April targeted for airport master concession RFPs

Lizama

The Commonwealth Ports Authority is targeting next month to advertise requests for proposals for their master concession plan for the three airports in the Commonwealth.

According to CPA executive director MaryAnn Lizama, they are trying to shoot for the end of April to put out RFPs as she also targets to submit a draft master concession plan to the board.

“I think we’ll be able to have a draft [master concession plan] presented to the board hopefully by the next meeting,” Lizama said.

Last November, the master concession agreement held by DFS Saipan expired and those who currently operate at the airport are on a month-to-month basis.

Prior to the expiry, the CPA board voted in September to bid out a successive master concession of up to 20 years.

CPA’s master concession agreement grants the winning bidder the right to operate facilities at the ports that sell duty-free merchandise.

Lizama said they’ve been moving along with the plan and has been working diligently to make sure every procedure is followed.

CPA is working with their consultant, Ricondo and Associates, regarding the master concession plan.

“We have an internal team that’s been working closely with our consultant and all the data that needs to be collected, the team provides, feedback the team provides, anything else that they need. We have to give us much data as we can to cover all grounds,” Lizama said.

“We’ve been working diligently because this is the first that we’ve done this. We want to make sure this is done right,” she added.

The plan will also cover Tinian and Rota airports.

“What it’s going to do is, at a smaller scale, it will mirror [Saipan],” Lizama said.

Through Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ signing into law last November, Public Law 19-21, CPA was authorized to grant master concession agreements “for each point of entry” on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

The new law notes that it is important for “national or international concessionaires” to open concessions on Tinian and Rota” and that “exclusive island concession opportunities will generate additional revenue for CPA, stimulate the economies of Tinian and Rota, and provide additional retail options for visiting passengers.”

The law amended the definition of a “master concession” in the CNMI to grant “separate” master concession agreements for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, respectively.

During their last board meeting earlier this month, the CPA Board of Directors approved a change order for the contract of Ricondo.

“The change order covered the additional professional services that we tasked Ricondo.

Changer order No. 2 will increase the scope of work of Ricondo from its current contract and includes among others a departure concourse development analysis, negotiations with the successful bidder, and preparation of the disadvantaged business enterprise program.