THIS letter is about H.B. 13-28, “to amend 1 CNMI Sec. 8314(a) to provide and reserve one seat for the Commonwealth Association of Retired Person, Inc. on the board of trustees of the Retirement Fund.”
In substance, the Legislature finds that membership of CARPI on the board of the Fund will allow the association full and fair representation in all decisions of the board of trustees, relative to the Retirement Fund. I agree.
Other issues and concerns of retirees are obtaining medical treatment from hospitals and doctors of their own choosing without delays in payments of medical treatments, and COLA must also be stretched a little to allow government employees who retired in the 1980s to increase their retirement pensions and get representation in the board of trustees’ decisions.
According to newspaper reports late last year, the executive branch owed millions of dollars of contribution to the Retirement Fund. I wonder if those monies have been remitted to the Retirement Fund since both the Fund and the Department of Finance are not commenting on the subject.
At this point, the governor has already appointed seven trustees and most likely they represent the governor’s interest. However, the retirees’ interests, too, must also be represented on the board.
I urge you to support this bill by writing to Reps. Andrew Salas, Stanley Torres and other lawmakers to place this bill on the calendar for passage as soon as possible.
Remember, it is your pension, your insurance, and your livelihood at stake.
Support this bill now!
LUIS S. CAMACHO
Navy Hill, Saipan
