NMIVA still waiting for MCOC response

Organizers of the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association became the latest to voice their concern about the lack of payment for vendors during the 6th Micronesian Games, nearly five months after closing ceremonies.

According to NMIVA president Jon Cramer, the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee still owes the association $1,979.50 for numerous expenses incurred during the hosting of the Games, and the MCOC has not paid despite receiving receipts on three occasions.

Much like members of other athletic associations and Micro Games executive director Bill Sakovich, Cramer said that he has not heard back from MCOC chairman Rex Palacios despite sending e-mails as recently as October.

“The total approved budget for volleyball was $2,208 for equipment. We are well under. So there was no excess spending. Receipts have been presented on three occasions, twice before the games and once after. I have sent two e-mails since the games. The last one in early October,” said Cramer.

At the outset of the planning phase, businesses were asked to assist the MCOC in hosting the Games through contributions and vendors were asked to deliver materials and services on credit. The Pacific Islands Club was one of the local partners who stepped up to the plate, and they are still awaiting payment as a result of NMIVA’s delay in reimbursement from the MCOC.

According to Cramer, the hotel used its business connections to aid NMIVA and other organizations obtain materials at discounted rates. While the PIC hasn’t aggressively pursued the volleyball association for the funds, it remains the responsibility of NMIVA to refund the payment. Cramer fears that if the MCOC fails to satisfy its debt to NMIVA, the volleyball players might not have the benefit of looking to local businesses for assistance in the future.

“It is wrong for NMIVA not to repay them as they do this for us often. PIC is a strong supporter of volleyball on Saipan and not being able to pay them on time might look badly for NMIVA. PIC was generous in donating the courts and staff for use during the events. They also donated several items towards the tennis, swimming, and track federations,” said Cramer.

As a responsible organization, NMIVA may ultimately satisfy the debt on its own and await the funds from the MCOC, but that will limit the non-profit organization’s ability to help send the CNMI’s best and brightest volleyball players to the Pacific Games.

“If the Micro Games Committee does not pay the debt, NMIVA will be forced to do so. This will severely decrease the funds that have been raised for the Pacific Games—thus leading to less of a chance that volleyball will be able to compete in Samoa,” said Cramer.

That is exactly what happened to Northern Marianas Athletics recently when they paid a vendor $1,500 that they believed would be paid out by the MCOC.

This week another email was sent to Palacios and Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Daisy Villagomez-Bier from this reporter requesting the current status of the MCOC financial report that was supposed to be completed a month after the Games closed, but there was no still no response.

With no response to e-mails and phone call, and with the current status of funds still unclear, the Executive Branch has been brought into the loop to help provide some communication between the parties.

On Monday, press secretary Catherine Perry-Anderson said that she would bring the matter to the attention of Acting Gov. Timothy Villagomez. Nothing has come from the office yet as government offices were closed yesterday for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.