Flashback – Dec. 07, 1999-2001

Teno: NMI’s participation in tourism fair a success[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday considered CNMI’s participation in a tourism and travel fair in Japan “successful” as he appealed to several Japanese tour operators to help the government entice travelers to the island.

He said he had met with travel agents and key officials in Tokyo during the week-long event organized by Japan Association of Travel Agents or JATA to personally ask their assistance.

Attended by over a hundred countries and considered the largest gathering of Japan’s travel industry, the fair allowed the CNMI to join Guam and other Micronesian islands in promoting the region’s tourism industry.
[B] Construction of new high schools to start in May[/B]

Education officials hope to begin construction of two new high schools on Saipan by May next year as their architectural and engineering design will be drawn up immediately after the proposal is approved this week.

The committee on capital improvement projects of the Board of Education yesterday approved two resolutions to be presented in a meeting on Thursday that will outline the plan to build each of the school in Koblerville and Kagman.

Agencies reminded: Austerity still in effect[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has reminded all CNMI government agencies that cost-cutting measures implemented in financial year 1998 remain in effect as he asked officials to ensure that their offices continue to strictly practice austerity.

Mr. Tenorio, in issuing the memorandum to all government offices last month, pointed out the need to continue slashing expenditures to reflect the decline in the overall amount of revenues expected to be generated.

The governor said delivery of essential government services like education, public health and safety, should not be disrupted by declining revenues especially when there are available effective ways to reduce the cost of government operations.

There is a need for the Department of Public Health to develop concrete plans on the evacuation of hospital patients in case the Emergency Management Office once again sounds the tsunami alert on Saipan.

A resolution passed by the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council noted the importance of ensuring safety of Commonwealth Health Center patients should there be a need to evacuate them during times of emergency as last month’s tsunami warning.

Sign of economic recovery dims[/B]

Hotel occupancy rates dropped to a record low of 56 percent in the third quarter of the year, in light of the trickling number of Northern Marianas visitors that followed last month’s crash attacks on the United States and the world’s shrinking economy.

Compared with the 61-percent occupancy rate reported by Northern Marianas hotel operators in the third quarter of 2000, this year’s figure represents another seven-percent fall, although on the same level with the previous quarter’s tally.

Although nothing special in the way of military activities is happening on Tinian right now, some 5,000 Marines will be stationed on the island for six months starting March next year.

According to Tinian Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano, nothing unusual in terms of military activities have been happening on the island, despite reports of an increase in such activities lately.

“My brother works for the Military Affairs Committee at the Tinian Municipal Council and he said that any reports of military activities on Tinian pertain only to the usual activities of the US military on the island,” said Adriano.