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‘New permitting process easier’
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Posted on Oct 06 2020
The administration is working on a new permitting process that will make it easier for businesses this new fiscal year, according to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres.
Speaking at a radio news briefing last Friday, Torres said it’s been a long wait for businesses, but the administration is trying to streamline the process.
“So, hopefully, in this new fiscal year, we’ll see those changes very soon,” the governor said. He did not elaborate what those changes are.
At the same time, Torres has asked the Legislature to look into more new revenue-generating bills. He also asked Finance Secretary David Atalig to be aggressive in collecting taxes that are owed the CNMI and in assisting new businesses.
“It’s a new fiscal year. We have a lot of work to do,” the governor said.
Atalig said the Legislature’s passage of the government’s budget bill and the governor signing it into law gives the administration a “game plan” on how to manage the financial resources that’s available.
“Hopefully, as the months move forward, we can have the additional resources that can assist different agencies that we need to help fund,” Atalig said.
He reiterated Torres’ appreciation to the Legislature and the staff of the governor’s office in ensuring that the budget was enacted on time, thus averting a government shutdown.
Under the bill that Torres signed early Thursday morning, the revenue and resources available for appropriation for government activities in fiscal year 2021 is $96,476,054 and $4,556,164 from the Department of Public Lands, for a grand total of $101,032,218.
