The bill is now in the Senate.
House Ways and Means Chairman Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, earlier said the government cannot continue to spend more than it what it earns.
Today, his committee will discuss H.B. 17-23 which seeks to appropriate seed money of $900,000 to the Rota gaming commission; House Legislative Initiative 17-1, which proposes that the CNMI government incur public debt in the form of pension obligation bonds to address the financial problems of the Retirement Fund; and House Bill 17-2, which seeks to reallocate the Managaha Island Landing and User fee collections for certain youth and cultural programs.
Also to be considered are:
• H.B. 17-6, to repeal the old business license fees and raise the fees currently paid by banks;
• H.B. 17-6, to expand the parking meter program throughout Saipan and the other islands; and,
• H.B. 17-11, to allow gradual payments to retirees vested in Class I seeking to avail of early retirement.
