Rep. Marissa Flores speaks during a House session.
REPRESENTATIVE Marissa Flores on Thursday introduced measures to increase the container tax for sugary and alcoholic beverage, and the marriage license application fee.
Flores said House Bill 23-78 — which proposes to increase the tax on soft drink and alcoholic beverage containers — would “help improve the health of the people in the CNMI.”
She said the excessive consumption of soft drinks and alcohol is bad for one’s health.
“To provide a deterrence and prevent associated health risks from occurring at a faster rate,” her bill would increase the tax on all soft drink and alcoholic beverage containers to 15 cents per container from 5 cents per container.
H.B. 23-79 proposes to increase to $250 from $125 the marriage license application for non-residents, and to $100 from $50, the marriage license application for residents.
The bill would also require that 100% of the fees collected by the mayors “shall be deposited into that respective mayor’s office account which the Secretary of Finance shall establish without further legislative appropriation. Such funds shall be used for the operations conducted by each respective mayor. All fees collected by the Governor [who also grants marriage licenses] shall be deposited into the general fund.”
H.B, 23-79 states that funds generated from increasing the marriage license fees can be used to pay for “services that are intended to improve the well-being and overall livelihood for the people who reside in the CNMI.”
