Flashback — Nov. 2001-Nov. 2003

Babauta: Smooth transition is priority[/B]

The incoming Babauta administration has no immediate plans of implementing any major reorganization in the Executive Branch, saying its primary goal at the moment is ensuring a smooth transition between the current and new administration. Speaking before the Rotary Club of Saipan during their regular meeting at the Hyatt Regency-Saipan yesterday noon, Governor-elect Juan N. Babauta said he has no plans of getting rid of some Executive Branch offices since most were established by law and “certainly that is something that I can’t unilaterally do.” “Even so, even if I want to reorganize an office or a series of offices, I would need to seek approval from the Legislature anyway. But there is no plan for any major reorganization in the Executive Branch,” he stressed.

The government has underscored the need to intensify its efforts in providing local fishermen with the necessary technical and financial assistance in order to develop the CNMI’s rich marine resources. Alarmed by recent hardships experienced by the local tourism and apparel industries, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio stressed the need to fast-track efforts to develop CNMI’s agriculture potentials. At the same time, government leaders said there is also a need to develop the Commonwealth’s fisheries-related infrastructure to entice more local participation to the sector. Concerns on the development of the fisheries sector has been common among the island-nations in the Western Pacific Region.
[B] Nov. 14, 2002

Legislator cited over protected bats[/B]

The CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife imposed a $5,000-fine against Rep. Daniel Quitugua for bringing to Saipan six Mariana fruit bats-a protected species-from Rota. The congressman was given 14 days to settle his obligation. The Department of Lands and Natural Resources also said a quarantine officer who allowed Quitugua’s entry with the fruit bats may be subjected to disciplinary actions. But the congressman, in an interview, said he just mistakenly brought the fruit bats from his father’s home in Rota, thinking that the bag he carried to the airport contained his lobsters.

The Saipan Mayor’s Office is moving toward increasing the salaries of some of its staff, prompting Finance Secretary Frankie Villanueva to appeal to Mayor Juan B. Tudela to hold off on the increases due to the government’s wobbly cash position. This follows a similar letter that Villanueva wrote to the Legislative Bureau, which has also submitted notifications to the Department of Finance expressing its intent to hike the salaries of its employees. In his letter to Tudela, Villanueva acknowledged receiving the notifications for personnel action increasing the salaries of the employees of the Mayor’s Office.
[B] Nov. 14, 2003

House revives vetoed bills[/B]

The House of Representatives yesterday mustered the three-fourths majority required to revive pieces of legislation that Gov. Juan N. Babauta vetoed last week. In its first session following the midterm election, the lower house reintroduced and passed the proposed Tax Code amendment (House Bill 13-355), the Retirement Act (HB 13-356) and the measure to establish the Commonwealth Hospital Corporation (HB 13-357). The three were among the 12 bills Babauta rejected last Friday consistent with the administration’s position that “until the question of whether the Senate had the requisite quorum present to conduct business from August 27, 2003 is answered by the Court, the administration cannot know with certainty which bill was constitutionally enacted by the Legislature.”

The Northern Marianas College said that it has accounted for some $527,900 questioned costs cited by the federal authorities for fiscal years 1997 to 2000. At the same time, it has yet to account for some $544,700 in questioned federal money. In an FY 2003 report, NMC financial and administrative services director David Atalig said that $527, 937 of the over $1 million questioned costs was “deemed potentially resolved.” The remaining amount, $544,730, remains “unresolved” as of Oct. 18, 2003. “Work is still continuing to address the questioned costs related to federal programs raised in the FY 1997 to 2000 audits,” said Atalig.