THE Department of Public Lands is cancelling the request for proposal to operate and maintain Managaha and will take over as its temporary concessionaire, DPL Secretary Sixto K. Igisomar said.
In an interview last week, Igisomar said there were supposedly four interested vendors who wanted to operate one of the CNMI’s main tourist destinations, but due to “regulatory issues” DPL had to cancel the RFP.
In the meantime, he said DPL will serve as Managaha’s concessionaire until the department secures a new vendor.
He said DPL will soon announce a new RFP for the operation of Managaha.
Its responsibility as temporary concessionaire will allow DPL to sign separate contracts with “sub-concessionaires” to operate the pavilion, the restaurant, marine sports activities, and transportation to and from Managaha, Igisomar said.
He added that right now, Managaha is well-maintained by DPL personnel.
A lot of facilities have been repaired and the department’s employees go to the island every day to clean up and maintain the pavilions, he said.
Public Law 15-2 requires the department to be responsible “for the administration, use, development and disposition of all those lands defined as public lands by Article 11 of the NMI Constitution.”
DPL said current regulations “do not contemplate Managaha being without a concessionaire and are silent on what DPL must do under those circumstances.”
However, DPL said it has a superseding authority to administer and manage public lands “upon which it can rely to step into the shoes of the absent concessionaire in a limited fashion.”
DPL added, “This limited authority would allow DPL to approve the temporary permitting of sub-concessionaires and provide lifeguards, security, cleaning and maintenance of Managaha.”
Since there is no concessionaire on Managaha to manage and operate the exclusive economic zone on the island, DPL said it “is now acting temporarily, as the “concessionaire.”
In January 2020, DPL said it would soon issue a Notice to Proceed to U-Top Investment (Saipan) Inc. as the new concessionaire on Managaha.
DPL said its real estate division would meet with the former concessionaire, Tasi Tours, and then with U-Top to discuss the transition.
In March 2020, with the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the local tourism industry had to shut down.
