CDA board members’ KL trip aborted

The scheduled trip of Commonwealth Development Authority board members to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last week was aborted amid concerns of its impact on the CNMI’s relations with the federal government.

CDA board chair Tom Glenn Quitugua said yesterday that he and two other members were set to leave for the Sept. 11 and 12 annual conference of the Asian Development Finance Institution (Asia and Pacific) in Kuala Lumpur, a gathering of 70 banking institutions’ presidents and chief executive officers from over 30 countries.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to attend due to certain matters that came up here at CDA,” said the chair.

He did not elaborate but he said that there are issues “that need to be ironed out with the U.S. State Department.”

“But to me that should not impede progress. If we could establish the relationship as far as networking with various businesses and investors who are interested in doing business in the CNMI are concerned, why not? It would have been a good venture,” he said.

CDA, he said, became a member this year of the financial group.

“We [with former chair Sixto Igisomar] went ahead because we felt that it’s a very viable institution. The Asian market is the most active, most vibrant in the world,” he said.

He said that being aware of the need to consult with the State Department, he said that the CDA extended invitations to the Saipan Chamber of Commerce as well as the Governor’s Office and the Department of Commerce regarding the conference. In the end, though, no contingent from the CNMI managed to attend the conference.

“The chamber may look at it from the private sector side,” he said.

The overall goal, he said, is to develop a network of business groups and investors.

“CDA could be a catalyst. Possibly we can have other industries join this particular organization to network and increase their capability as far as doing business in the Pacific is concerned,” said Quitugua.

In recent years, some attempts in the CNMI to secure grants from the Asian Development Bank failed primarily because the Commonwealth cannot directly deal with foreign countries or groups on commerce and financial aid, among others.

The chair said he has asked the agency’s legal counsel to check the matter “so we don’t go blindly and we would not step on anyone’s toes.”

Quitugua’s group had reportedly secured their tickets and accommodation for the Kuala Lumpur trip. “Everything will be straightened out,” he said yesterday.