Clarification

This is in response to Mr. William H. Stewart’s Saipan Tribune column entitled: Why doesn’t NMIRF declare bankruptcy and be done with it?, where he states: Since 1994, the government has consistently failed to meet its employer contribution in full. As I had stated in another letter to the editor and for purposes of clarification, the Retirement Fund Audit Report for FY 1998 will show that beginning February 1998 was the last time that the CNMI government was current in their required employer contributions to the Fund. Therefore, I would like to set the record straight. During my tenure as the Secretary of Finance, all employee and employer contributions were paid in full and when due. And when I resigned in August 1997 both the employees and employers shares to the Fund continued to be paid in a timely manner.

Antonio R. Cabrera
Chalan Piao, Saipan