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House passes $15 tourism fee, Senate OKs expungement bill
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Posted on Oct 21 2011
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
Reporter
A bill that seeks to charge passengers from non-U.S. destinations a new $15 travel promotion fee and a measure providing for a tax rate for foreign corporations earning income from outside of the CNMI are now headed for the governor after the House passed them yesterday afternoon.
The Senate, which also held a session yesterday, passed a handful of bills that include a House bill seeking to expunge criminal records after at least five years for felony convictions and after three years for misdemeanor.
House Bill 17-52, House Draft 2, Senate Substitute 1, Senate Draft 2, passed the House last year. Because of a Senate amendment yesterday, the bill goes back to the House.
At yesterday’s session, the House passed the Senate-amended HB 17-179, House Substitute 1, which is an amendment to a tourism incentive law. The amendment bill contains the new $15 fee to be collected by airlines, besides expanding the target market for the tour agent incentive program.
House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), author of the bill, said he’s thankful for the House and Senate members for passing the bill, and is now awaiting the governor’s “swift action.”
“I understand that the tour agents are eagerly waiting the implementation of the program. The quicker the program is implemented, the sooner we can realize the benefits,” he told Saipan Tribune.
The House also adopted a conference committee report recommending passage of a bill providing for a tax rate for foreign corporations earning income from outside of the CNMI.
HB 17-162, authored by Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan) and four other lawmakers, now heads to the governor for action. The Senate adopted the committee report and passed the bill earlier.
Among other things, a foreign operations corporation has 100 percent rebate offset of Northern Marianas territorial income tax, and is exempt from business gross revenue tax, income tax, and license fee except the annual $1,500 FOC license fee.
