FLASHBACK – June 16. 2011

Finance: No more funds for pet projects[/B]

Finance Sec. Lucy DLG. Nielsen has cautioned lawmakers against re-appropriating anticipated balance from earlier funding allocated by the Legislature, dashing hopes by some members to push pet projects ahead of the November midterm polls. Nielsen said that although the remaining funds appear on records, these money are no longer available for reprogramming into capital improvement projects being pitched by legislators for their respective voting precincts. In a letter to House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Karl T. Reyes, the top finance official said they are still drafting a report on fund balances as the panel has earlier requested to shed light on where the money were spent.

Despite limited resources, hospitals in various islands in the Pacific can still provide adequate health care as long as priorities are clearly defined and government leaders make a commitment to ensure that there’s a substantial budget on public health, said Kathleen L. Fritsch, a nurse educator and consultant in the World Health Organization. For the past years the 10 Pacific Islands have been experiencing similar problems such as limited quantity of supplies, lack of adequate resources and management leadership. “You have to clearly define what you need and submit a coherent proposal to management. They have to know that without this, we won’t run a safe health care system,” Fritsch told delegates of the American Pacific Nursing Leaders Council Conference.

NMC pushes for computer courses for locals[/B]

Striving to equip local talents with expertise in computer programming and network technology, the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents yesterday carried a motion to implement a technology-oriented program for the benefit of current and potential career professionals. Disappointed with the lack of computer literate among locals, BOR member Manny Sablan said NMC should seriously look into developing more computer-related courses at the college. Member Vince Seman echoed Mr. Sablan’s views, citing it is about time that the CNMI aim to be at par with other nations in acquiring globally competitive jobs particularly in the field of computers.

The government has owed over $9.4 million in unpaid pay raise to nearly 2,000 employees, according to the Office of Management and Budget. In a report to Sen. Edward U. Maratita who has asked for the information in preparation for a plan to pay these overdue wages, OMB chief Edward S. Tenorio said the administration will need more time to compile and update on the financial obligation. The Rota senator, who chairs the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee, is looking at appropriating some funds from FY 2001 budget for its settlement, saying that the mandatory pay increase for government employees has been neglected long enough. About 1,915 government employees on Saipan, Rota and Tinian have been waiting for their money since 1991 when Public Law 7-31 was enacted.

‘CUC didn’t evaluate SK’s proposal'[/B]

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. awarded its two-year fuel supply contract to Mobil Marianas without evaluating the proposal of its lone competitor, Pacific Petroleum Corp. or the regional representative of the Korean-based SK Shipping. In an April 24 letter of CUC executive director Lorraine A. Babauta to PPC chief operating officer Richard Reddy, she said the CUC found that SK Shipping proposal was “non-responsive” to CUC’s Request for Proposal and was therefore “not susceptible to evaluation.” Babauta said that SK did not provide for delivery to Tinian and Rota and the price for such a service, nor did it accept CUC’s payment terms. However, in a protest letter by SK, a copy of which was obtained by Saipan Tribune, it insisted that its proposal was qualified for evaluation and accused the CUC of “unfair business practices.”

Coastal Resources Management Office director Joaquin D. Salas defended his agency’s existence, in the face of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources’ call to strip it of certain functions pertaining to coastal resources protection. In a letter to Gov. Juan N. Babauta last week, Salas said there is no need to transfer certain technical functions and funding from CRMO to DLNR as inter-agency cooperation has resulted in better achievement of the goals of government projects. The DLNR had earlier asked the Governor to limit the CRMO to just issuing permits. The two agencies have been engaged in a turf war over environmental issues, that most recent of which was the DLNR’s use of rotenone in collecting fish specimens.