THE Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, to discuss and respond to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s six-month payment extension request.
In September 2020, CUC and CHCC signed a payment agreement regarding CHCC’s utility bills.
According to the agreement, CHCC owed CUC a total of $34.087 million as of Aug. 25, 2020, including a penalty of $10.23 million that had accrued over the course of almost a decade since 2011.
Under the agreement, CHCC’s payment will remain at a minimum of $219,000 per month unless there is an increase in CHCC’s consumption or a rate increase in the Fuel Adjustment Charge or FAC.
If CHCC misses its payment after 30 calendar days, CUC will disconnect CHCC’s utility services pursuant to Title 50 of the Northern Mariana Islands Administrative Code.
In an interview, CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho said CUC will work with CHCC, which operates the islands’ only hospital.
“We want to work with them,” he added. “We will work on the guidelines, then we will be submitting a response to CHCC’s request.”
Gary Camacho
