Saipan Tribune

Monday, May 20, 2013

Friday, February 08, 2013

FLASHBACK - Feb. 8, 2013

FEB. 8, 1913

Law settles $6.63M MIHA delinquency

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has signed a bill into law that would authorize the Commonwealth Development Authority to write off some $6.63 million in unpaid loans accumulated by the defunct Marianas Islands Housing Authority. In effect, the law would allow the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation, a CDA subsidiary created to replace MIHA, to secure financing package for its home loan program designed for low and moderate income families. The amount represents portion of the $10 million in principal loan and interest payment due to CDA under an agreement entered into with MIHA on January 1987 for the construction of 150 housing units.

PSS personnel nix service contract

The Public School System will need to launch an aggressive campaign to sell the professional services contracts among its personnel who at this early are not buying it. Based on the recent salary options survey made by PSS, majority of its employees are not letting go of their usual employment contracts. "Most of the people who responded wanted to stay as is, they don't want to give up," Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos told members of the Board of Education. According to Inos, employees wanted to continue to enjoy their health insurance and retirement benefits. "Those are the two factors that compete our attention," she added.

Feb. 8, 2001

Fund hires in-house utilization reviewer

In compliance with the recommendations made by the Office of Public Auditor, the NMI Retirement Fund implements its utilization review program in hopes to prevent fraudulent health claims and overblown medical charges. Health and Life Insurance Program Manager Dolores Moore disclosed yesterday that papers of the newly-hired utilization review personnel is currently being processed. However, Ms. Moore refused to divulge the identity of the in-house review personnel pending the release of his official papers. She said the hiring of the in-house utilization review is due to the absence of funding assistance from the Legislature to assist them take the services of an off-island review board.

Road paved for new Saipan thoroughfare

Stressing the need for an improved thoroughfare that would ease congestion of vehicular traffic on Saipan, the House of Representatives yesterday cleared the way for legislation that would establish a special implementing body for the proposed Texas Road. House members voted to pass House Bill 12-267, also known as the Texas Road Development Act of 2000, without too much deliberations during yesterday's session. The lower chamber of the CNMI Legislature earlier adopted recommendation to pass made by the Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication, citing the bill's significance in providing Saipan residents better road access.

Feb. 8, 2002

NMI gets $13M in US grants

In the presence of his staff, special advisers and the media, Gov. Juan N. Babauta yesterday signed two grant documents that would give the CNMI a total of $13 million in federal funds. Babauta said the two grants represent $11 million in Capital Improvement Program funds for fiscal year 2001-2002 and $2 million in Compact Impact payments. He said he received notification about the two grants last week from the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs. Babauta said that, after a thorough discussion of the matter with Lt. Gov. Diego Benavente, they agreed to use the $2 million Compact Impact funds to finish the construction of the Tinian High School and Tinian Junior High School.

Lizama files $16M suit against insurance firms

Juan T. Lizama slapped a $16.2 million lawsuit against Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. and Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc. for alleged failure to settle insurance obligations in connection with a car collision that occurred more than a decade ago. Lizama, who suffered severe injuries from that crash, claims he is an innocent third-party beneficiary under applicable insurance policies. The plaintiff, in a complaint filed at the Superior Court, said that when he sought payment for damages as a result of the accident, TMFI and PIU allegedly failed to investigate and settle his insurance claims.