SENATOR Edith Deleon Guerrero has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 22-11 requesting Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig to provide American Rescue Plan Act funds for the bonus of government and private sector employees who did not receive a bonus yet.
According to her resolution, $1,000 premium pay was provided to 1,955 government employees who have worked at least 40 hours a week to directly mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to those who have provided public services since the pandemic began.
As for 458 frontliners who worked 40 hours a week providing prevention, response, preparedness, and recovery services, they received $5,000 in premium pay, the resolution stated.
It added that the Finance secretary “has shared publicly that the CNMI has expended about $3.6 million for premium pay in this first batch, and that the premium pay is not just for the executive branch or just the frontliners.”
According to the resolution, the employees of Commonwealth Ports Authority received a $5,000 bonus, the judiciary branch employees received a $2,500 bonus, and the Legislative Bureau employees received a $2,500 bonus.
Deleon Guerrero said other public and private employees also pay CNMI taxes and are also equally affected by the pandemic — “they deserve to receive a bonus just like other government employees.”
