The next payroll is due on July 2 but it’s still uncertain where the funds that the governor can reprogram through the newly enacted Public Law 17-6 will come from.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said the government has eight remaining pay periods this fiscal year 2010, which ends on Sept. 30, 2010.
The government’s deficit this fiscal year totaled $25 million as of March 31.
Basa said this could still go down if a budget with austerity measures is passed.
In his letter to Basa and Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Finance Secretary Robert Schrack said the total CNMI payroll every two weeks amounts to $5,127,919.
This includes $2.889 million from the general fund for employees under the three executive branches of the government; $77,441 for the semi-autonomous Department of Public Lands; $43,299 for the Marianas Visitors Authority; $195,863 for Northern Marianas College; and $1.134 million for the Public School System .
Payroll for federally paid employees total $787,496.
“The projected deficit for the fiscal year 2010 is $25 million based on the six months expenditure report of March 31, 2010. This does not include any reprogramming action taken pursuant to P.L. 17-6,” Shrack told the lawmakers.
During the June 18 pay period, only employees whose jobs were considered critically needed such as police officers, corrections officers, firefighters, medical and health personnel and teachers were paid on time.
The rest of the government workers got paid three days later.
“What we’ve collected before the last pay period wasn’t enough,” said Basa.
But he expressed hope that things will get better in July when businesses start paying their business gross revenue taxes.
