Casino tops Fitial’s list in meeting with lawmakers

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial listed yesterday seven things he wants to discuss with lawmakers, including the establishment of a “thriving casino industry on Saipan,” when they meet over lunch this Friday.

This come a little over a year since their much publicized full leadership meeting that produced at least one revenue-generating law—the tourism incentive program whose rules have yet to be finalized for actual implementation.

Casino establishment on Saipan is No. 1 on the governor’s list.

Fitial and Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan), along with some House members, continue to disagree on a $10 million casino license fee as proposed in a House bill now pending in the Senate. The Saipan casino bill requires a $10-million casino license fee, and a non-refundable casino license application fee of $250,000.

Tenorio, a former governor and speaker, said the immediate infusion of $10 million for each casino license will help restore 80 work hours biweekly. He said if there are three sets of investors, that’s already $30 million in the bag.

The governor is proposing a much lower casino license fee of $1 million.

A Macau-based casino expert told lawmakers last year that casino gaming would work on Saipan but the island should not expect to draw major investors because of existing challenges such as airline access.

The expert also said it will be difficult to entice foreign businesses to invest millions of dollars because Saipan is not a proven market yet, among other things.

While some lawmakers interviewed yesterday said they would like to remain optimistic about this “coming together” to move the CNMI forward, others said it looks as though it’s a repeat of the talks last year and would only be rehashed for an election year.

“In an effort to foster much needed collaboration for the common good of the people, I would like to call upon the full membership of the CNMI Legislature for a joint leadership meeting,” Fitial told Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) and House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan).

Copies of the governor’s letter were distributed to House and Senate members yesterday.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan) said yesterday it is good to have the Legislature and the Executive Branch come together to discuss plans to revive the economy, but hopes that the leaderships of the House and Senate will also come up with their own list of priority items instead of having the governor “dictating” the course of the meeting.

House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), among those who will be attending, said he’s hopeful they will be able to accomplish “much.”

“However we accomplish one thing, that will be a step in the right direction,” he said.

Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan) had yet to see the governor’s invitation to lawmakers yesterday afternoon, but he said he will be attending and is optimistic about its outcome.

The governor said the meeting’s objective “will be focused on identifying new revenue sources and the formation of working groups that will be tasked to address and resolve [seven] major undertakings.”

These include the establishment of a thriving casino industry on Saipan, identifying new funds to lift austerity measures, solutions to salvage and sustain the Retirement Fund program, and help sustain the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.

Completing the list are improving the education of students, reducing costs of utilities for consumers, and improving the general delivery of public services to the community.

The luncheon meeting will be held in the Tapochao Room, second floor, of Saipan World Resort in Susupe on Friday, Jan. 27, at 11:30am.