In an executive order, the governor said he has to extend for another 30 days the Declaration of a State of Disaster Emergency on CPA in the absence of the board that will govern the autonomous agency.
Fitial first invoked his emergency powers on CPA in May amid fears that its $20 million airport bond indenture might be declared in technical default by the bond trustee.
He said this would further undermine the CNMI’s economic status among potential investors and financial institutions.
The emergency declaration on CPA automatically dissolves its board whose members subsequently resigned.
Fitial has nominated five new board members, of whom two have been confirmed by the Senate.
“Until a sufficient number of the appointments have been made and consented to by the Senate, the state of emergency continues to exist,” said the governor in his latest EO extending emergency declaration on CPA.
“I found that the declaration was necessary to insure that a CPA technical default does not have a cumulative impact on the CNMI economy, which has been in constant and prolonged downward trend, as shown among other examples, by the closure of several businesses, the withdrawal of Japan Airlines from CNMI service, the decline in tourism, and the persistent rise in fuel and electricity costs,” he added.
CPA is in-charge of all airports and seaports throughout the three main islands of the CNMI —Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
