General Fono Decisions March 2006

FONO DECISIONS

GENERAL FONO

17 to 20 March 2006

Fakaofo

TOKELAU

Decision

The General Fono agreed for:

Decision

The General Fono agreed:

Decisions

The General Fono noted:

The General Fono agreed:

Decision

The General Fono agreed:

5.1 ADDENDUM TO THE GENERAL FONO STANDING ORDERS

Decisions

The General Fono agreed:

Refer Appendix 1 for the full text of the Addendum to the General Fono Standing Orders

5.2 AMENDMENT TO THE FINANCE RULES

Decision

The General Fono endorsed:

Refer Appendix 2 for the full text of the Finance Amendment

5.3 TELECOMMUNICATIONS RE-INTEGRATION RULES

Decision

The General Fono agreed:

Decision

The General Fono:

Decision

The General Fono:

Decision

The General Fono agreed:

Signed at .................Fakaofo...................... on ......20th... April 2006.
Rev. Iutana Kuata Pue
Chairperson
General Fono

1. INCREASE TO THE SANITATION PROGRAMME
   1. to increase the Sanitation Programme from $3,500 to $5,000;
   2. for the increase to commence in the 2006/2007 financial year.

APPENDIX 1:

ADDENDUM TO THE STANDING ORDERS OF THE GENERAL FONO

The Standing Orders of the General Fono are amended by the addition of the following new rules

13. Application of Standing Orders to non-members

    When a person who is not a member of the General Fono participates in the proceedings of the General Fono these Standing Orders apply to that person.

14. Publication of documents
    1. No document prepared for or by the General Fono or a committee of the General Fono may be published and its contents disclosed, except with the permission of the General Fono until the document has been received by the General Fono.
    2. The General Fono upon receipt of a document may order it to not be disclosed.
    3. No document prepared for or by the General Fono or a committee of the General Fono where the public were excluded shall be disclosed.
15. Business of the General Fono
    1. The decisions of the General Fono shall, except with the approval of the General Fono, be made on the basis of remits.
    2. All remits to the General Fono must be submitted to the Secretariat before the closing date for remits as advised by the Secretariat.
    3. No remit received after the closing date shall be included in the agenda of the General Fono.
    4. Except in the case of urgency, the General Fono shall not discuss any matter which is not on the agenda.
    5. The Secretariat shall ensure that all remits submitted for the General Fono must -
       1. Be given an identifying number;
       2. Have a distinctive name;
       3. Indicate the sponsor;
       4. Specify the purpose of the remit and any background to it;
       5. Provide sufficient detail for the remit to be understood; and
       6. Include the draft motion that will be presented to the General Fono.
    6. Any remit which has a financial implication must be accompanied by a certificate from the government's or the village financial advisor relating to that financial implication.
    7. All remits shall be one page or less exclusive of any supporting documents such as reports or draft legislation.
    8. The Secretariat will return any remit not in accordance with this rule.
    9. The Secretariat must supply to each member and to the Chairperson and to the Deputy Chairperson a copy of all documents, which are to be tabled in or presented to the General Fono, no later than 10 working days before the day on which they are to be tabled or presented.
    10. A village or department shall indicate to the Chairperson the priority that the village or department gives each remit of that village or department before the General Fono agenda is finalised.
16. Remits to expire

    No remit will be carried forward from one calendar year to another without express decision to that effect by the General Fono.

17. Speaking limits

    Except with the approval of the Chairperson through the General Fono, speaking rights shall be exercised in the following way -

    • Proponent: maximum 5 minutes
    • Others: maximum 2 minutes per person per subject
18. Declaration of private interests

    A member must -

    1. Declare any personal or private financial or business interest that member or any spouse or business partner of that member may have in a matter before the General Fono; and
    2. Withdraw from the proceedings of that General Fono when that matter is considered, unless the General Fono otherwise decides.
19. Breach of Standing Orders
    1. A member or any other person at a meeting of the General Fono may by order of the Chairperson be excluded from the meeting if they contravene or fail to comply with these Standing Orders or any direction of the Chairperson.
    2. Where a member is excluded from a meeting of the General Fono the Chairperson shall indicate the period of exclusion which shall not be longer than that of the sitting in progress.
    3. Where a person other than a member is excluded the Chairperson shall indicate the period of exclusion which shall not be longer than that General Fono meeting.

    APPENDIX 2:

    FINANCE AMENDMENT

    The Finance Rules 1998 are amended in rule 8 by the addition of -

    (4) Any transaction that does not comply with paragraph (3) is void.

    (3) Unless the specific transaction has first been approved by the General Fono, no person has the capacity to bind Tokelau in a transaction which -
    1. 1. involves a sum of $50,000 or more; or
       2. involves a commitment or potential or actual liability of Tokelau for a sum of $50,000 or more; or
       3. would exceed budgeted expenditure by 5%.