THE Marianas Public Land Trust is hoping lawmakers will adopt Rep. Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero’s House Joint Resolution 22-13, which aims to authorize MPLT to receive and administer $15 million as sub-recipient of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund from the American Rescue Plan Act.
In the CNMI, the recipient of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund is the governor’s office, which has the authority to make funding awards to sub-recipients such as MPLT.
As a sub-recipient, MPLT said it will be accountable to the recipient for compliance with the applicable laws, award terms and conditions, the U.S. Treasury’s final rule, and reporting requirements.
These compliance measures include but are not limited to: ensuring programs or projects are for eligible purposes, maintaining documentation for compliance, maintaining accountability of the use of the funds, and performing the required quarterly and annual reporting to the recipient, MPLT stated.
“It is the intent of the [Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund]…to respond to the Covid-19 public health emergency by aiding the community suffering from the negative effects of the emergency due to the shutdown of the economy. As a result, businesses lost revenue, and many had to close,” MPLT added.
“The CNMI depends on tourism, transportation and hospitality industries. These industries were the hardest hit by the pandemic. Hotels and restaurants along with the local transportation hub were forced to curtail operations and reduce employment. It is this area of the economy that MPLT will put its focus to provide financial aid through a loan/grant program,” MPLT stated.
MPLT said it will focus funding assistance “to small businesses; tourism, travel and hospitality and other impacted industries eligible under the program….”
MPLT contemplates commencing administration of its Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund allocation upon receipt of the award and pending receipt of legislative authority.
Upon completion of these initial requirements, MPLT said it will commence with the following tasks:
• Establish an accounting system using Sage to separately account for the receipt of the grant funds, expenditures, and generate the data for reporting including the preparation of financial reports.
• Prepare, review, and assist the applicants in meeting compliance requirements.
• Design an application or proposal format for submission by the prospective applicant.
• Advertise the categories of expenditures for funding assistance.
• Prepare determination analyses to document approval/denial of request.
• Prepare notification determination letters.
• Confer with the Department of Finance during the decision phase to ensure that the process and decision meet the recipient’s expectation and compliance.
• Consult and follow up with the beneficiaries for their quarterly and annual reporting requirements.
• Prepare all reporting requirements to the Department of Finance to meet the deadline for submission required by the U.S. Treasury.
In a meeting with the House Ways and Means committee on Friday, MPLT Chairwoman Maria Frica T. Pangelinan said there had been no official award from the governor’s office.
Moreover, “the committee might have questions that we will not be in a position to answer until the resolution is approved.”
MPLT Vice Chairman Vianney Hocog assured lawmakers that “we don’t have any ulterior motives. We just felt that it is an opportunity for us to participate.”
Saying that there are “too many unanswered questions,” the committee tabled the House resolution.
