{"id":237300,"date":"2016-09-26T06:06:03","date_gmt":"2016-09-25T20:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=237300"},"modified":"2016-09-26T06:06:03","modified_gmt":"2016-09-25T20:06:03","slug":"focus-investments-labor-government-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/focus-investments-labor-government-operations\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Focus on investments, labor, government operations\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Last of four parts<\/strong><em><\/p>\n<p>The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will be working closely with the administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Legislature as the Commonwealth\u2019s economy continues to improve after suffering more than five years of inactivity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe general membership, through its board of directors, pledges to work throughout the coming years to make our economy better for every resident of the Commonwealth,\u201d said in the eight-point Economic Development Roadmap that they presented both to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Victor B. Hocog last week.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will gladly accept the suggestions of the CNMI administration and Legislature on how to best meet to begin work that has been outlined,\u201d added the report.<\/p>\n<p>Torres said they have always welcomed suggestions from different sectors of the community. \u201cIt is always important to listen to all stakeholders of our community and share ideas on how to improve our Commonwealth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe presentation offered some worthwhile proposals that we are interested in pursuing, and contained projects that we are already in the process of seeing through,\u201d Torres added.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Investment<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Chamber said Saipan\u2019s economy is changing with the entry of electronic and live gambling. The likes of Club C and Club 88 had widened the gaming industry aside from the remaining poker and pachinko arcades. Imperial Pacific International is currently operating a live training facility as they await the opening of its multibillion-dollar Grand Mariana Casino &amp; Hotel Resort early next year.<\/p>\n<p>Other investors have been coming in the form support businesses like new hotels and even brand name restaurants. \u201cWith these new endeavors comes new opportunity, both for business owners and employees. Wages will need to increase and are expected to match stateside levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Chamber said that the tax base needs to sustain and provide essential public services. They are also encouraging eligible investors to apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services EB-5 investor program under the Consolidated Natural Resources Act; tax investment opportunities to further attract other investors, investment opportunities via tax credits; tax credits for low-income housing and other developments; follow through on free trade zone and qualifying certificate amendments and implementation; development for business collateral; comprehensive one-start business development center; and economic diversity.<\/p>\n<p>The Chamber is also suggesting that the island would benefit from the \u201cMICE component\u201d or meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibits. Saipan, however, currently has no facility big enough to host such events.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuam has [the University of Guam] Fieldhouse and the Paseo Stadium for large gatherings, which stimulate business and improve the economy. [The] government might consider subsidizing with the private sector to provide some initial spaces,\u201d said the Chamber report.<\/p>\n<p>A space that could hold 500 to 800 or even up to 1,000 is needed and it should be an indoor facility with most of the off-island visitors would have a harder time acclimatizing on Saipan\u2019s tropical type of weather.<\/p>\n<p>The government should also maintain a healthy relationship with the current and future air carriers that would support business efforts to further increase their traffic to and from the island.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Labor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Chamber report also pointed out the lack of qualified and trained labor force on Saipan that would support all of the economic development that are taking place. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be fewer in the employment market as our economy begins to rebound. There needs to be a better understanding of the possibilities for local labor development now present with immigration and labor authority, and enforcement as recently federalized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chamber listed the minimum wage issue: business survival against maximum wages; increase local employment through profitable corporations; education to enhance local employment skills; extension of USCIS CW-1 permit transition period; and re-qualify prevailing wage rate survey data and reports in a timely fashion as important factors in the local labor market.<\/p>\n<p>Government operations<\/p>\n<p>The Chamber is also suggesting the government should consider 21 points under this section, which the public and private sectors needs to properly utilize. They are:<\/p>\n<p>\t\u2022\tTo create a task force to study enforcement situations and techniques at Revenue at Revenue and Taxation.<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tScholarships need to be based on academic achievement<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tScholarship awardees return to work minimum periods<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tBetter use of existing buildings owned by government<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tRetirement benefits need to be reduced<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tDouble dipping issue<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tC-Span type of broadcast of legislative sessions<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tEnforce existing automobile minimum purchase system<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tEconomic expert consultancy<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tPursue compact impact reimbursement<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tPursue additional military rest and recreation, and financial disclosure management use<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tReduction of paid vacations<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tExpenditures mirror revenue projections<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tPlace existing government employees where needed most<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tRetain government accounts receivable collections firm<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tPercentage reduction in salary versus rebate removal<br \/>\n\t\u2022<br \/>\n\t\u2022\tNo new taxes until economy rebounds<\/p>\n<p><strong>CIP funding<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Increase government revenue not through increased taxation, but within areas of existing commerce and trade<\/p>\n<p>Source increased federal grants and funding as a direct result of the implementation of federal authority of immigration and wage rates; and<\/p>\n<p>Undertake a third economic impact analysis by McPhee and Conway<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last of four parts The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will be working closely with the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[900],"tags":[56,9661,13580,5457],"class_list":["post-237300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","tag-business-3","tag-imperial-pacific-international","tag-mice","tag-paseo-stadium"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237300\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}