GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang issued a joint memorandum on Monday informing department and agency heads that before Jan. 27, Friday, government employees under excepted service employment contract and funded by the American Rescue Plan Act must receive a 60-day termination notice.
According to Office of Personnel Management Director Frances T. Salas, there are over 300 ARPA-funded excepted employees affected by the memorandum. Most are serving in the agencies, programs, and activities under the Office of the Governor.
OPM Employee Development & Staffing Chief Joseph M. Pangelinan said the 60-day notices have already been sent to some of the affected government employees.
In their joint memorandum, Palacios and Apatang said, “Our administration is dedicated to restoring trust, confidence and efficiency in our public services. As such, we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure that available funds are used responsibly and sustainably for the sake of providing essential services for the public.”
“Upon entering office,” they added, “it has been identified that our government’s current financial resources may not be sufficient to support the current size of our operations. Thus, a comprehensive assessment of all programs and services is needed to ensure their sustainability due to funding constraints,”
Palacios and Apatang said “all departments, agencies and activities should review their structures to determine which services are absolutely necessary. Moreover, all ARPA-funded excepted service [employment] contract employees must receive 60-day notices of termination prior to January 27, 2023. All personnel deemed essential must identify alternative funding sources, outside of local resources, for their continued employment, along with justifications as to why their positions should be retained.”
Office of Personnel Management Employee Development & Staffing Chief Joseph Pangelinan speaks during the Rotary Club of Saipan’s luncheon meeting at Hyatt Regency Saipan’s Giovanni’s Restaurant on Tuesday.
