Gov. Apatang Signs EO for Expedited Financial Audit

CNMI Governor David M. Apatang delivered the following remarks on Thursday after signing an executive order related to expediting financial audits of the CNMI's government finances:

"Today, I am signing Executive Order 2025-003 reaffirming and strengthening the duties and responsibilities of the Commonwealth’s Single Audit Committee, composed of the Office of the Public Auditor, the Department of Finance, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of Grants Management.

The Commonwealth’s delayed Single Audits represent a multifaceted challenge with broad implications for our financial health, federal funding eligibility, and public trust.

This is not a problem that can be resolved by a single agency or a short-term fix. It requires a coordinated, intentional, and sustained effort across all responsible entities. This executive order underscores our commitment to improving audit timeliness and accountability. By reinforcing the roles and collaborative responsibilities of each member agency, we are laying the groundwork for long-term progress in addressing audit delays, improving internal controls, and ensuring the integrity of our financial reporting systems.

The timely completion of Single Audits is not just a compliance issue—it is a matter of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and good governance. It is also key to our federal grantor partners in fulfilling their mission to assist our people with a wide range of key projects and programs. If the CNMI, including its autonomous agencies, does not expeditiously catch up with its audits and resolve audit findings, key future grants may be withheld.

I call on all members of the Single Audit Committee to continue working together with urgency and purpose, and I assure the people of the Commonwealth that this administration will continue to provide the leadership and support necessary to restore full audit compliance. Let us move forward with diligence and unity to strengthen our financial stewardship and safeguard the trust placed in us by our citizens and our federal partners. Thank you.

Read the full executive order here.