Unstable Policies of Paradise Needs critical review, today!

A small local businessman asked a vital question: “If we have organized such agencies as the Business Development at NMC, CDA to provide loans for new businesses, only to get slammed into total investment loss by another agency; isn’t this a bit inconsistent and a gross disservice for small businesses here?”

It’s a loaded question and a tale of how disorganized we are in serving the needs of the business sector, especially those who have been in business for more than ten years. We’ve facilitated family investment meltdown disoriented moronic policies. Definitely, this needs immediate review in order to protect current investments from receding with the tide of self-destructing policy disorientation.

Said Mr. X: “I’ve been in the jetski business for more than 14 years. My partner and I have pumped in more than $100,000 in investments. It includes the lease of a certain front beach property, training of local employees in customer services, insurance, equipment, and link to tour operators.”

“Yet, there are various agencies, each of whom has its own set of policies, including bidding of concessions, annually. This matter doesn’t sit well in terms of planning a business future in that it is riddled with nothing but uncertainty”.

Definitely, I agree with his expressions and quiz if our own set of policies have contributed to the demise of small businesses who were stampeded by politics and the friends of the politically connected. This grand disorganization in our approach to encouraging lasting investments, even at the lowest level, has its own set of substantive setbacks that drive enterprising locals right into their graveyards. It has done many local small businesses not only a grand disservice, but their forced closure as well.

In Guam and Hawaii, jetski business operations are granted on a five-year basis. At the end of the term, a business review is rendered giving the businessman in place an opportunity for renewal. It isn’t a bureaucratic process nor are policies designed to drive a businessman right into his grave. Policies are very encouraging, granting those in business today greater latitude for expansion over new kids in the block.

This should be the approach here in protecting current investments. It’s a case of fish in boat over fish in the open waters. Hello? Anybody home?

If the CNMI can’t get its act together even on small scale businesses, then it stands to reason that we should close down CDA, NMC’s business development center, all agencies who do nothing but present piles of hardship to protecting current investments. Pot fabor, amigo!

Interesting though that we want money and lots of it. But we don’t seem to understand how it should be encouraged via positive and lasting policies. Current policies resemble the erratic nature of our tropical weather. Do we blame the weather now for all our grand inadequacies? Gee, do we have a myopic view of business development in paradise, yeah?

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