Gov. Benigno R. Fitial issued a memorandum yesterday reminding government employees that they have to report for work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 24.
New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, is also a working day but because it is also an Austerity Friday, non-critical government offices will be closed, the memorandum added.
Section 313 of the Commonwealth Code provides that “if a holiday falls on a Saturday, it shall be celebrated on the preceding Friday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, it shall be celebrated on the following Monday.”
Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan, in an interview yesterday, said the Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriation Act or Public Law 17-21 suspended this provision for this fiscal year. The budget law also imposes 13 unpaid holidays and a 16-hour cut on government employees.
“So we don’t have a choice. It is something that we have to do to comply with the law. Friday will be a regular working day for everyone,” he said.
On Friday next week, he added, government employees can spend the day with their family for the New Years’ Eve celebration.
Payday
Demapan said the payroll for non-critical employees has been processed.
He said despite the implementation of austerity measures, the government continues to see a declining trend in cash collections.
This makes it difficult for the government to pay its non-critical employees on time, he added.
“Like the lt. governor said last week, we can expect further delays because the cash collections are not doing so good,” he said, adding that the best thing the people can do right now is to save a little and be always prepared.
Leave
Fitial, in another memorandum, also informed government employees that during this period of austerity, certain employees are allowed to take leave.
Employees who have not been exempted from the austerity measure will be allowed to take up to 64 hours of annual leave or sick leave, he said.
Those who have been exempted from the austerity measures will also be allowed to take up to 80 hours of annual leave or sick leave.
The governor said this policy remains in effect during this period of austerity “in order to avoid further discomfort to our employees.”
The CNMI government is the main employer of local residents.
