Compacts of Free Association: Development Prospects Remain	 
Limited for Micronesia and Marshall Islands (27-JUN-06, 	 
GAO-06-590).							 
                                                                 
In 1987, the United States began providing economic aid to the	 
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the	 
Marshall Islands (RMI) through a Compact of Free Association. In 
2004, through amended compacts with the FSM and the RMI, the	 
United States committed to provide more than $3.5 billion until  
2023. Joint U.S-FSM and U.S.-RMI compact management committees	 
are required, among other things, to monitor progress toward	 
specified development goals and address implementation of policy 
reforms to stimulate investment. The legislation implementing the
amended compacts (P.L. 108-188) requires that GAO periodically	 
report on political, social, and economic conditions in the FSM  
and the RMI. In compliance with this requirement, GAO examined	 
each country's (1) political and social environment, (2) economic
environment, and (3) status of economic policy reforms. 	 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-06-590 					        
    ACCNO:   A56005						        
  TITLE:     Compacts of Free Association: Development Prospects      
Remain Limited for Micronesia and Marshall Islands		 
     DATE:   06/27/2006 
  SUBJECT:   Economic development				 
	     Economic policies					 
	     Federal aid to foreign countries			 
	     Foreign aid programs				 
	     International agreements				 
	     International relations				 
	     Program evaluation 				 
	     Reporting requirements				 
	     Compact of Free Association			 

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GAO-06-590

     

     * Results in Brief
     * Background
          * Compact of Free Association, 1986 to 2003
          * Amended Compacts of Free Association
     * FSM and RMI Face Key Political and Social Challenges
          * Despite Stable Democratic Systems, Political Factors in the
          * Despite High Expenditures, Both Countries Remain Challenged
     * FSM and RMI Economies Show Limited Potential for Self-relian
          * FSM and RMI Economies Depend on Government Spending of Forei
          * FSM and RMI Will Likely Face Significant Budgetary Pressure
          * Key FSM and RMI Industries Face Multiple Constraints to Grow
          * Prospects for Increased Remittance Income to the FSM and RMI
          * Compact Management Committees Have Not Discussed Progress to
     * FSM and RMI Progress on Key Economic Policy Reforms Has Been
          * FSM and RMI Have Implemented Some Legislative Reforms
          * Key Policy Reforms to Stimulate Investment Have Not Been Imp
               * Tax Reform
               * Land Reform
               * Foreign Investment Regulations
               * Public Sector Reform
          * Compact Management Committees Have Not Addressed Slow FSM an
     * Conclusions
     * Recommendations
     * Agency Comments
     * GAO Comments
     * GAO Comment
     * GAO Comment
     * GAO Comments
     * GAO Contact
     * Staff Acknowledgments
     * GAO's Mission
     * Obtaining Copies of GAO Reports and Testimony
          * Order by Mail or Phone
     * To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs
     * Congressional Relations
     * Public Affairs

Report to Congressional Committees

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO

June 2006

COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION

Development Prospects Remain Limited for Micronesia and Marshall Islands

GAO-06-590

Contents

Letter 1

Results in Brief 3
Background 6
FSM and RMI Face Key Political and Social Challenges 13
FSM and RMI Economies Show Limited Potential for Self-reliance and
Long-term Advancement 18
FSM and RMI Progress on Key Economic Policy Reforms Has Been Slow 29
Conclusions 36
Recommendations 36
Agency Comments 37
Appendix I Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 40
Appendix II Some Regional Socioeconomic Data for the Pacific 44
Appendix III The FSM and RMI Private Sector Environment 46
Appendix IV Comments from the Department of the Interior 47
GAO Comments 56
Appendix V Comments from the Department of Health and Human Services 57
GAO Comment 61
Appendix VI Comments from the Federated States of Micronesia 62
GAO Comment 65
Appendix VII Comments from the Republic of the Marshall Islands 66
GAO Comments 71
Appendix VIII GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 74

Tables

Table 1: Annual U.S. Assistance for the FSM and the RMI under the Amended
Compacts, Fiscal Years 2004 to 2023 11
Table 2: Estimated Levels of Economic Assistance by Major Donors to the
FSM and the RMI, Average from Fiscal Years 2002 to 2004 24
Table 3: FSM and RMI Emigrants in Hawaii, Guam, and the CNMI, 2003 28
Table 4: FSM and RMI Government Commercial Enterprises 34
Table 5: Some Estimated Socioeconomic Indicators for Select Pacific Island
Nations 45

Figures

Figure 1: Annual Compact Assistance to the FSM and the RMI, Fiscal Years
1987-2003 7
Figure 2: Estimated FSM and RMI Real Per Capita GDP 9
Figure 3: Estimated FSM and RMI per Capita Compact Grant Assistance for
Fiscal Years 1987-2023 12
Figure 4: FSM and RMI External Grants and Estimated Real GDP 19
Figure 5: Structure of FSM Revenues and Expenditures, Fiscal Years
2000-2005 21
Figure 6: Structure of RMI Revenues and Expenditures, Fiscal Years
2000-2005 23
Figure 7: Some Noted Problems with the FSM and the RMI Private Sector
Environment 46

Abbreviations

ADB Asian Development Bank

CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands

FSM Federated States of Micronesia

GDP gross domestic product

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

IMF International Monetary Fund

JEMCO Joint Economic Management Committee (FSM)

JEMFAC Joint Economic Management and Financial Accountability Committee
(RMI)

MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation

NGO nongovernmental organization

RMI Republic of the Marshall Islands

WDI World Development Indicators

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separately.

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548

June 27, 2006

Congressional Committees:

From 1987 to 2003, the United States provided about $2.1 billion in
economic assistance to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)1 and the
Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) through a Compact of Free
Association.2 In 2003, the U.S. government negotiated new compact
provisions with the FSM and the RMI that established an estimated $3.6
billion in continued U.S. assistance from fiscal year 2004 through fiscal
year 2023.3 These "amended" compacts provide for decreasing annual grant
assistance over the 20-year period, paired with increasing contributions
to trust funds that are to provide income for each country after compact
grants cease. The amended compacts identify the twenty years of grant
assistance as intended to assist the FSM and the RMI governments in their
efforts to promote the economic advancement and budgetary self-reliance of
their people. To this end, the amended compacts provide for continued
economic assistance in the form of grants to sector-specific areas, such
as education, health, public infrastructure, and private sector
development, prioritizing education and health.

The amended compacts and their subsidiary agreements include requirements
that the FSM and the RMI submit development plans and provide regular
financial and performance reports. The amended compacts also require that
the U.S. and the FSM Joint Economic Management Committee (JEMCO) and the
U.S. and the RMI Joint Economic Management and Financial Accountability
Committee (JEMFAC) meet at least once annually to evaluate FSM and RMI
progress in achieving the objectives specified within their development
plans,4 to identify problems encountered, and to recommend ways to
increase the effectiveness of compact grant assistance.5

1The FSM comprises the four states of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap.
Each state has its own constitution, elected legislature, and governor and
maintains considerable power, relative to the central government, to
implement budgetary policies.

2A key goal for this assistance was to advance economic development and
self-reliance for both countries. In 2000, we reviewed the impact of
compact funding and found that U.S. assistance had resulted in little
economic development for either the FSM or the RMI. See GAO, Foreign
Assistance: U.S. Funds to Two Micronesian Nations Had Little Impact on
Economic Development, GAO/NSIAD-00-216 (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 22, 2000).

3For the purpose of this report, all annual references refer to the fiscal
year rather than the calendar year. Note that the $3.6 billion in
assistance includes (a) compact grants; (b) trust-fund contributions; (c)
Kwajalein impact funding provided to the RMI government, which in turn
compensates Kwajalein Atoll landowners, for U.S. access to the atoll for
military purposes; and (d) estimated values of compact-authorized federal
services such as weather, aviation, and postal services, at around $200
million over the 20-year period. Services associated with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency have been excluded.

Regarding specific objectives within the development plans, the
legislation implementing the amended compacts 6directs JEMCO and JEMFAC to
address objectives related to the implementation of policy reforms to
encourage investment and to improve tax income.7 The fiscal procedures
agreements direct JEMCO and JEMFAC to monitor FSM and RMI progress toward
budgetary self-reliance and long-term economic advancement.8 The
legislation implementing the amended compacts also requires that the
United States and GAO periodically report on political, social, and
economic conditions in the FSM and the RMI as well as on the use and
oversight of U.S. assistance to those nations. In compliance with the
legislation's requirement, this report9 examines each country's (1)
political and social environment regarding, respectively, compact grant
implementation and health and education conditions; (2) economic
environment, particularly respecting potential for achieving budgetary
self-reliance and long-term economic advancement; and (3) status of
economic policy reforms.

4The amended compact with the FSM requires the FSM government to prepare
an official overall development plan. The RMI amended compact requires the
RMI government to prepare an official medium-term budget and investment
framework. The RMI has also prepared two strategic development reports
entitled "Meto 2000" and "Vision 2018." In our report, we refer to the
three RMI documents combined, as its development plans.

5JEMCO and JEMFAC were created under the amended compacts to strengthen
management and accountability and to promote the effective use of compact
funding. Each committee has five members, three from the United States and
the other two from the FSM for JEMCO and from the RMI for JEMFAC. The
Departments of the Interior, State, and Health and Human Services supply
the three U.S. representatives, with the Interior representative serving
as Chairman.

6P.L. 108-188.

7Specifically, the implementing legislation directs that the scope of the
JEMCO and JEMFAC annual meeting, as outlined in the amended compacts,
shall be construed as to read that the JEMCO and JEMFAC review required
audits and reports, evaluate FSM and RMI progress in meeting objectives
identified within their development plans, with particular focus on
priority sectors and implementation of economic policy reforms to
encourage investment and achieve self-sufficient tax rates, identify
problems encountered, and recommend ways to increase the effectiveness of
U.S. assistance. In this report, we use the term "address objectives" to
refer to these actions.

8The fiscal procedure agreement for the FSM specifically states that JEMCO
shall monitor FSM progress toward sustainable economic development and
budgetary self-reliance in relation to its written goals and performance
measures. The fiscal procedure agreement for the RMI specifically states
that JEMFAC shall evaluate RMI progress to foster economic advancement and
budgetary self-reliance in relation to its written goals and performance.
In this report, we refer to both requirements as "monitoring." Also, FSM
and RMI development plans broadly refer to the terms "sustainable economic
development" and "economic self-sufficiency" in reference to their goals
for long-term economic advancement.

To address our reporting objectives, we reviewed U.S., FSM, and RMI annual
compact reports for 2004; FSM and RMI development plans; FSM and RMI
economic reports and statistics; political assessments by the U.S.
Department of State (State) and Transparency International;10 and Asian
Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and International Monetary Fund (IMF)
reports on both economies. We interviewed officials from State and the
U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) as well as country experts at
the ADB, the IMF, the World Bank, and the Pacific Islands Development
Program at the East-West Center.11 We also interviewed relevant officials,
banks, and numerous representatives from private industry (including local
chambers of commerce) in the four FSM states and in the RMI. We determined
that the social and economic data presented in this report are
sufficiently reliable for our purposes. We conducted our review from
August 2005 through March 2006 in accordance with generally accepted
government auditing standards. A detailed description of our scope and
methodology is included in appendix I of this report.

                                Results in Brief

Although the FSM and the RMI are stable democracies, each country's
political and social environments present significant challenges
regarding, respectively, effective compact grant implementation and health
and education conditions. Although reports by State and Interior emphasize
that both countries are established democracies with free and peaceful
elections, interviews with U.S. and country officials revealed that, in
each country, political factors have hindered compact implementation. For
example, in the FSM, the states and national government have been unable
to agree on implementation of the compact infrastructure grant. In the
RMI, the national government has had difficulty securing agreement from
Kwajalein Atoll land owners regarding management of public entities and
the RMI governments' use of leased land for compact-related development
projects. With regard to the social environment, both countries face
challenging health and education conditions despite substantial
expenditures. For example, both countries have relatively low rates of
immunization and significant percentages of teachers who lack basic
qualifications.

9A separate report will examine the use and oversight of U.S. assistance
to the FSM and the RMI.

10Transparency International is a global nongovernmental organization
(NGO) devoted to combating corruption. The organization consists of more
than 90 locally established national chapters and chapters in formation
that bring together relevant players from government, civil society,
business and the media to promote transparency in elections, in public
administration, in procurement and in business.

11The East-West center is an education and research organization
established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and
understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the
United States.

The economic environments in the FSM and the RMI have not improved
significantly in recent years, and both countries show limited potential
for development objectives of budgetary self-reliance and long-term
economic advancement. As in the original compact period, both countries'
economies are dependent on public sector expenditures; government
spending, which accounts for about 60 percent of the gross domestic
product (GDP) in each country, is funded largely by external assistance
rather than domestic production. Both governments' budgets are also
characterized by growing wage expenditures, exacerbating the substantial
negative fiscal impacts they are likely to face with the decline of
compact grants through fiscal year 2023. Increased economic assistance
from other countries could support FSM and RMI budget needs and standards
of living, but the degree to which such opportunities could annually
offset decreased compact moneys is uncertain. Over the long term, economic
growth will likely have to originate from the private sector and increased
income sent home from Micronesians living abroad ("remittances"). However,
the two private sector industries that the United States, the FSM, and the
RMI have identified as having growth potential-fisheries and tourism-face
significant barriers to expansion because of the FSM's and the RMI's
remote geographic location, inadequate infrastructure, and poor business
environments. At the same time, FSM and RMI emigrants' current lack of
marketable skills, due to insufficient education and vocational training,
is an obstacle to increased revenue from remittances. To date, JEMCO and
JEMFAC have not discussed the countries' limited progress in creating
conditions for budgetary self-reliance and long-term economic advancement
at their annual meetings.

FSM and RMI progress in key policy reforms has been slow. Country
officials reported that each of the FSM states and the RMI has implemented
some legislative reforms aimed at improving the private sector
environment, including bankruptcy and mortgage laws. However, according to
the IMF, the ADB, and other economic experts, although such laws are
necessary for an effective private sector environment, they are
insufficient for stimulating investment and improving tax income without
key reforms in taxes, land ownership, foreign investment regulations, and
public sector management. These experts argue that the current tax systems
in the FSM and the RMI are inequitable and inefficient. However, country
officials reported that neither country has begun implementing fundamental
tax reform, although the FSM has generally agreed on principles of a new
tax system. In addition, interviews with economic experts, officials, and
private sector representatives suggest that land ownership structures
provide inadequate access to land for public and private investment, a
problem that has not eased with the establishment of land registration
offices. Economic experts and private sector representatives further
describe foreign investment regulations as confusing and relatively
burdensome, whereas public sector reform efforts have failed to reduce
public sector competition with the private sector. FSM and RMI development
plans include objectives for reforms in each of these areas, yet JEMCO and
JEMFAC have not addressed these nations' slow progress in implementing
reforms.

In this report, we recommend that the Secretary of the Interior direct the
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs, as Chairman of JEMCO and
JEMFAC, to ensure that they meet requirements to address the lack of FSM
and RMI progress in implementing their specified reforms to improve the
business environment and encourage increased investment and tax income.

We provided a draft of this report to the Departments of the Interior,
State, HHS, and Treasury, as well as to the FSM and the RMI governments.
We received comments from Interior, HHS, the FSM and the RMI.
Reproductions of these letters, as well as our responses to the letters,
can be found in appendixes IV through VII. Interior concurred with our
recommendation and expressed its intention to implement it, partly through
pursuing additional information on the FSM and the RMI economies. We agree
with the importance of further economic information, but we believe that
sufficient information is available for the committees to meet their
requirement to address FSM and RMI progress in implementing policy reform.
HHS also agreed with our recommendation and requested that it be expanded
to include JEMCO and JEMFAC requirements for establishing reform
implementation timelines. While establishing timelines is not a
requirement under the amended compact or its subsidiary agreements, we
encourage the JEMCO and JEMFAC to consider this idea as one method to
improve U.S. assistance. The FSM agreed with our report findings, but
disagreed with our conclusion that its development prospects remain
limited. We assert that the FSM could advance its compact goals through an
improved business environment and actions to maximize its' unique economic
opportunities. However, we maintain the importance of frank JEMCO
discussion of current FSM economic realities. Finally, the RMI advocated
for further JEMFAC support in policy reform implementation-highlighting
the particular importance of public sector reform-and emphasized that the
government has met its requirement to contribute an initial $30 million to
its trust fund. While we agree with the importance of public sector
reforms, the RMI's trust-fund contribution does not alter the
characteristic dependence of the RMI economy on external assistance.

                                   Background

After more than 40 years under U.S. administration as part of the United
Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,12 the FSM and the RMI
became sovereign nations in 1978 and 1979, respectively. For the last 20
years, the United States' relationship with the two countries has been
defined by the original Compact of Free Association and the subsequent
amended Compacts of Free Association.

Compact of Free Association, 1986 to 2003

In 1986, the United States, the FSM, and the RMI entered into the original
Compact of Free Association. Representing a new phase of the unique
relationship between the United States and these island areas, the compact
provided a framework for the United States to work toward achieving its
three main goals: (1) to secure self-government for the FSM and the RMI,
(2) to ensure certain national security rights for all of the parties, and
(3) to assist the FSM and the RMI in their efforts to advance economic
development and self-sufficiency. The first goal was met; the FSM and the
RMI are independent nations. The second goal has also been achieved with
the compact's establishment of several key defense rights for all three
countries. The defense relationship continues with, among other things,
U.S. access to military facilities on Kwajalein Atoll in the RMI through
2016. The compact's third goal was to be accomplished primarily through
U.S. direct financial assistance to the FSM and the RMI. For the 15-year
period covering 1987 to 2001, funding was provided at levels that
decreased every 5 years. For 2002 and 2003, during negotiations to renew
expiring compact provisions, funding levels increased (see fig. 1) to
equal an average of the funding provided during the previous 15 years plus
inflation. For 1987 through 2003, compact financial assistance to the FSM
and the RMI was estimated, on the basis of Interior data, to be about $2.1
billion.13

12The U.S. Department of the Navy began civil administration of these
islands on July 18, 1947; this responsibility was transferred to Interior
in July 1951. See GAO, Foreign Assistance: Effectiveness and
Accountability Problems Common in U.S. Programs to Assist Two Micronesian
Nations, GAO-02-70 (Washington, D.C.: Jan. 22, 2002).

Figure 1: Annual Compact Assistance to the FSM and the RMI, Fiscal Years
1987-2003

Economic development and self-sufficiency were not achieved under the
original compact. Both nations remained dependent on U.S. funds; total
U.S. assistance accounted for more than 50 percent of government revenues
throughout the compact period.14 In addition, FSM and RMI GDP estimates
reveal that per capita GDP at the close of the compact had not exceeded,
in real terms, early 1990s levels in either country (see fig. 2).15
Although U.S. direct assistance maintained standards of living that were
higher than could be achieved without support, we found previously that
compact funds spent on economic development were largely ineffective in
promoting economic growth.16 For example, compact funds were used to
support general government operations that, among other things, maintained
high levels of public sector employment and wages, creating disincentives
to private sector growth. Compact funds were also used to support business
ventures, most of which have failed. In our examination of a wide range of
projects funded under the compact, we found that many projects experienced
problems due to poor planning and management, inadequate construction and
maintenance, or misuse of funds. In 2000, we recommended, among other
things, that the Secretary of State direct the Special Negotiator for the
Compact of Free Association to negotiate amended compact provisions that
include assistance provided through grants targeted to priority areas,
expanded reporting and consultation requirements, and the ability to
withhold funds for noncompliance with compact terms and conditions.17

13This estimate represents total nominal outlays. It does not include
payments for compact-authorized federal services or U.S. military use of
Kwajalein Atoll land, nor does it include investment development funds
provided under section 111 of Public Law 99-239.

14In addition to providing compact grants, the United States gave the FSM
and the RMI access to programs from various agencies, such as the
Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. Total U.S.
assistance, therefore, includes compact grants and U.S. program
assistance.

15In the FSM, however, state per capita GDP performance varied. For
example, real per capita GDP declined from 1987 to 2003 in Chuuk and
Kosrae while it increased in Pohnpei and Yap.

16 GAO/NSIAD-00-216 .

17 GAO/NSIAD-00-216 .

Figure 2: Estimated FSM and RMI Real Per Capita GDP

Note: For the RMI, real GDP was determined using the U.S. price deflator
for 1990 to 1995 and the RMI price deflator for 1996 to 2003.

The compact also gave citizens of both nations the rights to live and work
in the United States as "nonimmigrants" and to stay for long periods of
time. Further, the compact exempted FSM and RMI citizens from meeting U.S.
passport, visa, and labor certification requirements when entering the
United States. In 2001, we reported that during the compact, a significant
number of FSM and RMI citizens had migrated to the United States and U.S.
island areas.18

18We use the term "U.S. island areas" to refer collectively to Guam,
Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See GAO,
Foreign Relations: Migration from Micronesian Nations Has Had Significant
Impact on Guam, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, GAO-02-40 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 5, 2001).

Amended Compacts of Free Association

The United States negotiated separate amended compacts with the RMI and
the FSM that went into effect on May 1, 2004, and June 25, 2004,
respectively.19 The amended compacts continue the defense relationship,
including a new agreement providing U.S. military access to Kwajalein
Atoll in the RMI through 2086;20 strengthen immigration provisions; and
provide direct financial assistance, in the form of grants, to the FSM and
the RMI for fiscal years 2004 to 2023 (see table 1). To promote FSM and
RMI budgetary self-reliance and economic advancement, the amended compacts
and their subsidiary agreements, along with the countries' development
plans, target grant assistance to six sectors-education, health, public
infrastructure, the environment, public sector capacity building, and
private sector development-prioritizing two sectors, education and health.
In addition to providing grant assistance, the amended compacts provide
for the establishment of trust funds for both countries that can provide
income after annual compact grants cease. The amended compacts, their
subsidiary agreements, and the U.S. implementing legislation also
establish numerous reporting and accountability requirements-including the
legislation's direction to the JEMCO and JEMFAC to specifically address
economic policy reforms to encourage investment and improve tax income.

19The amended compacts and related agreements addressed most of the
recommendations that we had made in past reports. See GAO, Compact of Free
Association: An Assessment of the Amended Compacts and Related Agreements,
GAO-03-890T (Washington, D.C.: June 18, 2003).

20Both the original and the amended compacts provide for the United
States' use of portions of the Kwajalein Atoll for military and defense
purposes. The new agreement provides U.S. military access to Kwajalein
Atoll through 2066, with an option to extend access through 2086. See GAO,
Foreign Relations: Kwajalein Atoll Is the Key U.S. Defense Interest in Two
Micronesian Nations, GAO-02-119 (Washington, D.C.: Jan. 22, 2002).

Table 1: Annual U.S. Assistance for the FSM and the RMI under the Amended
Compacts, Fiscal Years 2004 to 2023

Dollars in millionsa
Fiscal year FSM grants FSM trust fund RMI grants RMI trust fund 
2004             $76.2          $16.0      $35.2           $7.0 
2005              76.2           16.0       34.7            7.5 
2006              76.2           16.0       34.2            8.0 
2007              75.4           16.8       33.7            8.5 
2008              74.6           17.6       33.2            9.0 
2009              73.8           18.4       32.7            9.5 
2010              73.0           19.2       32.2           10.0 
2011              72.2           20.0       31.7           10.5 
2012              71.4           20.8       31.2           11.0 
2013              70.6           21.6       30.7           11.5 
2014              69.8           22.4      32.2b           12.0 
2015              69.0           23.2       31.7           12.5 
2016              68.2           24.0       31.2           13.0 
2017              67.4           24.8       30.7           13.5 
2018              66.6           25.6       30.2           14.0 
2019              65.8           26.4       29.7           14.5 
2020              65.0           27.2       29.2           15.0 
2021              64.2           28.0       28.7           15.5 
2022              63.4           28.8       28.2           16.0 
2023              62.6           29.6       27.7           16.5 

Source: Compact of Free Association as Amended, Between the Government of
the United States of America and the Government of the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands,
P.L. 108-188.

Note: These figures do not include funding for Kwajalein Atoll landowners
in the RMI or the $500,000 annual audit grant that will be provided to
both countries. aThe amounts shown in table 1 will be partially adjusted
for inflation, with fiscal year 2004 as the base year. Grant funding can
be fully adjusted for inflation after fiscal year 2014 under certain
economic conditions.

bBeginning in 2014, an additional $2 million will be added to RMI annual
grants to address the special needs of Kwajalein Atoll.

Including estimated inflation adjustments, total combined compact grant
assistance to the two countries is projected at an estimated $3.6 billion
over the 20-year assistance period. However, to provide increasing U.S.
contributions to the FSM's and the RMI's trust funds, grant funding will
decrease annually. Assuming current population growth estimates from the
U.S. Census Bureau, this decrease in grant funding will result in falling
per capita grant assistance over the funding period and relative to the
original compact (see fig. 3).

Figure 3: Estimated FSM and RMI per Capita Compact Grant Assistance for
Fiscal Years 1987-2023

Note: Compact grant assistance was decreased in 1991, 1996, and 2001, then
increased in 2002 and 2003 to equal an average of the funding provided
during the previous 15 years. Compact grant assistance under the amended
compacts (2004 to 2024) is decreased annually. Funding for
compact-authorized federal services, trust-fund contributions, and U.S.
military use of Kwajalein Atoll land is not included.

While the level of annual grant assistance to both countries decreases
each year, contributions to trust funds-meant to provide an ongoing source
of revenue after fiscal year 2023-increase annually by a comparable
amount. In comparing projected trust fund revenue with the fiscal year
2023 grant level, we reported earlier that, under certain conditions, the
trust fund revenue available in 2024 may be less than even the lower level
of grant funding in 2024.21 For example, at an assumed annual 6 percent
rate of return, earnings from the FSM's trust fund would be lower than
expiring grant assistance in 2024, while earnings from the RMI's trust
fund would encounter the same problem by 2040.22 If the trust funds
consistently earn a higher rate of return, or if additional contributions
to the funds are provided, the probability rises that the trust funds
could provide a sustainable income source at the level of fiscal year 2024
grants. However, if the trust funds experience market volatility with
years that have negative returns, the probability that these funds would
yield income sufficient to replace expiring grant assistance declines.

              FSM and RMI Face Key Political and Social Challenges

Although the FSM and the RMI are stable democracies, both countries face
political and social challenges with regard to improving grant
implementation and health and education conditions. U.S. and country
officials told us that political conditions, including a weak federation
in the FSM; disputes over public institutions' and government use of land
on Kwajalein Atoll in the RMI; and both governments' lack of communication
with their constituencies have hindered compact implementation and service
delivery. At the same time, despite relatively high health and education
expenditures, both countries face development challenges in these sectors.
For example, although the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)-which
evaluates indicators with a relationship to growth and poverty
reduction-ranks the FSM and the RMI in the top 20 percent for health
expenditures relative to other lower-middle-income countries, it ranks
both countries in the bottom third for a key health indicator,
immunizations.23

21For our earlier analysis, see GAO-03-890T . Since 2003, the RMI has also
secured trust-fund contributions from the authorities on Taiwan. However,
both the FSM and RMI trust-funds experienced delays in getting invested.
The RMI stated in its comments to this report that such delays will impact
performance of its trust-fund in the long run. To reflect the most recent
market and trust-fund information, we will be updating our trust-fund
analysis in a separate report, forthcoming.

22In designing the trust funds, the Department of State assumed that the
trust fund would earn a 6 percent rate of return in order to reflect a
conservative investment strategy. This rate of return can be compared with
the current average forecasted return for long-term U.S. government bonds
of 5.2 percent by the Congressional Budget Office.

Despite Stable Democratic Systems, Political Factors in the FSM and the RMI
Challenge Compact Implementation

The FSM and the RMI are established democracies with free and peaceful
elections. According to State and Interior, each democracy is stable
despite the challenges of having hierarchical traditional structures;
islands with scattered populations; and a citizenry of distinct cultures,
languages, and histories. Each country also has a vocal civil society
evidenced by religious organizations and nongovernmental organizations
(NGO) that have been active on some political issues. Internationally,
both countries also participate in various regional organizations, many of
which address trade, energy, and environmental challenges faced by island
nations. For example, the FSM and the RMI are members of the Forum
Fisheries Agency-which promotes sustainable management of fisheries in the
Pacific-and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, which
promotes sustainable development of offshore resources for member
countries.

Despite the two countries' stable democratic systems, interviews with
U.S., FSM, and RMI officials and civil society representatives indicated
that key aspects of the FSM's and the RMI's political environments hinder
effective compact grant implementation.

           o  Lack of government consensus. State and Interior officials
           reported that the FSM's weak federal structure inhibits compact
           grant implementation. Because each state has its own constitution
           and authority over budgetary policies, the central government that
           is represented on JEMCO does not control the majority of compact
           funds and have been unable to secure agreement from the state
           governments regarding compact needs.24 As a result, FSM access to
           the compact infrastructure grant, for example, has been delayed
           for more than 2 years owing to national and state disagreements
           over infrastructure priorities. Similarly, the RMI government and
           landowners on Kwajalein Atoll have been disputing government use
           of leased land and management of public entities on the atoll.
           Such tensions have negatively affected the construction of schools
           funded by compact grants and the management of the Kwajalein
           utility company and the Kwajalein development authority, two
           entities that also receive compact funds.25 
           o  Lack of government communication. Interviews with U.S., FSM and
           RMI departmental officials, private sector representatives, NGOs,
           and external economic experts revealed a lack of communication and
           dissemination of information by each government on wide-ranging
           issues, including JEMCO and JEMFAC decisions, departmental
           budgets, economic reforms, legislative decisions, fiscal positions
           of public enterprises, and economic statistics. Additionally,
           private sector representatives in several FSM states reported that
           the public radio station serves as the government's primary means
           of disseminating information but is often nonoperational or
           censored-a complaint confirmed by the U.S. State Department's 2004
           Report on Human Rights Practices in the FSM. In the RMI, a State
           official and an official from the RMI Council of NGO's reported
           that the government had been criticized-most strongly by
           environmental NGO's and a leading women's NGO (Women United
           Together Marshall Islands)-for not holding public hearings or
           disseminating sufficient information regarding a proposed dry
           dock.26 According to the World Bank, Transparency International,
           and other development experts, lack of information about
           government activities creates uncertainty for public, private, and
           community leaders, which can inhibit grant performance and
           improvement of social and economic conditions.

           Although FSM and RMI health and education expenditures are
           relatively high, certain conditions in both countries' health and
           education sectors are poor. According to the World Bank, among 171
           countries for which it reports aid per capita, the RMI and the FSM
           ranked 5th and 6th highest, respectively, with per capita aid
           greater than $900 in 2003.27 Much of this aid is directed toward
           health and education.28 MCC provides economic assistance to
           developing countries, with eligibility determined partially by
           evaluating a country's performance-relative to other countries
           within its income group-on select indicators associated with
           economic growth and poverty reduction. MCC ranks the FSM in the
           top 35 percent (in the 81st and 67th percentile, respectively) for
           expenditures on health and primary education, and it ranks the RMI
           in the top 1 percent for both indicators, relative to other
           lower-middle income countries that qualify for MCC assistance.
           However, for another health-related indicator-immunizations-MCC
           ranks both countries in the bottom third: the FSM in the 33rd
           percentile and the RMI in the 13th percentile.29 According to the
           World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI), the FSM also
           performs relatively poorly in provision of safe water or
           sanitation-a service necessary for improved health outcomes.
           According to WDI, only 28 percent of FSM citizens have access to
           improved sanitation, compared with an average of 57 percent in all
           lower-middle income countries. In the RMI, the 1999 census
           suggests that 85 percent of the population has access to safe
           water, although the RMI 2003 statistical yearbook reports that
           recent tests in urban and rural areas indicate that a significant
           number of potable water sources, such as groundwater wells and
           water catchments-30 percent or more in some cases-are contaminated
           and deemed unsafe for human consumption. (For further information
           on socioeconomic conditions in the FSM and the RMI, particularly
           in relation to regional averages, refer to app. II.)

           Country studies and health and education officials in the FSM and
           the RMI also highlight other challenges-for example, the
           increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes or
           hypertension; youth health issues; and poor teaching skills.
           According to the FSM Department of Health, 80 percent of 35 to 64
           year-olds are overweight, and the number of cases involving
           diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer increased in the
           late nineties. Likewise, the RMI Ministry of Health reports that
           diabetes figured as the leading cause of adult morbidity in 2000
           and 2001. Although the RMI has made progress in reducing overseas
           referrals since 2001, the rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases
           poses challenges for delivery of health services in both nations.
           The care and treatment of such diseases often involves expensive
           referrals abroad, lowered funding for public health programs that
           serve impoverished populations, and burdens on household and
           national budgets. Future health outlays will also be affected by
           health challenges facing FSM and RMI youths.30 FSM and RMI health
           officials indicated concern about growing youth problems such as
           suicides, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancy. With
           regard to teacher qualifications, the FSM Department of Education
           reports that 90 percent of teachers need to upgrade skills to meet
           new certification standards (a bachelor's degree with courses in
           child development). In the RMI, a 2004 Ministry of Education
           assessment reported that more than 50 percent of teachers had
           failed basic English literacy tests.31

           In the past 2 years, the FSM and the RMI economies have performed
           modestly and have been characterized by continued dependence on
           external assistance, suggesting limited prospects for achieving
           development goals of budgetary self-reliance and long-term
           economic advancement. Private sector employment has largely
           stagnated in both countries, whereas public sector expenditures
           continue to account for almost two-thirds of GDP. Despite the
           amended compacts' structure of declining grant assistance, the FSM
           and the RMI public sectors have grown while tax revenues remain
           relatively small. Unless each nation can secure other donor
           assistance, maintenance of living standards over the long term
           will likely require private sector expansion or increased
           remittances.32 The FSM and the RMI private sectors face
           significant constraints to growth, however, and FSM and RMI
           emigrants' current lack of marketable skills is a hurdle to
           increased remittance revenue. Although the amended compacts'
           fiscal procedures agreements require JEMCO and JEMFAC to monitor
           FSM and RMI progress toward budgetary self-reliance and long-term
           economic advancement, neither organization has discussed these
           issues at its annual meeting or defined what actions they will
           undertake to meet this requirement.

           As in the original compact period, FSM and RMI economic conditions
           in 2004 and 2005 were characterized by dependence on foreign
           assistance. In the FSM, 2004 and 2005 GDP fell owing to compact
           delays and a lower level of assistance relative to 2003.33 For the
           RMI, the IMF estimates that GDP expanded moderately owing to
           increased public sector expenditure (see fig. 4).34 While the RMI
           also experienced compact delays in 2004, RMI public expenditure
           increased in both 2004 and 2005, reflecting expected compact
           funding at levels roughly equivalent to fiscal years 2002 and
           2003, when compact funds were temporarily increased. Both
           countries' 2005 public sector expenditure-about two-thirds of
           which is funded by external grants-remained at about 60 percent of
           GDP.

23The Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-199) established the
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in January 2004; MCC administers
the Millennium Challenge Account. Through this account, the United States
provides development assistance to lower-income and lower-middle income
countries that demonstrate, among other factors, a commitment to just and
democratic governance, economic freedom, and investing in their people.
According to the World Bank's World Development Indicators, the FSM and
the RMI are lower-middle income countries.

24For example, the central government manages less than 10 percent of
compact sector grants. Further, due to confusion about how the FSM
consolidated budget translates into specific state resource flows, for the
fiscal year 2007 budget consultations, the Department of the Interior will
consult with the state governments directly, rather than through the
central government.

25In addition to these examples, land issues remain a problem for U.S.
access to Kwajalein Atoll through the defense provisions of the amended
compact. The RMI government is bound by an agreement with the U.S.
government that allows for U.S. access to Kwajalein Atoll until 2086. To
date, the RMI government has not reached an agreement with Kwajalein Atoll
landowners (who own the land under use by the U.S. government) that allows
for this long-term access.

26In June 2004, RMI officials announced plans for a Taiwanese-funded
floating dry dock to be placed in downtown Majuro (the capital city of the
RMI). Members of the RMI's NGO community opposed this plan owing to
potential negative impacts on the reef, sea life, and the downtown
community.

Despite High Expenditures, Both Countries Remain Challenged in Improving Health
and Education Conditions

27Countries with higher per capita aid levels include French Polynesia,
New Caledonia, Mayotte, and Palau, which also has a Compact of Free
Association with the United States.

28As directed by the amended compacts, the FSM and the RMI have placed a
priority on the health and education sectors. For example, education
expenditures amounted to $221 per capita in the RMI and $192 per capita in
the FSM. In the FSM, however, per capita health and education expenditures
varied widely by state, reflecting variations in per capita assistance
received. For example, although Chuuk state represents an estimated 50
percent of the FSM population, it receives only 38 percent of compact
funds.

29MCC also examines girls' primary education completion, but data for this
indicator were not available for either the FSM or the RMI. Regarding
immunizations, the RMI had a large measles outbreak in 2003. In response
to this outbreak, HHS initiated steps to improve vaccine coverage,
including, among other things, assigning a public health advisor to the
Pacific Islands Health Officers Association in 2005; continuing its
commitment to fund a regional immunization epidemiologist to be based in
the FSM; and committing to place a public health advisor in Chuuk State.

30A World Bank study highlights suicide as a serious risk for RMI youths,
with 66 cases of attempted or completed suicides in 2003 (an increase of
20 percent from 2002). See World Bank, East Asia and the Pacific Region,
Opportunities That Change People's Lives: Human Development Review of the
Pacific Islands - RMI Country Case Study (Washington, D.C.: 2005). The RMI
has pursued a vigorous outreach program to address this problem, however,
and reported suicides fell significantly in 2005.

31According to the RMI's Economic Policy, Planning, and Statistics Office,
only 14 percent of Marshallese staff who took the test passed both the
reading and writing components.

  FSM and RMI Economies Show Limited Potential for Self-reliance and Long-term
                                  Advancement

FSM and RMI Economies Depend on Government Spending of Foreign Assistance
Instead of Private Sector Production

32In this report, we use "remittances" to refer to funds voluntarily
transferred by emigrants to their home countries.

33Earlier estimates by the IMF and the FSM predicted minimal GDP growth in
2005, based on an assumption of increased government expenditure; however,
compact delays continued into 2005.

34IMF and RMI government estimates of GDP growth differ due to different
inflation assumptions. According to RMI economic consultants, RMI
estimates will be updated to reflect new inflation assumptions to accord
more closely to those used by the IMF.

Figure 4: FSM and RMI External Grants and Estimated Real GDP

In both the FSM and the RMI, however, private sector activity has remained
relatively stagnant and exists largely to provide services to the public
sector. Since 2000, the estimated private sector share of GDP has fallen
in both countries and only Pohnpei state in the FSM has had modest growth
in private sector employment, principally in wholesale and retail
operations.35 Institutions such as the IMF and the ADB characterize the
private sector in both the FSM and the RMI as isolated from international
opportunities, given each economy's high dependence on imports and
negligible foreign investment.36

35Both the FSM and the RMI have limited data on private sector profits.
Employment data and interviews with private sector representatives confirm
the lack of private sector growth.

36Reliable exact trade data are not available. However, current
information suggests that imports exceed exports almost sevenfold in the
FSM and almost fivefold in the RMI.

FSM and RMI Will Likely Face Significant Budgetary Pressure with Declining
Compact Assistance.

Given the recent performance and structure of FSM and RMI government
budgets, both nations are likely to face significant budgetary pressure as
compact grants decline through 2023. Apart from 2002 and 2003, when
compact assistance was temporarily increased, FSM national and state
budgets have varied widely from year to year; however, each has had recent
budget deficits. RMI government finance statistics reported by the IMF
suggest that the RMI fiscal balance deteriorated after 2003 as well, with
an estimated deficit equivalent to 2 percent of GDP in 2005. Economic
experts emphasize that, structurally, both country's budgets are
characterized by a small local revenue base and recent increases in
government payroll. As a result, unless other donors provide additional
assistance, expenditure reductions will be required as compact grants
decline.37

           o  FSM budget structure. Although tax revenue in the FSM increased
           slightly in 2005, the FSM tax base is small and the growing wage
           bill is high relative to regional standards. In 2005, FSM taxes
           provided an estimated $29 million in revenue, or 23 percent of
           total revenue (compared with an average of 17 percent from 2000 to
           2004).38 In addition, the FSM government receives fishing access
           fees from foreign vessels that fish in its exclusive economic
           zone. However, the largest income source is external grants,
           which, at $76 million, accounted for 60 percent of revenues in
           2005 (see fig. 5). In terms of expenditure, the largest FSM
           expenditure component is public sector wages and salaries at an
           estimated $60 million.39 This component grew from 36 percent of
           total expenditures in 2000 to 2004 to 42 percent of total
           expenditures in 2005.40

37Both economies scaled back public sector employment and total wage
expenditures in the late 1990s as part of an ADB-financed public sector
restructuring program. FSM public sector employment has varied since 2000,
but the level in 2005 is the highest over the past 5 years. In the RMI,
public sector employment steadily increased from 2000 to 2005.

38FSM tax revenue accounts for about 11 percent of GDP, compared with
Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, or Kiribati tax revenues,
each of which accounts for more than 20 percent of GDP.

39The FSM public sector wage bill accounts for about 25 percent of GDP. In
contrast, the public sector wage bills in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Papua
New Guinea, and Samoa account for less than 12 percent of GDP.

40However, the FSM fiscal outlook is complicated by varied state budget
structures that create differences in fiscal vulnerabilities. For example,
2005 tax revenues ranged from 28 percent of total revenues in Pohnpei to
16 percent of total revenues in Kosrae, while the 2005 wage bill ranged
from 30 percent in Yap to 57 percent in Chuuk. Moreover, the FSM will face
an additional element of fiscal adjustment as it is required to phase out
over 5 years its ineligible use of the compact capacity building grant for
general government operations.

Figure 5: Structure of FSM Revenues and Expenditures, Fiscal Years
2000-2005

Note: Transfers include subsidies and represent payments for which no
goods or services are received. "Other" revenues comprise dividend and
interest income, service charges, and fees. "Other" expenditures consist
primarily of current expenditures on goods and services.

           o  RMI budget structure. As a percentage of total revenue, the
           RMI's tax base is slightly larger than the FSM's. As a percentage
           of total expenditure, the RMI's public sector wage bill is also
           relatively smaller, although its wage bill increases have exceeded
           the FSM's. Taxes in the RMI provide about $22 million in revenue
           to the government, or roughly 26 percent of total revenues (see
           fig. 6). The RMI also receives fishing access fees. At 64 percent
           of total revenues, external grants are the largest income
           component, providing $54 million in 2005. The structure of RMI
           revenues remained roughly the same over the past 5 years. However,
           RMI payroll expenditures increased. In 2005, the RMI's wage bill
           comprised 34 percent of total expenditures, compared with the 2000
           to 2004 wage bill of 31 percent. In actual value, the RMI's wage
           bill increased from around $17 million in 2000 to around $30
           million in 2005.

Figure 6: Structure of RMI Revenues and Expenditures, Fiscal Years
2000-2005

Note: Transfers include subsidies and represent payments for which no
goods or services are received. "Other" revenues are comprised of dividend
and interest income, service charges, and fees. "Other" expenditures are
comprised primarily of current expenditures on goods and services.

In addition to receiving compact grant assistance, the FSM and the RMI
receive substantial U.S. program assistance from agencies such as the U.S.
Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Health and Human Services. The
RMI also receives large grants from Japan and Taiwan and the FSM receives
large grants from Japan (see table 2) and reports having received grants
from China. As compact grants decline through 2023, government fiscal
balances and GDP could be supported, at least partially, by increased
noncompact assistance. However, such increases in assistance are not
guaranteed, may vary from year to year, and may not be flexible enough to
meet FSM and RMI budget needs.41

Table 2: Estimated Levels of Economic Assistance by Major Donors to the
FSM and the RMI, Average from Fiscal Years 2002 to 2004

U.S. dollars in millions
       Compact grants U.S. programsa Japan Taiwan 
FSM           $83b            $45    $8    n/a 
RMI            29b             20     5    $10 

Source: The U.S. Department of the Interior, FSM and RMI government
finance statistics, the IMF, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD).

Note: Some of the noncompact assistance, such as development assistance
from Japan, is not included in FSM and RMI government budgets as grant
assistance. In addition, China provides assistance to the FSM, although we
were unable to determine the estimated amount.

aThese figures do not include occasional emergency assistance provided by
Federal Emergency Management Agency.

bThe FSM and the RMI received less compact grant assistance than the
amended compact provides, owing to delays in compact grant implementation.

Tax reform may provide opportunities for increasing annual government
revenue in the FSM and the RMI. For example, business tax schemes in both
nations are considered to be inefficient by the IMF, the ADB, and other
economic experts owing to a poor incentive structure and weak tax
collection. Various expert and country studies have concluded that
substantial tax reform could bring revenue growth by broadening the tax
base, altering the structure to be more equitable and business friendly,
and improving administration.42 However, although the FSM and the RMI
governments have made some improvement in tax administration, tax revenues
have largely stagnated. Revenue potential from further tax reform will
also vary by government (national and state) and will require factors such
as a sound design; adequate resources and capacity for tax enforcement;
government commitment for reform; and, ultimately, private sector growth.

41In addition, the RMI's ADB debt repayments will be increasing in the
future. The RMI estimates that annual ADB debt repayments will rise from
approximately $1 million in 2005 to almost $4 million by 2012.

Key FSM and RMI Industries Face Multiple Constraints to Growth

FSM and RMI development plans identify fishing and tourism as key
potential growth industries. However, in both nations, fishing enterprises
have shown poor performance, and the number of tourists has been small
relative to other Pacific islands.43 In the FSM, the fisheries and tourism
sectors together provide about 6 percent of employment; commercial fishing
has been plagued by poor government investments in vessels and
infrastructure that have resulted in high debt levels, according to ADB
experts; and visitor arrivals have remained flat over the past 10 years
despite growth in Pacific island tourism. In the RMI, the fisheries and
tourism sectors together provide less than 5 percent of employment;
commercial fishing within the RMI's exclusive economic zone has been
declining, and although visitor arrivals have increased modestly, they
remain small in number relative to other Pacific island nations.44
Economic experts suggest that the FSM and the RMI fishing and tourism
industries could grow within specialized niche markets such as high-end
tourism or dock services. Such opportunities remain limited in scale,
however, and the IMF, the ADB and other economic experts suggest that
growth in these industries in both countries may be limited by current
structural barriers such as the following:

42ADB and IMF studies broadly estimate that the FSM could raise tax
revenues by 25 to 30 percent by implementing a value-added tax (VAT). See
Mark Sturton, Strengthening of Public Sector Management and
Administration: Compact Fiscal Adjustment and Transition, a report
prepared for ADB TA-4258, 2004 and the 2004 IMF Article IV Staff Report
and Statistical Appendix for the FSM. For the RMI, estimates of revenue
potential are less certain. One ADB study estimates that the RMI could
raise tax revenues by about 20 percent by altering its income tax
structure and streamlining import taxes. (See Fuat Andic, Tax Policy and
Administration in the RMI, a report prepared for ADB TA-6245-REG, 2005.)
However, another ADB consultant suggested that revenue gains from tax
reform would be limited to less than 3 percent.

43The World Bank reports that international visitor arrivals in 2003
totaled approximately 18,000 in the FSM and 7,000 in the RMI, compared
with 431,000 in Fiji; 92,000 in Samoa; 68,000 in Palau; 56,000 in Papua
New Guinea; and 50,000 in Vanuatu.

44The RMI stated in its comments to this report that tax income from the
fisheries and tourism sectors is also volatile.

           o  geographic isolation and small fragmented markets;
           o  high airfares and poor flight connections;
           o  lack of adequate hotel and airport infrastructure;
           o  low freight capacities and poor interisland shipping;
           o  inadequate transshipment facilities in some areas;
           o  a growing threat of overfishing;
           o  limited pool of skilled labor; and
           o  high production costs in terms of labor, fuel, and other
           supplies.

           In addition to facing structural barriers to growth, private
           industry in general faces a costly business environment in both
           the FSM and the RMI according to economic experts and U.S. and
           country officials. In interviews, private sector representatives
           also expressed concern with poor government provision of power,
           water, and infrastructure services and government failures to pay
           bills owed to the private sector for services rendered-a complaint
           confirmed by several government officials including those from the
           Chuuk State legislature, the RMI Ministry of Resources and
           Development, and the FSM Department of Economic Affairs (see app.
           III for further information).

           Prospects for Increased Remittance Income to the FSM and RMI Require More
           Skilled Migrants

           FSM and RMI emigrants could provide increasing monetary support to
           their home nations in the future, although evidence suggests that
           they are currently limited in their income-earning opportunities
           abroad. World Bank data show that remittances, or the personal
           funds that the foreign born voluntarily send to their home
           countries, have become an important source of financial flows to
           developing countries-in some cases exceeding official development
           assistance and foreign direct investment.45 For the FSM and the
           RMI, many citizens have taken advantage of U.S. migration rights
           established by the original compact and extended by the amended
           compacts.46 As of 2005, RMI data suggest that about 15,000
           Marshallese have immigrated to the United States. FSM data
           suggests that almost twice as many Micronesians live overseas.47
           However, the current level of remittance income provided by these
           emigrants is unknown. In the RMI, the 2002 household survey
           suggests that RMI citizens send more money out to RMI emigrants
           than they receive in remittances, owing to the emigrants' lack of
           high-paying jobs and inability to afford repatriation of funds.
           Our previous work has shown that RMI and FSM emigrant populations
           have limited income-earning opportunities abroad, largely because
           of inadequate education and vocational skills.48 The 2003 U.S.
           census of FSM and RMI migrants in Hawaii, Guam, and the
           Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) confirms this
           characterization, showing that almost half of the emigrants live
           below the poverty line (see table 3).49 Nonetheless, economic
           experts emphasize that with an upgrading of skills, the FSM's and
           the RMI's free access and strong historical links to the U.S.
           market create potential for the two nations to achieve an
           expansion in remittance income that could contribute to long-term
           economic advancement.50

           Table 3: FSM and RMI Emigrants in Hawaii, Guam, and the CNMI, 2003

           Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

           Compact Management Committees Have Not Discussed Progress toward Self-reliance
           and Long-term Advancement
           
			  To date, JEMCO and JEMFAC have not discussed FSM and RMI progress
           toward budgetary self-reliance and long-term economic advancement
           or the role for compact grants in attaining these development
           goals. FSM and the RMI development plans specify the objectives of
           increased private sector development, strengthened education and
           training, and improved public sector management as means of
           achieving the goals of budgetary self-reliance and long-term
           economic growth. The amended compacts' fiscal procedures
           agreements requires the JEMCO and JEMFAC to monitor FSM and RMI
           progress toward their long-term development objectives, however
           the oversight committees have not defined what actions they will
           undertake to meet this requirement.51 At the fiscal year 2004 and
           2005 annual JEMCO and JEMFAC meetings, as well as at a March 2006
           JEMCO meeting, compact management committees focused on approving
           sector grants and discussing grant administration issues. For
           example, to approve the FSM health and education sector grants,
           JEMCO has required supplementary information on health insurance
           programs and that a certain amount of the FSM's education grant is
           spent on textbooks. The JEMCO meetings have not included
           discussion of FSM progress toward its long-term development goals.
           At the 2005 JEMFAC meeting, the RMI government provided a brief
           overview of GDP and employment data, yet the presenting official
           reported that there was no meaningful JEMFAC discussion of RMI
           long-term growth issues resulting from the presentation. For
           example, while the RMI government presented data on migration to
           the United States, JEMFAC did not discuss the linkage between
           compact education spending and improving RMI emigrant's skills to
           encourage increased remittance income over the long-term. Through
           agency comments, HHS emphasized that an annualized schedule for
           committee meetings does not provide enough frequency for
           addressing both grant administration issues and long-term growth
           issues, particularly given the relative lack of communication
           between JEMCO and JEMFAC members in between meetings. HHS
           suggested that communication be improved through periodic
           teleconference and videoconference updates.

           FSM and RMI Progress on Key Economic Policy Reforms Has Been Slow
			  
			  FSM and RMI officials report that they have implemented a few
           legislation actions to improve the private sector environment,
           such as bankruptcy and mortgage laws, yet progress on key policy
           reforms required to stimulate investment has been slow. According
           to FSM and RMI private sector representatives as well as various
           U.S., IMF, ADB, and country reports, an enabling business
           environment in either country requires substantial reforms in
           taxes, land ownership, and foreign investment regulations as well
           as a reduction in public sector competition with the private
           sector. Despite several years of policy dialogue on taxes, the FSM
           has agreed on elements of tax reform but has no plan for
           implementation and the RMI has not agreed on structural change to
           its tax system. In attempts to modernize complex, traditional land
           tenure systems, land registration offices have been established in
           both countries; however, in both countries, inadequate access to
           land and uncertainties over land ownership and land values
           continue to create costly disputes, disincentives for investment,
           and problems regarding the use of land as an asset. Further,
           despite amendments to foreign investment regulations, the
           regulations in both countries continue to be confusing and
           relatively burdensome, according to economic experts and private
           sector representatives. Finally, several years of public sector
           reform efforts have also failed to reduce government involvement
           in private sector activities. Thus far, the JEMCO and JEMFAC
           committees have not evaluated the lack of FSM and RMI progress in
           implementing economic reforms to stimulate investment and improve
           tax income, identified problems encountered or recommended ways to
           improve assistance for these objectives.

           FSM and RMI Have Implemented Some Legislative Reforms
			  
			  Both the FSM and the RMI identified the need for economic reform
           within their national development plans, and both countries have
           implemented or are pursuing some legislative actions. For example,
           FSM officials report that newly enacted legislation, although
           varying by state and national government, include laws for
           bankruptcy, mortgages, long-term leases, and secured transactions
           to allow movable assets to serve as collateral. Some governments
           have also tried to improve foreign investment processes or created
           small business development centers.

           To create continued and strengthened demand for reform, the ADB
           has also recently assisted both countries in holding several
           "Dialogue for Action" retreats that enable public and private
           sector representatives to develop a common vision for sustainable
           development through economic reform. Our interviews with ADB and
           country participants suggested that these retreats can be helpful
           for improving the public sector/private sector dialogue on
           economic challenges facing each society. However, ADB experts also
           emphasized that, in developing country commitment to reform, the
           FSM and the RMI will need to overcome the "aid curse"-or the
           distorted incentives for effective public sector management
           through, e.g., public sector downsizing, which result from
           dependency on large external aid flows.52

           Key Policy Reforms to Stimulate Investment Have Not Been Implemented
			  
			  Despite several years of commitment to, and recommendations for,
           policy reforms to stimulate investment in the FSM and the RMI, key
           reforms have not yet been implemented. According to FSM and RMI
           private sector representatives and a number of economic and
           country experts, policy reforms are needed in the areas of tax,
           land, foreign investment, and the public sector to improve
           business incentives and create an enabling environment for
           domestic and foreign investment.

           Tax Reform
			  
			  Tax structures in the FSM and the RMI remain complex and unequal
           and engender business disincentives.

           o  The FSM tax system has been criticized by economic experts, the
           FSM government, and the FSM private sector for (1) multiple
           taxation of the same products (2) weak administrative collection,
           audit, and enforcement capacity (3) taxation on a gross rather
           than net basis,53 and (4) duplicative national and state tax
           administrations. Since 1994, the IMF and other experts have
           recommended, among other tax reforms, implementing a value-added
           tax (VAT), a simplified net profit tax, and a single modernized
           independent tax authority. In 2005, the FSM Task Force on Tax
           Reform developed a tax reform proposal, endorsed by the FSM
           President, that included these principles. Nonetheless, despite
           the fact that such reforms are estimated to require 2 to 3 years
           for implementation, the FSM government has neither begun to
           implement the proposal nor specified an implementation plan.54
           Although the FSM government has made some efforts to improve tax
           administration, actions by existing tax authorities in the
           national government and each state government continue to exhibit
           duplication and inefficiency.
           o  The RMI government and economic experts have recognized for
           several years that the RMI tax system is complex and regressive,
           taxing on a gross rather than net basis and having weak collection
           and administration capacity. The RMI stated in its comments to
           this report that their private sector representatives' most common
           complaint on the RMI tax system is the need for better and tighter
           enforcement. The RMI Office of Tax and Revenue reported that it
           has focused on improving tax administration and has raised some
           penalties and tax levels. However, legislation for income tax
           reform has failed and needed changes in government import tax
           exemptions have not yet been addressed.

           Inadequate access to land and uncertainties over land ownership
           and land values continue to create costly land disputes,
           disincentives for investment, and problems regarding the use of
           land as an asset in both the FSM and the RMI.

           o  Land tenure systems in each nation are complex and based on
           traditional and customary rights, often for multiple individuals,
           such that most parcels do not have a registered, legal title. Our
           interviews with FSM and RMI officials and private sector
           representatives suggested that costly boundary disputes are
           common.
           o  Land values are also uncertain owing to the lack of a developed
           land market or price data on lease transactions, such that banks
           are unable to effectively conduct mortgage secured lending. Given
           that a major proportion of FSM and RMI wealth lies in property,
           the inability to use it to secure financing for development is
           problematic.
           o  Using land for foreign investment in the FSM and the RMI is
           even more difficult. Economic experts report that foreigners are
           prohibited from owning land in both nations and are also unable to
           secure a valid lease when land values or ownership is uncertain.55

           Land reform issues have been discussed in the FSM and the RMI for
           several years, and land registration offices have been
           established. However, such offices have lacked a systematic method
           for registering parcels, instead waiting for landowners to
           voluntarily initiate the process. Both the FSM and the RMI land
           registration offices reported that landowners have shown little
           interest in land registration, partly owing to the cultural issues
           associated with traditional land ownership structures. In the RMI,
           for example, only 5 parcels have been, or are currently being,
           registered by the land registration office. The functionality of
           land registration offices in both the FSM and the RMI has also
           been limited by a lack of registered surveyors and trained staff.

           Although the FSM and the RMI have amended various aspects of their
           foreign investment laws to streamline the process, the overall
           climate for foreign investment remains complex and nontransparent,
           according to economic experts and private sector representatives.
           In the FSM, experts report that foreign investment regulations
           vary between states, creating confusion and additional
           requirements for investors who want to invest in several states.
           In both the FSM and the RMI, foreign investment regulations remain
           relatively burdensome, with reported administrative delays and
           difficulties in obtaining permits for foreign workers. According
           to an Interior official, a shipping company with service from the
           U.S. West Coast to Guam has for years been seeking permission to
           provide shipping service to the FSM and the RMI but has
           consistently been refused entry by those nations. The climate for
           foreign investment is also reportedly affected by private and
           public interests' protecting local businesses from foreign
           competition. For example, experts report that foreign investment
           is restricted from some industries in both the FSM and the RMI,
           and some FSM states require a certain percentage of local
           ownership in foreign investment. Pohnpei state, for instance,
           requires 30 percent local ownership for foreign investment and
           prohibits foreign activity in retail, according to its Foreign
           Investment Board. Interviews with country officials, private
           sector representatives, and an ADB expert also suggest that local
           businesses sometimes lobby the foreign investment boards against
           approval of certain applications.

           Extensive FSM and RMI government involvement in commercial
           activities continues to hinder private sector development, owing
           to high public sector wages and government enterprises that
           directly compete with private industry. The FSM's and the RMI's
           public sector reform efforts since the 1990s have been based on
           restructuring government operations to (1) reduce the size and
           cost of the civil service, (2) reduce government involvement in
           market-oriented enterprises that could be more efficiently
           operated by the private sector, and (3) improve government
           provision of critical support services. One example of a reform
           success highlighted by economic experts is the RMI's restructuring
           of its Social Security Administration to reduce operating costs
           and improve service provision.56 However, despite government
           endorsement of public sector reform principles, early efforts to
           reduce public sector employment have generally failed in both the
           FSM and the RMI, and the share of public sector employment has
           increased over the past few years. FSM and RMI public sector wages
           also remain about twice the level of private sector wages,
           contributing to the large government wage bill and effectively
           drawing the most skilled employees out of the private sector into
           public sector jobs. In addition, the FSM and the RMI governments
           continue to conduct a wide array of commercial enterprises that
           compete with private enterprises, although the share of employment
           accounted for by these enterprises, as well as estimated direct
           public enterprise subsidies, has declined in recent years (see
           table 4).

           Table 4: FSM and RMI Government Commercial Enterprises

           Source: GAO analysis of FSM and RMI government finance statistics
           and government audit data.

           aRMI data are available only through 2004.

           bThe FSM estimate is from a 2001 report on public enterprise
           reform prepared for the ADB by the Aires Group Ltd., in
           association with Deloitte & Touche. The list represents entities
           either fully owned or jointly owned by the state or national
           governments in 2000. The RMI estimate is derived from the 2004 RMI
           Statistical Yearbook.

           cFinancial losses represent expenditures minus revenues or the net
           change in assets. Economic experts highlighted several public
           enterprises with large financial losses (such as the FSM National
           Fisheries Corporation and Air Marshall Islands). These examples
           are not included in the table because their audit reports were
           qualified or contained material weaknesses.

           Nonetheless, IMF and ADB officials expressed concern that the FSM
           and the RMI governments are not committed to reducing their
           participation in commercial activities, despite the fact that most
           of the enterprises have drained public finances through poor
           financial performance, requiring subsidization or entailing debt
           (see examples in table 4). In conjunction with the ADB, the FSM
           prepared a comprehensive program for public sector enterprise
           reform in 1999 that identified two enterprises per state and
           national government for privatization (such privatizations later
           became a condition for receiving ADB loan assistance) and entailed
           plans for the creation of a Public Sector Enterprise Unit.57 This
           unit has not yet been fully staffed, and the ADB loan requirement
           was reduced to one enterprise per state and national government, a
           condition that has not yet been met. The RMI has yet to prepare a
           comprehensive policy for public enterprise reform. Our interviews
           with economic experts and FSM and RMI officials suggested that
           although they plan to privatize some public enterprises, they
           intend to expand others.

           To date, JEMCO and JEMFAC have not addressed the lack of FSM and
           RMI progress in implementing reforms that their development plans
           specify are needed to stimulate investment and improve tax income.
           Different from the original compact, the legislation implementing
           the amended compacts specifically directs the JEMCO and JEMFAC to
           address FSM and RMI policy reforms by (1) evaluating progress in
           implementing these policy reforms, (2) identifying problems
           encountered, and (3) recommending ways to increase the
           effectiveness of U.S. assistance.58 In the 2004 and 2005 JEMCO and
           JEMFAC meetings, as well as in a 2006 JEMCO meeting, compact
           management committees focused on grant approval and administration
           and did not address the status of reforms or include discussions
           of how compact grant assistance could be leveraged to improve the
           policy environment for private sector growth and investment.59
           Specifically, compact management committees did not discuss the
           lack of FSM and RMI progress in tax, land, foreign investment, or
           public sector reform; factors that contributed to this lack of
           progress; or the interdependence of policy reform implementation
           with effective compact grant implementation. Opportunities exist
           to create linkages between grant administration and economic
           reforms. For example, sector grants in public sector capacity
           building could be used to address capacity constraints that have
           been identified as an obstacle to reform implementation (e.g., the
           lack of certified land surveyors for land reform). Further,
           compact management committees could establish linkages between,
           for example, grants to tourism promotion agencies and progress in
           reforming foreign investment regulations to improve the private
           sector environment for investment or grants to private sector
           development offices and progress in reforming public enterprises
           that compete with private industry.

           Conclusions
			  
			  The FSM and the RMI face notable challenges to achieving budgetary
           self-reliance and long-term economic advancement, given their
           current health and education hardships; dependence on grant
           assistance; and need to effect reforms that are often politically,
           culturally, and technically difficult to implement. Tax, land,
           foreign investment regulation and public-sector reforms, when
           implemented, will improve the business environment, in turn
           facilitating the private sector expansion that may help the
           countries advance their compact goals. However, even with the
           needed reforms, growth in the FSM's and the RMI's private sectors
           may be limited by structural constraints such as geographic
           isolation and high transport costs. As a result, the FSM and the
           RMI may need to expand economic activities beyond their
           borders-including, as some experts suggest, expanding remittance
           income by equipping emigrants with better skills and, therefore,
           stronger income-earning opportunities abroad.

           Because the amended compacts have been in place for only a few
           years, it is difficult to determine whether the assistance they
           provide will contribute to the fundamental changes in FSM and RMI
           economic structures and institutions necessary to achieve
           budgetary self-reliance and economic advancement. Expanding FSM
           and RMI private sector activity and remittance income will require
           effective compact grant implementation, just as successful compact
           grant implementation will require FSM and RMI commitment to policy
           reform. The scheduled coming reductions in U.S. grants to both
           countries create urgency for the implementation of policy reforms
           if they require fiscal resources and for capitalizing on
           opportunities to leverage compact assistance to improve social and
           economic conditions through reform.

           Recommendations
			  
			  To maximize FSM and RMI potential for budgetary self-reliance and
           long-term economic advancement, we recommend that the Secretary of
           the Interior direct the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular
           Affairs, as Chairman of JEMCO and JEMFAC, to ensure-in
           coordination with other U.S. agencies participating in these
           committees-that they fulfill their requirements in the following
           three areas:

           o  evaluate FSM and RMI progress in implementing policy reforms
           needed to improve the business environment and encourage increased
           investment and tax income,
           o  identify problems encountered with policy reform
           implementation, and
           o  recommend ways to improve U.S. assistance for these objectives.

           Agency Comments
			  
			  We received comments from the Departments of the Interior and HHS,
           as well as from the FSM and the RMI. A more detailed presentation
           and response to the comments can be found in appendixes IV through
           VII. We also received technical comments from Interior, State,
           Treasury, HHS and the RMI. We incorporated technical comments into
           our report, as appropriate.

           The Department of Interior concurred with our recommendation and
           stated that it is pursuing additional information on the FSM and
           the RMI economies to support its implementation of the
           recommendation. The RMI advocated for JEMFAC support in policy
           reform implementation and emphasized that public sector reforms
           are particularly vital. HHS also agreed with our recommendation
           and requested that it be expanded to include JEMCO and JEMFAC
           requirements for establishing timelines for policy reform
           implementation. While establishing timelines is not a requirement
           under the amended compact or its subsidiary agreements, we
           encourage the JEMCO and JEMFAC to consider this idea as one method
           to improve U.S. assistance in support of an improved FSM and RMI
           environment for investment and tax income. Further, Interior, HHS,
           and the FSM emphasized that the JEMCO and JEMFAC have thus far
           focused their attention on accountability issues and problems that
           have arisen within the various sector grants. HHS suggested that,
           in order to ensure the JEMCO and JEMFAC can address all pertinent
           short-term and long-term issues, mechanisms to improve
           communication and information between annual meetings-such as
           periodic teleconferences and videoconferences-should be pursued.
           The FSM viewed the report as a potentially constructive
           contribution to ongoing efforts to pursue budgetary self-reliance
           and economic advancement, yet disagreed with our conclusion that
           FSM development prospects remain limited.

           In addition to providing copies of this report to your offices, we
           will send copies of this report to other appropriate committees.
           We will also provide copies to the Secretaries of the Interior,
           State, and Health and Human Services, as well as the President of
           the Federated States of Micronesia and the President of the
           Republic of the Marshall Islands. We will make copies available to
           other interested parties upon request.

           If you or your staff have any questions regarding this report,
           please contact me at (202) 512-3149 or [email protected] . Contact
           points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public
           Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff
           who made major contributions to this report are listed in appendix
           VIII.

           David Gootnick Director, International Affairs and Trade

           List of Committees

           The Honorable Pete V. Domenici Chairman The Honorable Jeff
           Bingaman Ranking Minority Member Committee on Energy and Natural
           Resources United States Senate

           The Honorable Richard G. Lugar Chairman The Honorable Joseph R.
           Biden, Jr. Ranking Minority Member Committee on Foreign Relations
           United States Senate

           The Honorable Richard W. Pombo Chairman The Honorable Nick J.
           Rahall, II Ranking Minority Member Committee on Resources House of
           Representatives

           The Honorable Henry J. Hyde Chairman The Honorable Tom Lantos
           Ranking Minority Member Committee on International Relations House
           of Representatives

           The amended compacts implementing legislation requires that we
           report on political, social, and economic conditions in the
           Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the
           Marshall Islands (RMI) as well as the use and oversight of U.S.
           assistance to those nations. In compliance with the legislation's
           requirement, this report1 examines each country's (1) political
           and social environment for compact grant implementation; (2)
           economic conditions, including overall growth, fiscal balances,
           and private investment; and (3) status of economic policy reforms.

           To identify key aspects of the FSM and the RMI political and
           social environment for compact grant implementation, we reviewed
           the U.S., FSM, and RMI annual compact reports for 2004; U.S.
           Department of State reports on FSM and RMI political systems and
           human rights practices; political assessments by nongovernmental
           organizations such as Transparency International and the
           University of Hawaii; and information from the Pacific Islands
           Forum regarding FSM and RMI participation in regional agreements
           and organizations.2 We identified key areas of concern in delivery
           of health and education services by reviewing FSM and RMI
           development plans, and reports prepared in conjunction with the
           Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, or the United
           Nations Development Program.3 We obtained FSM and RMI
           socioeconomic statistics on noncommunicable diseases, access to
           safe water and sanitation, teacher certifications and literacy
           skills, and Pacific Island Literacy Level student test scores from
           the FSM Departments of Health and Education and the RMI Ministries
           of Health and Education.4 We obtained regional socioeconomic
           statistics on population trends, teenage fertility, child
           mortality rates, immunizations, human poverty, and GDP and aid per
           capita from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, the
           U.S. Census International Database, and the 2005 United Nations
           Human Development Report.

           To assess FSM and RMI economic conditions, we reviewed the U.S.,
           FSM, and RMI annual compact reports for 2004; FSM and RMI
           development plans; recent International Monetary Fund (IMF)
           Article IV documents for each nation;5 ADB Country Strategies and
           Program Updates; 2005 FSM and RMI Pacific Island Economic Reports
           (PIER) prepared in conjunction with the ADB; and expert reviews of
           FSM and RMI fiscal structures and tax systems.6 We obtained data
           on FSM and RMI economic indicators such as gross domestic product
           (GDP), employment, government finances, migration, and private
           sector development from the IMF; the FSM's 2005 Statistical
           Tables; the RMI's 2004 Annual Yearbook and 2005 Employment
           Statistics; the OECD's international development statistics; the
           U.S. Department of Census; and the World Bank's World Development
           Indicators.

           To describe the status of economic policy reforms in the FSM and
           the RMI, we reviewed the documents mentioned above; the FSM Tax
           Reform Task Force 2005 Report to the President; the RMI 2005
           Budget Statement; ADB progress reports on the RMI Private Sector
           Development Project and the FSM Private Sector Development Loan;
           and RMI Final Reports from the 2005 Dialogue For Action Retreats
           sponsored by the ADB. We obtained data on FSM and RMI public
           sector enterprises from the FSM's 2005 Statistical Tables; the
           RMI's 2004 Annual Yearbook; and the most recent available public
           enterprise audit reports.

           In addition, we held extensive interviews with officials from the
           U.S. Department of the Interior (Washington, D.C.; Honolulu; the
           FSM; and the RMI) and the Department of State (Washington, D.C.;
           the FSM; and the RMI). We also interviewed officials from the U.S.
           Departments of Treasury and Health and Human Services (Washington,
           D.C., and Honolulu) and experts from the ADB (Manila, the
           Philippines), the IMF (Washington, D.C.), the World Bank
           (Washington, D.C.) and the Pacific Islands Development Program at
           the East-West Center (Honolulu). We traveled to all four states in
           the FSM and to the RMI (Majuro). We met with the governor's and
           legislature's offices in each of the FSM states and the
           President's office in the RMI. We had detailed discussions with
           FSM (national and state governments) and RMI officials from
           foreign affairs, finance and budget, economic affairs, health,
           education, land management, tourism and fisheries, environmental
           protection, and audit agencies. In each location, we also met with
           numerous representatives from private sector businesses, banks,
           and community organizations.

           To ensure accuracy in our report, we asked experts at the ADB, the
           IMF, the World Bank, the Boston Institute of Development
           Economics, and the University of Hawaii's East-West Center with
           knowledge of the FSM and the RMI economies, as well as former
           members of the FSM's Economic Management and Policy Advisory Team,
           to provide a technical review of our findings and information on
           the reliability of data used to support those findings. In
           conjunction with our own assessment, we determined that trade
           data, remittance data, and data on the private sector profits
           contained weaknesses. Exact data for these elements were not
           presented in the report and related findings were corroborated
           with other reliable data. For other social and economic data
           included in the report, we determined they are sufficiently
           reliable for our purposes.

           Nonetheless, our interviews with U.S., country, and international
           officials revealed important constraints to the FSM's and the
           RMI's capacity to prepare regular, reliable, and complete data
           that would allow for a more thorough analysis of social and
           economic trends, particularly in the future. Trend data on a
           variety of social indicators, such as teacher qualifications and
           student drop-outs, could assist in evaluation of the effectiveness
           of compact education assistance. However, much of this data are
           just now being collected in a systematic way. Also, given that
           both nations have weak domestic capacity to produce statistics,
           they rely heavily on external consultants for this purpose. In the
           FSM, the contract for statistical assistance from external
           consultants has now expired. As such, both FSM and Interior
           officials have expressed concern for that nations' capacity to
           produce future statistics.

           We conducted our review from August 2005 through March 2006 in
           accordance with generally accepted U.S. government auditing
           standards. We requested written comments on a draft of this report
           from the Departments of the Interior, State, Health and Human
           Services, and Treasury, as well as the governments of the FSM and
           the RMI. All comments are discussed in the report and are
           reprinted in appendixes IV through VII. Further, we considered all
           comments and made changes to the report, as appropriate.

           Economic studies of small island economies suggest common
           challenges for socioeconomic development. According to
           international development organizations, developing nations in the
           Pacific have exhibited relatively poor economic performance and
           face common constraints to growth such as geographic isolation and
           high transport costs. Such nations have also exhibited the need
           for improvements in delivery of health and education services, a
           challenge heightened when youths account for a large share of the
           population. Environmental challenges from climate change and
           increasing population density are also common threats to ensuring
           sustainable livelihoods in the Pacific. Table 5 provides estimated
           socioeconomic data on various Pacific island nations in order to
           illustrate some of these commonalities as well as areas where the
           FSM and the RMI characteristically differ. For example:

           o  The RMI has a relatively small population, but both the RMI and
           the FSM have a relatively large population density at 331 and 181
           people per square kilometer, respectively. The RMI also has a very
           high teenage fertility rate.
           o  Except for Palau-also a nation with a Compact of Free
           Association with the United States-the FSM and the RMI have the
           highest levels of aid per capita.

           o  The FSM's child mortality rates are significantly lower than
           the RMI's, and its immunization rates are significantly higher.
           The RMI provides a significantly higher proportion of the
           population access to improved sanitation.

45Remittances are also an important source of income to maintain standards
of living for families in home countries since they are resilient to
economic downturns. We reported that, for several countries, including El
Salvador and the Philippines, remittances from the United States received
by households on a monthly basis tend to substantially exceed the monthly
minimum wage income for these countries. See GAO, International
Remittances: Different Estimation Methodologies Produce Different Results,
GAO-06-210 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 28, 2006).

46U.S. Census surveys of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands (CNMI), and Hawaii suggest that a large portion of Micronesian
migrants live in these areas.

47As a result of emigration, FSM population growth has slowed from about 2
percent in the early 1990s to virtually zero since 1995.

48 GAO-02-40 .

49FSM and RMI migrants also live in other areas of the United States. A
preliminary survey of RMI emigrants in Springdale, Arkansas suggests that
the emigrant population there has higher education levels and lower
poverty levels relative to the emigrant population in Hawaii, Guam, and
the CNMI.

50In addition to income support from remittances, experts also suggest
that returning emigrants may bring back newly acquired skills and capital
that could support growth in the home economy.

51Department of the Interior officials reported that their Office of
Insular Affairs has contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Graduate School to assist them in preparing an economic statistics dataset
for the FSM and the RMI, economic reviews for the FSM and the RMI, and a
policy review for both countries.

                                                                    FSM   RMI 
Population                                                    17,286 3,304 
Percentage that migrated for employment (includes dependents)     47    25 
Percentage of labor-force participants that were unemployed       21    18 
Percentage of persons 25 years and older with college degree       6     7 
Percentage of individuals with income below poverty level         45    49 

52According to ADB experts, large aid transfers to the FSM and the RMI
resulted in an economic development strategy where the public sector
served as the engine of growth. For example, during the original compact
period, large investments were made into public sector enterprises that
were protected through subsidies or tax exemptions. These activities
created distorted incentives for tax reform, public sector downsizing, and
creation of a more open foreign investment regime.

53The FSM Office of Customs and Tax estimated that it collects between 40
to 60 percent of owed taxes. It attributed this low collection rate to
inadequate collection and enforcement capacity and to the inability of
businesses with net losses to pay taxes levied on a gross basis.

  Land Reform

54According to the Task Force on Tax Reform, the FSM will need to pass a
constitutional amendment to implement the tax reform proposal that revises
state and national tax authorities or each state will have to pass
identical tax reform legislation. FSM officials report that such an
amendment had been previously introduced and failed. Our interviews with
state governments suggested that they support the proposal in principle
but are not yet aware of a detailed plan. Our interviews with private
sector representatives suggested some resistance to the tax reform
proposal.

  Foreign Investment Regulations

55The two commercial banks that operate in the FSM (Bank of Guam and Bank
of FSM) also have some degree of foreign ownership such that they are
unable to accept land as collateral. In the RMI, the Bank of Guam and the
Bank of the Marshall Islands also have foreign-ownership that prevents
them from owning land.

  Public Sector Reform

56In January of 2000, the RMI Cabinet appointed a new board for the
Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (MISSA) that in turn
appointed new management. The newly appointed management implemented wide
ranging reforms including closer justification of expenditures,
streamlining salaries and wages, elimination of job duplication, and
improved use of information technology.

                                FSM enterprises        RMI enterprises        
Share of employment          6.2% 5.2%              7.4% 7.0%              
1997-2002 average 2003-2005                         
averagea                                            
Annual direct subsidies      $4.3 million $1.9      $2.4 million $1.8      
1997-2002 average 2003-2005  million                million                
averagea                                            
Estimated number of existing 45                     16                     
enterprisesb                                        
Examples of existing         Micronesian Petroleum  Copra Production       
enterprises with financial   Corporation (2001      Scheme (2004 subsidy = 
losses or receiving          subsidy = $500,000)    $900,000)              
subsidiesc                                          
                                Pohnpei Fisheries      Marshalls Energy       
                                Corporation (2003 loss Company (2004 loss =   
                                = $517,000)            $2 million)            
                                Kosrae Utility         National Telecom       
                                Authority (2004 loss = Authority (2004 loss = 
                                $427,000)              $980,000)              
                                Chuuk Public Utilities Majuro Water and Sewer 
                                Corporation (2001 loss Company (2004 subsidy  
                                = $1 million)          = $100,000)            

Compact Management Committees Have Not Addressed Slow FSM and RMI Progress in
Implementing Reforms

57See The Aires Group Ltd., Privatization of Public Enterprises and
Corporate Governance Reforms, a special report prepared at the request of
the Asian Development Bank, 2001.

58The implementing legislation, P.L. 108-188, directs that the scope of
the JEMCO and JEMFAC annual meeting, as outlined in the amended compacts,
shall be construed as to read that the JEMCO and JEMFAC review required
audits and reports and (1) evaluate FSM and RMI progress in meeting
objectives identified within their development plans, with particular
focus on priority sectors and implementation of economic policy reforms to
encourage investment and achieve self-sufficient tax rates; (2) identify
problems encountered; and (3) recommend ways to increase the effectiveness
of U.S. assistance. In this report, we use the term "address objectives"
to refer to these actions.

59FSM and RMI offices related to reform efforts, such as land registration
offices, have been funded with compact grants.

                                  Conclusions

                                Recommendations

                                Agency Comments

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

1Our forthcoming report on the use and oversight of U.S. assistance to the
FSM and the RMI will be published by December 17, 2006.

2The Pacific Islands Forum represents the governments of 16 Pacific
islands and houses a secretariat to perform administrative tasks in
support of the forum's goal of regional cooperation.

3These reports include: World Bank, East Asia and the Pacific Region,
Opportunities That Change People's Lives: Human Development Review of the
Pacific Islands - RMI Country Case Study (Washington, D.C.: 2005);
Secretariat of the Pacific Community, in cooperation with the United
Nations Development Program, Pacific Islands Regional Millennium
Development Goals Report (Noumea, New Caledonia: 2004); United Nations
Development Program, in joint publication with the RMI, RMI Millennium
Development Goals National Progress Report (Majuro, RMI: 2005); and Asian
Development Bank, Priorities of the People Series (
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Priorities_Poor/default.asp).

4Safe water and sanitation is defined as access to an improved water
source and sanitation, which the World Bank defines as access to a
household water connection, public standpipe, borehole, protected well or
spring, or rainwater collection and access to sanitation facilities
(private or shared, but not public) that can effectively prevent human,
animal, and insect contract with excreta. RMI teacher literacy levels were
determined from the RMI Ministry of Education's 2004 administered Marshall
Islands English Literacy Test for Teachers (MIELTT). The Pacific Islands
Literacy Level (PILL) test is a test administered by the South Pacific
Board for Educational Assessment.

5Under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds
bilateral discussions with members and prepares supporting documentation
on economic developments and policies.

6These reviews include assessments by the IMF's Pacific Financial
Technical Assistance Center; Fuat Andic, Tax Policy and Administration in
the RMI, a report prepared for ADB TA-6245-REG, 2005; Mark Sturton,
Strengthening of Public Sector Management and Administration: Compact
Fiscal Adjustment and Transition, a report prepared for ADB TA-4258, 2004;
Enterprise Research Institute, Republic of the Marshall Islands Private
Sector Assessment: Promoting Growth through Reform, report prepared for
ADB TA 6037, 2003; and The Aires Group Ltd., Privatization of Public
Enterprises and Corporate Governance Reforms, a special report prepared at
the request of the Asian Development Bank, 2001.

Appendix II: Some Regional Socioeconomic Data for the Pacific

Table 5: Some Estimated Socioeconomic Indicators for Select Pacific Island
Nations

                                                          Papua New         Solomon                 
              Year    RMI     FSM    Fiji Kiribati  Palau    Guinea   Samoa Islands   Tonga Vanuatu
Population,   2005 59,071 108,105 893,354  103,092 20,303 5,545,268 177,287 538,032 112,422 205,754 
total                                                                                       
Population    2005   50.1    48.9    41.5     49.9   33.5      48.0    39.8    53.1    49.1    44.6 
ages 0-20 (%                                                                                
of total)                                                                                   
Population    2004    331     181      46      134     43        12      63      17     141      18 
density                                                                                     
(people per                                                                                 
sq km)                                                                                      
Population    2005    2.3     0.0     1.4      2.3    1.4       2.3    -0.2     2.8     2.0     1.6 
growth                                                                                      
(annual %)                                                                                  
Life          2005     70      70      67       62     70        65      71      73      70      63 
expectancy at                                                                               
birth, total                                                                                
(years)                                                                                     
Teenage       2005     87      36      42       56     62        58      21      59      42      32 
fertility                                                                                   
rate (ages                                                                                  
15-19)                                                                                      
Mortality     2003     61      23      20       66     28        93      24      22      19      38 
rate,under                                                                                  
age 5 (per                                                                                  
1,000)                                                                                      
Immunization, 2003     68      92      94       99     99        54      94      71      98      49 
DPT(%                                                                                       
children                                                                                    
ages12-23                                                                                   
months)                                                                                     
Access to     2002     82      28      98       39     83        45     100      31      97      50 
improved                                                                                    
sanitation                                                                                  
facilities (%                                                                               
of population                                                                               
with access)                                                                                
Aid per       2003    991     923      61      191  1,295        40     186     132     270     154 
capita                                                                                      
(current                                                                                    
U.S.$)                                                                                      
GDP per       2004  1,738   1,745   2,232      532  6,360       622   1,417     621   1,638   1,110 
capita                                                                                      
(constant                                                                                   
2000 U.S.$)                                                                                 

Sources: Population, population growth, life expectancy, and teenage
fertility rates are from the U.S. Census international database. All other
data are from the World Bank's World Development Indicators.

Appendix III: The FSM and RMI Private Sector Environment

Private sector representatives in the FSM and the RMI characterized the
business environment in their nation as obstructive and costly. They
attribute this characterization to elements of the political environment
(e.g., poor information), lack of progress in economic reforms (both legal
and financial), and poor government performance in providing services.
World Bank national business environment surveys suggest that a high cost
of doing business is a common problem for small island states. However,
the survey results show that FSM and RMI business environments are
particularly costly in several areas.1 For example, of 155 countries
surveyed, the FSM and the RMI are among the worst 10 to 20 countries in
terms of the cost of enforcing contracts and the degree of investor
protection. In interviews with private sector representatives, problems
were noted with FSM and RMI business environments (see fig. 7).

Figure 7: Some Noted Problems with the FSM and the RMI Private Sector
Environment

1See the World Bank's Doing Business web site at
http://www.doingbusiness.org/.

Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of the Interior

Note: GAO comments supplementing those in the report text appear at the
end of this appendix.

See comment 2.

See comment 1.

The following are GAO's comments on the Department of the Interior letter
dated May 16, 2006.

                                  GAO Comments

           1. Regarding our finding that compact management committees have
           not discussed FSM and RMI progress toward budgetary self-reliance
           and long-term economic advancement at their annual meetings, we
           recognize that the Deputy Assistant Secretary submitted a
           statement for the record at the opening of the 2005 JEMCO meeting
           that mentioned the lack of sustainability in the FSM's economic
           dependence on government expenditures. However, the Deputy
           Assistant Secretary did not read his statement to the committee
           and the issue of FSM progress toward their long-term development
           goals was not discussed by the JEMCO.
           2. We recognize that Interior has contracted with the U.S.
           Department of Agriculture's Graduate School to obtain further
           economic information on the FSM and the RMI. While we agree with
           the importance of gaining this further information, we believe
           that sufficient information is available for the committees to
           begin meeting their requirement to evaluate FSM and RMI progress
           in implementing reforms, identify problems encountered, and
           recommend ways to improve U.S. assistance for these objectives.
           For example, multiple expert studies as well as FSM and RMI
           commitment to, and recommendations for policy reforms in the areas
           of tax, land, foreign investment, and the public sector have
           existed since the 1990s.1

1Documents discussing these issues include, for example, IMF Article IV
documents for both the FSM and RMI, dating back to 1998; ADB country
assistance plans, country economic reports, and Public Sector Reform
Program loan documentation, dating back to 1997 for the FSM and 1996 for
the RMI; the RMI's 2000 Statement of Development Strategies entitled Meto
2000; the FSM's 2000 Economic Review; and the documents and information
sources listed in appendix I.

Appendix V: Comments from the Department of Health and Human Services

Note: GAO comment supplementing those in the report text appear at the end
of this appendix.

See comment.

See comment.

See comment.

See comment.

The following is GAO's comment on the Department of Health and Human
Services letter dated May 23, 2006.

                                  GAO Comment

HHS agreed with our recommendation and requested that it be expanded to
include JEMCO and JEMFAC requirements for establishing policy reform
implementation timelines. The amended compacts' U.S. implementing
legislation does not include establishing timelines for policy as a
specific required action for the JEMCO and JEMFAC. Nonetheless, in
fulfilling their requirement to identify problems encountered with policy
reform implementation and recommend ways to improve U.S. assistance, the
JEMCO and JEMFAC should consider this suggestion. As noted in our
conclusions and by HHS, the urgency of pursuing policy reform suggests
that establishing timelines for such reforms could be a useful method to
improve U.S. assistance. We also appreciate HHS's suggestion to improve
communication and information between annual meetings through periodic
teleconferences and videoconferences and have added language to the report
to reflect this suggestion. We have also added language to the report
recognizing HHS's efforts to improve vaccine coverage.

Appendix VI: Comments from the Federated States of Micronesia

GAO comment supplementing those in the report text appear at the end of
this appendix.

See comment.

See comment.

See comment.

The following is GAO's comment on the Federated States of Micronesia
letter dated May 30, 2006.

                                  GAO Comment

Regarding the FSM's disagreement with our conclusion that its development
prospects remain limited-the FSM confirms the accuracy of our description
of its recent economic performance, its constraints to growth, and its
need for economic policy reforms. Given these current realities, we
maintain that prospects for long-term economic growth in the FSM remain
limited. We do not assert, however, that economic development cannot be
attained. If key policy reforms were implemented, the business environment
would likely improve and facilitate private sector expansion that may help
the FSM advance its compact goals. Further, we agree that implementation
of policy reforms will not, in of itself, produce economic development. As
such, the FSM will also likely need to identify and capitalize on niche
market opportunities as well as to create conditions to maximize
remittance income, particularly through improving the education and health
of its citizens. Establishing connections with the overseas business
community may be one way to pursue such opportunities and should be
included in meaningful JEMCO discussions of FSM progress toward their
economic goals. As we emphasized earlier, the scheduled coming reductions
in U.S. grants creates urgency for implementation of policy reforms and
for capitalizing on opportunities to leverage compact assistance. The
coming reductions in U.S. grants, paired with current economic realities,
also suggests the need for JEMCO discussions to be based on frank
assessments of current limited prospects for economic growth in the FSM
and what actions need to be pursued to improve those options.

Appendix VII: Comments from the Republic of the Marshall Islands

Note: GAO comments supplementing those in the report text appear at the
end of this appendix.

See comment 4.

See comment 1.

See comment 3.

See comment 2.

See comment 6.

See comment 10.

See comment 5.

See comment 10.

See comment 4.

See comment 10.

See comment 4.

See comment 2.

See comment 1.

See comment 7.

See comment 1.

See comment 10.

See comment 9.

See comment 10.

See comment 8.

The following are GAO's comments on the Republic of the Marshall Islands
letter dated June 1, 2006.

                                  GAO Comments

           1. Regarding our recommendation, we believe that economic reforms
           in each of the areas discussed (e.g., tax, land, foreign
           investment, and public sector) are needed to improve the RMI's
           prospects for long-term economic growth and have clarified the
           report language. We also agree that the annual decrement in
           compact grant funding is a major challenge to achieving this
           objective, particularly if implementation of key policy reforms
           requires fiscal resources.
           2. We recognize that the FSM and the RMI were required under the
           amended compacts to contribute an initial $30 million to their
           trust funds. Recent RMI GDP performance may have differed if this
           funding were used to provide current goods and services rather
           than for savings. Nonetheless, the RMI's contribution to their
           trust fund does not alter the extent of RMI economic dependence on
           external assistance. Our description of RMI economic performance
           was also based on broad trends from 2000 to 2005, rather than
           exclusively on the 2 years of bump-up assistance in 2002 and 2003.
           3. We will address amended compact implementation issues and
           trust-fund issues in two separate reports, forthcoming. We have
           also added language to this report indicating the RMI's concern
           over delays in setting up its trust fund.
           4. We have clarified our estimates and figures with regards to
           funding streams they include and exclude. Section 177 funds are
           not included in our analysis.1 
           5. Section 211 of Title Two of the Amended Compact with the RMI
           states that compact grants shall be used for assistance in
           education, health care, the environment, public sector capacity
           building, and private sector development, or for other areas as
           mutually agreed, with priorities in the education and health
           sectors.
           6. We have added language regarding RMI consultations with the
           private sector and their desire for improved tax enforcement. The
           effectiveness of U.S. and ADB technical assistance to the RMI is
           outside the scope of this report. We note, however, that the RMI
           allocated no compact funding to a public sector capacity building
           grant in fiscal year 2004 and less than 1 percent of compact
           sector grant funding to such a grant in fiscal year 2005.
           7. We discuss remittances in our report as one option that the RMI
           may consider in pursuing the economic goals under the amended
           compact and that the JEMFAC may consider when discussing compact
           grant implementation. In the RMI's METO 2000 Statement of
           Development Strategies and its 2001 Strategic Development Plan
           entitled "Vision 2018," the RMI estimates that between 500 to 800
           new job entrants will need to find employment each year from 1999
           to 2009. To meet this objective, the ready access provided under
           the compact for Marshallese to live and work in the U.S. must be
           preserved. These documents also emphasize that the education
           system needs to equip Marshallese to succeed both in the RMI and
           abroad. Economic experts have emphasized that the RMI's free
           access and strong historical links to the U.S. market provide the
           RMI with relatively good opportunities to expand remittance
           income, particularly if migrants had upgraded skills. Improved
           skill provision should benefit both RMI emigrants as well as
           domestic economic prospects.
           8. We have clarified our reference that 2003 data on international
           visitor arrivals are for other Pacific island nations. Such data
           are not available for Kiribati and Nauru. The World Bank has
           estimated that, in 2002, Kiribati had 5,000 international
           visitors. However, Kiribati also has a per capita GDP that is less
           than one-third of the RMI's.
           9. RMI employment data indicate that the RMI did succeed in
           reducing public sector employment from about 3,760 jobs in 1997 to
           about 3,530 jobs in 2001.2 However, since then, public sector
           employment has risen to about 4,320 jobs in 2005.
           10. We have modified language in the report to clarify each of
           these points. We have added language to the report to include the
           volatility in tax income from the fisheries and tourism sectors
           and the fact that RMI offices related to reform efforts, such as
           land registration offices, have been funded with compact grants.

1The compact served as a vehicle to reach a full settlement of all
compensation claims related to U.S. nuclear tests conducted on Marshallese
atolls between 1946 and 1958. In a compact-related agreement (pursuant to
Section 177), the U.S. government agreed to provide $150 million to create
a trust fund. While the compact and its related agreements represented a
full settlement of all nuclear claims, it provided the RMI with the right
to submit a petition of "changed circumstance" to the U.S. Congress
requesting additional compensation. The RMI government submitted such a
petition in September 2000. In November 2004, the U.S. Department of State
issued a report evaluating the legal and scientific basis of this
petition. The report concludes that there is no legal basis for
considering additional payments. The House Committee on Resources and the
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the House Committee on
International Relations held a joint hearing on the petition on May 25,
2005. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held an
oversight hearing on the effects of the U.S. nuclear testing program on
the Marshall Islands on July 19, 2005.

2Public sector employment data includes jobs in the RMI national and local
governments, government agencies, and public-sector enterprises.

Appendix VIII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments

                                  GAO Contact

David Gootnick, (202) 512-3149

                             Staff Acknowledgments

In addition to the persons named above, Emil Friberg, Assistant Director;
Leslie Holen; Reid Lowe; Mary Moutsos; Kendall Schaefer; and Seyda
Wentworth made key contributions to this report.

(320371)

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Highlights of GAO-06-590 , a report to congressional committees

June 2006

COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION

Development Prospects Remain Limited for Micronesia and Marshall Islands

In 1987, the United States began providing economic aid to the Federated
States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)
through a Compact of Free Association. In 2004, through amended compacts
with the FSM and the RMI, the United States committed to provide more than
$3.5 billion until 2023. Joint U.S-FSM and U.S.-RMI compact management
committees are required, among other things, to monitor progress toward
specified development goals and address implementation of policy reforms
to stimulate investment. The legislation implementing the amended compacts
(P.L. 108-188) requires that GAO periodically report on political, social,
and economic conditions in the FSM and the RMI. In compliance with this
requirement, GAO examined each country's (1) political and social
environment, (2) economic environment, and (3) status of economic policy
reforms.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Secretary of the Interior direct the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs, as Chairman of the compact
management committees, to ensure they meet requirements to address the
lack of FSM and RMI progress in implementing reforms to increase
investment and tax income. Interior, Health and Human Services, the FSM
and the RMI generally agreed with the recommendation and the need to find
development opportunities.

FSM and RMI political and social conditions challenge, respectively,
effective compact grant implementation and health and education progress.
Regarding political conditions, for example, the FSM states and national
government have been unable to agree on implementation of the compact
infrastructure grant, while the RMI government has had difficulty securing
agreement from land owners regarding its use of leased land for
compact-related projects. Social challenges in both countries include
persistent health and education problems despite substantial expenditures.
For instance, the FSM and the RMI have low immunization rates relative to
other countries with similar income levels.

The FSM and the RMI economies show limited potential for achieving
long-term development objectives. Both economies depend on public sector
expenditures-funded largely by external assistance-and government budgets
have growing wage expenditures, heightening the negative fiscal impacts
they will face as compact grants decline (see figure). As a result,
long-term economic growth must come from the private sector and increased
income sent home from FSM and RMI emigrants ("remittances"). However, poor
business environments hamper private industry in both countries, and FSM
and RMI emigrants' lack of marketable skills hinders increasing revenue
from remittances. Compact management committees have not discussed the
countries' progress toward budgetary self-reliance and long-term economic
advancement at their annual meetings.

FSM and RMI progress in key policy reforms has been slow. Country
officials reported passing some new mortgage and bankruptcy laws, but
other needed reforms have not been implemented. For example, according to
economic experts, tax systems remain inequitable and inefficient and
foreign investment regulations remain confusing and relatively burdensome.
FSM and RMI development plans include reform objectives in each of these
areas; however, compact management committees have not addressed the
nations' slow progress in implementing reforms.

Estimated Per Capita Compact Grant Assistance for Fiscal Years 1987-2023
*** End of document. ***