Asked if the Fitial administration has hired about 800 people during the entire austerity period, Inos said: “The governor and I are not aware that we have hired that number of people.”
He added, “[They], I’m sure, are probably replacements and in those replacements we were actually replacing people who have already been considered within the austerity program. This is basically a replacement of folks who were made part of the required services.”
He said the funds for replacements were available and the posts were for essential services only.
“Without looking at the records, we should be hiring only for critical services,” Inos added.
Among the people the administration hired was former Gov. Juan N. Babauta.
“We hired him on a $1 a year contract for his expertise in public health administration,” Inos said.
Variety learned that Babauta, who lost to Fitial in the 2005 elections but supported him in 2009, will help the administration on the implementation plan for the Commonwealth Health Care Corporation.
In a separate interview, Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan said he believes that Inos is “working diligently and extra hard to meet the payroll.”
“There are many very good people working hard for the government, and when the hours of these people were reduced, they still have to do all the work they used to do in 80 hours,” Sablan said.
“I will continue to support the lieutenant governor in trying to make sure that government payroll is met in whatever way we can.”
