Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan, in an interview, said the Department of Finance had released all the paychecks to nonessential government agencies affected by payless Friday.
He said he, too, got his paycheck yesterday morning.
Exempted from payless payday were those performing critical agencies and those whose positions were federally funded.
Asked if government workers will receive their paychecks on time next payday, Demapan said the administration still has to “evaluate that.”
He hopes there will be no more payless Fridays, but noted that Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos earlier said that employees should prepare themselves for any eventuality.
Inos has said that there might be another payless Friday due to the government’s cash-flow problems.
Legislative Bureau Director Glenna SP. Reyes, in a separate interview, said she and all the LB staff got their paychecks in the morning.
Everybody, she said, was relieved to get paid so they could finally pay their bills, some of which were due on Friday.
“I hope that we are not going to have the same issue in the next pay period,” Reyes said.
This reporter observed that there were very few people in government offices on Capital Hill at 3 p.m. yesterday.
An employee, who requested anonymity, said most of them headed to the bank to cash their paychecks.
“I’m pretty sure they are all going to be back soon,” the employee said.
The CNMI government is the largest employer of local residents.
