FINANCE Secretary David DLG Atalig provided the Senate guidance in spending the funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Atalig was responding to the request of Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider for “further guidance” and clarification on the utilization of the ARPA monies.
The legislative branch will get $2.6 million in ARPA funds as proposed in the revised fiscal year 2022 budget submitted last week by acting Gov. Arnold I. Palacios who said that the federal funds will increase each lawmaker’s operating budget to $65,000 from $60,000; restore to 80 the work hours of Legislative Bureau employees; and retrofit the legislative building’s facilities.
In his letter to Hofschneider, the Finance secretary said that on June 7, he issued a memorandum designating all department or agency heads as the expenditure authority for ARPA-related expenditures.
He said each lawmaker “is the expenditure authority for all funds allotted within their business units.”
He noted that the purpose of the ARPA funds is to help the CNM government “get back to pre-Covid levels of revenue.”
“With that said, all expenditures made under [the ARPA law] should follow all the proper procedures and abide by all regulations existing under the CNMI,” Atalig said.
He added that the reporting requirements of the U.S. Treasury are on a quarterly basis, but the funds for the CNMI expended under Section 602(c) of ARPA “does not require reporting to my office.”
However, he is asking for the lawmakers’ cooperation in providing any information/documentation requested by Finance relating to such expenditures.
David DLG Atalig
