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House resolution caps 2013 budget at $114M
By a vote of 14-0, the House of Representatives adopted yesterday a concurrent resolution capping the fiscal year 2013 budget at $114 million based on Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s revised budget submission.
House Concurrent Resolution 17-5, House Draft 1, now goes to the Senate.
Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) said yesterday that the Senate’s priority during its special session on Monday is adoption of the concurrent resolution.
House Ways and Means Committee chair Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan), author of HCR 17-5, offered an amendment to the resolution to add $410 to the Department of Public Lands’ projected revenue for fiscal year 2013.
Fiscal year 2013 is from Oct. 1, 2012, to Sept. 30, 2013.
The governor revised his 2013’s $102 million budget to $114.32 million on Monday.
Amid lingering doubts on the $12-million increase on an election year, the Department of Finance said the additional projected revenue is a “conservative” figure that still does not include much of the possible impact of the ongoing “aggressive” tax collection efforts.
Under the concurrent resolution, the total identified budgetary resources for 2013 is $133.641 million. Of this amount, $114.320 million is available for appropriation, which brings back to the appropriation levels of over 20 years ago.
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
