Rota leadership to discuss vital issues in public meeting

ROTA—Pending land exchange and opportunities to help community members explore opening small family businesses are issues that would be under discussion on Rota on two separate dates in March, according to Sen. Teresita Santos (R-Rota).

The Rota Legislative Delegation would hold a public meeting with affected landowners on March 8 at the Rota Courthouse. It would involve the Departments of Public Land and Public Works.

“Landowners whose properties were taken for public purposes should be able to hear from the two agencies when would the long awaited land exchange would occur,” Santos said. “It’s important that this issue is resolved as public land becomes scarce in view of a good portion being turned over for wildlife conservation”.

The other meeting involves the Commonwealth Development Authority on the March 16. “How great a coincidence that as I sought for their help on loans to our island community, it is actually set to upgrade its Rota office that would include a loan officer”, Santos said.

“We thank CDA executive director Manny Sablan for his foresight in our desire to help our people move the needle of growth and opportunities forward for our island community,” Santos said. “It’s work in progress that should slowly but surely open up opportunities for small businesses and expansion that ought to stir the wellbeing of the community.” She’s also grateful for CDA’s board of directors for their enthusiastic response.

The meeting should include examples how members of the community could use small loans to break out on their own in terms of small family businesses.

“The planned small business venture includes tourism, small tour boat operations, food catering, fishing, farming, and other ventures,” she said, adding, “It is basically a venture in small business incubation for our small island community.”

Santos further said, “We wish to take it a step further by asking the central government to postpone any and forms of taxes to grant new small business start-up to thrive during its formative period. We could address taxes some five years down the road once the small businesses are sure footed and could withstand fees and tax impositions”.

“It’s vital that the issue on tax postponement is understood given that our island community isn’t necessarily situated in the business center where it could reap greater latitude for survival,” said Santos. “Initial taxation would simply annihilate their existence from the get-go.”

“Nearby Japan is the hub of small businesses that is basically its backbone,” she noted. “I’ve been to cities where small family businesses excel on a daily basis and we should give it a shot in our small island community,” she said. (PR)