Repeal of three- year limit eyed

The CNMI Legislature is likely to repeal a public law that requires nonresident workers who have been in the CNMI for three consecutive years to leave the islands for at least six months before they are allowed to return for re-employment.

Rep. Diego T. Benavente said both chambers of the 12th Commonwealth Legislature have been vocal about their stand at creating a business-friendly environment in the CNMI to lure more foreign investors into the Northern Marianas.

“If the intent of the Legislature is to allow the economy to grow through increased business activity, we will have to eliminate existing laws that are opposed to what we want to see in terms of economic growth,” Mr. Benavente said.

The former House speaker said the three-year limit law, as well as the $100,000 cash deposit required from foreign investors, runs against government efforts to revitalize and diversify the troubled local economy.

Mr. Benavente said he is confident that both chambers of the Legislature will move swiftly to amend Public Law 11-69 before the CNMI witnesses a widespread business closure due to mass exodus of foreign workers affected by the measure.

“I believe it [repeal] is going to happen. I actually believe that there’s already some movements to it,” he stressed, adding that his prediction is based on the Legislature’s previous action on a similar law that limited the stay of guest workers to five years.

Several companies in the Northern Marianas are employing hundreds of nonresident workers who may be forced to leave the islands all at the same period and Mr. Benavente is worried this may also force businesses establishment to shut down.

“We can’t expect them to be sending all their nonresident workers back to their country at the same time. That’s just impossible because nobody wants to see businesses close down only because nobody is left to run them,” he told reporters.

He added that the flexibility of the law which allows employers to hire from foreign countries to replace their workers would be costly and that businesses may not be able to bear the additional costs.

Under PL 11-69, guest workers must leave the islands at the end of a three-year employment and stay outside CNMI for a period of not less than six months.

However, foreign workers holding professional or executive positions and whose annual salaries are at least $30,000 or $14.42 per hour are exempted from the three-year limit.

There are an estimated 28,000 to 30,000 foreign workers in the Northern Marianas, holding more than 90 percent of the jobs in the private sector, and their growth on the islands has worried federal officials due to a string of social and economic problems arising from their presence.