Commonwealth Utilities Corporation engineer Yvonne Ogumuro, standing, presents CUC’s proposed Five-year Energy Action Plan during the CUC board of directors’ regular meeting on Wednesday, March 27. Also in photo are CUC board chair Janice Tenorio, CUC board members Don Browne, Frank Rabauliman, Simon Sanchez, Rebecca White, Valerie Atalig (partially hidden), CUC acting Executive Director Betty Terlaje, and Andrew Reyes CUC renewable energy engineer.
ACTING Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Executive Director Betty Terlaje informed the CUC board of directors that the CNMI government made the first $464,000 payment for its arrears.
“We received the first payment today, Wednesday, from the Department of Finance — $464,000, which is roughly 25% of $1.7 million in FY 2021 arrears,” Terlaje said.
“We will continue to work with them. They did commit that they will make a payment of 25% on the amount that has been certified by their internal auditors,” she added.
After an intervention from the federal court, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios made a commitment to “reconcile” the top 15 accounts on the list of the government’s unpaid utility bills.
Upon reconciliation, Finance will pay 25% of the top 15 accounts by May 1, 2024, Terlaje said.
“The balance gets added to … the $1.7 million and then we move on to the next 15 other accounts. By April 1, 2027, the central government should have already paid all its arrears,” she added.
CHCC is also current in its monthly $525,000 payments, Terjaje said.
Last April, CUC signed a memorandum of understanding with CHCC, in which CHCC agreed to pay $525,000 a month.
According to CUC’s accounts receivable report, the CNMI central government owed $13 million; CHCC, $60.5 million; the Public School System, $224,647.68; the Commonwealth Ports Authority, $2.5 million; and other government agencies $1.5 million.
Terlaje also told the CUC board on Wednesday that she offered assistance to departments or agencies that have “big water bills” because of water leaks.
“I asked our deputy director for water and wastewater, Kevin Watson, to see how we can help them repair it, and bill them for the repair work,” she said.
