FLASHBACK – November 19, 2011

USDA offers incentives program to farmers[/B]

The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation service (USDA/NRCS) is now accepting applications for a program that will grant farmers of up to 75 percent of dollar share cost to help them address concerns on irrigation and animal waste. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which is being carried out in partnership with the Farm Service Agency and the local Soil And Water Conservation Districts, can be availed through the Commodity Credit Corporation. Only landowners who have control over their lands for a minimum of five years are qualified to apply for the program.

The government has received some $393,500 in federal grants for the initial phase of implementation of a financial management program intended to improve efficiency, enhance employee productivity and maximize taxpayers’ dollars in the public sector. Dan Nielsen, implementation leader of the Financial Management Improvement Plan or FMIP, said the money will be used to meet the needs of key departments and agencies under the program adopted by the Tenorio administration last year. From the total amount, $100,000 in technical assistance will be seat aside for the Public School System to train its own staff in maximizing the utilization of the financial management system.

CUC acts fast on water problems[/B]

Reacting to a statement that its drinking water for Saipan violated mandated standards, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation said it is exerting effort to address the problem at once whenever water samples test positive for bacterial contamination. “The field tests are quick. If they tell us that there is not enough chlorine (a positive test result), the Lab Supervisor radios the Water Treatment crews who immediately go to the site and boost treatment,” said Pamela Mathis, corporate communications advisor of the public utility firm. The following day, Mathis said, three more tests are conducted at a water location where a positive test was detected. The tests are conducted at the same spot, and at locations upstream or downpipe.

Besides the confirmation of Robert Naraja as associate judge, the Senate on Thursday also confirmed the appointments of four new members to the Board of Regents of the Northern Marianas College. Relenting from its hardline stance, the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations approved the appointments of Avelina C. Cabrera, Galvin DeLeon Guerrero, Vicente Seman and Margarita O. Taitano. Before this, the committee had threatened not to confirm the appointments of Seman and Taitano as a retaliatory move against Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio for vetoing the dialysis projects for Tinian and Rota and the percentage allocation of Federal Highway funds.

Govt owes CHC manpower agencies more than $500K[/B]

The CNMI government has been delayed—for almost three months now—in paying its contracted manpower agencies that supply nursing staff at the Commonwealth Health Center, prompting at least one of the companies to begin putting its staff on vacation. Juan T. Guerrero, president of Paras Enterprises, the longest serving staffing agency for the CHC, confirmed in an interview yesterday that the government owes his company some $400,000 or $500,000 to include all other outstanding fees with other government offices. “Well, I won’t hide that they owe me money, plenty of money. This week, we had a payroll, so that makes it five payroll cycles. I haven’t received payment from them,” Guerrero said when asked about the issue.

After his meeting with several Chinese travel agents and representatives of two major Chinese airlines, Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente expressed confidence that the CNMI could soon be seeing an increase in the number of tourists from mainland China. Benavente, together with a Marianas Visitors Authority contingent, had just arrived from China, where the CNMI participated in the recently concluded 4th China International Travel Mart in Shanghai, China, that was held from November 12 to 15.