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House creates committee to continue probe into BOOST
Special committee will also investigate ARPA funds
Joel C. Camacho and Ralph N. Yumul
The House of Representatives created yesterday a special committee that will continue the investigation into the Torres administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunity and Stability Together, or BOOST Program, as well as the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Acting House Speaker Joel C. Camacho (Ind-Saipan) appointed nine members to the Special Committee on Federal Assistance and Disaster Related Funding. Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan) will chair the committee, and Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan) is vice chair.
Its members are Reps. Joel Camacho, Vincent S. Aldan (Ind-Saipan), Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan), Diego Vincent F. Camacho (D-Saipan), Vicente C. Camacho (D-Saipan), Marissa R. Flores (Ind-Saipan), and John Paul P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan).
BOOST was a project of the previous Office of the Governor, Department of Finance, and Department of Commerce. It aimed to provide financial assistance to CNMI businesses and nonprofit organizations. Through BOOST, financial assistance was provided to local businesses and nonprofit organizations in the form of grants and business coaching through counseling and training programs.
The 22nd House Ways and Means Committee and the Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee had jointly recommended that further legislative investigation into the BOOST Program is needed, and should continue in the 23rd Legislature.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios disclosed last week that BOOST Program is already ended or has been stopped. He said, however, that the evaluation and assessment of the program’s effectiveness is still ongoing.
Yumul said in a later interview yesterday that the Special Committee on Federal Assistance and Disaster Related Funding was formulated in the 21st Legislature, where he also served as chairman.
Yumul said the Special Committee in the 21st Legislature investigated all federal funds coming to the CNMI.
Right now, he said, the Special Committee’s priority would be to look into the BOOST Program on what the last Legislature (22nd) has not completed in its investigation.
Yumul said they have not heard from former Finance secretary David DLG Atalig and all the people involved in the BOOST program.
Yumul said the investigation will be specifically for the BOOST and ARPA as there are some questions that were not answered when the 22nd House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee and Ways and Means Committee did its investigation
“Not everybody was brought in,” he said.
Yumul said their first goal is to organize the members and then set the parameters like their subpoena power. “That needs to be in place. That will be discussed by next week,” he said.
Yumul said some members at the current Special Committee are existing members of the 21st Legislature, and some members are from the old and current JGO Committee.
