“It’s a leadership decision — that call to address the power crisis,” Press Secretary Charles Reyes said yesterday.
The federal government approved the reprogramming of the funds.
Reyes said if the government pursues the sewer projects on Rota and Kagman “the whole island will plunge into total darkness after the contract of Aggreko expires.”
For over $500,000 a month, Aggreko is supplying 15 megawatts of power to CUC but its contract will expire by September next year.
The position of the governor, Reyes said, is to do the most good to the largest number of people.
The federal funds reprogrammed from the Rota wastewater project totaled $2.1 million, while $1.7 million was reprogrammed from the Kagman wastewater project.
Reyes is asking the residents of Kagman to understand the “very tough situation” the government is facing particularly with Saipan’s power supply.
“The governor’s decision is not only for Kagman but for the whole island of Saipan,” he said.
An official of CUC, who refused to be identified, said the reprogramming of the funds will definitely affect their wastewater program already scheduled for implementation.
However, he said they have “an alternative plan” to continue the program so that the residents in affected areas will not suffer the consequences.
There is no wastewater treatment facility in Kagman and some of the residents have to hire private firms to pump out the contents of their septic tanks.
