By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

THE Office of the Public Auditor permanently closed its office in Rota last week to help reduce the agency’s expenses.
OPA opened the Rota office at the Sunset Villa Hotel in early 2005 for a $300 monthly rental, excluding travel-related expenses.
Public Auditor Mike Sablan on Sunday said after thorough analysis, OPA determined that the closure of the physical office on Rota will not affect ongoing and future audits, investigations and other engagements because OPA can always share office space with other agencies.
Sablan said OPA only needs a desk to work on, or a hotel room for confidential interviews to perform its tasks and thus, maintaining a full-time office on Rota will not be necessary.
“We were concerned about the impact of closing the full-time physical office on Rota but after a thorough review, we determined there would be no impact, We will do periodic visits there. Many of our trips to Rota are in response to audit and investigation requests and joint engagements with other agencies like the FBI and the Attorney Genera’s Office’s Investigation Unit, and for ethics presentations,” said Sablan.
On Tinian, OPA also shares offices with other agencies on a need basis. Its main office remains on Saipan.
On Friday, Sablan met with Rota Mayor Joseph S. Inos to inform him of the closure of the full-time OPA office on the island effective Jan. 9. But OPA will maintain its Rota hotline at 532-0298.