Municipal council foregoes inaugural banquet to save funds By ALDWIN R. FAJARDO

During these times of overpowering economic contraction and depleting resources, prudence has become the key element in the government’s drive to keep basic services on track with the needs of the community.

This is the same reason cited by members of the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council when they decided not to hold the traditional inaugural banquet to welcome the new local leadership which was sworn into office last week.

Due to budgetary constraints, members of the municipal council have unanimously agreed not to hold an inaugural banquet, according to a media statement signed by council executive director Margarita Tudela.

Council Chairman Gregorio De Leon Guerrero, Vice-Chairman David Indalecio and Council Secretary Jesus Lizama also pointed out that the inaugural banquet has been canceled because the CNMI government is still operating under continuing resolution.

Also, municipal officials anticipate a drastic cut in the council’s budget allocation due to the still unstable rally of the local economy which has adversely affected revenue collection.

They said the cancellation is a gesture of their support for the government-wide austerity measure, which was implemented to prevent severe depletion of public funds.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio said prudence is what has been helping his administration brave the worst financial situation ever faced by the Commonwealth, as he solicited the support of all civil service workers to bear with the government’s limited resources.

So long as the economy fails to grow, the government’s self-imposed austerity program remains enforced, thereby, ruling out the possibility of any wage increase in any of the public offices.

Mr. Tenorio has called on government offices to explore ways to further trim down expenditures as he commended agencies which have initiated austerity measures like reduction in overtime and work hours.

“If we did not implement austerity measures we would not survive this long and we would have been bankrupt since eight months ago,” the governor noted.

Mr. Tenorio also called for the strict monitoring of government resources as he urged cabinet secretaries and activity heads to submit alternatives or other options which could help arrest the possibility of “payless paydays.”

The government is seriously considering proposals to institute more revenue-generating measures that would replenish depleting public coffers in view of the gloomy earning projections for the next fiscal year.