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Japanese investors to visit Rota
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Posted on May 09 2000
Top executives of a Japanese brewery are expected to visit Rota this week to inspect sites where it can build a plant for its proposed investment in the island municipality.
Sen. Edward U. Maratita, chair of the Rota legislative delegation, disclosed the five representatives of Unkai Distillery Company are scheduled to arrive tomorrow for a three-day visit.
Aside from meeting Rota officials, he said he has arranged for a meeting with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to brief him of their plan to invest in the Commonwealth.
Unkai earlier has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona to explore the possibility of establishing a Shochu plant in his municipality.
The brewery, which owns and operates the second largest such plant in Japan, produces Shochu which covers a variety of wines and sake beverages extremely popular in that country and abroad.
“They want to look at all possible sites on Rota where they can build the factory,” said Mr. Maratita, adding that they will visit public lands and private properties that have the potential to be converted into a Shochu plant.
Shochu’s main ingredients are water and sweet potatoes that are grown all-year round on Rota. Unkai estimates that it will need 100 tons of sweet potatoes each month to support its proposed plant, which officials believe could boost the island’s agriculture sector.
Company executives flew last February to the island to meet with Mr. Manglona and discussed their plan. In exchange for its investment, local officials have assured the company of granting tax breaks and business-friendly regulations and laws to benefit both the CNMI and the investors.
A resolution approved by the Legislature in March pledged assistance to Unkai to secure further exemptions, such as from paying the excise tax on building and construction materials and labor moratorium, as well as to help lay down the infrastructure requirements.
