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Torres says they want to clarify with Muña the $34.2M owed
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Posted on Aug 11 2022
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said Monday that they will be meeting with Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Muña to clarify her claim that to date, CHCC is owed $34.2 million that the Department of Finance has yet to transfer to the corporation.
Torres said in an interview that they have given a lot to CHCC and they want to know whether it’s counted toward the corporation or not. He cited the $5 million for premium pay.
“I don’t know if that’s calculated into giving to CHCC,” the governor said.
Torres also cited that they built a parking lot for CHCC and many other projects of value. He said they will be talking with Muña to clarify whether that’s counted among the things given to CHCC, how much the administration has paid to CHCC, and if there is still money owed.
The governor said they want to discuss how to go about the MRI scan and other things, and the plan to expand the hospital’s operating room.
In her letter last week to Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, Muña said that Finance still owes CHCC $34.2 million from several local appropriations, as well as allocations from the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Muña said that lawmakers emphasized with her that CHCC needs to make a written request to Atalig’s office, requesting for and following up on funding appropriated to CHCC by CNMI public laws.
In the letter, she itemized the appropriations that have a balance to date.
