Call center, World Resort may get QC next week

The Commonwealth Development Authority aims to make a decision next week on the qualifying certificate application of We Manage Calls Inc. for its $2 million proposed call center business on Saipan.

At the same time, CDA hopes to decide on the Saipan World Resort QC application shortly.

“The call center, we’ll finalize it next week. It’s the same with World Resort. If it’s not next week, then the following week. We’ve got to act on both proposals before Nov. 8,” said CDA board chair Tom Glenn Quitugua yesterday.

He said that CDA has come out “with the numbers” for the World Resort application but they have yet to hear from the Division of Revenue and Taxation.

“We try as much as possible to consult with all concerned agencies so that we are able to look at the issue from all angles,” said Quitugua.

On the call center QC application, he said that Revenue and Taxation is concerned that it might “erode the CNMI’s tax base.”

He said that there is a concern that the Nauru Building’s income might be a factor against the call center’s QC.

We Manage Calls Inc. proponent Erick Van Der Maas recently bought the eight-floor Nauru Building in Susupe. Six of the building’s floors are currently being rented out.

“You’d think that there’s no tax to be affected but if you look at the building leases and rentals, it is generating revenues. It’s not really the call center, but it could cancel the QC in the future. We don’t want to reach that point,” said Quitugua.

Van Der Maas plans to put up the call center on the building’s 7th floor, the former VIP suite for Nauru’s head of state.

The 8th floor is the location of a revolving restaurant, which is currently shut down.

We Manage Calls Inc. is asking the government for a 10-year tax relief. The company wants to receive exemption from the excise tax in the first three years, an exemption from the Business Gross Receipt Tax for five years, and a 10-year exemption from corporate tax.

Saipan World Resort, for its part, is asking for tax relief for its $25.5 million expansion program. It wants 100-percent business gross revenue tax abatement, 100-percent corporate income tax rebate, and 100-percent tax abatement for hotel occupancy that exceeds 2004 level.

The hotel wants to receive the tax relief over a period of 25 years.

World Resort had actually been granted $4 million worth of tax incentives for 10 years under its 2004 application. The hotel had decided to give up the existing QC and redo the entire application process in view of its additional investments this year.

The new project includes the construction of a water park, additional rooms, a 25-meter national standard race pool, a day care center for children, an outdoor stage, and other facilities.