By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

AFTER a careful assessment of how the elderly’s food would be handled by vendors, Aging Director Howard Macaranas has abandoned his plan to privatize meals.
“As we looked into the possibility of another group doing it, we found it would involve federal funds and, due to the economic situation, vendors may have problems providing the right nutrition and everything for the manamko’,” Macaranas told Variety on Monday.
Macaranas said he is not discounting the financial stability of the vendors, but added that he is worried that the present conditions may impact the delivery of proper nutrition and food to the manamko’.
“I really do not question the financial stability of the vendors but until the economic situation improves in the CNMI, we are not thinking about (privatization) at this time,” he said.
The clients of the Aging Office, he added, are satisfied with how their meals are being prepared and served.
But Macaranas said privatization may be considered in the future.
Meals and personnel at the Aging Office, along with fuel and the salaries of bus drivers for the elderly, are funded by the federal government.
The office has five bus drivers, four kitchen helpers and a cook.
Macaranas said these personnel have to be considered, too, in any plan to privatize the manamko’s meals.
Macaranas said they have nearly 100 “in-house” clients at the center and about 90 home-bound clients.
He said privatization may work if the office had a significant number of home-bound clients who would each receive $12 for their meals, five days a week.
The meal privatization was to be in line with the Fitial administration’s budget cut directive to all agencies and is similar to what has been implemented on Guam and in the U.S.
Complaints about the food, night differential for kitchen employees, fuel costs and maintenance are among the areas that would be addressed by the privatization plan.