With the signing of Bill 325-36, Guam Residents should be receiving money in the mail
PNC’s Althea Engman has more…
After multiple emergency sessions and debates within the legislature, Bill 325 has become Public Law 36-106.
With this act, people in the community can now get assistance through the help of general and federal funds with the future rising cost of their power bills.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said, “Each of the residents and the commercial ratepayers will receive $100 that will immediately a $100 month that will immediately offset the cost of power in the next 5 months.”
The Prugraman Ayuda Para I Taotao-ta program will provide over 50,000 of GPA’s customers with a $500 dollar credit to their account.
The funding will be provided in increments of $100 dollars likely over the course of September 2022 through January 2023.
Prior to the program being signed into law – senators voiced their concerns on where the funding would come.
With mostly republican senators arguing that the source should come from federal funds, such as ARP, instead of the General Fund.
Senator Tony Ada said, “We want to use federal funds, we don’t want to use local funds I mean anytime we have as much federal funds as we can, I Don’t understand why we don’t use it to its full availability.”
The Governor, in response, reaffirmed that the program cannot be funded by ARP.
The Governor has gone on record, saying that the rise in fuel is due to the war on Ukraine, which is why they cannot use the requested federal monies.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said, “This cost of increase in fuel power is not because of the pandemic and in so in recent days and weeks there has been debate in the legislature about the use of ARP monies and the funding source for this.” She added, “I want to make it very clear that in the final rules it is very clear that ARP monies cannot be used for non pandemic outcomes that’s very clear.”
Following multiple discussions and new amendments, the program will be funded through an appropriation from the fiscal year 2022 General Fund and to include fiscal 2021 excess General Fund revenues and any federal funds that can be used for the purpose of the legislation, however, no local funds can be used for the program.
Senator Joe San Agustin shared with PNC what consumers can expect in the following months. He said, “So you can expect in your August bill, it’s going to reflect $200 in your first month then every month a $100 and you know as John Benavente pointed out right now base on the rate increase it don;t even need the 100 yet so when you get the credit you basically your good for the next 5 months.”
The Senator added that he is focusing on working with the Guam Power Authority on adjusting how much to charge the people of Guam as gas prices go down in the future.
