Aldan says House version of bill for retirees’ bonuses will impact Tinian tourism industry

Tinian and Aguiguan Mayor Edwin P. Aldan is rejecting a House of Representatives proposal to take tourism money that was allocated to municipalities to fund the $1,000 bonuses for government retirees.

At a Senate session on Tinian Thursday, Sen. Teresita A. Santos (Ind-Rota) also explained why she voted “yes” with reservations to the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 22-09 that approves Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ request to create a new program and business unit for the government retirees’ $1,000 bonuses.

The full Senate unanimously adopted during Thursday’s session Senate Resolution 22-09, which also approves Torres’ request to reprogram $2.6 million from within the Executive Branch for the payment of the retirees’ bonuses.

Aldan

Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) pre-filed the resolution last Monday and five other Republican senators.

Speaking during the session’s public comments portion, Aldan said if the House’s version as proposed by the House conferees continues to be the route for the bonuses’ legislation to take, it will impact the Tinian municipality.

Aldan urged the Senate to reject the House’s intent to use Hotel Occupancy Tax funds for the bonuses and identify an alternative funding source for the bonuses so he can continue to promote, rebuild and enhance Tinian’s tourism industry.

The mayor said he fully supports the CNMI Legislature’s intent to provide government retirees’ $1,000 bonuses and that he hopes that the House and Senate could soon agree on a method to fund the bonuses so the retirees can receive their financial assistance.

However, Aldan pointed out, it is also his understanding that the House intends to fund the bonuses from HOT allocated to the municipalities through the Marianas Visitors Authority.

He said that, according to the Hotel Association of the NMI, the hotel occupancy rate in February 2022 was only 24%, which is a significant reduction of HOT funds received prior to COVID-19 pandemic.

The mayor noted that these HOT funds are the only funds available to promote or revitalize the tourism industry on Tinian. Moreover, he said, these funds are used to fund annual festivals and for the maintenance of their public beaches and tourist sites.

“These are a grave concern to our municipality. As you know, we have committed and continue to make sure that we maintain these beaches. We are talking about cleaning the toilets, making sure they pick up the trash in the morning and in the evening,” Aldan said.

The mayor said if the House continues to insist that HOT funds will be taken away from MVA, it will drastically affect the municipality.

He said he heavily relies on the HOT funding.

“You go to our sites. As you may see, it is well maintained. I also continue to provide power and water, build new facilities, toilet areas and shower heads for our guests,” he said.

Aldan said Tinian has now developed as one of the places to see in the CNMI.

He said it’s a challenge when people visit Tinian as they have an inventory of 68 to 70 hotel rooms only. “But all of our tourists take the advantage of the scenery and cleanliness of these parks and beaches,” the mayor said.

Santos

Santos said both the Senate and House passed their respective version of how to best proceed with allocating funding for retirees’ bonuses, but each time one chamber would disagree.

Santos said because they have previously acted on a similar Senate joint resolution as the one before them, Senate Joint Resolution 22-09, which the House had rejected, she is not optimistic that the House would entertain this new resolution—an opinion that Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) had echoed.

She echoed Manglona’s appeal to Hofschneider, Senate members, including the Senate legal counsel, to sit down with the House’s counterpart and their legal counsel and come up with a version that is amicable to both houses.

“Let is us not continue to prolong this unnecessary delay as this is a pressing and urgent matter for both houses of the Legislature,” Santos said.