OPD takes stock as it works on dev’t plan for NMI

The newly formed Office of Planning and Development has already started putting together a comprehensive sustainable development plan for the CNMI.

According its director, Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong, they are at the phase where they are taking stock of what is needed to devise a comprehensive plan for the CNMI.

“Assess what we already have in terms of existing planning capacity and then work to move forward with what we have and build on that…the idea is to take stock,” he said.

The Department of Planning and Development is a newly created office under the Office of the Governor that would basically serve as a middleman for all government agencies and their plans for development.

During the Rotary Club of Saipan’s weekly meeting on Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency Saipan’s Giovanni Restaurant, Ogumoro-Uludong shared with the club’s members the office’s purpose, which is to increase coordination between all government agencies and to compile all their plans and ensure that they coincide with one another.

“Since the launch of the office, there has really been a lot of going out, introduction, and getting to know the various agencies,” he said.

Some of the major development comprehensive plans that the office is looking into are plans for housing, plans for the revitalization of Garapan, developments for the Northern Islands, and more.

For the current housing shortage, for example, Ogumoro-Uludong said they are taking into account how much housing is currently available in order to devise the appropriate plan to improve the CNMI’s shortage.

“Housing is certainly a priority area and a priority need for the Commonwealth at this time but the idea is to take stock of…what sort of housing resources we have in conjunction with the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.…and then determine from there what is best…whether to get rid of substandard housing or figure out some way of addressing it as well as looking at what other areas are potential sites for housing developments,” he said.

The office is pushing for additional technical personnel to join their team of four.
“We are initially looking at hiring three planners with very specific backgrounds and that would also help to supplement what is already out there,” he said.