But in separate interviews, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ray N. Yumul and Speaker Arnold I. Palacios said the MPLT earnings had long been used for other purposes.
“That money is long gone,” said Palacios, R-Saipan.
Yumul, R-Saipan, said the administration’s announcement was very “confusing.”
Palacios said they “will wait for the formal communication from the administration to tell us exactly what they want.”
Inos said legislation allowing the administration to use the funds is being prepared for introduction in the House of Representatives.
“The $4.1 million is the interest income that MPLT received from the loan payment made by [the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.] to MPLT. Under the Constitution, the interest income received by the MPLT must be paid to the CNMI general funds,” said the lt. governor.
“Pursuant to a law enacted by the 12th Legislature, the interest received by MPLT is authorized to be kept in the general coffers,” he added.
An undetermined number of contractual employees within the executive branch have been working for only 72 hours per payroll instead of 80 to avoid furloughs.
The furloughs were deferred after the administration was allowed to use part of the federal stimulus money that it will receive under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“The plan to furlough employees is something that has been in the backburner. We’ve asked the Legislature for relief in terms of the austerity holidays but that has not happened. We’re trying our best not to have those employees furloughed,” Inos said.
