THE Trade Council of the Marianas on Tuesday submitted to Gov. Arnold I. Palacios a list of individuals for appointment to the board of directors of the Commonwealth Free Trade Zone Authority, which was created by a 2000 law.
In an email interview, Trade Council President Vin Armani, a Saipan-based technology entrepreneur, said they recommended 10 individuals from the private sector and six from the public sector.
The Free Trade Zone Act requires that of the nine members of the board, at least five must be from the private sector, and there must be at least one woman, one Carolinian, and one from each of the three senatorial districts. Board appointees must be confirmed by the Senate.
Following the submission of proposed appointees to the governor, Trade Council officers made a presentation to members of the Legislature. They provided an overview of the opportunity for economic diversification and advancement that the Commonwealth Free Trade Zone represents.
Sen. Corina Magofna, who chairs the Senate Committee on Resources, Economic Development and Workforce, said, “It has been my firm belief that leading our people toward greater economic prosperity means using every tool at our disposal.”
“The Free Trade Zone Act gave us a powerful tool, but it is up to us to wield it. I am committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that a reinvigorated FTZ Authority is oriented toward economic development and supported in positive steps that it will take,” she added.
Under the Free Trade Zone Act or Public Law 12-20, businesses can apply for a free trade zone license, entitling them to rebates and exemptions from taxes.
According to the Trade Council, the law was designed to use economic incentives to attract technology businesses, especially those that put a minimal strain on infrastructure and natural resources, to the CNMI.
The FTZA’s mandate includes providing a streamlined process for businesses in the context of licensing and permitting as well as improving and expediting the experience of engaging with the various CNMI regulatory departments and agencies.
Armani noted that for the last two decades, no local chamber of commerce has proposed a list of board members to the governor and the FTZA has remained inactive.
He said Tuesday’s submission to the governor by the Trade Council of the Marianas was “a continuation of a broader initiative launched by the organization.”
For his part, Trade Council Vice President Joshua Cook said, “We know that there has been a push to find willing and qualified individuals to serve on various boards and commissions.”
“On Jan. 15th, we held an educational session at the American Memorial Park theater and, as a result, received requests from members of both the private and public sector to be added to our suggested appointees. We are honored to be able to provide the Governor with a group of competent and enthusiastic citizens from which to choose,” added Cook, owner of Pacific Pact, a Saipan-based consulting company engaged in cyber technology.
When asked to identify the council’s suggested nominees, Armani said, “So that we don’t put [undue] political strain on the Governor, we have chosen to leave it up to him whether or not he wants to share the entire list.”
