Governor Yositaka “Yosi” Adachi signed a Koror State FY 2016 Supplemental Budget Act (K10-291-2016), authorizing and appropriating $300,000.00 as a loan package to assist the Palau Public Utilities Corporation (PPUC) in its efforts to maintain problematic Sewer Pump Stations throughout Koror.
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Governor Adachi and the Koror State Legislature share the concern that continuing breakdown of the current sewer system has been a regular occurrence for many years and especially in recent days, which has caused many instances of overflowing of raw sewage into neighborhood’s, taro patches, mangrove areas and coastal waters throughout the State of Koror. Koror State Leadership recognize the facts that our aging sewer systems was operated and managed by our National Government for many years and in recent years, through enactment of a national law, ownership of such was transferred to the care of PPUC. However, Koror State believes it is in the best interest of the people of Koror to assist PPUC in their efforts to tackle this challenging task.
Koror State leadership is also mindful of PPUC’s plans to upgrade the sewer system with funding through an ADB loan, which is a welcome development, but before completion of these new plans which will take a couple of years, we need to step up our maintenance efforts of our current system. Otherwise, we will continue to expose our people to hazardous health risks and contribute to the environmental degradation of our land and coastal waters, while we wait for the hew system to be in place. To neglect our maintenance responsibilities of the current sewer system is contrary to our national/international policy and campaign for a ‘Pristine Paradise’.
With this in mind, Governor Adachi and the State Legislature decided on this course of action to lend a helping hand in PPUC. This funding now awaits formal terms of an agreement to be signed by PPUC and Governor Adachi in order to implement this funding assistance. Such terms will include, among others, a timeline of a repayment plan of PPUC for the $300,000.00 Koror State public funds. [/restrict]