CNMI to receive $1.3 M for Y2K program

The CNMI was among the U.S. territories chosen by the federal Office of Budget Management to receive Y2K funding assistance from the federal government, officials announced Friday.

The Office of Insular Affairs said the CNMI will receive $1.3 million from the Clinton Administration’s $22 million computer upgrading program aimed at preventing system failures resulting from the so-called Y2K bug.

This assistance is offered only to insular areas, and the funding will be limited to the replacement and repair of systems that were originally installed through federal grants.

“We appreciate this assistance because this is very important to the people of the CNMI,” said Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, describing the Y2K grant as a form of “personalized help.”

“This kind of working relationship is helpful in public services are minimized when Jan. 1, 2000 arrives” Tenorio added.

OIA acting Director Danny Aranza said his office “is particularly proud of this funding since it represents a major new source of assistance for the CNMI and one that is very much needed.”

The federal government has not offered Y2K funding assistance to other states.

Aranza said the federal budget office offers the assistance only to the Commonwealth and other economically depressed insular areas.

“Without this funding, there would be a serious concern in Washington and in the CNMI that the Y2K bug would cause major computer systems to crash and possibly cripple the government’s ability to provide key services to the people,” Aranza said.

Aranza said federal rules and guidelines for fund use will be issued later. (MCM)