New chamber leader calls for improvement in business climate

Saipan Chamber of Commerce President Lynn Knight has batted for partnership between various industry groups and government sector in order to stabilize the investment climate in the CNMI.

According to Ms. Knight, it is also essential for the Northern Marianas to invest time and resources in building good relationships with the people in Washington D.C. who may decide the future of the islands. In working together with people of different cultures, she emphasized the need to respect the rights of others in nurturing the relationships.

Ms. Knight issued the call during the installation dinner of the Chamber’s new set of officers Saturday night. The four elements which she said should be considered in saving the CNMI economy aside from partnership are progress, public relations and policy.

Privileges enjoyed by the Commonwealth under the Covenant which include local control over minimum wage, immigration and duty free entry of CNMI-made products into the United States must continue in order for the islands to develop a successful free market system.

In revitalizing the island’s economy, Ms. Knight urged government leaders to work with the Chamber in setting up policies that will make the CNMI an ideal investment site. “The Chamber is gathering together its “wish list” of agenda items and I ask all the government leaders here tonight to please work together with us to help stabilize the investment climate,” she said.

While the island is currently reeling from the effects of the Asian economic crisis, the slowdown of the island’s economy should be used to re-group, plan ahead and work diligently on self-improvement.

Such changes, she said, include the way the CNMI is doing business, long overdue investments in infrastructure that will prepare the islands for more diverse industries and improvement in the value that the Northern Marianas offer as a tourist destination.

“We can’t sit by and wait for the Asian market to return and watch a meltdown in our own local economy,” said Ms. Knight.

In the past years, the CNMI has taken its fair share of bad publicity, a victim of a calculated smear campaign to build public opinion against the Northern Marianas for political reasons in Washington, she said.

“As Chamber president, and with your permission, I’d like to use my 20 years of experience in PR to help rebuild our islands’ image overseas. We need to do this in order to have any hope of attracting new investment,” said Ms Knight.