Q & A

We get a variety of inquiries at town hall meetings, via email and other means. Here you will find questions of general interest and answers for your information. If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email, or use our web form.

Q. Could you explain the meaning of the various NEMO flags?

A. A white flag means that there is a small craft advisory and all persons are warned that the waters could be rough. A red flag means that small craft, like canoes or boats, should not go out on the water at all since the conditions could be very dangerous.

Q. I live far away from Koror and have a foreign worker who needs to have a work permit. Can I just send my worker's passport over to the Immigration and Labor Offices to process their paperwork or do I have to go to Koror?

A. You can just send the passport over. You and your worker do not have to come to Koror.

Q. I am concerned about erosion problems. Is there government help available for this?

A. The Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB) is the best source of information and advice regarding erosion issues; please contact them in Koror at 488-1639/3600. However, you may want to contact your state government first to see if any assistance can be provided at the local level.

Q. Do the recruiters of Foreign Workers in Palau need a permit?

A. Yes, even if they are Palauan, they still need to be licensed here to recruit foreign workers.

Q. Do citizens of other Micronesian countries living in Palau need visa or permits in order to visit here?

A. Anyone working here will need a work permit. If someone is not working here, then the length of their visit depends upon their country of origin. For instance, citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Saipan, and the U.S. can be issued 1-year visas, which can be renewed when they expire. Anyone else can stay for 90 days unless they are from a country whose citizens are not allowed to visit Palau.

Q. Is it possible to have Bureau of Public Safety officials visit states in order to register vehicles and give driving tests so people in these states don't have to come all the way to Koror to do this?

A. Yes, the Ministry of Justice will bring this service to the people and arrange to have Bureau of Public Safety officials visit Palauan states to register cars and give driving tests. This will save time and money for everyone. Bureau of Public Safety officials visited Peleliu on March 3, 2006 and will visit Ngarchelong on March 17, 2006. Visits to other states will be scheduled in the future. Check your state office for more information.

Q. The Peace Corps website says that NON-U.S. citizens are not allowed to participate in the program. With the Compact of Free Association (COFA), are Palauans an exception to that rule? Do you know of any other volunteer jobs abroad similar to the Peace Corps?

A. According to the local Peace Corps office here in Palau, it is a firm requirement that volunteers be U.S. citizens - there is no COFA exception for Palauans. However, there a number of other opportunities you can find on the web if you search for something like "international volunteer organizations". One possibility is the U.N. Volunteers. It is the volunteer arm of the United Nations and was founded in 1970.

Q. With the pending move to our new Capitol at Melekeok, has anyone looked into the idea of Public Transportation - as in Hawaii?

A. The president is encouraging employees residing in Koror to carpool to the new Capitol. However, no plans are currently in place for a public transportation system.

Q. ROP purchased land in Guam. Who really owns this property? When President Remengesau's term is over, who will own this property? Can we start using this area to build a bai for Palauans in Guam?

A. The Republic of Palau owns the property in Guam. However, since ROP can't technically own property, a public corporation was formed consisting of the Chief of Staff of the President, the Minister of Finance, and the Guam Consul, by virtue of their positions. Any time the holder of any of these positions changes, the incoming individuals will replace the outgoing ones in the corporation. This association has a 50-year lease on the land.

Q. High School ROTC. Where are we in this program? Are we going to have it or is it dead?

A. The bill has passed the first reading and is currently in committee. You can read a draft here.

Q. Survivor Palau was supposed to bring a large amount of money to ROP. How much did it bring and where is it?

A. The Ministry of Finance has not yet published the official numbers. However, the current estimate is that $5 million was spent on local businesses and it resulted in $1 million in tax revenue for the government. Also, 500 Palauans were hired to work for Survivor.

Q. How do we enforce laws that prevent our youngsters from chewing betel nut and smoking tobacco? What sort of prevention programs do we have at this time?

A. The Tobacco Free Program is currently working hard on a number of prevention programs, including placing anti-tobacco ads in the media. Also, there is a related initiative to revoke the licenses of businesses found selling tobacco and other restricted products to minors. We will post more information on these and other programs as it becomes available.