Chamber and FEMA host Business Recovery Fair

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, hosted a Business Recovery Fair at Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan’s Hibiscus Hall yesterday.

The event sought to provide information to the business sector on the opportunities available to them to be able to recover from the damage brought by Typhoon Soudelor.

“FEMA came and asked us if we would host it,” Chamber executive director Jill Arenovski said. ”Tan Holdings was willing to sponsor the venue to make it easy for us. All we had to do was arrange the participants and invite people.”

Various public agencies and private entities offered help and information to businesses yesterday at the Business Recovery Fair hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Fiesta Resort and Spa. (Frauleine S. Villanueva)

Government agencies as well as private sector entities were present to offer information and solutions.

Among them were FEMA’s Office of External Affairs’ private sector liaison Susan Langhoff and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s public information officer, William Koontz.

“The way we help our business owners that have been impacted by a disaster is to share information with them about recovery—different avenues of recovery—the primary being business owners’ recovery options through SBA,” Langhoff said.

Koontz reminded businesses that not only those who suffered physical damage can be eligible for disaster loans.

“The SBA can loan them money not just to pay for their damaged business, damaged equipment,” Koontz said. “We can also loan them the lost income that they’re suffering. That might go on for several months.”

Representatives of the U.S Department of Agriculture were also present. According to USDA Saipan Service Center’s Jay Doronilla, farmers can get help on having the damage to their farms inspected and advice on how to proceed.

Those who are interested and eligible can also join their Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which could help them cost share expenses but certain requirements will have to be met by the farmers.

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. offered information regarding the status of power supply so that businesses can plan ahead.

“Right now the best thing that we can do for them is give them an idea of where power is in relation to their businesses and give them an idea what it might take for them to get back online,” public information officer Brad Ruszala said.

Also present were the Saipan Mayor’s Office, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Commonwealth Development Authority, Small Business Development Center, Zoning Office, Department of Public Works, Bridge Capital, First Hawaiian Bank, Bank of Hawaii, AON, CTSI, and N15, among others.