CDA poised to take action on two QC beneficiaries

The Commonwealth Development Authority is poised to take action on We Manage Calls, Inc. and PTI Services, Inc. for non-compliance with qualifying certificate program requirements.

Carline Sablan, CDA economic development analyst, consulted this plan with the board during its meeting on Friday.

“These two QCs were for the call center operations. They did not move forward with their planned investments given the timeline that was required in the QC,” Sablan told the board.

Sablan disclosed that CDA already recommended in 2008 “a suspension or revocation” of the QC for We Manage Calls, Inc. but Gov. Benigno R. Fitial “did not act on our recommendation.”

Sablan said a notice of intent to revoke or suspend the qualifying certificate has already been issued.

Legal counsel Ben Salas said that the beneficiary is then given 15 days to ask for an opportunity to be heard by the CDA board.

“If they request for a hearing, then we will give them a hearing. If they don’t request for a hearing, then we can move forward to the next step by telling the governor that it should be suspended or revoked,” said Salas.

With the governor’s failure to act on CDA’s recommendation, board chair Pedro Itibus told Sablan that the agency should have a dialogue with the governor “and point out that all the circumstances leading up to the actions taken by CDA and the basis or rationale behind moving forward to revoke” the QC.

PTI Services

Itibus also instructed Sablan to go through the administrative process in dealing with the qualifying certificate of PTI Services, Inc.

During the board meeting, Sablan said that PTI Services, Inc. did not meet the required investment of $3.2 million six months within the effective date of the certificate. The company obtained their certificate in 2009.

“We met with Larry Knecht and Rose Soledad earlier this year and it was Rose that had indicated to me that the board will be meeting in mid-November. Hopefully, they will come back to us,” said Sablan.

Soledad, IT&E regional controller, confirmed in a phone interview with Saipan Tribune that PTI Services, Inc. had been informed “informally” about its QC status.

“We do have plans to write to CDA regarding this matter. Moreover, PTI Services, Inc. continues its commitment to demonstrate its corporate social responsibility in the CNMI-from our chief executive officer down to our employees-through various community projects such as sports development and beach cleanups,” she added.

In a statement, PTI Services, Inc. said, “Over the past year, we have made significant investments in the call center operations. We continue to create and maintain well-paying jobs in the CNMI and that we are actively pursuing additional opportunities to expand the call center operations.”