THE lack of a crane at the Rota seaport is affecting the people’s livelihood, Sen. Paul A. Manglona said.
On Monday, he brought the matter to the attention of Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Chris Tenorio.
Manglona said shipments already at the Rota seaport had to be returned to Saipan due to a lack of crane that would unload containers from the ship.
Tenorio told Variety on Tuesday that he had received Manglona’s letter and would respond soon.
According to Manglona, he was told that MV Marianas made a trip to Rota to transport six or more containers. “However, due to the absence of a port crane, none of the containers containing essential commodities were offloaded and had to be returned to Saipan,” the senator told Tenorio.
He said it was not the first time it happened on Rota. Years back, he said, when the island was experiencing power outages, the Rota municipality had to find money to ship a crane to the island so an emergency generator could be shipped there.
“I cannot stress…the significant concern regarding this matter. As you are aware, the price of commodities on Rota is extremely high for residents due to the additional shipping fees alone,” Manglona said.
Now, he added, “to further prolong the arrival of commodities at a time when fuel prices are at an all-time high, is truly disadvantageous for Rota residents who have to absorb the financial burden of such costs.”
He said a “further delay in addressing this longstanding concern will only impair the livelihood of our community in the event of another crisis.”
“With millions of dollars being invested” by the federal government in the CNMI, he said, “now is the ideal time to seek financial assistance in procuring a port crane to ensure that the operations of the Rota seaport remain operational.”
Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, left, talks with Sen. Paul A. Manglona during a break from a session in this file photo.
