NAP: $8.5M needed for FY06

The program that issues food stamps in the CNMI will need some $8.5 million this fiscal year, largely to meet the needs of its increased number of beneficiaries.

Nutrition Assistance Program administrator Walter I. Macaranas told Saipan Tribune Friday that the program would need $8,597,143 this fiscal year due to an increase in the number of active members.

Macaranas said that, based on a six-month assessment of the past fiscal year’s expenses, the program needs $7,142,580 for food stamps alone and an additional $1,454,563 for operational expenses in FY 2006.

The program issued more than $6.9 million worth of food stamps in the CNMI in fiscal year 2005, based on the program’s recently issued summary of expenditures.

The report showed that, in fiscal year 2005—covering the period from October 2004 to September 2005—NAP released $6,955,411 worth of food assistance to its members.

Macaranas said the increase of the budget request is vis-à-vis with the increase of the active household members of the program. As of September 2005, the end of the fiscal year, the number of the members reached to 7,513, a 695-member increase in the number of households receiving food stamps.

The NAP administrator said based on his office assessment the increase in membership is a result of several economic factors affecting the CNMI.

He said one of the factors is the closure of several garment factories in the past year that resulted to furloughs and unemployment for several garment factory employees.

He added that due to the economic slump, most of the members have their work hours reduced, thus, there are less wages for them that eventually made them qualify for the eligibility in the food assistance program.

Macaranas earlier said the outflow of benefits show an increase in numbers every year.

Based on statistics provided by the program last week, it was reported that Saipan-based beneficiaries received the biggest amount of food assistance this fiscal year at 93.4 percent or $6,493,105, followed by Rota, with 3.7 percent or $258,695. Next is Tinian, with 2.7 percent or $186,330, then the Northern Islands with only 0.2 percent or only $17,281 worth of benefits.

Based on ethnicity, Macaranas said that majority of recipients were Chamorros, at 54.2 percent or $3,771,619, followed by Carolinians, with 20.3 percent or $1,409,376 worth of food benefits.

Other ethnic groups who also benefited from the program were Filipinos, with 10.9 percent or $756,693; Chuukese, with 6.5 percent or $454,543; Palauans, with 4.6 percent or $320,236; Pohnpeians, with 1.8 percent or 124,725; and Yapese, with 0.5 percent or $34,788 worth of nutritional benefits.

Other groups, including Americans, Koreans, Taiwanese, Marshalese, Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Nepalese, Japanese, Chinese, Thais, Kosraeans and Samoans, also benefited from the program, with a total of $83,431 worth of food assistance.