By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
Airai State development plans will cost around $15 million, revealed Governor Norman Ngiratecheboet at the budget hearings conducted by the Senate Ways and Means & Financial Matters Committee last month.
Senate Ways and Means & Financial Matters Committee, chaired by Senator Rukebai Inabo, has been conducting budget hearings on the FY 2024 budget and included hearings with the 16 state governments.
During the hearing with the Airai State government in August, Airai State Governor Ngiratecheboet used the opportunity to inform the Senate of its development plans and the cost of achieving these goals.
Governor Ngiratecheboet presented to WMFM the long-term and short-term plans and the $14,918,619 dollars needed to fund the plans.
The plans include a new police station, Youth & Aging Center, Uchul a Ngas dock improvement, Irisong water infrastructure, and Airai State secondary roads in Ngerikiil, Ikoranges, Irisong, Ngeruluobel, Ngebudel, Ngetkib, Tekaol, and Kesebelau.
The state was not asking for the total amount at once but laid out its priorities for the Senate. “I know we cannot address all of these at once,” said the governor.
Senator Inabo responded humorously “You have many needs and your request of about 15 million would require the budget of the whole of Palau”.
Governor Ngiratecheboet also informed the Senate that Airai State has already identified a land area and offered it to the national government as the site of the new hospital.