THE Department of Labor and Immigration will allow more job exemptions from the Hiring Moratorium Act.
DOLI Secretary Joaquin A. Tenorio said an emergency regulation was drafted recently to expand the exemption on new major development and critical services section of the moratorium law.
“It aims to expand on the moratorium law regarding critical services exemptions,” he said in an interview with Variety yesterday.
The existing moratorium law prohibits the hiring of new non-resident workers except when it involves new companies with an investment of $5 million on Saipan or $250,000 on Tinian and Rota.
The moratorium also exempts certain critical services such as health professionals, educators and scientists.
“The regulation will expand these critical services to include certain requirements that have to be met,” he said.
The department has been reviewing labor laws and regulations for possible changes in view of the government’s goal to make the CNMI an attractive business destination.
“It’s called emergency regulations. We do necessary adjustments to meet the urgent needs to be able to revive the CNMI economy,” he said.
In a recent consuls general meeting, Gov. Juan N. Babauta instructed Tenorio to issue regulations that would address pressing business concerns.
The governor, in particular, favored the recommendation from the business community to hasten the issuance of business and renewal permits.
The administration’s efforts to boost the economy through commerce and tourism resulted so far in the lifting of the authorization to board requirement on tourists and visiting businessmen as well as the speedy release of entry permits for non-resident workers.
DOLI vows to process entry permits within one month.
The department used to process them in six months. Last year, the processing period was reduced to three months.
“We want to assure our business community that we’re listening to their concerns. We’re doing necessary actions to address them,” he said.
