The administration is particularly interested in developing a mechanism to provide annual Gross Domestic Product statistics for the CNMI.
OIA and the bureau recently signed a memorandum of understanding to establish relationships and develop the GDP reporting mechanism to integrate the four U.S. insular areas — the CNMI, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam — into annual national income and product accounts.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial stressed the significance of this historic effort by OIA and the bureau to produce important statistical information that would be useful to the U.S. Congress and other federal policymakers when dealing with CNMI issues.
“In the past, federal policy makers often lacked reliable economic data to better guide federal policy in the islands,” said Fitial.
He expressed his appreciation of OIA’s and the bureau’s efforts by referencing OIA Director Nikolao I. Pula’s May 21, 2008 statement before the House Natural Resources subcommittee on Information Policy.
Fitial said, “OIA Director Pula clearly highlighted the shortage of current, reliable data on the U.S. territories in his message to the U.S. Congress. This MOU between OIA and the bureau is a step in the right direction.”
Fitial assigned Richard A. Pierce, his special assistant for trade relations and economic affairs, to coordinate the initial meetings between OIA’s Dr. Wali Osman and the bureau’s Brian Moyer, Nicole Mayerhauser, and Aya Hamano.
Last week, all parties met with officials from the CNMI Department of Commerce, the Central Statistics Division, the Customs Division, the Marianas Visitors Authority, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the Commonwealth Development Authority, the Division of Electronic Data Processing, among other relevant agencies.
Osman and the Bureau of Economic Analysis officials met with acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos for a project description and de-briefing before exiting the CNMI on Friday.
The MOU will provide training for all CNMI contact offices and eventual surveys for annual updating of the GDP reports for the commonwealth.
