By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE Public School System is one of the government agencies which has yet to receive payment from the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee for the services its personnel rendered during the quadrennial sports meet last year.
Board of Education chairman Roman Benavente, who also helped coordinate groups in charge for preparing the venues for Games, said MGOC owed PSS $42,188.82.
MGOC owed PSS $35,995.75 in overtime compensation for its personnel, mostly drivers who transported participants to and from the venues and the Athletes Village.
The remaining $6,193.06 is for fuel charges. PSS used its buses to transport Micro Games participants.
PSS informed MGOC of the charges in a letter sent to MGOC chairman Rex I. Palacios. The letter was dated Aug. 23, 2006 and was received by MGOC on Aug. 28.
But up to now, Benavente said the PSS Treasury has yet to receive a single cent from MGOC.
When asked to comment on the non-payment to PSS, Palacios replied that “PSS and all other government agencies are supposed to coordinate those matters with the DCCA Secretary (Daisy Villagomez-Bier),” Palacios said.
Palacios after months of silence regarding the revenues generated from the Micro Games said last Saturday that as of his last check in August, they had about $600,000 in collections and in-kind contributions.
Though he admitted that there may be a number of vendors who have yet to be paid, he reiterated that this is happening because invoices and documentation were not submitted to the main office.
After all dues are paid, the remaining revenues will go to the government.
But after Palacios’ announcement on the revenues earned from the Micro Games, Benavente is encouraging him to pay the PSS and other agencies as soon as possible.
Benavente said that the people who worked for the Micronesian Games and put in the time deserved to get paid.
“They must be compensated as soon as possible. I feel that whether it is PSS or other agencies, they deserve to get paid,” he said.
“These people are counting on this money. The economy is really bad and they need the money for their families. If he has the money, he might as well pay these people,” Benavente added.