Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

Nena Proposed Amendment to Relocate Labor Functions

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): May 22, 1997 - On May 12, 1997, President Jacob Nena forwarded to Congress Speaker Jack Fritz a proposed legislation which will relocate the functions of the Division of Labor from the Department of Resources and Development to the Office of the Attorney General and merge it with immigration functions and to abolish the Division of Labor.

There is an urgent need to get labor and immigration together. However, later the functions of job development lists, work force training can be separated from the enforcement of alien labor functions.

Nena says that the Labor Division has depended upon the state officials who are no longer willing to provide such assistance on enforcing national laws. On the other hand, the FSM Immigration office has staff at the state level who can perform both the immigration and labor functions. He called for a favorable consideration of Congress on this proposed legislation.