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Chamber seeking professionals to analyze economic impact of CJMT
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is seeking professionals to compile an analysis of the economic impact of the CNMI Joint Military Training proposals for the islands of Tinian and Pagan.
In a release, the chamber said they are seeking the services of those with experience in the fields of economics and finance.
According to SCC president Alex Sablan, they want to look into the economic benefits as well as the negative impacts of military presence in the islands.
“We’re going to do our own kind of review of the environmental impact statement but we also want to address the potential economic pros and cons,” Sablan said.
“We want to address the economic impact to the CNMI based on the current proposals,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Sablan also said they want to look at the numbers of how the military training will impact tourism as well as ecotourism.
Other economic factors that should be taken into account include natural resources, extraction-based industries, proceeds from potential land leases and negative and positive impacts from increased military personnel and facilities in the CNMI.
“We’re looking for that firm to address these concerns of the CNMI and of the Chamber and give us a report based on a review of these,” Sablan said.
According to Sablan, the board of directors will also be working on the report.
He added that their report should be completed by the end of July for the Chamber board’s approval and review of its members before the Aug. 4 deadline for public comments of the U.S. military.
Interested parties should contact SCC’s executive director at 234-7150 or executive@saipanchamber.com.
Repositioning views
In 2013, the Chamber board took the position that they “do not oppose the military use of the Northern Islands, as long as said use does not interfere with the development of private business in the islands.”
At the Chamber’s meeting last May, Sablan announced that they will be repositioning this view on the U.S. military’s plans for the CNMI.
He noted that the board’s original position was “too simplistic” at the time when they did not have the information from the CJMT EIS document which was released in April.
