The 21-page executive order that acting Gov. Eloy Inos signed on Sunday said CUC is challenged by people stealing electricity and the inevitable loss of power in distribution line due to its antiquated system.
“Even as power becomes more reliable, CUC must reduce its distribution losses from the reported level of 8 percent. With world oil prices increasing CUC’s power costs, such losses already account roughly for $4.8 million, which CNMI customers must cover,” the E.O. stated.
“CUC requires a team of skilled technicians to find and eliminate power theft and line losses,” it added.
The administration has been renewing the E.O. each month since Aug. 2008.
The E.O. also allows CUC to be exempt from a law limiting its foreign hires to 19.
“A shortage of manpower forced by legislation limiting skilled foreign workers has continued to place CUC operations at risk,” Inos said. “Incipient failures in the CUC water, wastewater and power transmission and distribution networks have underscored the importance of having in place a well-funded and functioning preventive maintenance program.”
He added, “Further errors in wording in the CUC enabling legislation recently re-enacted, Public Law 16-17, as amended, would bar the executive director from day-to-day management of the corporation, effectively shutting CUC down. This E.O. eliminates these problems while it is in effect.”
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