FLASHBACK – May 12, 2012

HANMI, Chamber press for public hearing on wage act[/B]

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands have asked Department of Labor and Immigration Secretary Mark Zachares to immediately order a public hearing in connection with the Resident Workers Fair Compensation Act. David Wiseman, chair of the Chamber’s government relations committee and legal counsel of HANMI has sent a letter to Zachares telling him of the importance of holding a public hearing to discuss the proposed amendments. Amid calls by the Chamber to hold a public hearing on the controversial Resident Worker’s Fair Compensation Act, Senate President Paul Manglona and House Speaker Diego T. Benavente have agreed to support the businessmen’s proposal.

The Northern Marianas is preparing the groundwork for the establishment of the Board of Accountancy on the island in order to tap potential revenues that may be generated from holding examinations for Certified Public Accountants. Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s special consultant for education, Dan Nielsen, said the CNMI is awaiting certification from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to allow the government begin board exams hopefully by November. The plan is expected to bring in much needed cash for the financially-troubled Commonwealth, as it explores other avenues to boost revenues.

Fitial to discuss labor reform bill with SHRM[/B]

The Commonwealth’s chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, the CNMI’s professional personnel organization, will be holding its monthly membership meeting on Thursday, May 18th, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. House Speaker Benigno Fitial will be the guest speaker at this month’s meeting to discuss House Bill 12-039, or the Omnibus Labor and Business Reform Act of 2000, which is not under consideration in the Legislature. The bill proposes changes to existing laws on business licensing and employment of nonresident workers. The program will provide members of the organization an excellent opportunity to improve their knowledge and understanding of the bill.

Experience has taught the Public School System to take extra caution in disbursing allocated funds for its current fiscal year operations, spending only some $406,000 to date despite being more than halfway to the next fiscal year. On the same time frame last year, PSS already spent over $758,000 out of its annual $2.9 budget for operations. This translates to more than $300,000 decline in expenditure from October to May of FY 2000.

Party-mate blasts Babauta for alleged lack of support[/B]

Gov. Juan N. Babauta has reportedly decided not to support Richard Hofschneider as possible nominee to the Commonwealth Ports Authority board, prompting Hofschneider to question the Governor’s alleged lack of priority for Tinian. Hofschneider, who ran for senator under the Babauta-Benavente team during the last general elections, said that ranking officials and personalities at the second senatorial district have suggested him as possible nominee to the vacant CPA board seat for Tinian but this was not met with approval by Babauta and his close advisers. “The Tinian delegation has supported my nomination to the board seat to replace Ray Cing, whose term already ended.

Saying that Public School System teachers get a “competitive” base pay of over $38,000, PSS administrators want to use a projected additional budget of about $1 million to upgrade and maintain facilities rather than to increase salaries. House education committee chairman Rep. Daniel Quitugua said he was surprised to learn during a Friday meeting with PSS administrators that they actually prefer to use any additional budget for fiscal year 2004 for renovation and maintenance purposes. The Governor’s Office has informed the PSS that its budget for the next fiscal year would increase by slightly over $1 million, to be used specifically for salary increase of teachers, especially those in the early grades-kindergarten to third grade.