Fitial: We will pass all ‘solution’ bills

House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial has expressed willingness to support pending bills that aim to solve the fuel surcharge problem, including the minority bloc’s proposal to subsidize each household $70 a month by raising the poker fee.

“We will pass all the solution bills. We will not discriminate. As long as it offers a solution, we’ll pass,” said Fitial in an interview yesterday.

The House is set to resume its session at 10am today to tackle different measures that aim to relieve the public from paying the 3.5-cent fuel surcharge fee per kilowatt hour.

The session, which was originally set last Monday, was pushed back to today. Fitial said he expects today’s session to be productive.

Fitial called for recess last Thursday in the middle of discussions on minority leader Arnold I. Palacios’ bill, which aims to provide a $70 surcharge subsidy to each household in the CNMI by increasing the poker licensure fee by $4,000.

There are about 1,500 poker machines whose licenses are set to be renewed.

Fitial had inquired whether Palacios had consulted with the poker industry on the matter. Palacios said he has not done this because the industry is expected to oppose his measure.

The proposal, House Bill 14-366, said that each household would get a fuel surcharge subsidy of up to $70 a month, which translates to 2,000-kilowatt hour usage.

Any use beyond 2,000 kilowatt hours would have to be shouldered by residential users.

Palacios said that, unlike other proposals, his bill identifies fresh revenue from poker fees.

Last week, the House unanimously passed House Bill 14-360, which aims to appropriate $10 million in fiscal year 2005 to reimburse people for their fuel surcharge payment. The bill, authored by Rep. David Apatang, does not identify a particular source of funds.

Rep. Jesus Attao has also introduced House Bill 14-365, which aims to earmark .5 percent of certain taxes for the fuel surcharge payment.

In particular, it wants to get .5 percent from the income tax, excise tax, miscellaneous tax and license fees, amusement machine tax, business license fees, and charges for services and revenues for the fuel surcharge. These are essentially obligated under the continuing resolution.

Another bill, House Bill 14-362, authored by Vice Speaker Timothy P. Villagomez, is also pending final reading at the House. Villagomez’s bill seeks to increase CUC’s electricity rates and get rid of the fuel surcharge. It also aims to defer the $45 million outstanding loan of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. with the Commonwealth Development Authority to allow CUC improve its fiscal condition.