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MVA to lobby for additional funding
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Posted on Jul 01 1999
The Marianas Visitors Authority is set to meet with the powerful House Ways and Means Committee to discuss the possibility of providing additional funding for the tourism office after the Office of Management and Budget capped its FY 2000 budget to $5.8 million.
MVA Managing Director Perry John Tenorio said the meeting will be held after Rep. Karl T. Reyes, chair of the committee, sent a letter asking the tourism agency if it was seeking any changes in its budget before he submits a final draft of next year’s spending package for deliberation in the House of Representatives.
The budget for FY 2000 must be passed before September 30, 1999.
In an interview, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio remains non-committal about the possibility of increasing the budget for MVA, as he pointed out that other agencies are also equally important such as public safety, education and health.
While the chief executive recognizes the work made by MVA in promoting the tourism, Tenorio said the authority will eventually get an additional appropriation from the room tax with the increase in tourist arrivals.
MVA’s $5.8 million budget is $1.11 million lower than the current appropriation. MVA Board chairman Dave M. Sablan has expressed concern that a further reduction in budget would affect efforts to revive the ailing tourism economy.
As a result of the 13.4 percent budget cut imposed by the Office of the Governor, MVA only received $6 million this fiscal year.
For Fiscal 2000, the board has reduced by $500,000 the advertising budget to $2.94 million. MVA has decided to suspend any pay increase, Capital Improvement Projects and purchase of equipment.
