Flashback – March 2001-March 2004

Mar. 28, 2001

NMHC told to maximize credit line with MPLT

Representative William S. Torres is pressing the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation to take advantage of a multi-million dollar credit loan extension from the Marianas Public Land Trust. The additional MPLT funds provided to NMHC was part of a negotiated agreement by the two agencies and has been awaiting signing since February of this year. “Signing such an agreement with MPLT would immediately provide NMHC over $3 million of a needed cash infusion to more adequately serve those low income clients of the housing agency,” the lawmaker said.

DPH to ask off-island patients to secure MRO authorization

Unless armed with treatment authorization from the Medical Referral Office, patients seeking off-island treatment will be obliged to pay upfront to get medical services from Hawaii-based hospitals. Without the treatment authorization to present before Queen’s Medical Center, Straub Health and Clinic and St. Francis Clinic, CNMI patients seeking medical services will be charged as self-paid. Health Secretary Kevin Villagomez yesterday disclosed the required treatment authorization was one of the agreement reached with the Hawaii hospitals to prevent undue medical charges billed to the Medical Referral Office.

Mar. 28, 2003

PIDB approves 3 CNMI loans

The Pacific Islands Development Bank Board of Directors has approved business loans from three CNMI applicants and a couple more from Palau and Yap, following the PIDB’s quarterly meeting held on Saipan last Saturday. PIDB board member MaryLou S. Ada, representing the Northern Marianas, said yesterday that the approval of loans from the CNMI was a first since the PIDB’s inception in 1989. Ada, also executive director of the Commonwealth Development Authority, however, declined to disclose the applicants’ names and types of business loans pending the release of the approval letters from PIDB President Aren Palik.

New NMI postmaster installed

Representatives from the cross-section of the island’s community gathered at the United States Postal Service in Chalan Kanoa yesterday morning to witness the installation of George Diaz as the new CNMI Postmaster. Diaz, born and raised on Guam, rose from the ranks in the USPS-Guam since 1970 when he entered the service as a part time flex. Eleven months later, he became a regular employee and slowly climbed the ladder to eventually become the Commonwealth’s postmaster. Diaz first served as a distribution clerk in the 1970s. He then became an acting supervisor in 1999, and customer supervisor in 2000. Diaz, 53, replaced retired postmaster John San Nicolas in the latter part of 2002. San Nicolas is now in Reno, Nevada.

Mar. 28, 2004

Archipelagic management of ecosystem pushed

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Friday to begin development of archipelagic fishery management plans that will address resource issues on an ecosystem basis. Under this approach, individual fishery management plans for bottom fish, precious coral, crustacean and coral reef ecosystems fishery management plans would be eliminated and these insular resources would be managed together under a single ecosystem management plan. These plans would be regionally based, with the Mariana Islands archipelago (Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), the Hawaii archipelago (Main Hawaiian islands and the Northwestern Hawaiian islands and possibly Johnston Atoll), and the American Samoa archipelago comprising separate regions.

CPA expenses soar 3 percent

The Commonwealth Ports Authority recorded a 3-percent increase in its operating expenses at its Airport Division during the first five months of fiscal year 2004. Based on the CPA FY2004 Airport Financial Highlights, the airport division-according to its revenue and expenses report-is still below the required revenue bond of 1.25 during the first five months of the five-month review. The Airport Division has recorded a 1.19-debt ratio compared to the needed 1.25 percent. The report, prepared and submitted by CPA Comptroller George Palican, said that the division had cumulative expenses of $4.26 million during the October 2003-February 2004 review against the budgeted $4.15 million.