Chamber sets dates for election forums

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will host election forums for this year’s Nov. 6, 2012, elections, including the U.S. congressional seat, the elections for the CNMI Senate, and possibly individual House precinct candidates.

Chamber president Douglas Brennan said the U.S. congressional candidate forum will be held on Oct. 17 and the Senate candidate forum on Sept. 27. He said the Chamber is currently examining the chances of holding a first ever House candidate forums by individual districts.

Based upon the candidates’ forum responses, the Chamber will be rating individual candidates based upon input from the candidates on matters most important to the business group.

The Chamber believes the CNMI Legislature’s performance is critical to redeveloping the CNMI as an attractive destination and location for leisure travel, and more importantly, as a site for future foreign investment.

Tax incentives, burdensome regulatory requirements, land alienation issues, investment incentive programs, issues affecting the cost of doing business, transportation and infrastructure availability and costs, the implementation of federal authority over immigration and opportunities with EB5 regional center sponsored investor visa applications, human resource needs, and many other issues will be addressed at the forums.

Discussion was held with legislators addressing Chamber concerns with recent proposed legislation primarily focusing on revenue generation. The Chamber stands against any attempt by the Legislature to reduce tax rebates, which essentially defeats the purpose behind tax incentives as a means to attract foreign investment, create jobs, and provide badly needed government revenue.

As an example of good legislation aimed at protecting investments in the CNMI, Brennan offered Chamber support for Senate Bill 17-50 that would require DPL to announce public land lease expirations well in advance of the ending dates. The Chamber sees this as a way to avoid situations as is currently occurring at the Coral Ocean Point Golf and Hotel Resort.

Brennan said: “We’d rather have a Legislature that understands fully how to promote, protect, and preserve existing business investment and future possibilities, as opposed to offering comments on proposed legislation that does the exact opposite.”

The Chamber expects to begin meetings with the CNMI Senate and House, and the Fitial administration, on ways best to create jobs, entice investment, and grow anew the CNMI. (SCC)