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Investors insist on Saipan as site for shooting resorts
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Posted on Feb 02 2001
Foreign investors keen to establish shooting resorts in the Commonwealth yesterday argued that investments on Tinian and Rota will likely to fall flat as accommodation and transportation deficit remains a major problem.
Although the newest legislative measure is slowly gaining support from various sectors in Rota and Tinian, shooting resort investors continue to insist that Saipan remains the best place where the galleries should be established.
In fact, CNMI International Shooting Resort Inc. director Kim Kyong Duk said Senate Bill 12-95 is not the answer to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s veto on the original legislation.
He said moves are now underway to prod legislators to override Mr. Tenorio’s decision and push through with the original bill. “What we are doing is a lot of lobbying to override the veto of Gov. Tenorio.”
Investors are optimistic that with Saipan being the host-island, participants to shooting competitions averaging from 10,000 to 11,000 travelers won’t have hard time finding hotel rooms and transportation.
Mr. Kim said his company and other investors will have to deal with the four to five inter-island flights and limited passenger load if they will agree to the alternative legislation introduced by Sen. Edward Maratita.
“We want the original bill, Saipan is the best place and Rota and Tinian will be a big problem,” the company director stressed.
Other Korean investors on the other hand explained that Tinian and Rota are better than not to have the shooting resorts established at all. Problems on transportation and accommodations will be resolved once the bill got the approval of both houses.
Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona earlier gained the support of his constituents who submitted a signed petition to ask Mr. Tenorio to allow establishment of shooting resorts on the island.
The residents believe these shooting resorts will bring in investments and developments, not to mention employment for the community. The island stands to benefit on these investments, Mr. Manglona stressed.
