Panel Won't Touch Tax Bill
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UNIYüHSlIY OF HAWAII LIBRAR'· Micronesia’s Leading Newspaper Since 1972 i© 1993 ’MarianasrVariety Panel won’t touch tax bill THE HOUSE Special Committee tive as we like to be. I do not want mind would come out in the open committee report recommending position from members of the on Tax Reform has decidedtoleave to come up with a version that is not and support any form of tax in an amended version of the mea business community who said that the proposed tax reforms un worked out through consensus.” creases. This is why there is a sure, Reyes said he would submit the proposed changes would dev touched, Representative Pete P. Reyes, who conducted public hard time achieving quorum in a chairman’s report next week. astate the CNMI economy. Reyes said yesterday. hearings on themeasureon June 10 the committee,” Reyes said. HB 8-248 proposes to increase Duty Free Shoppers proposed a Reyes, alsocommi ttee chairman, and June 23, said the task of com Reyes’ committee was formed rates for excise, hotel occupancy, 10 percent surtax as a temporary said it would be up to the House ing up with an acceptable version by SpeakerThomas P. Villagomez user, liquid fuel, tobacco and al revenue-generating measure. leadership to decide what to do of the measure was difficult be in May and was given 30 days to cohol and wage and salary taxes. Reyes said the absence of a about House Bill 8-248. cause this is an election year. prepare a report. Realizing the It also provides for a reduction recommendation from his com “I am transmitting the bill back He said it was hard to gather need to gather input from a wide in tax rebate rates. mittee would open up the possi1 to the full House unchanged,” he committee members into a quo cross-section of the community, The package is also proJected bility of a new committee being said in an interview. “We have put rum. Reyes twice asked for 30-day ex to generate $40 million in addi created to entertain the measure in a lot of time on this, but I sin “It is my observation that no tensions. tional revenues each year. or the House taking a stand on the cerely feel we cannot be as produc reelectionist legislator in his right Instead of coming up with a The tax proposal met stiff op matter as is. (RHA) 1993 budget dead THE GOVERNMENT would have to operate under continuing resolution for the remainder of fiscal year 1993 after a joint legislative conference committee failed to reach compromise. In a press conference yesterday the chairmen of the House and the Senate conferees announced that there would be no budget due to irreconcilable differences on how the previous year’s deficit should be cured. “The committee has reluctantly decided that the best course of action, given that only two months remain in the current fiscal year, is to retain the FY 1992 funding levels until such time a budget for FY 1994 is enacted,” said Rep. Pete P. Reyes, House conference chairman. He added that by the signing of the conference committee report circulated yesterday among both the House and the Senate con ferees, House Bill 8-226, the appropriations act for fiscal year 1993, would be “clinically dead,” which means that government must operate within the $156 million limit provided for by Public Law 8-2, the fiscal year 1992 budget law. This amount is about $3 million less than the $159.16 million proposed under HB 8-226. “We wish to assure everyone that despite the fact that we have decided to maintain last year’s budget level, we at the House and the Senate would exert all efforts to make sure there would be no payless paydays nor layoffs in government agencies,” Reyes said. He said he and his Senate counterpart, Sen. Jesus R. Sablan, were open to the idea of authorizing the governor to reprogram funds to agencies in need of funds outside of continuing resolu tion. SENIOR citizens enjoy Little League games at Susupe ball fie Id. Another option is to appropriate on a piece-meal basis, depend ing on whether the Legislature would consider its earlier opposi tion to such an idea. Expected to be adversely affected by a continuing resolution Harbor dredging to begin soon are Northern Marianas College’s student financial aid program which has reached its spending limit and recruitment costs for the SAMSUNG Construction Co., the the evaluation of silt control mea Samsung has substantially com Public School System which are due prior to the end of fiscal year contractor for the Saipan harbor sures. The temporary channels pleted removing abandoned metal 1993 and must be funded at a level beyond continuing appropria improvement proJect (SHIP), will dredged in the fill area was done to ramps along the Charlie B ay shore tions. start full scale ¿-edging and fill allow Samsung barges’ access to line. A sunken barge is being cut Another area of concern was on civil service employees who operations within a few days, ac the shallow areas to assist in the for removal and disposal. Tudela are looking forward to annual salary increases as mandated by cording to Commonwealth Ports floating of Sagman. said these materials are being stock law. Authority (CPA) Executive Direc When the dredging operations piled for hauling and disposal. The conferees have agreed to support legislation to ensure tor Roman T. Tudela. begin, dredged materials will be The $40 million port proJect, funds for salary increases. Samsung submitted an environ depos ited from the shoreline work including construction, archi The week-long budget negotiations collapsed due to conflict mental protection plan (EPP) to ing out. tectural and engineering de ing positions on how the previous year’s $7.2 million deficit could CPA on July 1 which, in turn, sub The company began preparation sign, and construction man be retired out of some $6.3 million in estimated lapsed funds left mitted it to Coastal Resources for its dredging operations by con agement, is expected to be untouched by the three senatorial districts. Management office (CRM) for re ducting ordnance and archaeologi completed within 980 days. According to Reyes, the House side recommended that the full view. Although the official ap cal surveys. To date, a total of 14 Once completed, Saipan Har $6.3 million lapsed money be used entirely to cover the deficit so proval of the EPP has not yet been ordnance were found, of which 13 bor will be able to berth four, 400- that only $900,000 would be left to be addressed in the next fiscal received from CRM, Tudela said were detonated by the US Navy on foot long ships at one time. year. · · *·' the proposed EPP is considered a June 30. CPA formed a Saipan Harbor The Senate insisted that only 50 percent of the total lapsed funds working document throughout the The sewer outfall will be relo tenants and operators committee be levelled against the deficit this year, with the other half being duration of the proJect. cated from the present area. Instal to bring them up to date on the appropriated for proJects in all three districts. Samsung conducted test dredg lation should begin by mid-August progress of the work and to make “We have maintained that since we have two years to fully retire ing and temporary channel dredg and completion is expected by the plans for port operations once the continued on page 2 ing last month. Sediment and wa end of September, according to dock is completed. The commit ter sampling was done along with Tudela. tee meets once a month. Pa c N-ewsfOfeT PPvcki* I-M A R IC A S VARIETY NEWS AND VffiWS-FRroAY-JULY 30.1993 CNMI Erratum Republican Cabinet talk irks Larry (Continued from yesterday) some traffic signs prepared in the Mr. Billy said he has been coordi THE FOLLOWING paragraphs Party Precinct maJorlanguages of our alien popula nating a visitby 60Tanapag students were inadvertently omitted from 2 days a week so that they can get tion. Mrs. BalaJadia said we will be and parents to Chuuk. They went the story headlined “Cing ques also be required to install signs using there to leam about their background their GED. Mrs. BalaJadia said that tions deal with Hawaii company” 3 - General is a very beneficial program. the metric system in 1994. Mrs. and culture. All expenses were on a Plans for consolidating several of McPhetres asked DPW to consider personal basis. The group will return which appeared on page 2 of Membership the permitting offices in one place placing a stop light at the intersec on July 16. Mr. Inos complimented yesterday’s Variety: are underway. A floor plan for this tion where Shell Service Station is Mr. Billy on his office’s float in the “I think I need a justification Meeting facility has been submitted to the just west of the College. She said she Liberation Day parade. The Gover and analysis as to what is the Director ofFinance for his approval. had an accident there and it is a very nor said there were many depart department’s basis in selecting an THERE will be a general mem The current central repair shop at dangerous place which is heavily ments involved in makingthisyear’s used. off-island firm to do maintenance bership meeting for Precinct 3, DPW will be relocated to make way celebration the best we have ever for this. Mr. Bruce asked DPW if they had.