Resources Development resulting from the NESS2 and Vision be necessary first step. a nationwide consultation between the Ministry of Education and community stakeholders, including teachers, parents, traditional, business and community leaders need to be concluded immediately.

Implementation of the Strategic Education Plan, and any other education reformm initiatives, calls for a close partnership with our communities. Two initiatives are planned in the near term to increase public awarenss and create ownership and commitment towards the Strategic Education Plan and our education process overall. A second Education Summit will be convened by the Ministry of Education followed by a national Symposium on Education with the following objectives:

- to increase awareness and create public ownership of the Strategic Education Plan;

- to inform the public of new and planned reform initiatives;

- to increase awareness and instill a appreciation in the minds of our people on the importance of education in the future development of our nation; and

- to encourage close partnership between the Ministry of Education, Schools Local Governments, and parents.

A logical extension of the education planning process is the requirement for all atoll local governments to formulate respective Education Plans in close consultation with communities While the constitutional responsibility for education is vested in the Ministry of Education, the "Jepilpilin Ke Ejulclan" partnership with local communities is essential for the improvement of education in our country. To that end, local Government Education Plans be mandated to encourage this partnership to create ownership for localized school efforts. Such plans will reflect community thinking and plans for the maintenance of schools facilities and grounds, and other curricula and material improvement deemed culturally valuable and economically sustainable for community members.

A closer assessment of our education management information system is required, important statistics about fluctuations in school enrolment, number of repeaters and school drop outs, and graduates are needed for planning effective programs future. The launching of the Pacific Education Data Management System (PEDMS) software is critical to this initiative. Requisite training on software use and on the importance of collecting and using data for planning purposes will be essential for its Particularly important as a spin­off from the PEDMS will be literacy development both in English and Marshallese languages focusing mainly on kindergarten and early years of The purpose of and the overall support for the development of our schools will be continually assessed to ensure the system is meeting the country's human resource needs in all areas including "white collar jobs" as 'Neil as vocational and skills expertise. Restructuring of the Ministry of Education part of the· recommended efforts of the Strategic Education Plan that will make system more responsive to shift in thinking and priorities of our nation. A new Policy Section I be created the-Ministry of Education to oversee policy implementation and changes reflective of our National Vision. The Ministry of Education Rules and Regulations are undergoing review to ensure they are comprehensive, consistent and flexible to maintain high quality standards for all employees. The following actions will further these efforts:

- appropriate national qualification standards and assessment measures for elementary, secondary schools and college be developed and results used to guide and improve quality of education;

- program review be conducted for USPFRMI Joint Project, the high school college preparatory program and EMl Upward Bound and Developmental programs with a view to enhance their quality and ensure their cost-effectiveness;

- immediate efforts be made to incorporate cultural and traditional beliefs, values, arts and crafts and language into national, elementary and secondary curricula; and

- strengthen the ability of schools to carry out organized physical education and sports related programs in schools with more balanced gender approach.

We want to reaffirm the importance of nonformal education and training as a major component of our education strategy.

It is very important that move on this non-formal training and dearly the link between our formal and non-formal education to ensure they complement each ether and thus avoid duplication and waste of resources The National Training Council established under the Industries Development Act is with the mandate on non-formal education. We grateful to the support of ADS UNDP· who been assisting us in the areas of vocational training. Under the loan on Training, funding and technical assistance is available to us establish a Vocational Institute with all the associated requirements. It is our hope to provide vocational by our both Local Governments, the Sector. We would ensure there no gender bias in our vocational training courses and that credentials of our graduates  shall internationally competitive. More discussion of vocational training can be found under the section on Skills Training below.

Another important task is to review the Education the legal for education, to ensure its provisions are fully implemented. Where additional resources are required to implement assistance will be sought from the National and Local Governments The specific will be reviewed and revised as necessary with a view to making them enforceable:

- including other potential local candidates at the earliest school ards, rules and ethics for all

teachers, and students:

In the meantime however, we would standardized curriculum and school be looking ards our donor partners to examinations;

I field certain experts and volunteers until school supervision and monitoring;    such a time would get our own qualified people. When on board, this Core Team national qualifications standards for i ^I elementary, high schools and college I must exert exceptional degree of programs; commitment dedication and should be

-compulsory education from kindergarten able not only to perform their duties from up to high school;

- their base in the Ministry .but more so must that schools in the country must have be mobile and visit our schools regularly. adequate and core. But addressing the professional \ school supplies; and development of education personnel \

- any other issues from the

including the teaching profession overall nation wide consultative process is not enough. In fact, training upgrading professional skills of education personnel is waste unless staff.

We would also towards establishing at the earliest possibility, a team working in the Ministry, are truly motivated of Core Education Specialists in the and attitude of Education who could become dedication "Education Think-Tank" for our country, We of helr ou"es. In this to clearly establish in the course of the foster management-training reviewing our Strategic Education Plan, the  workshops from time to time at specialized areas that this Core Staff must enhancing the overall professional attitude represent. However, we envisage having of staff in title their work.

specialized people in curriculum Equally important would be the development, education administration and establishment of an organizational structure management human resources planning, that encourages decentralization of school psychology, science technology and financial manager. Our ultimate goal is to Ministry of Education to th have all these specialized posts filled by our School Committees of local people but in view of the inadequate Local Governments. The number of qualified people in education at rationale here is simply to create partnership this point in time. we will initiate a relevant among ail strata of our in the training program for the staff at the Ministry promotion of education for thus making sure our truly benefit the process. At the same time our conviction that by devolving certain responsibilities to those at lower management levels would encourage high motivation and commitment. The National Policy on Education vest our Ministry of Education whatever functions to be delegated must be clearly defined to avoid conflict the authorities in the Ministry and those at the Local Governments and School Committees. Appropriate decentralization within our educational structure certainly integrate our school system into our respective communities and lead to greater appreciation and hence to commitment by all people at all levels of our society to play their role in making education in our country.

Lack of qualified teachers has been a continuous problem confronting our nation since the start of our First Compact the United States. We cannot continue to rely on overseas teachers for obvious reasons such as high recruitment expenses A therefore for us be the commencement in the next academic year, of an aggressive comprehensive Training Plan aimed at upgrading qualifications, teaching skills, and the overall professional development of teachers and school In the next 3 to 4 months the Ministry of Education will out an internal audit of the training requirements for personnel of Education to ensure they are 'Nell accounted for in the overall Labor Market Survey. But if the Labor Market Survey addresses the Private Sector only, then a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment of the Public Sector must be undertaken as early as possible to address the professional training requirements for ongoing public servants including teachers. This Training Needs is discussed more detail under Section on and The internal audit of the Ministry's training needs result in the formulation an Education Training Plan that should show clearly the types and number of training for each area in number of scholarships for teachers based on the required number for of the teaching profession.

We would to implement this training program start of the 20C2 academic year. By the year 2018, we hope to have trained over 2000 elementary teachers, and likey. lise over 700 School with Bachelor and Masters degrees, in the different specialized fields thus enabling us to maintain a trained teachers/pupils ratio of '\: 17. Our National Vision also envisages locally qualified teachers with qualifications up to Doctorates to teach at CMl and also to make up the "Education Think-Tank" envisage at the Ministerial. The immediate peliey decision required right away is to review existing force ensure that schools have fair share of certified teachers, not only concentrated in Urban Centers. At the same time is important that the Public Service Commission assist where necessary to control the transfer of certified teachers away from the teaching profession to enable our teaching force maintained at reasonable levels. Also important is that CMI is moving towards offering a four-year Bachelor's degree program in education, which calls for all concerned to provide all the necessary support and at the same time ensure that we have a well-credited program once it starts.

The Ministry of Education will also examine closely the existing scholarship grants available to the people of the Marshall Islands under our with the United States to make it fully complement our mission to arrive at high numbers of locally qualified teachers. Table 4.2 below illustrates the points made that our existing scholarship program to be reviewed carefully in order to it an instrument for producing more qualified teachers and other skilled human resources. Starting this year, we will review the Teachers Training Program of the College of the Marshall Islands with the aim to ensure consistently produce higher number of certified teachers. We would also expand the CMl, both its programs and facilities as appropriate, to include annual training to continuously upgrade the skills of our serving teachers. We also work out a training program specifically for our serving teachers, especially those in kindergarten and elementary schools but lack the required qualifications, to take up further training at the CMI order to get them certified.

In addition to implementing for remain the much more extensive training requirements for the whole of our nation. yet, there not enough locally qualified people in our country, which contributes to the low of our Government to effectively administer our development programs. For the foreseeable future, we. shall rely on technical support from cur donor partners overseas. is important we ensure that the labor Market Survey that was commissioned recently reflect our training needs both in the areas of formal and non-formal education. From the finding of this labor Market Survey as any other commissioned training assessments by the Public Commission including other Ministries and Statutory Agencies, Lecal Governments, the Private Sector, and Civil then establish an overall National Training Plan. our Ministry of Education will review the present Scholarship Act in light of the Labor Market and other training needs assessment. with view to ensuring existence of a satisfactory procedure for the selection and award of scholarships to our people.

While we have recognized the immense contribution by education to a better quality of life for our people, not adequately addressed the real issues. The teaching profession is not being accorded its appropriate status relative to other professions and technical occupations

in Government. Over the years, teachers have been leaving the teaching profession seeking better other occupations. Yet, the fact is education is the prime process that has considerably on our individual lives apart from our parental guidance and cultural surroundings. One of our priorities in the immediate future would be to focus on reviewing the education structure with the view to giving education its appropriate status a dignified occupation. In particular, we consider incorporating a salary structure that takes into consideration) the extensive impact of education on our society, anine-entive for those serving on the Outer Islands, as well as responsibility allowance to those in charge of schools. By doing this, hope to retain our teachers in the teaching profession.

One of the most challenges for our education system over next 15 years is the changing of the of our people. Our education system will have to impart knowledge and skills among our people to revive our "sense of and make our young truly responsible, innovative and hard working. The schools must set standards and for ail teachers and students and· that these standards are a start in changing the mindsets of our children, our Ministry of Education hopes to commence a new policy at the start of our next academic year September 2001. Under this new policy, discipline will be re-enforced requiring all schools to stage a formal school It is our leave it to the Schools Administrators to work out the timing including the manner the proposed school will be it is however intended that this school assembly will undertake a school roll of teachers and students, followed by announcements, flag raising and singing of our National Anthem. All schools will also be to develop and implement a physical education program.

considerable advance of science and technology education to updated to the current Computer Science Technology courses, in all our schools is essential throughout nation At the same time, we must inform the public at large of the opportunities that are available in the of Information Technology, particularly that of the Internet to enable us to make the best out of these technologies while minimizing its risks upon our society. It require us to provide laboratories, with a reasonable number of computer hardware and software, plus the necessary teaching manpower in all our schools. Furthermore, as much as we could, we would explore all possibilities under our Compact with the United States to make us truly benefit in the area Science and Technology.

Then there is the issue of financing our Strategic Education Plan. As mentioned above, we must have the political to allocate adequate funding to the Education Sector, noting in particular the trend all over the Pacific where Education commands the highest budgetary allocation. We need to fed-lock at the present funding allocation and agree on a framework that provides adequate funding to our education sector, making sure that we have factored into our costing population It is also important that we identify other sources of funding from local sources aimed specifically to support education Our schools buildings and other facilities require early upgrading and renovation. And there is also the issue of private schools that have contributed the advancement of education in our country. The Ministry of Education review possible assistance that Government could offer to private schools and come up with an appropriate policy on the of private schools in our national education system We not be able to arrive at an ideal situation of providing our schools with first class facilities and teaching aids. But the least we must do over the next 15 years is to make sure the funding allocation for our education will not be affected by any of our national reform programs that involve cutting down of expenditures in the Public Sector.

While it is an immediate national right now to get well qualified and trained Marshallese to serve in the Public Service, we must make sure that improving the quality of education, especially at the elementary level, is not negatively affected due to excessive allocation of resources of boost-secondarv education.

A common dilemma most of cur countries the Pacific has been the lack of a clear direction and imperatives on non-formal This is the same in our country although we had recently addressed this dilemma in the reinforcement of our Council (NTC) by reviving its Board of Directors. execution of the ADS Program Loan on Skills and Training is also already addressing a range of critical issues on non-formal training. We see non-formal education and training important for those students who could not meet up to formal academic requirements and for our unemployed adult population. Already there an excessive rate of unemployment in our country, and the challenge for us over the years to assist our people to gain productive skills through dynamic non-formal education and training program. The appropriate formal programs has been compounded by the of adequate resources and thus we would ensure that adequate funding is allocated for non-formal education and training to ensure and effective implementation of our national vocational training programs.

Our National "a productive in a National on Non-Formal Education Training would prepare the majority our to manage change and to achievement of our

The Labor Survey provide us inventory of our non-formal training needs at ail of our society: National Government, local Government, and Private Sector in our Communities and Households. also in view of the Qut-migration of people that we provide with the minimal skills to lead productive lives the United States, and turn, to sustainable development of our by of back remittances. At formal education level, will introduce directives the areas traditional fishing agricultural skills, basic book­keeping and other basic to equip our young generations to lead productive lives.

As part and parcel of our Non-Formal Education and Training Strategy we be establishing a Vocational institute, which is one of the priority activities of the Program Loan. Already there is the existing Fisheries and Nautical Center that can also be expanded to include training for our sailors. On the latter point, it is especially advantageous for our country, from the perspective of our successful Ship Registry, that we can actually have all ships flying our National Flag, manned by Marshallese sailors. Even our effort to train skilled Marshallese work on foreign fishing vessels is yet to be fully We have tried in the past and we should once again re-look at our approach in the first place, and improve on where wrong. On the Subject of sailors, we could benefit greatly from the experiences and lessons of the Marine Training Schools of our neighbors, Kiribati and Tuvalu, who had received immense economic benefits from their numerous sailors serving on foreign vessels.

As in formal education where we must internationally recognized qualifications and standards, so also is the case with non-formal education. Within our Public ice for instance, we must have standards for all job categories. For example, Clerical Officers, must demonstrate competency, by passing a certain examination both theory and practical, solely on skills required for an Office Registry Clerk. Similarly, a Senior Executive in a or Agency, must demonstrate competency in management skills such as policy OnTlulation and analysis, and should also be made to confirm his or her competency by relevant written examinations from time to time. Any officer serving in Government must be well versed the Public Service Orders and Regulations and again this should be consistently verified by of examinations at least ever 4 to 5 years of service. For those public officers serving in the Agencies, they must be well versed with the legislation governing agencies, should also be subjected to examinations from time to time

Over the next two years, we will be developing of standards and performance indicators for job the Government including Statutory Local Governments, Sector and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) the aim to officially commence vocational training in relevant programs by the year 2004. Thereafter, we ensure that whatever examinations standards we are consistently enforced. for the very immediate future, and in anticipation of the findings of national Training Needs Assessment, like to embark on training in community development skills, project design, planning and management, small business skills, and how to manage family finances including loans, expenditures and savings. The areas of training listed here are very much in demand in our count right now and we would like to see year training programs in these areas started by the year 2002.

We shall make sure that do not end up with a big Administrative Office with many staff responsible for non-formal education and training but does not to the majority of our people. To avoid this from happening, we will look at ways of decentralizing vocational training activities throughout our and even explore the concept "Mobile Training Teams" to travel our Outer Islands, bringing the training to the people thus ensuring that most people benefit. We also carry out an inventory of our and the type of training they are involved and where appropriate, use them to carry out training programs under their areas of expertise. The use of our National NGOs is especially an important strategy to attract supplementary financial grants available to International NGOs for capacity building in the developing world.

It is also important that appreciate and recognize the difference in having the right people the right background to oversee and conduct our National Vocational Training Program once established. From the experience of other countries, we are told that one of the failures of their vocational training programs relates to the involvement of ex-school teachers who had not been trained in the appropriate skills required by instructors in vocational education and training. Right now, we do lack such instructors and a priority over the number of expertise from overseas to fill gap send our people for further We can see from the foregoing that in order for non-formal education to take off and become successful, our NTC must be strengthened and provided with adequate finance and human resources. In the medium term, we be looking towards recruiting Volunteers from abroad availing in particular the Volunteer Assistance Program from our donor partners.

Our has improved significantly over the last 10 years as shown 2. Most indicators of health status have improved. still have many challenges facing us in this area challenges include the need to reduce conjunctivitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STOs), influenza and diarrhea. Another challenge is that of non-communicable diseases or "life-style diseases" which include, diabetes, hypertension. heart diseases and cancer. Due to high incidence of these lifestyle diseases combined facilities on lsland to treat them we have to refer many of patients off-island treatment. This off-Island referral program is increasingly causing financial drain in our National 8udget. It is the intent of the Marshall Islands Government to improve the Outer Island medical services to relieve the off-island medical referrals.

Health Sector Strategies Our National Vision calls for us to become healthy people. Accordingly, our goal here is to build the capacity of each community, family and individual to care for their own health through quality primary care program and to provide high quality affordable and efficient service for our people. Given that the basic building block of society is the individual, the process of becoming a healthy nation starts with each only through an effective primary health program, motivates our people take in following healthy life styles, that our health status can be improved on a Towards this end we first and foremost revise and implement our already existing 15-Year Strategic Heaith Plan. That Plan is based en the Mission statement "To provide and people of program build of family and to for own health. To the Ministry of Heath and Environment pursues these goals using the national of Marshall Islands."

We will reinforce the primary health care concept endorsed in 1987. A sustained intensive effort be made to ensure that the thrust of our health care program will focus on preventive health care while at the same time enhancing our curative health implemented to get all stakeholders in the community involved in promoting primary health care. This be followed by implementation of comprehensive and a sustained to educate our community to practice elementary health care living standards. We our primary health care program through our Community Health strengthening the program through programs developed for each atoll with the participation of local Governments, NGOs and other interest groups. We renovate and improve all Health Centers in the Outer and build new ones here necessary. We will take steps to further improve the health well-being of mothers and children through strengthening of pre-natal and post-natal health care and immunization programs. An Action Plan will be developed and implemented to aggressively promote nutritious djets, which include local foods The consumption production of local foods be encouraged through measures, appropriate agricultural policies, re-introduction of the school lunch program using food and promoting education classes in schools. Assistance be provided in establishing that encourage the habit of regular exercise among our people, especially in the urban areas and programs implemented for the improvement of hygiene and sanitation at household level. For this purpose a survey of all homes in our country be carried out to assess the sanitation needs and to formulate a plan to meet those needs. At the same time, an effort will be made in collaboration with NGOs to reduce poverty and to provide nets for the disadvantaged and the We implement programs aimed at reducing the of medical referral overseas. These mainly improving the health services and the facilities available in our country, at the urban hospitals in Majuro and Ebeye Programs be implemented urgently train the personnel required at these ho to be able to competently the various medical at hospitals and to run the required laboratory tests. At the same time steps will b€ taken to produce and local health personnel so that there be an adequate supply of such personnel the future The screening process followed for the selection of referring patients for treatment overseas be improved and strictly enforced. 

Our reproductive health program will be enhanced in order to ensure sustainable livelihoods for every one of our citizens. This program will include an effective health education program aimed at convincing families of the importance family planning, developing and implementing a national breast feeding policy and increasing access to family planning facilities and services. The current policies and programs aimed at significantly reducing the incidence of STDs will be strengthened and intensified. All possible care will be taken with vigilance in order to prevent the incidence of H1V and AIDS in our country.

As indicated in Chapter 2, to our latest Census in June 1999, total population increased to 50,840 persons, or by 17 percent from the previous Census figure of 43,380 persons intercensal annual growth rate by these figures is 1.5 is far below the natural growth rate of 3.7 percent recorded in the same period. The reason the actual growth rate to fail far below the natural growth rate has been, as pointed out earlier, the significant out migration our people to the United States in recent years While the of Free Association provides the legal right for our people to migrate, the job opportunities in that country have been a major factor attracting our people there. The uncertainty of the future of the Compact as well as bleak job prospects and the loss of many jobs due to the recent downsizing of the Public Service seem to have induced many to migrate.

While the contribution it stloJld also be noted that a fall in our fertility rate has also contributed to reduction in our population rate. In 1988, natural growth rate of population was higher at 4.3 percent. Since then although our Crude Death Rate (CDR) has declined significantly from 8.9 per thousand 1988 to 4.9 in 1999 we have managed to achieve a decline in our natural rate of growth to 3.7 percent. The main factor behind this has been a fall in our total fertility rate from 7.2 in 1988 to 5 7 in 1999. This has been mainly the result of a successful family planning program implemented by the Ministry of Health and Environment with contributions from other Government Agencies in collaboration with NGOs such as Youth to Youth in Health.

The Second National Economic and Social Summit pointed out and recommended that the country should start taking account an important factor to be part of our sustainable development strategy. Our natural of high both international standards and by the capacity of our to absorb the increasing employment. Out migration act as a safety valve, absorbs the excess labor force. This is one of the advantages of being, within an inter-dependent world" as admitted in our National Vision. specifically, this is of the advantages of our special political and the States. In our identified specific strategies to impart job skills to our which  prepare population internal migration. shown in Chapter 2, the rate of urban influx has somewhat abated in recent years, some atolls in the Marshal! Islands experienced negative growth. Despite the drop in growth rat$ in urban population, thirds of our people are living in the two urban centers and Ebeye The adverse consequences of such heavy population pressure are acutely felt in these population centers, especially in particular, the infrastructure and on essential services lik6 health and educ-3tion been heavy and not adequately met. Overcrowding on Majuro and Ebeye increased the communicable diseases such as TB, leprosy, conjunctivitis and skin diseases. income to buy nutritious food for everyone in the home perhaps led to the increase in the incidence of such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.

Another major problem our massive internal migration is the fact that large numbers of our youth idle in the centers without involved activities. They are not only unemployed but also live on the incomes of their extended families. The pressures on environment and on our such as the plants and (reef fish) is another problem that compete for land, space and money, thus leading to increasing frequency land various owners, that further lead discouragement of potential Due to in our economy over the past four decades we have come to depend on imported The bias of our diet is in favor non-nutritious imported food Olle the of malnutrition among our children and obesity among our adults We believe that through the strategies in Vision 2018 particularly aimed at Outer Island Development, we would be able to attract of our population from the Urban centers to the Outer Islands to be gainfully employed.

The dependency ratio, or the number of dependents per 100 working age populations has fallen from 109 in 1988 to 78 in 1999. But the ratio is still high and exerts a considerable strain on our resources. Our fast growing labor force is the other significant challenge we face. The labor force grow by an amount of 800-900 new entrants per year for the next ten years. This means that with about 200-300 retiring from jobs we will have to find jobs for about 500 to 600 job seekers every year. In the past we not able to create so many jobs. !n fact many jobs were lost due to the Public Sector Reform Program in the late 19905. As a result, our average unemployment rate for the country as whoie including both urban and rural areas, increased from 12.5 percent in 1988 to 30.9 percent in 1999. Under the strategies in Vision 2018, particular care will be taken ·to encourage the creation of jobs in the Private Sector and in self-employment.

As 2018 incorporates strategies to develop our sectors on agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, IT Industries, airspace as our seabed potential. Such development should be able to create job opportunities for growing labor force. Other strategies, which assist in include the development of our infrastructures needed for our economic development, promotion of the Private Sector through creation of a favorable environment and human resources development. At the same time, will continue to improve our family planning program in order to further reduce our population growth to levels manageable both at the family level and at the national level. Towards this end we reactivate the National Population Council to ensure that our National Population Policy, which was adopted by Cabinet in 1995, is implemented to the fullest extent possible. We will promote reproductive at levels through an appropriate population education program.

The satisfactory achievement of our Vision 2018 would also depend on how We  the People of the Marshall islands live up to the expectations in terms of our attitudes to work and society, our moral standards, trustworthy and responsible become in the performance of duties bestowed upon ourselves. This points to the need for as much unity as possible across all strata of our but as we know, in diversity" while being a honorable goal, is always not easy to achieve. This is why choose to address the controversial subject of spirituality as one of the prerequisites towards the achievement of our Vision 2018. We believe that spirituality is an imperative means of developing the character and values of a person to make that person a better human being. Spirituality is for complete life and therefore to our from the individual, households and families, and the to communities, business organizations, civil society and our and Local Governments.

challenge that do on the fundamental human of our people, their freedom of belief and rights, as commit to address the spirituality our However, a People trusting the presence and existence of Almighty God as the Provider and Giver of Ufe, we are duty bound to God in all respects of justice and righteousness. The active presence of God in a person's life ensure a person's good moral character. To that extent. there is a greater likelihood that a person also support and work towards the achievement of the targets that our National Vision stands for. By the same token when more of our fellow citizens are spiritually that in itself create a strong force momentum that propel our nation our National Vision would seriously explore pragmatic ways of enhancing the spirituality of our people to give us a sense of identity, our perspective of life, our sense of belonging the world and the whale universe, our ethics, and our understanding of love and the events of life.

spirituality, we not understand the and jays of life. We see spirituality as an imperative to our drive change the mindsets of our people. We wiil encourage our schools to teach the basic principles of spirituality that revolves around compassion, understanding of others rights and and a commitment to others, and to be creative in a better life. The singing of our National Anthem. memorization of our Motto "Jepilpilin Ke Ejukaan" and the. raising of our National Flag in school morning parades and other formal gatherings our society will be encouraged means of enhancing our patriotic love for our people and our nation.

For, as the saying goes, don't patriots, we skeptical patriots looking to keep the path and righteous." the Leaders of our society

our and other Traditional, Political. Religious leaders, Chief Executives and organizations, a for Director of Department and/or Statutory Agency, Directors of our NGOs, Mayors and Councilors and every of Marshall Islands. have strong with strong spirituality, we are assured of "true" leaders serving us, the people of Marshall Islands in righteous but not their personal greed. would therefore review our existing Code of Ethics with the view to enforce the moral standards and ethics stipulated therein as a force to further the development of spirituality among our leaders.

As a priority activity, we would review relevant provision the Constitution and other Legislation of our country and establish clearly the specific rights and freedom of the individual granted under these laws. We would also undertake nationwide consultation among the Nitijela, iroij and other Traditional Leaders, National Government, Local Governments, Sector, NGOs and Civil Society, and atoll communities, in order to establish a clearer understanding of our responsibilities under the Bill of Rights as well as our traditional values and culture to enable both institutions and our People to together in harmony. The next important activity would be to every Marshallese understand clearly or her rights under these laws so we these rights, we would do so in a true environment of understanding and respect of other's freedoms. Of importance to is that every single Marshallese recognize our respective responsibilities within the context of our social hierarchy to ensure that the cultural norms and obligations expected out one of us, are followed preserved for the good of all.

Our inherent cultural features a friendly and respecting people, are already spiritual values in themselves. !n this regard we would further explore ways of building these inherent qualities to make our people truly understanding and continue accepting others as they are,  egardless of their color, race, religious beliefs and political ideology. We believe that these qualities strong in ourselves, will be heading towards greater degree of unity among people irrespective of our religious Our National Council of Churches therefore may be an appropriate organization to bring about unity among the different religions and churches in our country and to the spiritual growth of our people in conformity with the aspirations of our Vision 2018.

Over the years our imports have grown rapidly and increasingly outstripped our slow growing exports. The widening trade deficit this situation has been with Compact and other foreign economic assistance to some extent with borrowing. The influx and consumption of less nutritious food have induced the prevalent problems or "life-style" diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and gout our To address these issues. proposed under agricultural development advocate the increase in the output of local food and agricultural exports. Trie Plan advocates that actively pursue programs to develop potentially new and viable agricultural products for export incentive to encourage communities to reduce more local food is the creation of an effective demand through the establishment of such as 3 "Farmer's Markets" in urban centers. It is also equally important to our farmers to modern technology such 3S hydroponics. strategy encourages assisting communities in the management of land and the growing and preservation of traditional food crops. In addition, we also implement measures to enhance the value-added portion of our locally produced goods and to promote the sales distribution of such goods. The prevailing health situation in our country is such that there is a high incidence of malnutrition among our and obesity among our adults. Our endeavor to achieve our Vision implies that our nation must become healthy in body and spirit. To achieve this state of healthiness, it is essential that our people have adequate Nutrition policies. part of such policies is to gardening a means of supplementing home food supply and to reinstate school lunch programs that food. The encouragement of subsidized school lunch program warranted at healthy nutritious diet and a state of well-being for ail children attending as campaigns conducted Ministry of Health and other relevant government agencies will also be strengthened in order to encourage and instill in the minds of our the importance of nutritious local food. the Convention on the Rights of a Child (eRe) "Jepiipilin Ke Ejukaan" Report will be reviewed and the relevant recommendations implemented.

The production of locally processed food and supplements has not yet been fully developed in our country. Locally processed food and supplements such as nin juice, breadfruit chips, coconut cooking oil, tuna jerky, preserved giant clams, fish, and breadfruit and forth have the potential to generate supplemental income, food security, and foreign exchange earnings for our nation. To increase the output of locally processed food and supplements, the Plan advocates the establishment of requisite agricultural infrastructure to the Outer Islands. With the assistance of such facilities, we would be able to foster and promote the enhancement of agricultural. surplus available for processing. Such facilities further encourage small-scale agri-business and processing at the household level. The processes will be further enhanced through educating communities both in urban centers and in the Outer in food processing techniques and technology. In order to assist small armers and businesses, the merits of the "Grameen model would be studied with a view to introducing such "banks" in our country.

The percentage of underutilized and idle land in terms of area and soil quality our country is There are well over 1,000 islets in our country that have the to increase the output of agricultural food crops and other produce of properly utilized. order to revitalize idle land, coconut plantations be rehabilitated and replanted with coconuts and other commercially valuable trees and crops that could be utilized as raw  materials for the production of Marshallese handicrafts and for other traditional, construction and industrial purposes. Traditional leaders and landowners also be encouraged to urge local communities to grow more traditional food crops. Steps will be taken to farmers to burn their land. Furthermore. farmers and the general community will be assisted in eradicating pests and diseases that infest food crops.

From time to time, our country faces natural disasters such as storm surges and typhoons. It is therefore important that we take into account mitigation measures to minimize the adverse impact of natural to our agricultural crops and livestock. In this regard we will formulate a National Disaster Management Plan as soon as possible. The Plan advocates a strategy aimed at promoting a crop and livestock management system. This system also facilitate early response to distressed crops and livestock. in addition, emergency response plans and training programs aimed at controlling and eradicating pest and diseases that infest food and commercial crops will be formulated and implemented.

We seriously review the future of copra that has always been the of the of our people In particular we review the of Tobolar as a copra Authority and explore the necessity of establishing a Coconut Authority or Cooperative as a establish and operate consolidation points Statutory Agency similar to the in a where copra can be easily shipped so as to cut shipping tum-around of our neighboring countries. The foremost of such Authority will be to:-establish methods for so producers more easily to the consolidation boost production through on-going points; and coconut replanting program on and operate on-Island copra sales arrangement where Coconut Authority help producers achieve better quality acts as middleman. copra and increased production;

The proposed establishment above allow the producers to sell their product at their chosen time, rather than for the visit of a ship. At the time, quality control at the sales point will that Tobolar will be able to purchase the Coconut Authority a guaranteed good quality copra, that improve its value-added products. The Coconut Authority can also carryout research and development on ether coconut by-products and provide competent advice to Government. We also consider establishing a Coconut Price Stabilization Fund in to handle the responsibility of administering the copra subsidy, which is currently administered by Tobolar, and to invite aid donors to contribute to this fund, in the same manner that the European Union contributes to similar funds in other Pacific countries with a wide variety of marine resources. The value of the annual catch of Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs) vessels within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is around US$50 annually. To date however, the potential of the sector for the development of sustainable and more substantial income earning in our country has been under-utilized. As a strategy aimed at maximizing rents from the sector within sustainable limits, we streamline strengthen our Fishing Agreements in the course of negotiating Mth DWFNs. Other potential possibilities of developing or investing in additional processing infrastructure such as canneries based locally will 00 explored. With the influx of foreign fishing and fisheries activities in our country, a strategy has been formulated to ensure that the Marine Resources (MIMRA) technical capacity is strengthened in order for the Agency to effectively enforce, monitor, and control transshipment and all fisheries. 

Currently, our country has been primarily generating foreign exchange earnings mostly in offshore fisheries. The income-generating opportunities in the near-shore fisheries are vast and have not been properly utilized. A strategy incorporated in the Plan therefore aims at sustainable utilization of our coastal fisheries resources in the areas of aquaculture and mari-culture as a means of attaining food security and income generation. Furthermore, another strategy addresses the need to conduct a study on the aquarium fish trade as an alternative source of income. Another approach addresses the establishment of Community Fishing Centers (CFC) and trust fund four-flushers. It is, however, important to emphasize that our resources must be managed in a sustainable manner. Therefore the Plan incorporates a strategy for the formulation of a comprehensive coastal resource management plans and policies that will ensure that our precious resource stocks are not depleted or degraded. The development of sustainable energy sources for the use of local fishers is another strategy that the Plan has taken into account. An alarming emerging trend in most fisheries worldwide is the near depletion of fisheries resources due to over harvesting and unsustainable harvesting methods. In our country, marine resources are one of the main means of our sustenance and livelihood. To preserve and manage our valuable resource in a sustainable manner for the present and future generations, we must develop sustainable resource management of lens based on fisheries stock, assessment and scientific evidence. The Plan has included a strategy, which aims to facilitate research and studies to conduct fisheries resource stock assessments. Understanding how much resource we have, and how much could take from it will assist us to make better decisions in regard to the utilization of our resources. Strategies have also taken into account the regulation and conservation of particular marine resources such as seashells, live reef fish, and live corals. Another strategy that is equally important and which addresses the preservation and conservation of our marine resources is the establishment of marine conservation areas trhoughout our nation particularly in those atolls where resources are near depletion.

Our earlier fisheries strategies on the development of a local capability for large-scale commercial fisheries. However, we have now deviated from this strategy because of the difficulties and risks involved. As alternative means more employment opportunities fisheries industry, we will strengthen our Fisheries Nautical and Training Center (FNTC). the institution will be reviewed a to establishing mission taking emerging trends fisheries regionally and internationally. In addition, we will explore the possibility of increasing employment opportunities for the graduates of FNTC in our country's Ship Registry operations. We also explore potential aquaculture by and organizations to out feasibility and viability studies promote and the of employment and income opportunities for our people.

Total exports from our sector have declining over This is mainly due to the closure Ting Hong Fishing Company. The company was involved in the management and operation of Majuro Base and exported fresh-chilled tuna to overseas To address issue, the Plan has taken into account aimed at enhancing the capacity of the fisheries sector to increase output processing, trade and exportation of resources sustainable limits. Therefore, a strategy has been formulated to the promotion of Private activities for both offshore and inshore fishing. strategy is aimed at strengthening relationships with regional and international multilateral organizations with a to maximizing benefits. These benefits may include but are to funding and technical assistances to out research, surveys and other marine related projects and programs, Regional organizations such as Forum Secretariat, South Pacific Environment Program (SPREP), South Commission (SOPAC) and Forum Fisheries (FFA), various technical assistances. The challenge for us is that we make the best use the services provided by these to make payment of our fees worth the while and especially to enhance the development our fisheries. The number of tourists in our country has been slowly increasing over years. However. our tourist industry is still in its infancy. There is considerable potential to develop our tourism industry, and therefore through its growth and development a significant contribution can be made towards the development of our overall economy. An essential condition for the growth of this industry is increasing the reliability and frequency of air services bottle domestically and internationally Together with that, we also implement an aggressive marketing program that promote our country as a venue for eco-tourism. Other strategies be implemented for the establishment of eco-tourism infrastructure and facilities in the Outer Islands. The passing of the Land Registration Act would assist in obtaining lands for developing tourism resorts. As a further strategy, steps will be taken for the promotion of annual cultural events aimed at reviving traditional songs, skills, chants, folklore and food preparation.

Pacific Island countries offer similar attractions and as lots sunshine and reliable infrastructures to promote tourism their respective countries. in the emerging strategy to attract more tourists is promotion of one's culture traditions as a means of offering something that unique and special.

The attract specific tourist groups;

identification, protection, and of legendary and historical sites;

strengthening Alete institution with a to and promoting cultural activities and incorporating our culture and traditions in school curricula; and the establishment of sanctuaries and conservation sites, as a measure to minimize negative impact from tourism.

Since a clean and beautiful country attracts tourists, we 'Mil attempt to keep our atolls and our environment particularly in the Outer Islands in its pristine conditions throughout Majuro Atoll has become cleaner over the years, we still see a lot of garbage and debris especially in coastal areas where there are landfills or dump sites. The Plan incorporates strategies aimed at facilitating cleanliness and at the same time instilling in minds of our people the importance of collaboration to keep our atolls clean and We will implement strategies aimed at:

-minimizing the use of non-biodegradable products;

- strengthening aggressively

- enforcing laws and regulations for minimizing littering pollution;

- strengthening and promoting

- recycling programs and public awareness programs at community education;

- facilitating activities, which are aimed at landscaping and beautifying our country through the involvement of Traditional leaders and landowners. 

As we address and improve the situation facing the development and growth of cur tourism industry, we will also focus on enhancing the industry's capacity to cater to the anticipated growth in the number of tourists visiting our country. The strategies infrastructure particularly in the Outer Islands. The Outer Islands are seen as the future opportunity for the development of our economy. Furthermore, steps be taken to improve the access to credit and to assist domestic investment. Another strategy aims at enhancing safety standards for all tourist-related activities.

d. Manufacturing

Manufacturing is one area within our productive sector that is well positioned to stimulate economic growth. To effectively harness the potential of this sub-sector, We need to:

- an overall strategy for in new product development.

- Efficiency, allocation of

- and effectiveness, from a strategic planning

- shall be our motto, guiding us to of our Vision 2018 , particularly where concerns harnessing the full potential of this sub-sector.

Our overall strategy to promote the development of the Sector a whole has been presented in the section on "Creating a Favorable Investment Climate". overall strategy is also intended as a means of attracting private investment including foreign direct investment into our sector. Although there is scope for the development of a9ro-based and fisheries-based manufacturing activities our country, our past experience shows that attracting investment into such activities is not easy. Numerous studies and reports as our experience has shown. that investment incentives are not the crucial determinant of the level of such investment. There disadvantages, which we are facing and that need to be overcome. These the smallness of our domestoIe the low level of ski\!s among our and the remoteness of our country from major world markets. Therefore will develop an integrated approach to encourage the growth of our manufacturing sector through the adoption of a number of measures including the enhancement of the skills of our workforce and identifying niche products that are viable in our context. In this regard we develop a detailed set policies and programs taking into account the need for the above type measures as well as potential role that IT can this context as well as preferential treatment that our exports could receive under the of free Association, the ACPIEU Protocol and the SPARTECA.

ii. We productive capacity by identifying potential comparative advantages in manufacturing. Realizing that our resource base is relatively shall strive to innovative and prudent expanding the productive capacity of our manufacturing industry. Where in quantity shall aim to quality Realizing that the ^Off under the Compact of Association gives RMI product edge in the particular market we will work to ensure that this treatment is continued under the new Compact. For manufacturing operations iccal sources cannot meet enter into partnership or joint venture with reputable institutionally strengthened to enable the foreign companies. Implementation of an effective program developing and marketing both new

Product Development

existing products. information technology is and existing product one area we endeavor to engage in actively. development and new market penetration. Where feasible, enter into joint shall be our goal. The Trade ventures with foreign IT companies so as to investment within the Ministry of develop our own iT industry.

IV. Outer Island Development

Our recent Second National Economic and Social Summit Outer Island Development as one of the key strategies for our sustainable and self-reliant development in the next 15 years. Our National Vision implies that among other things, strive towards achieving greater self-reliance.

implies further that we must become productive nation, we should cur culture and traditions and at same time ensure harmony between development and environmental sustainability. looking at tli6se goals more closely we see that Outer Island Development will contribute significantly their achievement.

Potential for Development on the Outer Islands. part of Jaluit Atoll.  

Development would best be understood by looking briefly at the major developments our economy over the past forty years. Most notably, we have become increasingly dependent on foreign economic assistance, imports and skills. This has brought about a remarkable transformation in our life styles. Firstly, most our natural resources have been diverted from their traditional use to tit the new economic structure that has emerged over the past four decades. Over these years our labor force has shifted largely subsistence agriculture and fishing towards more specialized types of in a cash economy almost all the needed goods are bought in the market. In 1958, over three fourths of our labor force was employed in agriculture and However, three decades later only 21 percent of the labor force employed in that primary sector. In our case, the goods that we buy exchange for the and salaries we earn, are not produced domestically but are imported from. Secondly, we have become heavily dependent on foreign economic assistance. foreign economic assistance economy, and along with it. our living standards will greatly affected. We are able to generate a huge import bill, which in 1999 was $61.0 million, Without earning enough foreign exchange to pay for it. This is so because of the of such assistance. structural change undergone by our economy did net result in any notable growth in our export earnings either from the sate of goods overseas or from services such as tourism. Instead of being engaged in such activities, our labor force and entrepreneurship engaged in the production of services. in the Sector and non export earning services in the Private Sector as explained in the section above.

A third significant change that is relevant for our present discussion is that to those employed the emerged sectors our came to be centered Majuro and Ebeye, a proportion our population has moved to those two urban centers. !n 1958, only one third of our total population lived in Ebeye and Majuro but by the situation had completely reversed with only one third living in the Outer Islands This has resulted in striking imbalance in the use of our economic resources: while the lands and marine resources in the Outer Islands have come to be a substantial of our workforce live in areas. unemployed and on resources of those who have jobs. In 1999 our unemployment rate was 305 percent, which is Quite by any standard.

Fourthly, while the above indicates a fundamental problem in our economy from the point of view of problems have developed over these years in the consumption side as well. One of these problems relates to our dietary habits. As a result of shifting our consumption

pattern in favor of imported fatty foods, most of our people have come to suffer from many life style diseases such as diabetes hypertension. The problems have become worse because of our inadequate physical. Many of our adults suffer from obesity. In contrast, many of our young children suffer from malnutrition due perhaps not so much to the lack of food but to their dependence on non-nutritious foods and soft drinks from the adverse consequences of our status, the financial drain resulting from this situation on our Government budget has earlier. as a result of changes that have occurred in our lifestyles,' there has also been a fundamental in our attitudes. Firstly, as discussed previously, a sense of dependence has come to be deeply entrenched in our minds. Secondly, there has been an erosion of respect for our culture and traditions. It is true, of course, that both culture and tradition are dynamic: as everything else in the world they too change with the times. However, sustainable development in any society can be ensured only if the changes take place in a positive manner, so that the essence of the culture and tradition are retained at all times The preservation of the of any nation depends on the preservation of culture and tradition of that nation, The and for individuals, respect for leadership, elders and for knowledge, the willingness to share and care and care for the disadvantaged, rational use of resources to ensure sustainability, maintaining social discipline and reciprocity in transactions are some of the basic characteristics of our traditions and culture. Before the major changes of past four decades, our Culture and traditions ensured that our economy and society were sustainable. Now we have reached a point our economy and society has changed significantly but our sustainability is not assured. In reinstating sustainability time has come for to our culture and traditions can us. The above discussion shows that in order our Vision, need to:

- our order to promote the production of foreign exchange earning goods and our consumption pattern towards a more nutritious diet;

- induce our people to become more active physically;

- put our idle both natural and human into greater productive use;

- divert our idle population urban \ areas to the rural areas; and

- bring about a fundamental change our attitudes to favor a greater sense of self-\ and in favor of our I national identity, culture and

We believe that through the adoption of Outer Island Development as a component of our sustainable development strategy, we would be able to achieve these results. 2018 has identified several key areas of focus with regard to the formulation of strategies for Outer Island Development. These are:

- devolution and deconcentration of political and administrative functions;

- infrastructure maintenance development;

- development of productive resources; and

- human resource development

Strategies in each of these areas have been discussed earlier in this Chapter under different headings but in over all terms,

they pertain to our country as a whole. In the following discussion the relevant strategies are discussed as they relate specifically to Outer Island Development.

c. Outer Island Development

As it is said that a good government is a government that stays close to its people. One in government can stay close to its people is by bringing itself closer to the people. This means there be a continuing partnership the government and the through a variety of mechanisms such consultations in regard proposed legislation, policies, programs and projects that affect the citizens. While doing so, is also important to provide maximum possible opportunity make decisions in relations to matters that concern their own localities and Which do not have major ramifications for the rest of the nation. In this regard the Plan proposes that over the next fifteen years steps be taken to gradually devolve legislative authority to local Councils in proposes that strategies be implemented for the purpose of enhancing both the financial and administrative capacity of each to manage within its area of authority. This will be done initially by adopting training programs and other measures to enhance the administrative and capacity of each local Government particularly those that need to be strengthened. Measures will also be adopted to strengthen the viability of the respective Local Governments, should they need such assistance. In this regard it is important to ensure that the taxes imposed the Local and those of the Government are complementary and net competitive. Reference made earlier to the Tax review that be undertaken and will this consideration into account. Eventually a Trust fund or several such funds will be established to financially assist those Local Councils that are in need.

in addition to devolution functions as discussed above, efforts will be made to deconcentrate the activities of the National Government by developing viable regional suitably central locations such Wotje and Jaluit. high schools and infrastructure facilities such as power plants are being established in these locations. Because of small populations the Outer Islands the of such sub-centers will be done slowly and gradually that each center serve as a hub for several of the neighboring Atolls. has already mentioned elsewhere in this Chapter that steps will be taken to ensure that Outer Island communities be provided opportunities to review legislation in the Nitijela. initially this will be done by providing opportunity for Local Governments to review such Bills consultation with their people.

Plan strategies in regard to infrastructure development the Outer islands have already been presented in earlier section. These strategies aim at several objectives that would ultimately lead to the achievement of our National Vision. Firstly, they aim at facilitating greater productive use of our natural and human resources by providing the needed and reliable transport, energy and communication services. Secondly, they aim at improving the quality of life of the Outer lsland population os that they need not necessarily reside in the urban centers to enjoy modern amenities. Thirdly, better and more affordable transport facilities would enable more frequent commuting by Outer lsland communities between the urban centers and their homes so that they need not permanently live the urban centers.

The strategies identified in the Plan and presented earlier, for improving Outer islands infrastructure relate to several key areas. One is sea, air land transportation. The specific projects needed for improvement will be identified as soon as the report of ADB technical assistance funded team of experts have formulated their report. The provision of better access to energy is another area in which strategies have been identified. There are ongoing efforts to provide diesel-generated electricity in the sub-centers such as Wotje and Jaiuit. These efforts will be continued based on future demand and viability. In the meantime, an intensive effort will be made to facilitate more use of renewable energy in all the Outer lslands in partnership with all strata of our society. Strategies have been identified to provide better access to clean water through assistance for the installation of solar power operated reverse osmosis systems as well as for rainwater catchments and ground wells. Strategies for the improvement of communications have been discussed earlier.

The third area of focus in Outer Island Development is the development of productive resources. Strategies identified for this general objective have been discussed previously under Agriculture, Fisheries, Tourism and Manufacturing. In the case of agriculture strategies are identified for increasing food production both for domestic consumption and for export, achievement of food security one of the key objectives. Outer Islands offer the best opportunities for this purpose because there is not much arable land area left in Majuro and Ebeye. An important challenge in this connection is how to make agriculture an attractive occupation in view of the rising expectations among the young labor force to find paid jobs in the urban centers. Problems encountered at present are numerous. They relate to land ownership, availability labor, capital know-how, availability of transport, marketing outlets and processing facilities. Strategies have been developed to deal with these impediments in order to ensure an adequate effective demand for domestic agricultural products and to ensure higher cash and real incomes from agriculture. These are discussed in the section on agriculture above.

Fisheries are another area which has potential for increased production in the Outer Islands. The objective here is to enhance income opportunities in coastal fisheries for which several strategies have been identified including establishment of fish centers in the Atolls and developing sustainable energy sources for the use of fishermen. Major projects are already under way in certain Outer Atolls with assistance from Japan. Other strategies include those aimed at developing mari-culture in the Outer Islands, especially per and giant clam farming which seem to have bright prospects for fetching high-income levels.

Strategies will also be implemented to ensure sustainability of marine resources in the Outer Islands. Strategies in regard to fisheries development in the Outer Islands are discussed in more detail under productive sectors. There is potential for the development of tourism in the Outer Islands. This industry is still at a very low stage of development in our country due to a number of constraints such as remoteness from the rest of the world and the associated high cost of travel as well as the lack of sufficiently developed tourism-infrastructure. The latter includes such things as hotels and resorts, activites for tourists, well trained hospitality industry workers and medical, transport and communication facilities. However, there seems to be a developing interest in diving in our country, which has become clear over the past few years. Strategies for developing tourism in the Outer Islands in a sustainable manner are discussed in the section on Tourism.

The scope for developing manifacturing in our Country is limited. However, there are opportunities to develop manufacturing in the form of agro-based and fisheries based processing activities. There is also scope for greater promotion of our handicrafts. In regard to all these activities the Outer Islands have to be closely involved because of the need to produce a surplus agricultural or fisheries output for processing. There is also the need to produce higher level of raw material for handicrafts as the output of such products increase. The strategies identified are presented under the section on Manifacturing.

In addition to the above, the Plan present strategies aimed at enhancing education and skills levels of the Outer Island communities. It is important that while providing greater economic opportunities through better infrastructure services, and production possibilities in the real sector, it is equally important for our people in the Outer Islands to have the capacity to make use of such opportunities. That will come only from empowering them with greater education and skill levels. The strategies aimed at achieving the objective are discussed under Human Resources development Section in this Chapter. In addition, the Plan presents a number of strategies aimed at changing the attitudes of our people and enhancing their respect for culture and traditions. Those are discussed under sections on Education and Culture and Tradition in this Chapter. 

v. Science and Technology

We are living in the knowledge era and we want our nation to benefit from the enormous advance Science and Technology. The revolution in information technology continue to the most important technological advance for the next decade in people anytime/anywhere access to voice or video communications the Internet or other networked computer systems. One of our priorities over the 2 years 'Mil be to develop a National Strategy on to enable avail immense opportunities the continued advance of information technology in a coordinated and cost-effective manner. We had also impressed under the on Education above, on the imperative to establish computer laboratories in all our schools as a first step adapting the mindsets of our young generation towards IT.

But being computer literate is not enough. We need to urgently institute a comprehensive Program on Science and that addresses only our education system overall but also the of skills and competency in our Public and Private Sectors right now. Moreover, we must not overlook the imperative by Science and Technology in creation of our sustainable economy for the future, which important when producing exports balance cur of Trade. in this knowledge-based economy, trade is increasingly centered on information technology related products both in goods and should strive to capture a portion of this This is obviously employment creation activity for our people by training them in information technology. Our to earn a fair return from the of our marine fisheries resources by foreign nations is highly on the technological competency our now certainly points to the urgent need to have scientific and technological. Most of the decisions make for instance are related directly or indirectly to science. In our own reformed planning approach the formulation our we basically followed scientific methodology grassroots analysis was a major component. On the same token, our to develop potential export d goods and services 'Mil depend largely on our national capacity in Technology. our Government the best scientific advice in order to fully appreciate the impact of these decisions on the lives of our people. The Cabinet or Senior Executive in Government or the Private Sector must be able to explain the rationale behind any decisions should any member of our society question such a decision. This rationality is best explained through scientific approach towards analyzing the under consideration and why such decision considered as the best in the interest of our nation.

In order therefore for us to make the best out of the existing global knowledge-based economy, it is important that seriously invest more Research and Development activities and to access best scientific and technological advice could possibly have in the very immediate future. The capacity and capability of our research programs the "origins" of our nation environment, agriculture fisheries are far from being adequate and points to the urgent need to augment this situation. in addition, Science brings about decisions that are bipartisan and is a major contributing factor to effective politics solely on rational and effective thinking in the interest of our nation overall. Within the period of our. First, we will urgently take stock and available in our country at this point in time We will then rank those areas in our Government that requires competent and technological skills. In area of infrastructure for instance, we need qualified civil engineers, water and sanitation engineers. Likewise cur Environmental Protection we need a range of competent scientists in climate change, health science. Environmental Impact (E\A), many more There is also our inherent need for numerous science and technology teachers and health personnel. We also need qualified scientists specializing in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, tourism and manufacturing. At the National Government level, our Cabinet and Senior Administrators and must have consistent access to the best scientific advice a will urgently establish opportunities for our existing scientists to undergo further education and training overseas, while in the meantime we continue to overseas expertise. We will also explore the potentials of through close consultation States, as source for providing our technical the way of on-the-job-training in the areas of Science and Technology In these years of the New it is extremely important that our leaders are fully aware of what is happening in science policy today throughout the world. The responsibility is particularly on our political leaders are the main "actors" in steering our forward amidst global advance the area of and Technology.

We believe that the best we could do for now is to explore the merits of having a National Science and Technology Board as the major national authority in the dispensing of scientific advice to our Government for us in the Marshall Islands, among many other factors, we want to benefit from:

- the reform in science and technology education, detailed analysis of energy options;

- a practical look at electricity regulations;

- renewed approaches to environemental management and regulations;

- making the health program effective at sustainable costs; and

- how we could develop and facilitate Research and Development (R&D) of our fisheries and marine resources in a sustainable manner as a means to obtain our fair share from such resources.

Our second important strategy for Science and Technology be education. We want competent science and technology teachers in all our schools. employment trend shows that the number of employed industries either or intensive users of information technology, is expected to double over the next decade. Our challenge is to institute in our education curricula at all levels strong Science and Technology imperative, not only to cope global employment trend but more so, to enhance our own sustainable development programs. Overall we need to have a mastery of the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics, and be fluent in the grammar of information, literate in technology. We need to urgently produce trained scientists and engineers for numerous ranges of our existing jobs and also increase the number of people who are technologically literate across all occupations. A solution rests in our ability to better educate our children to prepare them for the study of science engineering in college and beyond.

VI. Culture and Traditions

Traditional Canoe Racing, by Courtesy of MIVA

The underlying base of our centered the fundamental paradigm of sustainable development is not new to us all, for been a major yardstick of our culture and traditions. We have always lived in harmony. With our surrounding environment and despite the poor Quality of our atoll soils, were able to harness its range of food and tree crops to sustain our livelihoods. Our lagoons and oceans were rich in marine and fisheries resources The for conservation has always been an inherent feature of our traditional skills when come to the harvesting of our agricultural and fisheries resources. We knew when to stop in any section of our lagoons, and we also know what "taro" to. harvest now and what to save for rainy days. But when we were exposed to the culture of "money," we then took a “hundred eighty degrees" tum, and got caught by the greed for profit leaving behind elements of our traditional life that were the basis for cur sustainability, leading us to become aliens in our own And right now, at this stage of Olir nation Duiiding, are reinventing the wheel of sustainable development as if it is totally

new paradigm to us. The fact is, it's not.

Our cultural and traditional practices had always provided us the means to live sustainable livelihoods. Transparency and accountability, and all other associated elements of good were all forms of our culture provided within our social safety nets. It is our and language that us known as Marshallese in this world and proud of this simple fact. Whatever we do in terms of our culture, the message to us ail is that it is not too late to recapture the that was provided by our culture and traditions.

Let us revisit our culture and traditions and foster serious dialogue among our traditional leaders, our political and business leaders, the church and leaders, and our atoll people. and map a chart for the reinvigoration of our culture.

Indeed we acknowledge that culture, having been a fundamental origin of economic transformation throughout the world, is not static, and that it has always but, nonetheless, we know we have certain cultural values and traditional practices that remain L1seful yardsticks for now and the future. We must reinforce peace and harmony among our atoll communities and society as whole. In order to do this we to adapt Constitution and all the laws we copied from overseas to marry closely with our culture and traditions. And of course, a powerful force in the revival our culture and traditions is education. It is not going be easy, but certainly it is not impossible. Of paramount importance in adapting this imposed is need to refine the Universal Bill of Rights in our Constitution so that every single citizen of our country fully understands his or her individual freedom and fundamental human rights and how to exercise them in total respect. Our problem has been mainly due to our inability to fully comprehend our freedom and rights granted under our laws, and that as a result many of us exercise these rights in ignorance, which most of the time create in our society, As early possible therefore, must translate our Constitution and all our other laws into the Marshallese language In addition, the public hearings conducted by the on is not enough. Instead, we must allow the opportunity to all cross sections of our society to vet any legislation and we will do this by draft legislation to all our Atoll Communities, the Private Sector and Society for review after the first reading.

Equally important is the need for a National Policy on Culture. At this point in time we have no formal policy on culture to provide guidance to our Government One of our priorities over the next 12 months will be the establishment of a Task Force on

Culture to formulate a National Cultural Policy through nationwide consultation involving all strata of our society. Terms of Reference to be worked out should include among others, the following.

I. Participation of All

The to which our National Vision is achieved depends. at the end of the day, on the totality of the efforts made towards that end by all stakeholders in our society as shown in Diagram A below. stakeholders are the Government the Local Governments, the Private Sector, the NGOs and the Society including the households and the individuals. role of each one of these stakeholders clear from the strategies presented in Chapter 4. They would become clearer in the detailed action plans of the Ministries and the Statutory will be developed in the next six months. The role of each stakeholder will be spelled out clearly these get implemented. This Chapter is therefore dedicated to discussion of the implementation aspect of In regard to implementation, the key role is played by the National Government. While all other stakeholders are players in the system that will react to the opportunities constraints facing them, the National Government is the provider of opportunities, the facilitator who will lay down the legal and economic framework within which the others piay their role. In short, while the behavior of a\l stakeholders has to be orchestrated for purpose of achieving Vision, the national Government the Conductor who will do orchestration. Hence this Chapter presents the procedures and mechanisms that will be the National Government for implementation of the Plan.

the past, good development were but there much to be desired terms of their From the past fifteen years of experience as a nation we have been able to learn much about our weaknesses and strengths in to plan implementation and is important that we those lessons of

experience to good use so that we be of better results our efforts in the next Moreover, this time around our Development Plan in the form of our 2018 is the end product of a process in which representatives of all strata of our well Secretaries and of Statutory Agencies have had an opportunity to participate actively. Hence, our 2018 is based on a better sense of ownership by our people and therefore should receive a greater degree of national support its implementation than previous Plans.

Master Plans and

Diagram 8 above illustrates where we are going here now that have formulated our nation for the next 15 years. following the endorsement of our 2018 by the Nitijela, the next important tasks shall the formulation of MASTER PLANS Strategic Action for Ministries, Statutory and Atoll Local order to reflect on the expressed development priorities resulting from our Second National Economic and Social Summit (NESS2), we '#Quid consider develop Master Plans on the following major Policy Sectors:

Human Resources Development;

Outer Islands Development;

Culture;

Environment;

Information Technology;

Infrastructure Development;

and Development;

Tourism.

Master Plans in policy decisions under each sector, priority programs and projects together with the costing, and an indication of the institutional implementation framework. In addition to the Master Plans, we also concurrently develop Action Plans for all Ministries, Statutory Agencies and Local Governments. These Strategic Plans describe the detail responsibilities of each agency. Statutory Agency or indicating mainly the program of actions and activities towards achieving the targets stipulated in each of Vision 2018 requires three main types of ingredients:

-political action;

-financial resources; and

-effective administrative inputs.

First of all, in regard to political action, there is an important role to be played by our highest law making bodies, the Nitijela and the Council of as well as by our highest executive authority, the Cabinet. It is absolutely essential, if this plan is to result in the achievement of our National Vision, that there is full political commitment to its implementation. it true that the composition of our Government and our Legislature may change from time to time, as it is the natural tendency in any nation with a democratic form of government. However, it is extremely important that the National Vision identified in this Plan be accepted at least in broad terms as something representative of our nation as a whole irrespective of any political affiliation. If that were done, then political commitment for its implementation can be expected from all Governments and legislatures to come. To that extent we a greater chance of achieving our National Vision. is important therefore that our Vision 2018 is submitted to the Nitijela and the Council of for endorsement in due course.

out that as the bedrock on effective implementation of the Vision 2018 should there are certain immediate actions that need to be taken by the political authorities. First of there is an important and a continuing role for the Nitijeia, the Council of Iroij and the Cabinet. the needs to be accepted and approved by these authorities. role as the highest law making bodies and the highest executive authority of our nation. Once the initial approval is given, then there is also a continuing role expected of them. One of the most important aspects of this continuing role is to approve funding for the implementation of the Vision through the Annual budgets. Furthermore, many of the strategies identified will require amendment of existing and regulation and the approval of new legislation and regulations. Of course, in these matters the lead initiative has to be taken by the Cabinet. Some of the strategies identified may even require revision of our Constitution for which a clear mandate from the people must be obtained. When this happens then there be the need for a Constitutional Convention as and where appropriate. time to time, even National consultations through Economic and Social summits would need be held as part of the continuing partnership between our Government and the people.

The key ingredient ensuring effective implementation is that the financial necessary that purpose are provided in adequate amounts arid on a timely and a regular basis so that their availability can be taken for granted. The funds needed for the implementation of this Plan will come mainly from the grants under the Compact of Free Association that is coming up for renewal for another fifteen years. These grants will be supplemented by domestic revenue and other aid funds. Where absolutely necessary, and sound development projects have been identified.

borrowed funds will be utilized to development projects. Projections of funding needs of the Plan are being prepared at present

Assuming that the projected funds become available, the most important tool through which such funds be applied for the purpose of carrying out the programs, projects and tasks that logically flow from the strategies identified in the Plan, is the Annual Budget of the Government Hence the role of the budget needs to be discussed at length. A description of the role of the budget was given in Chapter 4 (Table 4:1) under "Improving Resource allocation". For effective implementation, it important that the explained therein be strictly The resources needed to the programs according to the Plan strategies must be provided annually through the budget. The Budget must also be used as a means of monitoring the implementation of the Plan identifying and rectifying factors that tend to impede progress.

The exact manner the Budget becomes a tool for implementing the Plan would become clearer by looking at the third most import ingredient stated earlier, effective administrative inputs. come from the various Ministries and Statutory Agencies. The strategies to be followed by each of these entities are stated in various parts of the Plan More detailed action plans based on these strategies will be developed in the next six months. There are tasks the Ministries Statutory should perform.

As explained above, next immediate step be the formulation of Master Plans and detail Strategic Plans as shown in Diagram 8 above, based en the relevant priority objectives and strategies in our Vision. Secondly, after detailed action plans are developed, it is important that resources are channeled into those areas through the annual budget. With regard to the first, the Statutory Agencies must operationalize the respective parts of this Vision 2018, which are relevant to them by relevant objectives and strategies and organizing in terms of their own programs. Each program then broken down into projects, and tasks so that it can be ensured that the activities needed to implement the are fact well identified carried out by personnel assigned those tasks. The tasks have to be assigned and time bound responsibilities assigned.

and mechanisms have to be and indicators for gauging progress have to be set up. Mechanisms to identify unforeseen bottlenecks and problems and to address them have also to be established.

is equally important for Ministries and Statutory' Agencies to ensure that the resources for the implementation are made available. This requires that all Ministries and Statutory .Agencies use the annual Government Budget as the principal too! of Every year each has to that the funding is requested and secured through the Annual Government Budget. This poses important challenge to all Ministries and Statutory Agencies since the current format of the budget has to be changed. The current format is line budget system which only shows funds required in terms of inputs

such as personnel, equipment, and travel, and emoluments. What those inputs are for and programs are carried out and what objectives are achieved are not clear from the present format.

The new format will allocate funds in terms of programs, which are directly linked to strategies and objectives, derived from the Strategic Development Plan. Changing to the new format requires that the resources such as funding and personnel be

reallocated in terms of the new programs and priorities. That requires Commitment from all Heads of Ministries and Statutory to change their budgets from the system to the new system based on the priorities of Plan. That also requires writing new job descriptions for all or most personnel in each entity. What this points to is that there is adequate capacity in each entity to prepare budgets on the

formats and to carry out new as required by the strategies. At such capacity is low and limited. Therefore a long-term training program be carried out in all Ministries and Agencies to organize planning and utilization of both financial and human resources the

manner required for Plan implementation.

Implementation calls for a significant improvement in our Public Service. At the moment the Public Service is thin in terms of its numbers and quality. Sometimes even basic skills such as those of stenographers, and clerical workers ability to file, deep records to inadequate. The productivity is low due to lack of commitment numbers. There is an urgent to address this. The and

Under that program a thorough review of the Public Service undertaken so that the problems can correctly and solutions recommended. Such recommendations, be the to be also done at a level for implemented. the achievement of the results of the Cabinet through a monitored an ongoing basis in Coordination such order to ensure that the programs are being Coordination Committee the carried out as expected. Another purpose of Coordination to discover any Committee. On behalf of the NPCC, its unforeseen problems and to deal with such Secretariat, will establish a mechanism and problems as possible in order to a schedule to ensure that monitoring is done

ensure continuity of implementation, on a regular basis, from to time changes. Finally the Nitije!a and the Council of be required implementation in order lroij be involved in the monitoring and respond to unforeseen circumstance or evaluation process through various means, changes in the priorities, Monitoring will be The Annual Budget along with the annual For each of Economic by and will have

of Finance provide procedures and mechanisms means for the to ensure successful monitor the of the. The data Serious consideration

provided in of the be to the creation Program by the Ministries, Statutory Agencies to implementation Units at to collect information on the progress of manage the implementation of programs.

Goals and objectives would be a good source of information available to all stakeholders in our society to understand the way in which the plan has been implemented.