(Washington, DC, February 15, 2006) — Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen will testify before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on March 1 on her bill to create a chief financial officer (CFO) for the Virgin Islands.  The delegate will testify at the committee’s oversight hearing on the state of the economies and fiscal affairs in the territories.  The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. in SD-366 in the Dirsksen Senate Office Building.

“This is an opportunity to inform the committee of the importance of this legislation to the people of the Virgin Islands,” Christensen said. The bill, HR 62 passed the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously on March 14, 2005.  Christensen reiterated that the CFO legislation is important for the territory to lay a strong foundation for the future.  “While the current administration has made some progress towards fiscal discipline, there are still serious problems as evidenced in education, justice, and housing that continue to occur because of the lack of a fully transparent financial management system that is networked and integrated and that is overseen by an independent chief financial officer,” the Delegate said.