Due to 3-yr limit Tinian Dynasty may shut down

TINIAN — Eighty percent of Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino employees will be forced to leave next year once the three-year stay limit on nonresidents is fully enforced.

Tinian Dynasty said it may, in fact, be forced to close down if lawmakers failed to act in favor of the increasing clamor to repeal Public Law 11-69 compelling guest workers to leave the CNMI after three consecutive years of employment.

By 2002, Tinian Dynasty’s three departments with at least 56 employees each on board, will have to stop operations unless PL 11-69 is repealed, said Tinian Dynasty Hotel General Manager Tom Liu.

Mr. Liu said the business sector relies heavily on qualified nonresident workers who occupy positions that may remain vacant if they are forced to leave, considering the absence of adequate local manpower.

Once the stay limit law comes into effect next year, most business would have to close down and pour investment somewhere else where qualified labor force can sustain and man operations.

“Majority of the business is against the stay limit law, it will be hard to operate and cost-wise, hiring locals is quite expensive,” said Mr. Liu.

At the Tinian Dynasty alone, more than 500 workers are nonresidents while about 10 percent of hotel staff are locals and residents.

At the same time, Mr. Liu urged other hotel operators to come up with a strong position on the stay limit law to protect both the business community and the capability of the government to generate revenues.

Hotel Association President Ron Sablan said 64 percent of businesses will be dramatically affected by the stay limit law. At least 1,200 employees out of 2,300 will have to leave the Commonwealth once the law takes effect next year.

Yesterday, Sen. Pete Reyes met with various business leaders to discuss House Bill 12-317 which aims to amend PL 11-69. The meeting was well-represented and leaders were given fair chance to air concerns.

Earlier, private schools also lamented that pushing through with the stay limit law will jeopardize the delivery of quality education in the Commonwealth since most of them have non-resident teachers.

If PL 11-69 is enforced, it would deprive CNMI of a significant number of teachers, an increased teacher turn-over rate and possibly a widening manpower shortage.

Aside from increased turn-over rate, private schools are concerned over possible higher tuition costs and aggravated problem on teacher shortage. (EGA)