Dual economic slowdown

The planning process involves vision and commitment in preparation for eventualities up ahead. We “plan for”, not “plan by” eventualities. Obviously we never engaged the former. We employed the latter so contented with the “business as usual” attitude of la mañana.

The single most important query that public and private sector planners must ask themselves is: What If…. It was only the latter that ever took this issue to heart, but was derailed in grand fashion, by all the wrong policies that spewed out of legislative chambers and a weak-kneed administration over the last six years.

Tourism suffered serious setbacks (and still is) as a direct result of mañana and our penchance for quick fixes. Hardly did we retreat to reassess what our competitors have done right. But we were very persistent with political solutions to substantive economic issues. It never worked and still hasn’t worked to this day.

Our tunnel vision and picnic attitude have taken no where except to swim with eyes wide open at all that we have failed to do when time was still in the palm of our hands. The rest of the world community discusses blending the old and new economy in order to move on. Our world is still stuck on the issue of federalization.

If I may illustrate what vision and commitment entails: Nearby industrial and new economies of scale in Asia knew the huge market possibilities in China. They established factories in that country to take advantage of its 1.2 billion consumers. This vision enabled investors to find greater opportunities despite the economic slowdown in the US mainland.
Policy and Image: It’s an issue we have never really given serious thoughts in terms of its impact on investment in these isles. If we did, perhaps we do so as though we’re the only privileged children of the Almighty, boasting the superficial picnic attitude as though can be extended beyond reality. When the Bubble Years burst, we looked around us only to find that we never really had anything other than turn into cogs in the machine of mañana just so we could stroke our ego. Nice try!

Investments: CNMI elected leaders need to rid itself of its “Are You Sleeping” theme to take investment realistically to a new level so we could begin intoning “We’re headed to the future”.

I’ve thought long and hard of the illogic that persist in the price of visiting the CNMI that is closer to Japan than our southern neighbor. Perhaps it’s the pile of fees and the scarcity mentality that has gotten us a tiny share of visitors headed for fun in the sun.

Given the lessons of the current economic downturn, it means leadership must buckle down to planning economic diversification beyond conventional investments. In doing so, it needs to employ the expertise of Think Tanks who are far removed from the usually retarding factor known as provincialism. These are experts who could map-out a future based on current data and a clearer vision of the windows of opportunities ahead.

Fishing may seem an unlikely cottage industry here. But it could really benefit both the fishing-eating local and foreign markets. Shoreside development is needed in this area and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure how this industry could move ahead. After all, Chamolinians love fish, including its fish-eating neighbors in Asian countries, right? Hello? Anybody home?

There are other areas that could be reinvented, i.e., commercial farming to meet the needs of hotels and local community as well. It only takes a little use of our fat cranium to move from A to B. It can be done and it can only happen with proactivity and the acceptance that paradigms have, indeed, changed.

Strictly a personal view. John S. DelRosario Jr. is publisher of Saipan Tribune.