Double whammy for local leaders

It’s a toss between reviving the local economy and blocking federalization threats.

Senate Floor Leader Pete Reyes said Commonwealth leaders should concentrate at alleviating CNMI’s current economic conditions, instead of installing measures that restrict potential growth of the business sector.

Members of the business community met with Mr. Reyes yesterday to air their sentiments on the apparent disregard by the Senate of proposals to repeal the three-year limit stay imposed on nonresident workers.

With the introduction of a new federal takeover bill in the US Senate, business leaders are anxious that the CNMI government would refuse to act on the complete elimination of the three-year limit law.

Investors were made to believe that implementation of three-year limit stay on guest workers were necessary amid increasing pressure from US government officials to federalize local immigration and labor systems.

Mr. Reyes said external forces have already started taking its toll on the local economy, pointing out that the Commonwealth does not need additional burden to further strain the already hurting business community.

While acknowledging that recent developments at the US Senate may pose a concern, the senator emphasized that local leaders should decide where to put their priority — revitalizing the local economy or pacifying federal leaders.

“If the economy collapses, we don’t need to protect federalization of our islands. If businesses fold up, then we might as well ask the federal government to take control of our economy and this is not what we want to do since we want to be financially independent,” he added.

Mr. Reyes, who also serves ad the chairman of the Senate Committee on Resources and Economic Development, echoed the business community’s sentiment that the three-year limit law virtually kills any potential sign of economic growth.

Now is the time for the CNMI to make a tough decision or it will be too late, the senator told reporters in an interview after meeting with business leaders yesterday.

“We should be concerned over attempts by the US Congress to take control of our local systems but our primary responsibility is to protect our islands and our survival hinges on how our economy would fare,” he added.

In an apparent attempt to fast-track Senate action on proposals to repeal Public Law 11-69 Mr. Reyes asked business leaders to submit concrete data that would back clamor for the elimination of the three-year limit law.

“We know that the three-year limit law is standing in the way of business but we need strong information to back this up,” he said, adding that the local economy has not been improving which may be aggravated by the current condition of the US economy.

This early, the government has already noted a sharp decline in the volume of apparel products exported by the local manufacturing industry to the mainland US. (Aldwin R. Fajardo)