THE Department of Lands and Natural Resources is willing to take over the Marianas Visitors Authority’s responsibility of maintaining tourism sites as proposed by House Bill 13-83, but only if funding issues are resolved.
Otherwise, the department may have to lay off some of its employees so it could fulfill its new obligations, according to acting Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Thomas B. Pangelinan.
He said the entire annual budgeted amount of some $1.194 million currently allotted to MVA’s Field Operations Division should be transferred to DLNR’s Division of Parks and Recreation.
H.B. 13-83, however, states that only 50 percent of this MVA funding would be transferred to DLNR.
Pangelinan, in a three-page letter to House Tourism Committee Chairman Frank DLG. Aldan, R-Saipan, said “it is not only impossible, but impractical as well” for DLNR to assume additional responsibilities from MVA with only 50 percent of the current funding given to this purpose.
“If this concern is not addressed, I fear that a worse case scenario would eventually be to furlough employees, just to satisfy our additional duties and responsibilities because sufficient funding was not considered,” Pangelinan told Aldan.
There is a need to repair and replace equipment used for maintaining tourism sites, as for additional fuel, lubrication and other operational supplies, Pangelinan said. DLNR also wants to be given the opportunity to decide on the levels or titles of all incoming personnel from MVA, once the bill becomes law.
The department recommends that the personnel currently under MVA’s field operations office on Tinian and Rota be transferred to the Mayor’s Offices and not to the Division of Parks and Recreation.
“This would greatly allow DPR to concentrate on maintenance, beautification and possibly, new developments of tourist and other recreational areas on Saipan,” said Pangelinan.
H.B. 13-083, introduced by House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider, R-Saipan, would ensure that MVA focuses only on the promotion and marketing of the CNMI as a tourism destination.
MVA is currently mandated by law to beautify, maintain and develop tourism sites.
The bill is currently being reviewed by the House Committee on Tourism.
