FLASHBACK – October 3, 2011

DPH warns against Tanapag land crabs[/B]

The Department of Public Health will issue an advisory this week warning people against consuming land crabs taken from Tanapag after preliminary test showed that eight land crabs from the cemetery were found contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl. While there was no significant sampling made in the testing conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 in May of this year, DPH Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez believes that the people should be discouraged from eating land crabs until a more extensive evaluation has been conducted.

The level of revenues currently generated by the Commonwealth Ports Authority from its marine division has started showing signs of improvement, empowering its ability to comply with the $33 million seaport bond indenture. After previously falling short to meeting the 125 percent debt coverage ratio requirement, CPA managed to exceed the required debt service coverage by injecting additional revenues from its seaport operation in August. A report prepared for the CPA Board of Directors disclosed the 125 percent required debt coverage ratio has been exceeded by 27 percent, with CPA posting a whooping 152 percent for the month of August 2000.

‘Crisis justifies increased lobby efforts'[/B]

Despite valiant efforts by the opposition, House leaders pulled off the passage of a resolution supporting the Governor if he decides to retain the services of the Washington D.C.-based lobbying group, at least until December this year. Voting 11-5-1, majority of House lawmakers supported House Resolution 12-179, expressing the lower chamber’s support to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio in securing the continued services of Greenberg Traurig as the CNMI’s lobbyist at the US Congress “during this critical time.” Those who opposed were Reps. Diego T. Benavente, Heinz S. Hofschneider, Jesus T. Attao, Estanislao T. Torres and Thomas B. Pangelinan.

The Superior Court junked a motion filed by four government officials seeking to dismiss the case filed against them by a bidder to the Saipan prison project. The court’s decision virtually ruled that the bidder—the joint venture of Western Equipment, Inc. and DRC Pacific, Inc.—may possibly get monetary relief from Public Works Secretary Juan B. Cepeda, Procurement and Supply Director Herman S. Sablan, Attorney General Herbert Soll and Assistant Attorney General Murphy Peterson. The complaint incorporated damage claims even if it did not indicate the amount prayed for.

CPA’s financial vigilance pressed[/B]

The Commonwealth Ports Authority is drawing near to implementing painful cuts in operational costs, unless the agency sees improvement in its level of revenue, which is tied with the rally of the local economy. CPA Board Financial Affairs Committee Chair Ray Cing, in a report submitted to the Board, said that the CPA should be extra careful about its financial situation, especially with the declining ports-related activities. Cing, in his committee report, said the ports authority “cannot afford to be extravagant and wasteful at this time.” This, as the committee also presented the proposed Fiscal Year 2003 airport operations budget amounting to $11.3 million-$9.8 million for the total operating expenses and $1.5 million for debt service payment.

The CNMI Procurement and Supply has denied the protest of a U.S.-based staffing agency in connection with its bid to supply the Commonwealth Health Center with nurses and laboratory personnel. In a decision released yesterday, P&S Director Herman S. Sablan, said the company, New Jersey-based Global Access Staffing Services, “is a local bidder” so it is not entitled to a seven-day deadline allowance given to offshore entities. “We have determined that Global Access Staffing Services (Saipan), Inc. (Global), is a local bidder, and as such, cannot simultaneously claim that it is also a bidder outside the CNMI for purposes of being allowed seven days additional working days for a receipt of its proposal beyond the due date set…Accordingly, we have denied your protest in its entirety,” Sablan said.