Flashback December 3, 1998-2001

[B][U]December 3,1998[/U][/B] [B]Pay cuts loom large[/B]

The Legislature is set to look into an administration proposal that will reduce salaries of nearly 5,000 government employees by five to 10 percent in a frantic effort to stretch its dwindling budget and prevent huge shortfall in the next few months, officials said. Some members of both the Senate and House of Representatives met yesterday with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to discuss ways on how to widen the current austerity measures and boost the depleting local coffers amid the worsening economic crisis in the Northern Marianas. Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez said lawmakers will try to work out a mechanism to implement the pay cuts on all government personnel, including civil service and contractual employees.

[B]CPA: Landing fees cut risks bond repayment[/B]

The Commonwealth Ports Authority has warned the Legislature against pushing the agency to implement a 50 percent reduction in landing fees saying it would jeopardize the payment of the $53 million revenue bonds. Amid the continuous plunge of the island’s tourism economy as a result of Asia’s financial crisis, the ports authority would have to increase landing fees to be able to meet debt service, operating expenses and complete capital improvements already in progress, said Carlos H. Salas, executive director of CPA. “If CPA does not raise fees to meet debt service requirements and expenses, CPA will be in technical default of the bonds inviting a wide range of legal problems,” he said in a letter sent to House Speaker Diego T Benavente.

[B][U]December 3,1999[/U][/B] [B]Continental apologizes: Omission was ‘unintentional'[/B]

Admitting the exclusion of Northern Marianas in one of its marketing promotions was an “unintentional omission,” an official of Continental Micronesia has downplayed the strong reaction by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio as he assuaged fears of its impact on the local tourism industry. Wally Dias, staff to the vice president for sales and promotion of the Guam-based carrier, said Continental continues to work with the Marianas Visitors Authority in attracting tourists to the island, contrary to reports that it is abandoning the CNMI. “This omission was a simple, unintentional oversight and in no way represents a change in Continental Micronesia’s policy of strongly supporting CNMI tourism. Continental Micronesia apologizes for the unfortunate omission,” he said in a statement.

[B]NMHC offers help to FAS citizens[/B]

Due to increase in delinquency of housing payments by citizens of the Freely Associated States, the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation has moved to assist them by carrying out programs that will eventually make them self-sufficient. According to Mary Lou S. Ada, executive director of NMHC, the housing office has seen a dramatic rise in the inability of FAS citizens to pay subsidized housing due to a recent federal court ruling which disqualified non-U.S. citizens from availing such benefit.

[B][U]December 3,2001[/U][/B] [B]Visitor arrivals drop 48.4 percent [/B]

Visitor arrivals to the Northern Marianas dropped by 48.4 percent in October compared with the same month last year, as the CNMI tourism industry reels from the adverse impacts of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US. The Northern Marianas played host to 20,858 tourists in October 2001, almost 20,000 lower than the 40,423 visitors reported in the same month last year. Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Perry Tenorio said security worries caused by the crash attacks, coupled with economic uncertainties dampened visitor arrivals from Japan, Korean, Taiwan, and the United States.

[B]United Nations contacts CNMI about Afghanistan[/B]

The United Nations’ High Commission on Refugees has already made initial contact with the CNMI government Wednesday last week, with a proposal for a teleconference on Friday midnight. Although no confirmation could be obtained as of press time whether the teleconference pushed through, administration officials believe the matter for discussion may revolve around the situation in Afghanistan. According to an administration official, the UN High Commission on Refugees wanted to talk to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and the CNMI Department of Labor and Immigration to discuss a matter pertaining to Afghanistan.