ON Oct. 8, 2023, a Declaration of State of a Significant Emergency was declared for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Accordingly, pursuant to the Commonwealth Disaster Price Freeze Act, codified at 4CMC § 5141-5144, a price freeze is hereby declared, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said in a memorandum Monday, Oct. 9, 2023.
The prices of the following items are frozen:
Gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, natural gas, and all other chemical fuels, whether in gaseous, liquid, or solid form;
All foods and foodstuffs, including water, bottled water, beverages, and ice;
All clothing;
Flashlights, lamps, lanterns, candles, light bulbs, 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 grilles, 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.
In addition to the foregoing items, housing rentals including apartments and condos shall not be increased in accordance with 4 CMC § 5142(b)
“This price freeze shall last until rescinded, or until the declarations of emergency or disaster are terminated, whichever occurs first,” the governor said.
