The House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications will introduce new legislation to grant more powers to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to oversee the functions of a proposed telecommunications agency in the CNMI.

The House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications will introduce new legislation to grant more powers to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to oversee the functions of a proposed telecommunications agency in the CNMI.

Committee chair Rep. David M. Apatang said extending its authorities would be less expensive than establishing a new regulatory body to handle the growing telecommunications sector on the island.

“What we are looking at is maybe giving CUC full force authority on the proposed telecom regulations,” he said after meeting yesterday with Executive Director Timothy P. Villagomez and Bob Webb, the governor’s special assistant for Telecommunications.

“My concern here is on the funding issue. We don’t want to create another agency where we don’t have the money to fund this agency,” he added.

The committee is expected to amend Public Law 4-47 which created the government-owned utility firm to give them the additional authority to implement rules and regulations on the sector as well as the cable television services.

This move may scrap a pending bill offered by Rep. Melvin Faisao who has suggested that a new government agency be set up to regulate telecommunication firms, including cable TV companies.

“We will probably have to introduce a new bill to amend (the law) to give CUC more specific authority in regulating telecom and probably cable TV,” Apatang pointed out.

Villagomez expressed support for the PUTC plan, saying it will enhance the present powers provided to the utility corporation to review and promulgate laws affecting the sector.

“We should look at that,” he told in a separate interview. “It has not been fully utilized because of the mere fact that we don’t have the regulations in place.”

Yesterday’s meeting followed initial discussion by PUTC members and other government officials on Faisao’s proposal held last June 29. The committee has scheduled another meeting this week to review the measure.

Industry leaders have opposed the regulatory aspect of the legislation as they believe the current set-up does not require a government body to oversee the potential for growth of telecommunications in the Northern Marianas.

As a comprise, the House committee is leaning towards granting broader authority to CUC to implement the regulations.

Faisao, who filed the bill last year, has stressed the need to regulate the sector to protect public welfare and promote free-market policies that would give the consumers “an opportunity to have more choices and select any carrier they want.”