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Kumoi: Govt saves funds by hiring me
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Posted on Mar 21 2005
La Fiesta maintenance and policy consultant Ramon “Kumoi” Guerrero said yesterday that hiring him actually saves the government a lot of money.
Speaking to the media yesterday from the monitoring department of the La Fiesta complex, the former senator said he would be paid $50,000 for his six-month work at La Fiesta, which began this month.
“I’m saving the government a lot of money. I’m reporting to work here seven days a week. I come here three to four times a day,” he said.
He said the La Fiesta maintenance work plan, which includes the hook-up of its 1MW generator to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., would require nearly half a million dollars if done by another contractor.
“It would be more expensive if they hire a different contractor. If CUC is to bring in its own contractor, it would cost some $400,000,” he said.
He said his computation of the work only totals some $80,000. This would be on top of his contract price.
He said the $80,000 amount would be used to buy new transformers and other equipment. He said it also covers the generator connection cost.
He said his price estimate is low compared with that of other contractors because “I go directly to the manufacturers.”
“So why should the government hire somebody else? I’m saving the government a lot,” he said.
The Babauta administration believes that the government-owned La Fiesta complex in San Roque, which looks like an abandoned facility now, remains promising, with a number of investors wanting to relocate there.
The Governor’s Office said it still welcomes the idea of having the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and Northern Marianas College use the former shopping complex.
The complex may also be used as a public high school to serve the students in the northern area of Saipan.
Two investors wanting to develop postsecondary programs in the CNMI have also expressed interest in using portions of the three-phase complex.
