what can we do to reverse the economic situation in the 7 years remaining till Compact Ends

edited July 2015 in General
We talked about Tourism, Agriculture and Fsiheries. How can we make one f them work, with lonely then 7 years left.


  • Will never happen,during the remaining
    Years,,trust me ,that's the talk since trust
    Territory till present ,,..
  • No amount of tourism, agriculture or fishery can help fsm economy prospers. we will need outside economic assistance to survive in this world.
  • c'mon guys, be optimistic, not pessimistic, ok then...please people share your thoughts...contrary to what your saying, there is still time, 7 years is not 7 hours.
  • Trust Peter Christian. He negotiated the amended Compact wanted to end it in the year 2018.

    He may have a plan, a solution. But then again, he may not.
  • Kinen
    Your 100% right without foreign investment
    We won't get there...
  • there is nothing pessimist about what i said. it is reality. fiscal, physical and geographical dynamics are some of the factors not found in the islands which are necessary for independent economic growth/prosperity.  
  • If we can prove a positive trend under Pres Christian then the international community may respond in the 7 years remaining.  

  • FSM needs to borrow 2.5 billion from outside to take its economy to where it dreams to be at least. If it is possible then why not.
  • Wow! Borrow $2.5 billion? China would love to lend the FSM the money. Then China holds the FSM hostage and take over the nation: land, water, and airspace, and the minds of her citizens.

    Bad idea. Work hard. Be prudent. Cut government cost. Suffer now in order to enjoy prosperity tomorrow.
  • True TT but that idea can only work if we clone ourselves and start all over again learning from crawling up to talk less and more in actions. Why only China to borrow from? FSM has ties to many developed countries like Korea, Japan, Australia, US, EU countries and so forth. Why not ask from all of them instead of just from China? In fact, the only way to boost our economy to a level where it could sustains it where there is more jobs as the offspring of well established tourism industry to compete with the rest of nations where tourists flourished night and day. More money in and not out. What say you my friend TT?
  • Have your heard about what Palau is going through right now because of the increase in the number of tourists? Tourism is not the solve-all-economic-problems answer.

    The FSM is blessed by God of many things which may be developed into money-making rpoducts. Take, breadfruit, coconut, ginger, turmeric, pepper, yams, pineapples, wood, ornamental fish. What we need is to bring in experts to help us develop these things. We need to educate and train and re-train our young and old. We need to stop being lazy. If we keep on sleeping, someday when we wake up someone is already in our house telling us what to do in our own home.
  • That is correct. But, do you aware that Government is not helping in terms of finding and securing where these crops you mentioned to sell? Most of what you're alluding at are happening but there is limit to that. Just the other day, one farmer brought into one of the fresh produce market bulk of his plants and only were able to sell half of it. The buyer as a legitimate reason for he knows how much he could sell without having them sits on the shelves and rot. So, you see my friend we need our government leaders to help to motivate the farmers and fishermen to do more and more. Otherwise, it is all talks and nothing more. That's how I see it friend.
  • Let's deck the hall and be punctual in our effort. Most programs are sleepless night yett we don't see anything from it.
  • ssearcher1.

    Thank you for the keen observation which goes to support what I am saying. Even if we borrow $10 billion dollars and still continue to be lazy and fiscally wasteful, we will not get anywhere.

    People's attitude need to change. Perhaps it is good to be so poor, then we will realize we need to study hard in school and to work hard and be thankful and appreciative of the blessings we receive and to take care of them.
  • I believe one of the contributing factor to lazy is this. I will be lazy or not wanting to do from what I know how much it will come back from hard labor. So, all am saying that we farmers and fishermen becomes lazy or not doing more because we know the limit already. So, if you and others want to see the change, then go to our leaders and share your ideas can motivate us to do more than what we're doing today.
  • Giving up is not the correct way either. And relying on someone else to do it for me is not the right way too. We must do it ourselves. We talk to our leaders. We talk to those who are looking for leadership positions. And we continue to work. If we are honest, God will bless our effort.

    Getting rich quickly is not right. God says from the sweat of our labors . . . .
  • Let's take small steps first. Like seriously planting our food crops while limit importation of foodstuff that are not healthy, even if it is most food commodities. The government should have some kind of incentive programs to those that produce locally grown and marketed foodstuffs.

    Runaway coconut plantation is never too much.

    Increase local production of housing materials, planting of timber for housing needs.

    Utilize marine opportunity to trade among the states with whatever produce each of the states can come up with.

    Let's be proactive and dig into the grounds that's where the treasures are.
  • sinbad.

    I cannot agree with you more. Please remember to mention that we put our lines and our spears in the ocean too. There are treasures underneath the waves too, I hope.
  • True. We wanted to be an independent nation, but we are not acting like one. We want so many things but the effort is not quite enough. We receive millions each year only to have a quite disappointing GDP statistic as seen in the SBOC website.
     I believe that first, we should identify our goals and ask the right questions. Many say we have the sea, the bountiful resources- UTILIZE THOSE! WHY AREN'T YOU DOING ANYTHING? What they don't realize is that there are complications hindering our economic growth. Look around. List the pros and cons in relation to our factors of production. Labor? Insufficient and lacking experience. Technology? oh wow. on a scale of one to ten, that's probably a 3.5. Land? Well, there is a slight issue of eminent domain plus some might argue about environmental issues say deforestation, but I say it is our optimal choice. Capital? Well, we have alot of those coming in every fiscal year, but it is distributed in a way that I am not entirely sure i should make a comment on. So we have the land. I am just picturing a scenerio here. say, the government buys a piece of land or they provide grants to individuals who have promising ideas say revive the rice plantations since rice imports accounts for about seven million of our imports (last i check in the SBOC reports). They are minor details to consider like birds...clearing of the land...making sure the soil is fertile.. the plant itself...and many more. this process alone could be about millions of dollar , but if we devote enough time and effort, it could be profitable in the long run. it could produce jobs.. when we sell the rice, we could cut that seven million. That money could then be used to purchase the necessary machines and technology needed to make the task easier thus providing more money ..possibility of higher wages and a possible exporting business.

    then again.,. I am just summarizing what I hope will happen. It is worth a try.

    We just need to identify our strong points.. work with those and develop those points. In the long run, the weak points could be addressed. for example, We develop our resources and in the long run, capital and labor will increase.

    The real question is.. how do we make it easier? It's a slow process that we have to start sometime but
    Remember that America was in the same situation we are in right now. They didn't just blow into an economically prosperous world power. Besides, FSM is small. We do not need an awful amount of money to live on.
  • We could create our own programs for us or have it create for us. If we create for us we are the ones benefiting we get ourselves out of those potholes and meaningle goals becaus it belongs to someone.So who is willing to Tradei deas,skills products etc...
  • The FSM gets $20 to $30 millions of dollars from the fishing right fees. If Congress agrees to utilize these funds for real and worthwhile projects instead of worthless or political projects funded every year, FSM will be better of economically, financially and socially. These projects were identified in the FSM Development Plan but the problem is that the FSM Congressmen did not want to fund them since they will not benefit them politically. All they care about is for their reelection. So, if we are serious about economic development for the nation, lets put our money where out mouth is and stop fooling ourselves that everything will be ok.
  • thank you noname you just nailed this one. kulo!
  • i just can't fathom how narrow minded and irresponsible you guys are. name a resource that can be tapped. what rice plantation to be revived. what programs can we create for us. please be real. forget that money noname, congress won't give you a penny. that is their baby. elect new ones, same/same. we are doomed.
  • narrow minded? irresponsible? My thoughts happen to be broad thank you very much, @kinen. And to answer your question from my so called narrow mind -_- there is copra, we have fish, we have breadfruits, we have rice which was done during the Japanese occupation, we have yam, we have pork.. and tons more. You, my friend, is lacking imagination. Think of what we can do with all these resources at hand. It is our laziness and lack of effort that is causing us not to utilize what we have instead to be feeding off the easily obtained compact fund. It is people like you that is responsible for FSM's lack of self-reliance, always thinking that it is impossible and all those other CANTS. How do you think we can be successful if we don't believe that we can be successful as well as hold the will to work towards success?
  • all the resources you mentioned where there since the days the islands were fully formed. why isn't there a rice plantation again? you believe tinny islands like fsm can compete with thailand, indonesia and filipin. NO we can NOT. do we have the wisdom, the will/desire, No we DON'T. a big ocean, can we tap it, be honest/real, NOT in the foreseeable future. the gov'ts don't even take the initiative to develop the workforce and yet you say we are lazy. our land mass is still the same, maybe less with sea level rise, yet the population increases every year. Not enough land mass to share among our selves. we were made, outside developed, to depend on foreign assistant to survive. i don't want to fool ourselves. 
  • Let us review the modern history of the FSM during colonial times. Both Germany and Japan helped the FSM developed some industries. Trepang, copra, rice, dried bonito are only a few of the resources they used in sucessful money-making enterprises.

    Let us look at the cup as half-full and not half-empty. People of Micronesia have ingenuity and foresight. Let us ask one of the catalyst in the government champion the FSM people and let them believe in their God-given abilities once again.

    If someone can do it, you can too. There is something which can be developed. God blessed the islands and the minds of the people. Let the people make use of the blessings to help themselves. The first step to success is to believe. Where there is a will, there is a way.

    Be optimistic. Loose the pessimist thinking. It destroys us. 
  • edited July 2015
    ese mwa I mwan remw, pwi, kinen. nge that's why I started out by saying we take little steps. To first attend to our domestic meeds with what nature provides for us.

    I appreciate very much your articulated critique in the way we share what our limited and narrow minds can come up with. Yours shows that you are ten steps ahead of us and so I wish we could have minds like that serving in our legislative bodies or assisting in the development effort in order to realize true progress.

    Our ability is not up to par to be able to compete with capable countries like those mentioned in your discussion above. That's very true too. So would it hurt to raise our own food before we can actually engage in exportation? just wondering.

    Anyway, thank you my friend kinen for sharing. You have a wonderful weekend, 4th of July if you are anywhere in US turf. :D
  • I hope to god we don't become a US territory. I like our relationship status.
  • happy 4th of july pwi sinbad. i, along with you all wonderful fsmers hope for a better fsm. it just isn't fair to rile up fsmers hope with rhetoric schemes that are "PEON and PEON", not supported by actual plans. 

    Makatutu, i'm with you on that. let's improve what we already have and march forward one day at a time, step by step, like pwi sinbad, said. drop dead weights (plans) and pick up new/better ones.
    Let the Light of "LOVE" shines forth and DO NOT worry about USA same sex marriage thing.

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