Previous Story
Torres’ trip to DC delays decision on CUC board
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has yet to issue a decision on the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board due to a sudden invitation to testify at a U.S. Senate committee hearing tomorrow.
Torres will testify on House Resolution 339, or the Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act. The bill is authored by Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan (Ind-MP) and seeks to increase the number of people allowed to apply for the CNMI-Only Transitional Worker program.
In a statement made by the Torres administration, Torres failed to arrive at a decision regarding the termination of the CUC board due to an invitation by U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources chair Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), dated April 21, 2017, to testify for HR 339 tomorrow, 10am EDT.
The statement also added that another factor that weighed in on Torres’ failure to arrive at a decision was the “necessary preparation for those meetings that have taken a considerable amount of time.”
The Torres administration’s statement ensured that the CUC board would be provided a resolution upon Torres’ return.
“The governor is very aware of his commitment to coming up with a resolution regarding the Board soon, and will do so in a manner that is transparent and has the Corporation, the ratepayers, and the community’s best interests at heart,” said the Torres administration in a statement to Saipan Tribune.
“He is also very cognizant of his commitment to ensuring that our economic development, our progress, and our pursuit for achieving a greater standard of living for the people who call these islands home continues,” the statement added.
Torres told members of the media last April 20 that he would be issuing a decision on multiple calls for the termination of CUC board members due to recent allegations of multiple conflicts of interest on the emergency procurement of an 8- to 10-megawatt engine for Saipan. Members of the CUC board include CUC board chair Adelina Roberto and directors Eric San Nicolas, Ignacio Perez, Albert Taitano, David Sablan Jr., and Joseph Torres.
