THE Senate recently passed legislation that would reduce the number of board and commission members.
Senate Floor Leader Joaquin G. Adriano, who introduced S.B. 13-42, said that “in the light of dwindling financial resources,” it is necessary to pass the measure to reduce government expenses while maintaining the delivery of essential services to the public.
“There is no uniformity on the number of members appointed to boards and commissions which often leads to the CNMI government incurring unnecessary costs when the same purpose can be accomplished by fewer members,” said Adriano, D-Tinian.
The bill would limit the number of each board and commission into five individuals who shall be appointed by the governor subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
Travel outside of the CNMI by any board or commission member utilizing government funds would receive $100 per day as compensation for meetings “actually attended” and was held in a senatorial district where the member resides. A member would receive $300 per day in meetings held in other places in the CNMI.
Every board or commission would also be required to prepare a written quarterly report summarizing its activities, a copy of which should be furnished to the Senate president, the House speaker and the governor.
The bill further states that a board or commission may hire professional services only with the prior review and approval of the Attorney General’s Office.
Also, the Senate passed another measure which seeks to provide for the disposition of public properties that are no longer needed by the government. The bill would require the Procurement and Supply Division to conduct yearly auctions.
Sen. Diego M. Songao, Covenant-Rota, said S.B. 13-57, or the Disposition of Government Property Act of 2002, which he introduced would not only help the government get rid of unusable properties but would also help generate additional revenue.
“If this bill becomes law, the government can generate revenue, create available space and rid of unused and unsightly items by ensuring that surplus physical assets and other capital equipment be sold at a government sponsored auction,” said Songao.
He said individuals and companies that participate in the bid process will also benefit from the surplus properties by purchasing them at reduced value and putting them to good use.
Under the bill, the procurement and supply director would take an annual inventory of all surplus properties that are no longer used by the government. Upon the director’s recommendation to the finance secretary that it is in the best interest of the CNMI to dispose of the inventoried properties, the secretary would instruct the director to conduct a government-sponsored auction.
