UNIVERSITY Of HAWAII LIBRARY arianas %riet~~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ evvs ers' By Jojo Dass Customs chie.f: Some importers 'sneaking' taxable goods in What we do is we open those Variety News Staff boxes because we already know, THE GOVERNMENT is closely ing Customs Service Director Jose $10,000 in fines slapped against pack alcoholic merchandise and we have a list of some businesses monitoring several Saipan-based C. Mafnas, in an interview yester­ the importers for attempted smug­ cigarettes inside cartons mis-rep­ (involved), we also have some wholesalers and retail outlets sus­ day. gling since January this year alone. resenting the contents. tips from people. pected to be connected to an orga­ "The potential for smuggling in The fines were imposed on top The "highly-taxable" goods like "Usually, it is the importer that nized group of smugglers spiriting the CNMI is high (that is why) we of the required excise tax. The gin and cigarettes are placed in­ are the ones hiding it, it is their alcoholic merchandise and ciga­ profile importers and shippers of Division of Customs Services side cartons supposedly declar­ request (to companies from points rettes into the CNMI from at least all high-risk containers," he collected $20,000 in fines from ing that the contents were mere of origin) that alcohol be placed four "high-risk" points of origin added. importers over the same offense bottles of soy sauce, vinegar and in soy sauce boxes and it is not in Asia. Mafnas declined to identify the last year. other merchandise. illegal to do so," said Mafnas. "We have some information on businesses involved but never­ Modus operandi This practice, he lamented, is The practice, he said, is already businesses that are in our watch theless said all-out efforts to in­ Mafnas noted that smugglers not illegal. being done "for quite a while." list, names of people, importers tercept smuggled goods at the exploit a "loophole" in import "What they do is they change "One or two boxes, we can un­ that we are.monitoring," said act- ports have resulted to over regulations that allows them to the package, they change the box. Continued on page t3 76% of all NMI students Governor admits retiring of budget enrolled in public schools , deficit not possible during his term By Louie C. Alonso By Aldwin R. Fajardo whether he is not allocating Variety News Staff · Variety News Staff money for deficit reduction, he OF THE 12,485 primary and secondary students in the Common­ THERE is no way the Adminis­ hinted that the government will wealth, a total of9,498, or76 percent, are enrolled in public schools tration will be able to signifi­ prioritize the delivery of essen­ in the current school year, official figures show. cantly reduce the end-1997 au­ tial services that include educa­ According to the Statistics Office of the Public SchoolSystem, dited $57.3 million cumulative tion, public health and public only 2,987 or about 24 percent are presently enrolled in private deficit, more so retire it in a safety. schools. span of two years, according to "It is going to be very impos­ Data collected by Probil Cabrera, PSS Statistics Specialist indi­ Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio. sible. At this time it is very dif­ cates the percentage of students enrolled in public schools remained In an interview, the governor ficult. By looking at my budget the same as compared to enrollment statistics in school year I997- admitted that the cuITent finan­ proposal, which is only $206 98. cial condition faced by the Com­ million compared to the pro­ The. school enrollment summary table for PSS starts from heads tart mon we a Ith has virtually posed budget before I took of­ to highschool while private schools' enrollment begin as early as in crippled the ability of his Ad­ fice which is $267 million, we the pre-school level. ministration to retire the budget PedroP. Tenorio can see how much the revenues In the kindergarten level, 624 are enrol led at PSS schools, and 404 deficit before he leaves the of­ have dropped," he said. at private schools. fice in 200 I . in order to stretch the available The CNMI chief executive Public elementary schools have a total of 4,967 students while funds. stressed that he remains wary The Administration has pro­ I private schools have 1,429. jected to generate only about The continued downfall of pub­ about the present level of rev­ .I There are 1,303 students enrolled in PSS junior high schools while $206 million in total revenue lic resources has rendered the enues generated by the govern­ I private schools have 419 students. for the next fiscal year, forcing government unable to appropri­ ment, adding that he is more High school enrollment for PSS has surged to 2,078 as compared government agencies to insti­ ate funds for several programs. concerned about whether the Continuea on page 23 tute more cost cutting measures Although Tenorio did not say Contiriuecfon pa-9e23 Gutierrez tells US Senate l .~ about 'economic injustice' 1 1 By Eric F. Say ti Variety News Staff rJ HAGATNA-Govemor Carl ~J T.C. Gutierrez is asking the l1 U.S. Senate Commerce Com- ~ mittee to look into the "high shipping rates" being charged by US ocean cmTiers, which J result in high prices of con­ I sumer items being sold on Guam. I ~ "These shippers are every bit r! as captive, and every bit as ex­ fl ploited as those of surface ship­ [1 pers like railroads and trucking in the mainland United States," Gu~:~~e:·~~l:~~""·:""'r~..:·: ..1mc::..ait..,-11 Gutie1Tez said in a Jetter to the tee that "Guam's consumers committee. are captive to the high and un­ He is also seeking the reasonable rates which U.S. committee's assistance with ocean shipping companies are respect to another form of cap­ allowed to charge. At every Students of Hopwood Junior High School join Sen. Juan P. Tenorio (with lei),who visited the school tive shipping, that being the yesterday, tor a photo. The Saipan lawmaker spoke to the students and encouraged them to seek work in oceancarriershippersofGuam. Continued on page 23 the private sector. Photo by Louie c. Alonso ~-<...-,.;_...!\ - .., ,·Q ,... ••• 'I,-. / r ~ .• · ·.;...; . • .. : .;>{ 1~;- .:.r. v 1 ;-,.1,,,K0 ~~-·- •''"-·" '. '. ' .. ''' 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-WEDNESDAY- APRIL 7, 1999 WI::Q_~SQt;Y.,_/\pR_IL 7. I99<;)- MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 To take up void left by Continental ··, l Nevada executes Filipino · .. / 1 This is justice." representation. JAL eyes more Osaka flights By BRENDAN RILEY CARSON CITY, Nevada (AP) But "we will never be back like The petition was filed earlier By Haidee V. Eugenio day_of the week. flights. He said the notification ger Osaka, Japan market with a of Continental 's decision is yet -Authmitiesrejected pleas by the we were because we don 'thaveour Monday with the Nevada Board of Variety News Staff JAL 'sdisclosurecame afterthe will help determine whether JAL­ 128 percent increase in arrivals in to be seen in the number of arriv­ Philippine government and ex­ daughter," Crawford said. Pardons, chaired by Gov. Kenny IF PASSENGER demand proves Marianas Visitors Authority urged Saipan need to increase its direct March compared to the same pe­ als in the coming months, although ecuted a Filipino man convicted of Calambro and accomplice Due Guinn. The govemorsaid all mem­ increasing. then Japan Airlines other airlines to take the initiative flights for the said route or not. riod last year. (See related story) the agency expressed optimism killing two people with a hammer Huynh were convicted for the mur­ bers of the board felt a hearing on may put additional direct Osaka­ of servicing the abandoned route. The airline executive, however, MV A managing director Perry on the capability and commitment and crowbar during a 1994 rob­ ders of Crawford and Christopher the request was unwarranted. Saipan flights soon to immedi­ A top official of the airline dis­ pointed out that no final decision Tenorio said the prime tourism of other airlines in servicing the bery. during adlrs 2,400robbery in Janu­ Nevada Attorney General ately fill up the route abandoned closed that the Saipan office al­ has been made yet on increasing agency is doing more intensi­ route abandoned by Continen­ Alvaro Calambro. 25, died by ary I 994ata U-Haul truck and van Frankie Sue Del Papa, a member of by Continental Micronesia. ready notified its home office in JAL flights to accommodate the fied efforts in promoting the tal Micronesia. injection sho1tly after 9 p.m. Mon­ rental business in Reno. the panel, said the U.S. Supreme JAL currently has the virtual Japan regarding Continental Japanese passengers that Conti­ CNMI as a prime tourist desti­ day (0500 GMT Tuesday) at Ne­ Crawford had a tire iron driven Court made it clear in 1998 that a Continental 's decision came monopoly of the direct Osaka­ Micronesia's decision of termi­ nental Micronesia is supposed to nation in order to make up for after the number of Osaka pas­ vada State Prison. Calambro re­ through her skull, while foreign national imprisoned in the Saipan route with one flight each nating its Osaka-Saipan direct be bringing. the abandoned route. sengers taking the non-stop and fused to file his own appeal to stop Christopher's head was crushed by United States must raise alleged "'We are still looking into it so "MVA is still promoting connecting flights to Saipan de­ his execution. repeated blows from a hammer. treaty violations in a timely man­ no decision has been made yet.