In rescinding his amended Executive Order 2020-03, the governor stated that the CNMI is no longer experiencing a shortage of goods caused by Covid-19.
He noted that businesses have adapted to new supply chains to bring in and make products available in the CNMI. “Shortages and price gouging no longer threaten our community,” he added.
On March 5, 2020, Torres issued Executive Order 2020-03, imposing a price freeze on commodities amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
On March 6, the governor issued the amended Executive Order 2020-03, which “strengthened” the price freeze by adding all medicines, medical equipment and housing rentals “to further protect the CNMI residents from the economic downturn as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The issuance of the amended EO was preceded by the combined Declaration of a State of Significant Emergency and a State of Public Health Emergency. This declaration has been renewed multiple times.
The price control applied to the following commodities:
- Gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, natural gas, and all other chemical fuels, whether in gaseous, liquid, or solid form.
- All food items and foodstuff, including water, bottled water, beverages, and ice.
- All clothing.
- Flashlights, lamps, lanterns, candles, lightbulbs, and other means of illumination.
- Generators, cables, wires, electrical batteries of every sort, and similar equipment for the generation and/or transmission of electrical power.
- All appliances used in the storage and/or preparation of food, including, but not limited to, stoves, barbecue grills, ovens, refrigerators, and coolers.
- Tools typically used for construction, ground clearing, or home repairs, whether electrically powered, chemically powered, or manual, including, but not limited to, saws, machetes, hammers, drills, shovels, rakes, and brooms.
- All bedding items, including pillows, futons and blankets.
- All medicines, medical equipment, and personal protective equipment, including but not limited to masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers.
- All housing rentals including apartments and condominiums.
