The annuities should not be a priority of the administration, he said.
Cruz was reacting to the report that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has assured to address the unpaid $45,000 annuities to the former officials for July to September this year.
The governor discussed the issue with Speaker Arnold I. Palacios, R-Saipan, and Senate President Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, on Monday after learning that the Retirement Fund temporarily suspended the annuities to the former governors and lt. governor because the Department of Finance didn’t remit funds.
“If this is the type of leaderships we have managing our internal affairs in our homeland then we are in serious trouble,” Cruz said. “This leadership is now looking for additional funds to satisfy and protect certain individuals’ annuities.”
Cruz said former officials should return the annuities “for they were not earned.”
He added that lawmakers should instead worry about the retirement benefits of ordinary citizens.
According to its financial statement, the Retirement Fund needs $58.8 million every year to pay the semi-monthly pensions of more than 2,000 government retirees, including former governors and lt. governors.
The Retirement Fund incurs a $31.43 million shortfall in pension funds every year because the government remits only $26.77 million in employer’s contributions.
Cruz said many class 2 government employees that are qualified to retire are unable to do so “due to mismanagement of the government’s internal affairs.”
