LIEUTENANT Gov. Diego T. Benavente says hiring lobbyists will benefit the commonwealth if they could tap additional federal grants for the CNMI.
Benavente on Thursday said due to “lack of information,” the CNMI “has not maximized” the use of available federal grants, and hiring lobbyists could “widen the CNMI’s opportunities in getting the funds from different sources.”
“We need a lot of help (in Washington, D.C.) even if it means spending money. This might not be true lobbying, but a firm in Washington or (expert individuals) can help us get more money from Washington,” he said.
Most federal grants need local matching, but Benavente believes that this will not be a hindrance if the CNMI would get more funds from the U.S.
“And if the figures are correct, even if we spend a couple of thousand dollars on the project like this, and manage to get additional $3 or $4 million federal funds every year, that would be beneficial to the commonwealth,” he said.
