The group also discussed funding for 62 concrete taro patches to be build on inhabitant islands in the neighboring islands of Yap, especially those islands drastically affected by the recent tidal surge in the region in 2008.
Government representatives told the legislative committee that these new concrete taro patches will be additional to those that were previously built by the government on the islands when salt water intruded into the taro patches after one of the worst weather conditions in the Micronesia region.
The government group also mentioned that Fais Island was not included in the request because it was not affected during that time.
As the only island with higher elevation among all the neighboring islands of Yap the tidal surge did not go further inland in Fais.
The Finance Committee discussed copra during its hearing and requested the government representatives to explain as to why copra subsidy is included in the request when the FSM Congress should be giving copra subsidy since that is under its authority.
The government said the price of copra would be the same in all the four FSM states based on FSM Congress appropriations so the aim here is to attract buyers in the state to start buying copra early before the other states deplete the funding.
