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Fitial promises hands-on approach to economy
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Posted on Jan 01 2006
Governor-elect Benigno R. Fitial bared a plan Friday to take a hands-on approach to managing seven government agencies that have direct impact on the economy.
These agencies, according to Fitial, are the Commonwealth Ports Authority, Commonwealth Development Authority, Marianas Visitors Authority, Marianas Public Lands Authority, and the departments of Commerce, Labor, and Finance.
“The lieutenant governor (Timothy P. Villagomez) and I have agreed to share responsibility. He will practically run the government, while I focus on seven major agencies that impact the economy,” the outgoing speaker told his fellow lawmakers during the last session of the 14th House of Representatives Friday.
“I will make sure that whatever any of these agencies do, it will not discourage commerce,” he told the media after the session.
House leadership spokesperson Charles Reyes Jr. had said previously that the incoming administration planned on letting Villagomez will handle most of its administrative duties, so Fitial could concentrate on business-related issues.
Reyes had noted that the speaker and vice speaker had the same dynamics at the Legislature.
“The governor’s [Fitial] main priority will be to secure investments and have investors hire and train the local workforce. A lot of his time will be spent on this. He will delegate much of the administrative work to the lieutenant governor,” Reyes had said.
The new administration will assume office on Monday, Jan. 9, 2006.
