The Northern Marianas Governor has decided to cut the public service work-week to 32 hours.
Benigno Fitial's decision comes as the government looks to ease the financial strain on the cash-strapped commonwealth.
The cutback will affect all government employees who earn over 20-thousand US dollars.
Five agencies that cover health, police and education will be exempt from the measure.
The governor's press secretary, Charles Reyes, says the decision was not made lightly but it was deemed neccesary.
"For years, the government has been overspending, it has been spending beyond its means. The governor wants to go back to the constitutional mandate of retiring the deficit and reducing the deficit and getting the commonwealth government back in the black."
Charles Reyes says a taskforce was currently drafting a plan to implement the eight hour cut.
