SENATE minority bloc members Paul A. Manglona and Edith Deleon Guerrero will introduce Joint Senate Resolution 22-01, which requests Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to instruct the Development Plan Advisory Committee to report to the Legislature on the status of the Saipan casino industry.
The casino license agreement created DPAC to, among other things, “review and advise on the design for the Integrated Resorts and the initial gaming facility, assist in the development of the respective implementation schedules, and track implementation.”
Although DPAC is primarily advisory in nature, its review and comments are to be considered and respected by the casino licensee and shall be considered by respective permitting agencies.
J.S.R. 22-01 states that DPAC’s mission was to guide the timely implementation and successful development of the Saipan casino industry. It was required to submit an analysis of the implementation schedules and reports that provide the basis to determine if adjustments in implementation are justifiable, and more importantly, will benefit the people of the Commonwealth.
The resolution further states that if there is any chance to “save” the casino industry, the DPAC reports must be released to all the stakeholders including the Legislature to provide guidance and recommendations on the casino project.
J.S.R. 22-1 states “that the daunting obstacles and detrimental consequences of the casino operator’s negligent business and construction decisions, shortcuts and endless labor hurdles during the construction of the initial gaming facility could have been addressed if the DPAC continued to monitor the progress of the construction as originally intended by license agreement.”
The DPAC was required to submit reports on status of the construction and [to make] recommendations on how to resolve the problems and difficulties that [have arisen] since the beginning of the construction of Imperial Pacific International’s initial gaming facility.
“The casino operator may be in a better legal and financial position at this time if the DPAC properly addressed the constant construction setbacks and delays in the completion of the initial gaming facility. The casino operator might possess a healthy financial portfolio to successfully invite third-party investors to the table if the DPAC review requirement was not deleted from the casino license agreement by Amendments 5 and 6,” the resolution stated.
In the absence of DPAC, “it might be impossible to find another investor with all the uncertainties surrounding the Initial Gaming Facility building’s structural integrity,” the resolution added.
Edith Deleon Guerrero
Paul A. Manglona
