Clinton’s economic plan for CNMI readied

A report will be released this week detailing a package of economic initiatives that will be put in place by the Clinton administration in the CNMI and other U.S. territories in a bid to improve the islands’ living standards.

Office of Insular Affairs Director Ferdinand Aranza on Thursday briefed Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio about the forthcoming report and gave him an update on the so-called President Clinton’s Interagency Group on Insular Areas (IGIA).

The group, formed in August 1999 and comprised of senior White House officials and the governors of the CNMI, Guam, American Samoa and U.S. Virgin Islands, has come up with the package aimed at assisting each of the islands’ economy.

Economic development assistance, trade missions, new market initiatives and air transport as well as social issues such as the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination will be part of the report.

Mr. Aranza said it includes inventory of all financial assistance to insular areas by the federal government and grants that have yet been provided to some of the territories.

“That inventory is very interesting because it highlights that there is significant amount of money that the CNMI qualifies for but hasn’t quite applied yet,” he told a news conference last Thursday.

“So there is untapped federal money that could go to meeting CNMI’s needs and what we want to do through the IGIA process is to match that federal funds with the needs of the CNMI,” added the OIA chief.

The report followed a meeting last March by the group which was attended by Mr. Tenorio who raised several local concerns, including the impact of the Compact migration to the CNMI.

While the discussion sidestepped issues on federal takeover proposals being pushed by the Clinton administration on local immigration and minimum wage, the OIA has stressed that the initiative would result in issue resolution and would dramatically increase the level of participation in federal programs by the islands.

The governor, during the same news conference, reiterated his willingness to cooperate with the federal government to address problems, particularly economic, confronting the Commonwealth.

“It’s been my policy to work with federal agencies and the U.S. Congress. We always put top priority to good working relationship and cooperation with all agencies of the federal government,” said Mr. Tenorio.

President Clinton created the IGIA on August 9, 1999 to give guidance on policy concerning the four islands.