Crisostimo said only the indigenous people are supposed to directly benefit from public land leases.
The Marianas Public Lands Trust, the investment arm of the Department of Public Lands, transfers earnings of land lease investments to the general coffer.
“The present method of transferring earnings from the investments of MPLT into the general fund of the commonwealth benefits not only people of NMI-descent but also people who are not of NMI-descent,” said Crisostimo.
“The purpose of this initiative is to amend the Constitution to establish a royalty account so that those of NMI-descent may receive regularly scheduled payments on the proceeds from public land leases,” he added.
His proposal does not need the governor’s approval, but must be passed by the three-fourths vote of the members of both houses before it can be placed on the ballot in the next general election.
Voters can then either ratify or reject it.
