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Pro-business promises cheer business community
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Posted on Jan 12 2000
The private sector is upbeat on working with members of the 12th Legislature in light of their commitment to spur the local economy through proposed tax incentives and other investments, according to a top business leader.
Lynn Knight, incoming president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, welcomed pro-business promises made by lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and the Senate during their inaugural session yesterday.
“Everytime I hear an elected leader say that he wants to work with the private sector and the business, I cheer inside,” she told in an interview. It makes me feel good. I believe in what they are saying. I believe they are serious.”
Ms. Knight was among the guests at the House inaugural session in which most members of the 18-seat chamber made strong pitch to help businesses cope with economic difficulties confronting the CNMI.
She said the business community is expected to submit its list of recommendations to the Legislature for immediate actions, but she declined to comment which among the present economic policies of the government the private sector wants to change.
“We are excited to work with them. They will listen [because] everybody is recognizing that time has changed. We are not a growing economy anymore. We are a economy that needs to recover from a very severe downturn and the only way to recover is if they are very responsive to businesses,” said Ms. Knight.
Newly elected Speaker Benigno R. Fitial has vowed to pursue legislation providing tax incentives to investors as well as repealing the foreign investment security deposit and some aspects of the present hiring moratorium imposed on nonresident workers.
