Inos wants ‘accountability’ as donations are pouring in
Gov. Eloy S. Inos wants accountability and proper reporting as donations—in cash and in-kind—continue to pour into the CNMI.
On Capital Hill last Friday, the Office of the Governor and Office of the Lt. Governor received a $100,000 cash donation from Best Sunshine International, Ltd.
BSI has already donated significant amounts to the government and other agencies heavily involved in the ongoing relief and recovery efforts.
Inos said he would recommend all donations to be coursed through the government so that there will be a “measure of accountability.”
For in-kind donations, Inos recommends that items be turned over to the government, which will then “turn around” and tap the American Red Cross NMI Chapter to distribute the items to the needy.
For cash donations, Inos said a non-profit foundation has been set up. The foundation will have a board of directors who will then meet and determine what to prioritize.
Inos said he is making it clear that it is “up to the donor,” but he would still recommend coursing donations to the government.
Aside from accountability, coursing the donations directly to the government “is also for the sake of generating reports.”
“We have to make a report to the public and to the donors,” Inos said.
The governor also said he wants other organizations that have been conducting their own relief efforts to “exercise care” so that donations will go to the intended recipients.
Best Sunshine
Best Sunshine CEO Mark Brown, said that BSI will “follow the government’s lead.”
Brown was present on Sunday to pledge the $100,000 cash donation.
He said the company will continue to provide assistance, not just cash but also by providing volunteers. According to Brown, BSI already deployed 30 interns for various volunteer jobs.
He stressed that BSI will pay these interns for their volunteer jobs for the government.
BSI’s total assistance to the CNMI, including to the government, Legislature, and non-government agencies, has already reportedly reached $500,000.
Buenas,
Since Kan Pacific had been making millions of dollars in the CNMI over the years, can they match Best Sunshine donations to our community? And donate to the entire island of Saipan and not only to several selected villages near your establishment. You are using public land to make your millions and don’t discriminate the rest of us from the other villages.
Thanks Best Sunshine for thinking about the whole of our society, not just the selected few. Good deeds would never be forgotten.
Si Yu’us Ma’ase
Buenas,
“Inos said he is making it clear that it is “up to the donor,” but he would still recommend coursing donations to the government.”
Yes Governor Inos, it is up to the donor to decide who receive his/her donations. You may be trying to prevent scams, but at the same time you may be scaring away prospective donors from far away places, thinking that our people or non-profit groups are untrustworthy in the CNMI.
No matter where you go on this earth, there are people that would try to make money from people’s suffering.
Si Yu’us Ma’ase
I cannot comprehend why Best Sunshine, in their detailed breakdown of the funds donated, they have given various “government offices” $400K but then only give the Red Cross $50K. The proper recipient for all donations (if you actually want them used on relief and not potential misuse) is with the Red Cross.
The funds should certainly not be used for covering the 25% cost gap not covered by FEMA. When FEMA comes into an area hit by disaster, they work with the local government using a payment method whereby for every $4 of cost FEMA will pay $3 and local government must then cover the remaining $1.
Is this a joke? The last thing the government officials need to be doing is dictating to “donors” where and how they are to donate to the relief effort here. The government has no place in controlling these funds.
The “right recipient” as Inos mentions in the last paragraph is NEVER the government – anywhere, but if the government is going to insist it is done this way, then the only appropriate kind of donation is canned goods, blankets and clothes.
Please give us the definition of “the right recipients”. What designates a “right recipient”?
Lastly, when you say “we trust the Red cross, but…” you are saying you do not trust them at all.
I’d rather go house to house & give every home a can of spam than trust my money with the government. Last time I checked, a large amount of taxes I paid went to Ben Fitials mansion in the Philippines.