Elim Co. Ltd.’s proposal to establish a $200 million university on Saipan was discussed with the CNMI government more than three years ago, according to Louella C. Kim, Elim’s spokeswoman.
In 1998, Elim’s representatives met officials of the administration then and were assured that everything would turn out fine. Elim then spent $32 million for the university’s master plan.
“But things turned out differently,” Kim said. There is still no university that was supposed to be built on a 230-hectare property at Naftan Point.
“They could have started the project now. Based on the company’s schedule, the construction of the campus should have started this year, the hiring of department heads completed and the evaluation of the student enrolees’ applications should have begun,” she said.
Unfortunately, Kim said Elim officials were not told what to do. “Elim spent millions of dollars only to find out that there were a lot of things to accomplish before they could finally start the project,” she said.
The company found that the Naftan Point property was leased in 1995 to Haas & Hynes, a U.S.-based company, for 55 years.
Haas & Hynes intends to put up a golf course on the area but has not started the project.
If Haas & Hynes’s rights would be transferred to Elim, the Korean firm would still be required to fulfill another requirement: a portion of the property is home to endangered species and Elim has to get a permit from the federal Fish and Wildlife Division and put up a mitigation bank to guarantee environmental protection.
There’s also a third problem. Even if the university has already been constructed, Elim won’t be able to accept students without getting accreditation from the State Board of Regents.
Kim said it was “rather too late” for Elim to be informed that these are the requirements they need to meet.
“Had they told the company before, then things would be easier now and the project would be right on track,” she said.
Officials of the company are in constant communication with government officials, including lawmakers, Board of Education members and the Marianas Public Land Authority.
“Elim is still trying its best to follow the proper procedures, but it’s difficult,” Kim said.
And Kim has this to say not just for the sake of Elim, but for all other investors who are interested on entering the commonwealth: “Perhaps, the CNMI should see to it that they provide investors the right information. They should be supported by teaching them the right and legal steps on setting up business on the island.”
