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DPW collected $1.4M in taxes, fees in 2015
The Department of Public Works Building Safety Code division collected over $1.4 million in taxes and other fees for fiscal year 2015, according to the Office of the Governor yesterday.
A total of $1.03 million in developer’s taxes were collected, with an additional $379,425.98 in building permit fees, $2,780 in special permit fees, $4,425 in demolition fees, and $40,047 in safety inspection fees amounting to over $1.4 million in revenues.
So far, fiscal year 2016 has seen over $364,000 in building permit collections and $19,000 in safety inspection revenues.
DPW Secretary James Ada said, in the statement, that the 2-percent Developers Infrastructure Tax based on a developers statement of total project’s cost “has helped revenue generation as new projects in the CNMI have steadily increased.”
Ada said revenue collected for fiscal year 2015 is 31.18-percent higher compared to fiscal year 2014.
Ada added revenue collected for fiscal year 2016 is 48.23-percent higher compared to fiscal year 2015.
“The division was able to increase revenues by over $900,000 since the previous fiscal years by better ensuring and enforcing compliance of the CNMI Building Safety Code to mirror the International Building Code that was adopted after 2009.”
The purpose of the building code is to establish the minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety, and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and provide safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operation.
