by Jolene Toves

Guam - In light of concerns regarding overtime expenses, GPA presented a report to the consolidated commission on utilities to set the record straight.

The Guam Power Authority appeared before the Consolidated Commission on Utilities last night to address concerns that have been raised regarding the controls and management practices associated with personnel. Specifically, reporting on GPA's overtime expenses as related to overall personnel expenses. The agency spokesperson Art Perez says that although overtime has been higher than in the past they are still below the targeted budgets.

"As a matter of fact, we are tracking even below what's allotted for the first quarter," he said.

Over the last few years overtime in excess of what was budgeted created the impression that overtime was not being controlled but Perez says that is not the case now. Instead unforeseen factors, major repairs on an aging system and the effort to stay within personnel budget levels required the increase in overtime. "Controls have always been in place and their operational channel is to met to fill vacancies," he said.

In fact a resolution was passed by commissioners to ensure funding for vacancies would only be used to fill those positions. "The new effort will be made to try to fill these vacancies and at the same time manage and continue managing these overtime costs to meet the operational needs of the utility," he said.

Meanwhile the agency's general manager Joaquin Flores says plans for improving overtime expenditures have been in place for some time and that they were now finally realizing the benefits. Those plans include new recruitment and promotions from within which he said are seeing gains.