FLASHBACK – Jan. 7, 2012

Jan. 7, 1999

Govt imposes 13.4-pct. cut for Q2

To deal with the projected decline in revenue collections, the financially-troubled government has begun implementing a 13.4 percent cut in the second quarter allotment to departments and agencies, but lowered the budget slash for the Public School System to help it cope with the growing needs of the education sector. While the rest of the agencies received a uniform reduction in the quarterly advise, allocation for PSS was chopped by 9 percent to avert a potential disruption in its operations. The reduced spending level for each department and agency took effect beginning January in line with the revised revenue estimates for Fiscal Year 1999. In the past, all government offices received 25 percent of their total budget every quarter.

Legislature ready to adopt master plan

Legislators are expected to pass a proposed bill to set into motion the recently drafted master plan of various Capital Improvement Projects on the island seen as its only hope to recover from the worsening economic crisis. Members of the Senate yesterday met with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and other administration officials to discuss the mechanism on how to utilize some $154 million in funds guaranteed under the Covenant Agreement. Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez said they are ready to support the proposal which will identify local funds to match the federal assistance on Section 702 projects. “I believe we will be working at the $64 million bracket for now,” he told in an interview after emerging from the two-hour informal meeting at the Hafa Adai Beach Hotel.

Jan. 7, 2002

Rota youths tackle social problems

Teen pregnancy. Drugs. Violence. Ineffective education. These may seem like a laundry list of issues that children should stay away from but the youths on Rota got down and dirty last Friday in a free-wheeling session with members of the 4th Youth Congress. Talking about issues that mattered to them and problems that confront them everyday, a sizable number of Rota High School students vented it all out in a forum with eight senators of the 4th Youth Congress, as a means to guide the senators in crafting legislation that would benefit the CNMI’s youths.

DOLI lifts hiring ban on local firm

A company may now employ nonresident workers again, after the Department of Labor and Immigration found out that it has fully satisfied its obligations in connection with a labor case decision almost two years ago. In an administrative order, hearing officer Vicente C. Seman lifted the ban on Arirang Enterprises, Inc. to hire nonresident workers in the Commonwealth, one of the penalties it suffered in an earlier administrative order on a labor case filed by seven Chinese workers. In the earlier order, the company was ordered to pay the complainants back wages, and was sanctioned a monetary fine of $3,500.

Jan. 7, 2003

EPA beefs up hazardous waste collection efforts

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are reminding residents of the two-day collection of household hazardous waste. The U.S. EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency are jointly sponsoring the collection. The collection will take place on Saturday, Jan. 11, and on Sunday, Jan. 12, from 8am to 4pm at the typhoon debris transition stations in Dededo (next to the Guam Sports Complex along Harmon Loop Road), Tiyan (east side past the Department of Motor Vehicles building), and Malojloj (close to the Mayor’s Office).

NMI acquires consulting services

The Commonwealth recently acquired the consulting services of two U.S. mainland-based firms, which are envisioned to help protect the Northern Marianas from decisions springing from the nation’s capital that may adversely impact the islands’ interests. Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio, in an interview yesterday, said the CNMI has contracted the expertise of the National Group, LLP and the Palmetto Group. Both have reportedly been effective in pushing for the CNMI’s agenda in Washington. “We’re lucky that we have them at a very, very nominal and reasonable contract cost and they have been effective in ensuring that actions against the CNMI on federalization of the minimum wage and labor and immigration matters are not pushed through in the U.S. Congress,” said Tenorio.