CNMI losing revenue from tourists due to carding

Normally I would not raise an issue but because I received so many feedback from business establishments and most recently, a call from an employee of Joeten Garapan Super Market (Mr. George Moses) recently, I will make this one exception.

Currently, as it was in the past, a government agency continues to enforce a ridiculous policy of mandating establishments for identification cards even if the purchaser of tobacco or alcohol have been asked earlier and was recognized by the cashier to be of age and eligible to buy. Forget the fact that the person can be identified to be old and over the legal age, cashiers are still obligated to require ID cards or passport in order to be allowed to buy tobacco or alcohol. At the threat of losing their license to sell, establishments continue to ask consumers with an embarrassing apology.

If in fact this stupid policy is a law, all the stores on the islands in the Commonwealth are losing revenues from the tourists. Majority of the tourists from Japan, China, and other developed countries visiting our islands rely heavily on mass transportation and they do not carry a driver’s license. There are exceptions for those who are privilege to have their own mode of transportation. So travelers to our islands carry their passports for immigration entry into our jurisdiction. Like us from the CNMI when we travel to foreign countries or outside the CNMI, we don’t bring our passports when we leave the hotel for fear that we may lose it.

Most recent, Mr. Moses indicated that the enforcing government agency notified the company that a Xerox copy of passports is not an acceptable form of identification. This results in turning away tourist customers which essentially subjects to the business to loss of sales and a loss of revenue for our government.

As I mentioned earlier, if this policy is in fact a law, I beseech the members of the Legislature to act on repealing this nonsense law or amend it to clarify the intent of the law. I think we have too much regulations governing the businesses that it places a strangle hold on the ability for businesses to succeed.

I am informed that Rep. Glenn Maratita introduced a bill to address the issues I’ve raised and the bill now sits in the Senate. I urgently request the Senators to act on this bill to stop the harassments to our business community. A little, tiny badge is all that is needed to begin flexing muscles to show our businesses who is the boss. This has to come to a screeching halt. The government is not in the business of harassing those that pays taxes and their salaries. It shouldn’t be!!

Pete P. Reyes
Former CNMI senator