U-TOP: Contract is technically effective

A company representing the current master concessionaire for Managaha stands by a previous publication noting that the five-year Managaha contract is technically effective.

U-TOP, a company based in the CNMI, clarified over the weekend that they received a letter awarding the company with a contract after they successfully responded to a request for proposal previously published by the Department of Public Lands.

“U-TOP received an ‘award letter’ on June 4, 2019. U-TOP signed the contract on Aug. 19, 2019. DPL signed on Aug. 26, 2019. [The Attorney General] signed on Sept. 6, 2019,” the U-TOP representative stated in response to Saipan Tribune. “The contract is in effect because all signatures were affixed on the agreement.”

However, DPL has not reportedly set an official start date for operations under the new management, which was awarded to U-TOP, the representative further noted.

In a DPL social media post last Oct. 4, 2019, at 8:14am, the agency referred to a previous Saipan Tribune article referring to the effectivity of the five-year contract awarded to U-TOP as “inaccurate reporting.”

“Tasi Tours is still operating the concession,” the agency posted along with a photo of that day’s paper.

Saipan Tribune reached out to DPL Secretary Marianne Teregeyo, on her personal phone number, for comment Thursday regarding the effectivity of the new contract. Teregeyo ignored several calls on Thursday and on Friday, all from Saipan Tribune, even despite one call that suggested that she was actively making calls at the time.

As for the transition of operating the concessions, U-TOP promises that it would work with DPL to ensure a “seamless transition.”

“DPL will schedule a joint meeting with Tasi Tours and U-TOP to discuss transition and employees,” the representative noted.

“In situations where a contract ends, and to address job uncertainty, U-TOP assures existing employees that the handover will not result in a loss of jobs. This will be discussed with Tasi Tours,” the representative further noted.

Citing DPL, the U-TOP representative noted that there will be no less than 90 to 120 days to transition between the existing and new concessionaire to minimize service interruptions.

“There are many moving parts in [these] concession operations and U-TOP looks forward to working with DPL and Tasi Tours,” the representative told Saipan Tribune.