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MVA office each for Tinian, Rota okayed
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Posted on Feb 07 2001
Proposals to establish separate Marianas Visitors Authority offices on Tinian and Rota got the Senate’s approval, as it pointed out the legislative measure’s importance in the better promotion of all of the Commonwealth’s islands as prime tour destinations.
House Bill 12-295 would allocate $75,000 each for Tinian and Rota which will be used to repair, renovate and beautify the islands’ MVA-desginated tourism facilities that include public restrooms, parking spaces and picnic pavilions.
The proposed measure also channels 100 percent of the aviation fuel tax collected by the CNMI government beginning Jan. 1, 2000 to the visitors authority for use exclusively on the development and the improvement of the local tourism industry.
Under HB 12-295, the MVA Board of Directors would have to consult with the respective mayors of the two islands before any appointment on the local MVA deputy managing director is made.
However, this proposal may go to naught primarily because the Senate and the House of Representatives failed to reach a consensus on the passage of the Fiscal Year 2001 budget.
Also, MVA has repeatedly objected to the proposal, citing impact on its promotion since it would reduce the funds set aside for promotions to accommodate the creation of two satellite offices, one each on Rota and Tinian.
While satellite offices will be created each for the two islands south of Saipan, the proposed measure guarantees that expenditure authority would remain with the MVA managing director.
Some government officials have aired concerns that such a proposal could undermine further the effectiveness of current promotion and thus harm efforts to attract more tourists into the CNMI.
MVA officials are hoping the Legislature will reinstate their initial budget allocation, although they have stressed this is still not enough in view of more promotional dollars being pumped by competitors such as Hawaii and Guam.
Under the Senate’s version of the FY2001 budget, MVA would get $4.9 million – a cut of over a million dollars from the $6 million proposed by the House. Some of the funds were shifted by senators to establish the Rota and Tinian satellite offices.
