DeLeon Guerrero eyes joint legislative working group to assess CNMI gov’t’s financial status

Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero

Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) has proposed a combined working group of the Senate and House of Representatives leadership to review and assess the CNMI government’s financial status.

In a letter to House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) last Thursday, DeLeon Guerrero said the working group’s assessment must focus on the American Rescue Plan Act fund balance left by the past Torres administration, and whether or not the fiscal year 2023 budget requires any amendments.

In addition to the Senate and House leadership members, the Legislature’s two fiscal analysts must participate and provide guidance to the working group, she said.

“As leaders of the 23rd CNMI Legislature, I trust that you share the same concerns regarding the current CNMI government’s financial status,” DeLeon Guerrero told Villagomez.

The president said she looks forward to Villagomez’s favorable response so that they may schedule meeting dates as soon as possible.

DeLeon Guerrero also requested Department of Finance acting secretary Tracy B. Norita last Friday to allow the fiscal analysts of the Legislature to have access to the CNMI government’s financial management information system, called Munis, in order for the Legislature to effectively and efficiently perform its work pertaining to the government’s financial status.

She said the Legislature’s fiscal analysts had access to the former system, JD Edward. She said this authorization was critical to the analysts in providing the necessary and most appropriate guidance to legislative members.

According to a 2022 transition report on the Department of Finance, a preliminary reconciliation has determined that the CNMI received $481.8 million in ARPA funds but, as of Dec. 27, 2022, it has overspent and overcommitted and has a deficit of $86 million.

ARPA was used to fund disaster-related expenditures pending reimbursements amounting to approximately $48.7 million. Upon reimbursements, the transition report disclosed, the ARPA deficit will be reduced to $37.4 million.

Among the recommendations of the transition report are to cease the 25% additional retiree pension payment until the government stabilizes its current financial state, initiate a revision to the ARPA spending plan with U.S. Treasury, and collaborate with the Office of Management & Budget to revise the fiscal year 2023 budget.