Flashback – Jan. 1999-Jan. 2003

Jan. 20, 1999

CPA pledges dialog on port fees hike

The Commonwealth Ports Authority has assured the International Air Transport Association that it will consult various airlines and give them adequate notices before implementing the new airport rates. In a letter to Lim Liang Poh, assistant director/user charges, the ports authority said it will continue to work closely with the airlines to promote the Northern Marianas as a tourist destination. “It is well over 10 years since CPA last raised its rates and we truly wish increasing our fees is not necessary. Unfortunately, our dilemma is now having a smaller enplanement with higher financial obligations,” said Carlos H. Salas, executive director.

Legislator eyes loans from Fund

A lawmaker has recently introduced a bill that will compel the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund to provide personal loans to members who may need extra cash in light of the worsening economic crisis. Sen. Edward U. Maratita, author of Senate Bill 11-80 or the Retirement Fund Loan Act of 1998, has proposed that the Retirement Fund allow government employees to utilize at least 25 percent of their contribution in the form of personal loan. Acting NMIRF Administrator Fred Camacho said the Retirement Fund’s Board of Trustees may consider the proposal as another way of investing part of the system’s assets to the community.

OVR may be taken out of high-risk designation soon

The federal government may soon scrap the high-risk designation given to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation with the successful implementation of corrective action plans to save the agency. Earlier, the California-based Rehabilitative Services Administration in Region 9 has already lifted the “reimbursement status” of the OVR, due to efforts made by the current officials to carryout meaningful action programs. Vocational Rehabilitation is a joint federal-state partnership that operates in all the 50 States and possessions and territories of the United States including the CNMI. Although the program has been in existence in the U.S. since 1920, it was not extended to the CNMI until the early ’70s.

Less restrictive quarantine law vetoed

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has disapproved a bill easing strict requirements on quarantine of animals entering the CNMI after legislators failed to correct a typographical error which has drastically altered its intention. Citing recommendation by the CNMI Veterinarian, he said the proposed law under House Bill 11-355 “poses a very serious public health threat, and would endanger the health of animals, as well as the people here in the CNMI.” Mr. Tenorio noted there was “inadvertent error” in one provision in which it only required animals to have .05IU/ml of rabies antibodies in their serum to pass the rabies antibody blood test.

Jan. 20, 2003

PSS expects more funding for Reading

The Public School System is expecting to get an increase in federal funding for the Reading First program next school year following the recent pronouncement of President Bush to further boost the budget for the initiative in FY 2004. “We’d pretty much feel the impact here also. If they increase the national funding, then certainly, insular areas budget would also increase,” PSS federal program officer Bill Matson said. He said, though, that the proposed increase by the President has yet to be approved by the U.S. Congress. Bush, in celebrating the one-year anniversary of the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act, had announced that the FY 2004 budget proposal increases funding for the Reading First and Early Reading First programs by $75 million over last year, bringing the total to over $1.1 billion.

Senate sets rate ceiling for utilities

In a move that could further strengthen the regulatory functions of the CNMI government, the Senate on Thursday passed a bill that sets a ceiling on the rates that the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is currently charging for water, sewer and electricity. The Senate voted 7-1-1 to pass Senate Bill 13-35, with Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero voting “no” and Sen. Diego Songao abstaining. The bill, authored by Senate Floor Leader Joaquin G. Adriano, now goes to the House of Representatives for adoption. According to the bill’s proponents, utility service rates in the Commonwealth are prohibitively high, further aggravating the already high cost of living and doing business in the islands.