Northern Mariana Island's Senate Approves Friday Closure Of Gov't Offices
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (AHN) - Northern Mariana Island's Senate has approved a plan to close most government offices every Friday to save money in the midst of an economic crisis. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that Northern Mariana, which is under a US protectorate, has been battling financial crisis for some time. It was reported that the Senate deliberated on the issue for over an hour and decided on the shutdown, which is expected to save the government at least $7.3 million. Part of the Senate bill reads, "The legislature finds that the government must immediately implement austerity measures to alleviate the current financial crisis." Press Secretary Charles Reyes Jr. said the bill is replacing the 10 percent wage across-the-board wage cut enforced earlier. The plan is a complete flop forcing the government to look for a better alternative. The island has been hit with financial crisis due to the decline in the number of tourist arrivals and a slump in the garment industry.
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