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CPA extends incentive program to tenants at airports, seaports
The Commonwealth Ports Authority has extended to Sept. 30, 2021, it tenant incentive program that give 50% discount to all its tenants at CNMI airports and seaports.
The CPA board of directors agreed to extend the program at a board meeting last Wednesday, citing the extreme negative impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on airlines, the tourism-based businesses’ revenues, and the Commonwealth economy. The program was originally supposed to expire last Wednesday.
CPA executive director Norman Tenorio recommended extending the incentive program all the way to Dec. 31, 2021, but all five board directors present at the meeting voted to extend it only until the end of fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2021.
In an interview during a break of the meeting, CPA board chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds said the discount includes the incentive program that currently gives a 50% discount to all airlines as it relates to enplanement fees, deplanement fees, and landing fees.
“Right now, the agreement is a compromise. Instead of extending it all the way to December, we’re going to extend it up into the end of the fiscal year this year, which is actually kind of good for budgetary planning purposes,” King-Hinds said.
CPA staff attorney Joseph M. Hallahan noted that in the prior resolution that was signed in January 2021, it states that Tenorio is authorized to extend the time period if there’s no change of circumstances related to COVID-19.
In April 2020, the board agreed that providing rental relief to CPA airport tenants is reasonable.
In July 2020, the board issued CPA Resolution 2020-06, which provided enplanement, deplanement, and landing fee discounts from July 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020.
In August 2020, the board agreed that the rental relief provided to CPA airport tenants in April 2020 was insufficient and therefore revised and provided additional rental relief to CPA airport tenants.
In December 2020, the board agreed that COVID-19 continues to have a negative fiscal impact on airlines and that an extension of the rental relief measures was warranted.
