House says Senate must act on bills to avoid economic crisis

Sens. Hokkons Baules, Caleb Otto, Santy Asanuma and Yukiwo Dengokl in a letter to the president said that the rise in the electricity rate by June 1 will be up to 57 percent.He said a leadership meeting should be conducted to address the matter.“We strongly believe that this is a crisis of a grave nature that needs to be resolved before it happens,” the senators said.The lawmakers said this is the reality the business community faces which was expressed during a Palau Senate hearing last week on the economy.The Senate asked Remengesau to meet with them today.House Speaker Antonio Bells meanwhile blamed the Senate for the economic problems because of the failure of the Senate to act on revenue-generating measures.“The Senate’s request is diverting public’s attention. The problem is not the leadership meeting immediately. It is the Senate not taking any action and not supporting new ideas for solution,” Bells said.Last week the Senate conducted a Senate hearing on the economy with business executives fearing of an economic crisis due to the increase in taxes , power rates and the spiraling increase in fuel.Bells said Palau is in crisis ,because of the increase in fuel prices.He said that is why it has worked hard to fund new ideas and has passes and sent new revenue-generating bills which have been in the Senate ever since discussion of the budget shortfall in 2007.Bells said that the Senate has agreed that it will take action on the House Bill regarding power rate subsidy.“The Senate has done nothing. To travel the world over and do nothing and then wait to meet in a township meeting for reality check with the mechas in order to be alerted and informed of the crisis is a joke,” Bells said.Bells said a leadership crisis is futile because in previous leadership meetings the passage of measures that will help propel the economy.“The  Senate does not care has no agenda, cannot work, and continues to be dysfunctional. Is there anything that we can agree on that the Senate can act; the House does not believe that the Senate can act- do you,” Bells said.Bells added that it does not believe in band-aid approach and instead support revenue-generating bills.“The rookie senators must understand that we must work hard for new ideas, new sources and  new revenues, come up with something to move forward on,” Bells added.He said instead of a leadership meeting the Senate should conduct a session and act on the pending bills.