Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan yesterday said Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has been meeting with some members of the House leadership to explore “the approach” that can be taken to fix the government’s financial problems.
According to Demapan, the administration has “reached the point in which just thinking within the box won’t help anymore.”
He said the administration and the House leadership “are looking into how we can be more innovative and find more creative solutions to our financial predicament.”
A member of the House leadership, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, has introduced bills to legalize casinos on Saipan and marijuana.
Another member of the leadership, Rep. Joseph M. Palacios, R-Saipan, is proposing the legalization of Internet gambling on island.
The administration, Demapan said, is reminding the lawmakers about the pledge they made to the people during the contentious budget deliberations: to pass revenue-generating measures before January.
“We believe that this is their fiduciary responsibility having been elected by the people. Just like the people of the commonwealth, the executive branch of the government expects them (the lawmakers) to live up to that expectation,” Demapan said.
The administration supports the Senate’s effort to “reinvigorate” the enforcement of tax laws.
“We’re happy that there is a committee that is looking into it,” he said.
However, he added, simply looking into the enforcement issue will not be enough.
The Senate committee should also come up with the needed information that will beef up enforcement, Demapan said.
The cash flow, he added, has not really improved and it is hard to make any projection for the next fiscal year.
Right now, he said, the administration continues to operate within the budget.
