IPI intends to request for extension

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC has informed the Commonwealth Casino Commission that it intends to talk about its construction deadline with the Lottery Commission since it does not expect to meet the Aug. 31, 2018, deadline of the casino resort in Garapan.

In a July 23, 2018, letter to Commonwealth Casino Commissioner executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero, IPI informed the commission that it is unable to meet the Aug. 31, 2018, deadline to build the Imperial Pacific Resort and that it intends to ask for an extension on the already adjusted construction deadline for a second time.

According to section 635(d) of the Casino License Agreement, IPR must be fully constructed and fully operational by Aug. 31, 2018. Failure to comply with the CLA forces the casino commission to impose penalties on IPI, even if requests to extend the deadline are still being maintained, said Edward Deleon Guerrero in an interview.

The document Saipan Tribune obtained informed the commission that IPI is currently in the process of petitioning the CNMI Lottery Commission, which consists of the secretary of Finance, the Department of Public Safety commissioner, and the secretary of Commerce, for an extension of the facility’s construction deadline.

According to Deleon Guerrero, the casino commission was notified of IPI’s intention to extend their deadline in order to accommodate changes in the CLA.

Deleon Guerrero noted that, according to casino commission regulations, IPR should be up and running by the Aug. 31, 2018 deadline, similar to the CLA. The letter was sent in advance to inform the commission that an extension request is being discussed, and therefore, is a heads-up for the commission to anticipate possible changes to the CLA and heading off inconsistencies between the CLA and the casino commission regulations, which is based off of the CLA. Casino commission regulations may only be amended through a casino commission meeting.

The next casino commission meeting is tomorrow at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library conference room at 10am.

Deleon Guerrero told Saipan Tribune that the letter would be discussed at the meeting.

IPI, in a casino commission meeting last June 28, 2018, admitted that they won’t be making the August 2018 deadline, which was not a surprise to the casino commission, especially vice chair Joseph Reyes who has always been skeptical of the casino resort’s completion date.

The first deadline of Aug. 11, 2017 for the permanent gaming facility was amended by the Lottery Commission on April 25, 2017, extending the deadline to Aug. 31, 2018.