By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
NATIONAL Office Supply, the island’s main provider of school and office supplies, will close its store on July 30 due to the expected loss of employees.
In an interview, NOS President Irene Uy said the primary reason is workforce-related. Between May and September, nine employees will have to leave the island in compliance with the “touchback” requirement of the federal CNMI-Only Transitional Worker program. In addition, some workers who are long-term residents have pending Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, renewals, and some permanent residents are leaving the island permanently.
Over nine months this year, NOS will lose a total of 14 employees— representing 56% of its workforce. The company currently employs 25 people. Uy said the departing employees include key staff, such as the entire accounting team.
“It would be very difficult to run a business like this,” she said.
NOS manager Alice Legaspi said Uy met with the employees at the store on Monday around 4:30 p.m. to announce the closure. “We made sure all employees were present so everyone heard about the big issue,” Legaspi said.
Acting Gov. Dennis James Mendiola said the CNMI faces many economic challenges. “It’s about the economic hardship affecting everyone. The government must review its spending and make adjustments because we can’t keep raising taxes when businesses are closing,” he said.
House Ways and Means Committee Chair John Paul Sablan said it is unfortunate to see businesses shutting down. He noted that the CNMI hopes to generate revenue through ongoing U.S. military build-up projects and other federal infrastructure initiatives, including funding from the U.S. Treasury’s Economic Development Authority, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery program.
“With these federal projects, we hope to backfill the revenue lost from business closures,” Sablan said.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
