Teno not keen on piecemeal budget

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio appeared reluctant to support a proposal in the Legislature to pass piecemeal budget for the government scholarship and medical referral programs as he noted that appropriations for other departments and agencies would have to face drastic cuts.

He said the administration needs to meet other financial obligations, like mounting utility bills and retirement contributions, which also must be part of the fiscal budget now under review by lawmakers.

“We have to make sure that when you increase the allotment advise, when you increase the department (funding), you have to find a way where to reduce the budget (from other agencies),” Tenorio told reporters yesterday.

He, however, reiterated that the scholarship and medical assistance would be prioritized by the government if and when revenue collections improve in the next few months.

“I agree that once our resources increase, we can increase the (appropriation) for the needs of the departments. I do support and we all support the scholarship, but we also have responsibility…to pay our debt,” the local chief executive explained.

Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee Chairman Pete P. Reyes earlier has urged the House of Representatives to consider the possibility of passing separate appropriation measures to ensure funding for the scholarship and the medical referral programs.

He expressed concern that students would be shortchanged again with the delay in the passage of FY 2000 spending package that has forced the government to run under continuing resolution based on previous year’s budget allocation.

By approving the piecemeal budget, the administration will have to set aside money for the two critical programs whose share in the administration’s budget proposal was cut by almost half in view of the continuous economic difficulties confronting the CNMI.

Reyes has lashed out at the recent regulations implemented by the administration that slash financial aid to off-island students as well as eliminate assistance to part-time students of the Northern Marianas College.

Proponents of these new rules claim these efforts will prevent deficit in the Scholarship’s Office, while ensuring that only those deserving the grants will receive them.

Tenorio has underscored the need to distribute equitably the meager resources of the government, but added he would provide additional funding to critical programs once funds are available.

Last week, the administration and the House agreed to defer approval of the $206.7 million budget on the heels of disagreement on how to spread the projected revenues among departments and agencies, but both parties are expected to jointly review it before changing key provisions.

While still optimistic over the passage of the proposed spending package that will oil government operations within the next 12 months, the governor said he has no problems with the allotment advisory issued each quarter by his administration.

“We are monitoring the revenues that we are getting,” he explained. “If we find out that our resources continue to decrease, then we have no choice but to reduce also the allotment advise.”