FLASHBACK – Jun. 25, 2012

Jun. 25, 2001

Direct loan moratorium remains

Once the economy shows signs of recovery and loan payments improve, the Commonwealth Development Authority may start looking at the possibility of lifting its 10-month moratorium on direct loans. CDA Board Chair Juan S. Tenorio, in a recent interview, noted that the Commonwealth economy’s apparent slow recovery and the poor debt payment of direct loan borrowers continue to prevent his office from reinstating its direct loan program. Currently, Tenorio said $48 million in direct loans or Economic Development Loan Funds remain uncollected from its borrowers.

Candidates urged: Beat the deadline

The Commonwealth Election Commission will stop accepting applications for candidacy on August 5, to give the agency more time in preparing for the November general elections. The election commission will begin accepting application on July 6, after Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio signed into law House Bill 12-393, which shortens the allowed time frame for candidates to file their respective applications. In a media statement released by the commission Friday, election officials urged political candidates and petitioners to take note of the changes made on dates of filing of applications.

Jun. 25, 2002

Court: Landowner entitled to compensation

The Superior Court ordered the government to compensate a landowner whose real estate property in Tanapag was turned into a public roadway amid an unconsummated land exchange deal. Associate Judge Virginia Sablan-Onerheim ruled that since the government took her property, Julia Kotomar Norita, the plaintiff, was entitled to just compensation. The government, in its pleading filed before the lower court, had contended that there is no direct cause of action for just compensation for a taking under the Land Exchange Act and/or under the NMI and United States Constitutions.

Bill underscores value of education

Moves are underway in the CNMI Senate to make the General Education Development, or GED, a statutory mandate in the educational system of the CNMI. In introducing Senate Bill 13-61 or the General Education Act of 2002, Sen. Pete P. Reyes cited the importance of education in bringing about highly skilled and knowledgeable pool of local workers. “The success of any nation, including the CNMI, is heavily reliant upon the importance it places on the enhancement of the quality of its human resources to realize its economic goals,” Reyes emphasized.

Jun. 25, 2003

Saipan landfill will star in EPA confab

Saipan’s success story in finally having a state-of-the-art landfill will take center stage this Friday, when Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente makes his presentation during the 22nd Annual Pacific Islands Environment Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. This comes even as the Babauta administration disclosed that it is now looking for funding so it could begin the rehabilitation of the old Puerto Rico dump. Benavente, together with a delegation, left the CNMI Monday to participate in the week-long conference, which is being held under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency. It was learned that the CNMI delegation will have its turn for the presentation on the Marpi landfill this Friday, during the part of the program called “Solid Waste Successes.”

CUC workers assured of their job tenure amid privatization

Power generation personnel working at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s power plants will be absorbed by the winning private bidder, should CUC’s proposed privatization plans push through. Their annual pay and privileges shall also be retained under a privatized setup. “The successful bidder will undertake to employ all existing CUC generation personnel at Power Plant-1 and Power Plant-2 at the same annual salary and benefits,” said the CUC board’s operations committee in its five-page proposed privatization plan. The committee, headed by newly elected board chairman Herman P. Sablan, said the winning bidder will be selected based on its experience, and the experience of the engineering firm that would be sub-contracted to do the privatization project. Based on CUC’s work specification, the CUC would solicit bids from independent and reliable power producers to modernize, upgrade, operate, maintain, and transfer the PP1.