TWENTY-NINE new officers were sworn in by CNMI Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro at Saipan World Resort on Monday after completing the 9th Cycle Customs and Biosecurity Academy.
(AD 2022 Press Release) — In a memorandum served on CNMI Customs Director Jose Mafnas by Secretary of Finance David Atalig on July 21, 2022, Mafnas, the long-time head of
RECENTLY, comments made in the media have suggested that the idea to use American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funds to pay for retiree bonuses came from me. This is
However, discussions are ongoing on how assist the CCC through other sources of funding, he added.
Atalig noted that he did transfer $3 million from CCC to help with the CNMIâs Covid-19 response and mitigation plans early last year.
âI did promise to get those funds back to them,â he added.
The $3 million that will be returned to the commission should be sufficient for its operations, considering that the Imperial Pacific International casino is not in operation, the Finance chief said.
All CCC employees will be paid, he added.Â
âWeâll make sure that employees of the CCC are getting their payroll, but we also need to focus on what their priorities are knowing that there is no casino operating at the moment .â
WHILE some of the worldâs major cities anticipate to reopen to tourism this summer, the CNMI wants to first ensure that the threshold for herd immunity has been reached before it reopens to tourists, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said on Friday.
âWe are safe as a community, but in order for us to open up to tourism, we need to hit a certain threshold,â he said, adding that every state and jurisdiction has its own goals in terms of reopening its borders to tourism.
âIf we are not safe, then we have [no] business talking about tourism.â
For starters, the governor said, there is a need to consider the quarantine protocols for visitors upon their return to their home countries.