GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres last week informed the Legislature that the CNMI government overspent by $133.1 million in fiscal year 2020, which ended on Sept. 30, 2020.
Of this amount, he said $85 million âwas a direct result of the Covid-19 threat and mitigation efforts applied to keep the Commonwealth as safe as possible from the spread of the virus.â
But 75% to 90% of the $85 million is expected to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the governor said.
As for $29 million of the deficit, the governor said it âwas attributed to expenses and obligations incurred prior to the implementation of across-the-board budget reductionâ: $10 million was the cost of medical referrals during the fiscal year and $9 million âwas expended to supplement Group Health and Life Insurance coverage for retirees.â