Labor automation on track

The U.S. Department of the Interior has allotted some $600,000 for the current fiscal year’s Federal-CNMI Initiative that would be used mostly to improve the Commonwealth’s labor and immigration system through plans that include the automation of labor processing.

When labor processing becomes automated, entry permits can be applied for online. Such development may also result in the issuance of electronic entry permits.

Attorney General Pamela Brown disclosed the automation plan before local businessmen during a meeting of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce last week, saying that changes being instituted in the CNMI’s labor and immigration system have staved off the threat of federal takeover.

Deputy Assistant Secretary David B. Cohen expressed the department’s support to alleviate the problems that have plagued the CNMI’s labor and immigration system, commending the Babauta administration for its commitment to address them.

The bulk of the $600,000 grant—or some $500,000—would be used to improve the CNMI’s labor and immigration system. Some $100,000 from the initiative would go to Karidat Social Services, a non-profit humanitarian group that provides youth and family counseling, emergency shelter and food assistance, and anti-domestic violence programs.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta said yesterday that his administration prepared a spending plan for the grant money, which was requested by Cohen.

“It’s money that is going to tremendously improve the system,” Babauta said.

Although the money would not be enough to cover the costs of drastically improving the labor system, Babauta said the money would help defray the cost of instituting changes, including the planned automation. He said the automation would electronically link Labor with the Attorney General’s Office and the Immigration Division.

Brown said that automation in the Labor Department could be implemented by September or October. She said entry permit applications could be applied for online once automation of the labor process takes place. The Labor Department may also issue visitor entry permits electronically. She also disclosed automation plans for Immigration.

The governor added that Labor would be hiring additional hearing officers to expedite the hearing process. Currently, Labor only has three administrative hearing officers. The lack of hearing officers has resulted in a backlog of labor cases, with some being resolved after three years of pendency.

Babauta also said the grant money from the DOI would also help strengthen Labor’s enforcement of policies and regulations.

The Labor Department had earlier disclosed significant improvement in the processing of labor applications, with Labor director Dean Tenorio saying that applications filed since the beginning of this year were being acted upon in a timely manner. The change is in drastic contrast to the delayed processing that has plagued the department in the past years.

Tenorio said the division has committed itself to act on a complete employment application within 30 days since Jan. 2004, adding that some approvals even came out before the deadline.

Tenorio had said that the only backlog that remains in connection with the processing of applications pertains to the garment industry.