Dear Editor, We live in a world increasingly focused on religion, yet we often fall short of practicing the very teachings we claim to believe in. We attend churches, quote scriptures, celebrate traditions, and speak about God. But how often do our daily actions reflect the values of our faith? Too often, we have become […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Palau at the Center of Geopolitics: But Whose Interests Are We Serving?
Dear Editor, President Surangel Whipps Jr. told the BBC in 2025: “No matter what we do, Palau is going to be the center of any military activity because of our location.” That statement may be true geographically, but it raises a deeper question: If Palau cannot change its location, can we change how we choose […]
Posted inOpinion
Palau Tax Records Can Strengthen Business Credit
By: Gustavo Pessoa A business that keeps records to pay tax is also building evidence that may help a lender understand it. The connection is imperfect, but it offers Palau a practical way to improve business finance: make reliable local records easier to use in a credit assessment, with the borrower in control of their […]
Posted inOpinion
Where Are Our Leaders of the Bai?
Dear Editor: In the book, “Leadership in the Pacific islands: tradition and the future” Edited by Donald R. Shuster, Peter Larmour and Karin von Strokirch, Ngiraked Roman Tmetuchel shares that the traditional bai of Palau was more than a meeting house. It was the heart of leadership, a place where chiefs gathered to deliberate, debate, […]
Posted inOpinion
Palauans as Tourists in Their Own Land
Dear Editor, President Whipps has repeatedly claimed that only tourists pay the Palau Government Stress Tax (PGST). But walk into any store, fill your car with fuel, or pay your electricity bill, and you will see the truth: Palauans are paying this tax every single day. If PGST is built into the price of goods […]
Posted inOpinion
UK Op-ed: UN’s adoption of Sea Level Rise Declaration
Last month at the UN General Assembly, we reached a landmark moment. The international community adopted the Sea Level Rise Declaration, the first time all UN member states have decided on a shared approach towards sea level rise. For many, sea level rise is an abstract concern. For others, it is an existential threat. The […]