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Kilili: $20M EDA grant could increase financial accountability, transparency
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Posted on Sep 01 2021
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) congratulated the Commonwealth’s Department of Finance yesterday on the award of $19,630,360 to build a new office center and acquire a modern financial management system. The funding, through the U.S. Economic Development Administration, was made available by Sablan’s work on the 2019 disaster recovery legislation, Public Law 116-20.
“Bringing the Commonwealth’s financial management system into the 21st century can improve service to everyone who transacts business with the government from taxpayers to businesses to contractors looking for payment,” Sablan said. “It should also make financial data from the Commonwealth government more reliably and quickly accessible, improving accountability and transparency, something we are all very concerned with.”
Yesterday’s grant brings the total of EDA disaster recovery funding for the Marianas from Public Law 116-20 to $88 million. Earlier grants for Super Typhoon Yutu recovery were awarded to Northern Marianas College for new buildings to house a workforce training center and CREES and to the Governor’s office for Garapan revitalization and a sports complex in Susupe.
Sablan said the Finance Department grant, originally submitted in February 2020, was closely scrutinized by EDA legal team because of restrictions on funding government operations. “The congressional office met with EDA at the regional office in Seattle and headquarters in [Washington], D.C. to make the case for awarding the funds to update the financial management system,” Sablan said. “Once this system is in place, it should be much easier for the Legislature and granting agencies to track exactly how every dollar of federal funding for the Marianas is used.” (PR)
