FLASHBACK

APRIL 6, 2005

Brown: 5 more garment firms may close down

At least five more Saipan garment factories are likely to shut down operations soon, according to the Attorney General’s Office, prompting it to closely monitor these companies, including their capability to meet their tax obligations.

As this developed, attorney general Pamela Brown disclosed that she would soon appoint a special prosecutor that would handle cases involving the garment industry.

34 hospital staff likely to leave in June

Thirty-four hospital staff, including nurses and midwives, are likely to leave the Commonwealth Health Center if they fail to take and pass the NCLEX before June this year. This is the number of hospital staff who are licensed by foreign endorsement in their country of origin.

APRIL 6, 2004

$12M highway project to link Bird Island, Talafofo

If the CNMI gets the $12 million promised it in the recently passed $275-billion U.S. transportation bill, the Talafofo-Kingfisher road project would immediately take off.

Special Adviser for CIP Management Charles D. Jordan disclosed yesterday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now preparing its environmental assessment study on the Talafofo-Kingfisher area in preparation for the 12-mile highway project that would connect the Bird Island Lookout Point to the Talafofo area.

NMC inks MOA with 7 Gateway recruiters

Northern Marianas College has signed memoranda of agreement with at least seven international recruiters for its Pacific Gateway project. The MOA authorizes these agencies or individuals to recruit international students mainly from China, Japan, and Korea for NMC’s Gateway project, set to begin this fall.

APRIL 6, 2003

‘NMI is SARS-free’

The Department of Health on Friday assured all Northern Marianas residents that the Commonwealth remains free from the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which has already killed 85 people in Asia and Canada, and sickened 2,300 more in dozens of countries. “We can assure you that the CNMI is SARS-free. There is no detected case. Don’t believe the rumors,” DPH epidemiologist Ed Diaz said in an interview.

Theft cases involving youths up

The Division of Youth Services disclosed a sharp rise on theft and burglary incidents involving juveniles, as 122 incidents—ranging from shoplifting to armed robbery cases—were reported in 2002. The Juvenile Probation Unit Statistical Information for fiscal year 2002 report revealed that 66 cases of theft incidents were reported in the last fiscal year, while authorities noted 11 cases of theft of vehicle.

APRIL 6, 2001

Three-year limit issue divides Legislature

A proposed measure passed by the Senate yesterday suspending the implementation of the three-year limit law until 2005 is not likely to make it through the House of Representatives. Some members of the House were apparently as dismayed as business leaders when the Senate chose to act on what could be yet another “temporary” measure seen to turn off potential investors. The Legislature’s upper chamber passed Senator Ramon S. Guerrero’s proposal that will create a task force to study possible effects of the three-year stay limitation law to businesses in the Northern Marianas. Congressmen believe a more concrete action—one that is long-term in nature and one that will give existing businesses and future investments more security in terms of workers’ availability—is the only answer.

Budget deficit down to $66M

The Tenorio Administration’s three-pronged approach to reduction in the government’s budget deficit is slowly paying off, as it managed to trim down the funding deficiency by a significant amount toward the end of financial year 2000. From more than $80 million in 1998, the government’s cumulative budget deficit is now down to $66 million, thanks to the administration’s tighter cost-cutting measures, economic revitalization efforts and passage of business-friendly legislation.

Fitial meets with US leaders

During a private trip to the nation’s capital this week, House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial grabbed the chance to meet with officials in the new Bush Administration and key leaders in Capitol Hill to discuss a myriad of issues. Among the issues discussed during the meeting were the state of the CNMI economy, federal funding for capital improvement projects, and the application of certain environmental laws to the CNMI. The visit is being privately funded by Mr. Fitial, the Covenant Party’s gubernatorial candidate who is traveling with other party candidates.