SQUABBLE OVER FUNDS Nielsen tells legislators: Follow regulations

Finance Sec. Lucy DLG Nielsen yesterday defended her department against criticisms from members of the Legislature that they are making it difficult to release funds for their travel expenses, saying they are just complying with the regulations.

She claimed some of the legislators still have huge outstanding travel vouchers that they have yet to file with the Department of Finance as part of the requirements before they can draw down again from their respective accounts.

“If they file their travel voucher and we reconcile that we owe them the money, then they’ll get it,” Nielsen told reporters in an interview.

“But if there’s outstanding amount, our policy is not to advance for the next travel and that’s what has been happening. It’s not about public purpose, (but) to comply to the travel policy,” she added.

Nielsen was reacting to accusations leveled by members of the House of Representatives during their session Tuesday against finance officials for holding up release of their funds to be used for the trip to Washington D.C.

House Majority Floor Leader Ana S. Teregeyo pointed out that DOF has been asking documents from her to justify her scheduled trip to the U.S. capital to attend the oversight hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

She said that when she made a request from the Office of the Governor for her travel authorization or TA, she did not encounter any problems. Only when she was getting approval from the DOF that its staff had asked for other documents to back up the Washington trip.

“There is no reason why I should in most cases submit a justification for my trip that I felt I need to go to,” Teregeyo explained in a separate interview. “This was an invitation that was extended by the administration and Speaker (Diego T. Benavente).”

The legislator blamed “communication breakdown” between Nielsen and her staff, noting that she has not had any problems in the past when she was invited to attend international conferences.

“I don’t see any reason for them to ask me. It wasn’t something where I would go to a conference,” Teregeyo said, telling DOF that “your responsibility… is to look into my account and see whether I have the money to pay for this trip. If I don’t have the money, you tell me. But for you to question my trip is beyond.”

Nielsen, however, called on lawmakers to follow the requirements so that the processing of their travel papers would not be delayed, as she reminded island officials to adhere to the travel policy of the government.

“We have not been denying them their travel. It is just a matter of them getting their travel advances (reported) so that they could travel again,” she said. “If there’s a large outstanding amount in their travel account, then we will hold the per diem. We have a travel policy and everything is enumerated there.”

The House Ways and Means Committee has been tasked by Benavente to iron out differences with DOF on this issue, which has continued to crop up in the last two years amid the financial woes plaguing the government.

Last year, the department came under fire from Legislature due to its alleged failure to reimburse expenditures of some members, including rental payment for tents usually provided for community activities such as wake and wedding.

The dispute over the use of public funds prompted them to enact a measure intended to set clear-cut policy on the phrase “public purpose” since legislators considered these community events as part of that definition.

It only became law last month, but the DOF still has to draft rules and regulations to implement the new policy.