ADMINISTRATION officials and the Legislature have expressed confidence that in the final negotiations between the Commonwealth Development Authority and the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation today, a settlement will be reached.
Top CDA and CUC officials will meet again this morning at the Legislature to wrap up the month-long negotiations which was called by the administration, with House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider, R-Saipan, overseeing mediation.
Representatives from CDA and CUC were supposed to meet on March 28 for the proposed agreement, which details how the utilities agency will repay its $106-million debt to CDA. The meeting was postponed to give way for the Holy Week.
“Absolutely. We hope that this is a landmark settlement,” Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente told Variety yesterday.
Benavente has personally asked the Legislature to assist the administration in the negotiations to prevent further “waste of money” caused by the legal battle that the two agencies have been locked in.
“I am very optimistic that this is going to be, once and for all, resolved. Hopefully this is going to be the conclusion to this issue,” Hofschneider told Variety.
CDA Executive Director Marylou Ada said it will be during this morning’s meeting that they will formally offer their proposal in addressing the $106 million that they want to recover from CUC.
Ada said that CDA’s proposal is a “win-win situation” for the two agencies.
“It will help CUC in their financial capabilities, it will also be good for CDA,” Ada said. She declined to give details.
Ada said she is also “very optimistic” on the outcome of the meeting.
Benavente said that in the event that no settlement is reached, the administration will still continue with the negotiations until the issue is settled.
“If the settlement will not happen (today), we will continue to push and demand for a settlement,” Benavente said.
Benavente said the administration and the Legislature are both committed to resolving the row between CUC and CDA, and have pushed for an out-of-court settlement.
“It is just no reason to spend and waste public money by going and fighting in court between two government agencies. (T)his is a stupid situation,” he added.
Ada said though that their withdrawal was just “temporary.”
Hofschneider said the executive branch and the Legislature’s “(support) of confidence” for the settlement will be “most instrumental” in having the agreement reached.
Hofschneider said he agrees with Benavente that resolving the issue will end “territorialism” among independent agencies.
“(W)e are on board and supporting the (outcome) of the resolution,” Hofschneider said.
Benavente said that “things will move on” after the settlement is reached today.
He said the administration has to continue to emphasize to every department and agency the need to “work as one,” and not to “go off on you own and ran.”
“We have one government here and the government is committed to support be supported,” Benavente said.
