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Equal application of laws
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Posted on Feb 14 2001
The Issue: Disconnection regulations has suspect application.
Our View: CNMI must learn equal application of laws!
When non-productive government agencies are in arrears in their utility bills, there’s room for negotiations if only to delay disconnection of utilities.
If productive private companies are in arrears, there’s room for negotiations, but definite disconnection is carried out almost immediately upon non-payment. The same is done for residents who are in arrears for at least three months. There’s an obvious anomaly in the application of disconnection regulations that warrants serious review.
At issue–conveniently overlooked in this situation by CUC’s board–is the fact that both are delinquent customers of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC). One (agencies) get breaks via negotiations, the other is rendered disconnection after notification.
The unequal application of the same regulations, granting one continued use of utilities while another is denied such service for arrearage, is nothing short of discrimination. It’s an unequal application of laws that favors non-productive sectors of the powers that be. This is definitely wrong!
What may have gone wrong? Is the board into micro-managing the utility agency? Otherwise, the executive director would have done his job in forthright fashion.
Understandably, it would be irresponsible to disconnect such agencies as the Commonwealth Health Center given the role it plays in handling both ambulatory and acute medical cases. Some form of subsidy or sacrifice is in order.
CUC and policymakers must also look into the issue of subsidies to the tune of some $3 million annually being forked out by Saipan taxpayers for Tinian and Rota utility consumers. It’s an issue that merits critical review as the price of oil spirals upward. It’s time that some measure of fairness is struck especially for overburdened Saipan taxpayers.
At any rate, CUC can’t vacillate conveniently on a set of regulations that favors one customer over the other. As difficult as it may seem, equal application of the same regulations is definitely in order. Si Yuus Maase`!
