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House committee adopts draft govt budget
Speaker to call House session next week
The House Committee on Ways and Means adopted a draft government budget for fiscal year 2016.
Sablan
According to Rep. Antonio P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan), the draft budget is “almost the same” as the $145.8-million budget proposal coming from Gov. Eloy. S. Inos.
But Sablan declined to give the specific amount saying that the actual draft budget approved by the committee will be presented during a House session.
“We just passed the draft budget. It will be presented to the whole body and if approved, will be transmitted to the Senate,” Sablan said.
He said House Speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan) is set to call for a House session next week to approve the draft bill.
Deleon Guerrero earlier said that after the deliberations, the committee head will then file an Appropriations Act, or the “budget bill” for submission and review.
The House Committee on Ways and Means in the last few weeks has been conducting budget deliberations for the government departments in the CNMI.
Sablan said as expected, most of the agencies wanted more than what was proposed.
During the deliberations, committee members looked at the personnel requirements of the various departments, as well as possible sources of budget allocations on the balance sheets.
Just like the budget hearings, some of the bigger departments will be prioritized.
Some of the biggest CNMI departments, meanwhile, are scheduled to appear before the Senate chamber for the budget hearings.
The Department of Finance is scheduled on July 7 at 9:30am, while the Department of Public Safety is scheduled on the same day at 2pm. The CNMI Medical Referral Program is scheduled on July 9 at 9:30am, while the Department of Public Works is scheduled on the same day at 2pm.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is expected to have a budget hearing on July 15 at 9:30am, while the Public School System is scheduled on July 14 at 9:30am.
