The revised $148.1 million budget for FY 2009 does not include the governor’s proposed austerity holidays and reprogramming authority.
“As the governor pointed out in his budget veto message, the CNMI government needs to substantially reduce costs, given the revenue shortfall,” Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said yesterday.
The governor is making the same request again to the Senate, which is now reviewing the House bill.
“[The governor] has again called on the Legislature to make the unpopular, difficult but necessary decision to implement austerity holidays and unpaid holidays as well as ensure that our government can afford to pay pension contributions,” Reyes said.
The House bill will also require the approval of the Legislature’s presiding officers in the certification of vacant positions.
Asked if the governor will veto the House budget bill, Reyes said: “I cannot speculate on whether [it] will receive the support of the governor before it reaches his desk in final form and before he has a chance to consider all of the salient points after duly consulting his key advisors.”
The governor earlier vetoed the original $156 million budget bill, saying that the government’s revenue projection had declined to $148 million.
After failing to override the veto, the House passed a new budget measure, H.B. 16-213, which reflects the reduced government revenue projection.
