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Inos: Aging Office has to live within its means
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Posted on Oct 24 2011
Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos said the Office on Aging has to make its own adjustments so it could meet its objectives within the austerity measures implemented throughout the local government for fiscal year 2012.
This is in reaction to a request by the Office on Aging to be exempted from the directive issued by Gov. Benigno R. Fitial to continue to observe the 16-hour work cut per pay period this fiscal year.
“To the best of my knowledge, we have essentially agreed on how we move forward with this thing. They’re going to make adjustments with the schedule and that’s how we’re going to proceed,” Inos said Saturday after the Katori Jingu ceremony at the Sugar King Park.
Office on Aging director Rose Mondala earlier said that they should be exempted from the Friday closure of government agencies since their operation is mostly funded by federal grants.
Inos maintained that “it’s not really a matter of them not being included because they receive federal funds.”
According to Inos, there are “collateral issues” involved even though Office on Aging and all other government agencies receive federal funding for their operations and programs, including matching local funds and other non-financial issues like “morale issues.”
“We just look at the objective of the program and if that objective can be met within the austerity guidelines, we want to make sure that we comply with the austerity directive without jeopardizing the program,” he explained.
While the approved CNMI Four-Year State Plan on Aging provides for the ideal 80-hour workweek for the Office on Aging, Inos said the administration is “willing to sit down and look at it and make the appropriate adjustments” should the funding federal agency requests for changes in the state plan.
“We try to apply a consistent policy all throughout this government,” added Inos.
Last week, Mondala already announced to the congregates at the Aging Center that they will comply with the austerity directive.
Aside from being closed on Fridays, the Aging Center will no longer provide breakfast to congregate and homebound man’amko since employees under the Senior Community Employment Services will work starting 8:30am instead of 7:30am.
