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$2M call center project wants full tax rebates
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Posted on Oct 10 2005
The proponent for the reported $2 million call center project wants to receive a 100-percent tax relief from the government, according to Commonwealth Development Authority board chair Tom Glenn Quitugua.
“They want 100-percent tax relief. They want to renovate the building a little and do training for local residents for six months,” said Quitugua on the qualifying certificate proposal of We Manage Calls.
CDA recently conducted a public hearing on the company’s application.
CDA administers the government’s qualifying certificate program, which grants various tax incentives of up to 100 percent in tax rebates for 25 years to investors who build, expand, and operate commercial projects in the CNMI.
A call center business refers to reservation centers, help desks, information lines or customer service centers.
We Manage Calls Inc., is reportedly being pushed by businessman Eric A. Van Der Maas, the new owner of the Nauru building in Susupe.
CDA earlier said that community members who attended the public hearing favor the setting up of call centers in the CNMI in the hope that it will boost employment among local residents.
Among those who openly expressed support for the project are the Workforce Investment Agency and Verizon buyer Pacific Telecom Inc.
WIA assists local residents in finding employment in both the private and public sectors.
Quitugua said a call center business looks promising in the CNMI since its local population speaks English. This type of business has been popular in the Philippines and India, which have a high percentage of English speaking local residents.
Reports said that the call center business had generated 30,000 jobs in 2003 and 100,000 jobs by this year in the Philippines.
