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‘CIP money used to stir economy’
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Posted on May 08 2008
The new chief of the Department of Public Works has pledged to make sure that money for capital improvement projects are spent to spur the local economy.
Acting DPW Secretary Diego Songsong said it is one of his priorities to properly spend the millions of dollars of CIP funds provided the Commonwealth by U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, the Federal Highway Administration and other U.S. agencies.
“Because of the current state of the CNMI economy, my main task now is to spend CIP money administered by DPW to help stimulate the local economies of the three major islands of the CNMI,” said Songsong, who is awaiting Senate confirmation of his appointment.
“And to accomplish that task, DPW has to utilize best management practices in the processing of capital improvement projects. Outsourcing of critical tasks such as design works, construction management etc. should be expanded in order to fast track the projects’ implementation,” he added.
In his State of the Commonwealth Address last week, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said the administration is expediting the drawdown of federal CIP funds.
He reported that since he took office, the Commonwealth drew down a total of $51 million. That amount represents 46 percent of the cumulative balance available for the CNMI’s use.
He also bared a plan to use within the next six months about $39 million of the CIP funds toward “projects that will stimulate the economy.” He did not specify what those projects are. But he promised that by Spring 2009, the CNMI will have an infrastructure plan in place to satisfy the requirements to qualify for future water and wastewater infrastructure funding from the federal government.
