80 retail stores have already complied with the regulation that came into effect in June 2008, Deputy Labor Secretary Cinta Kaipat said.
The regulation aims to open entry-level retail jobs to CNMI citizens, she noted.
Of the 125 establishments in the CNMI, 42 have yet to be inspected by Labor.
Its recent report shows that 77 stores complied with the regulation and only three were not in compliance.
According to the report, 27 are yet to be inspected on Saipan. Only two were in compliance and nine had yet to be inspected on Rota.
On Tinian, one has already complied and six are scheduled for inspection.
Labor’s Division of Employment Services and Training has been inspecting establishments to determine whether they comply or not, Kaipat said, in her Interim Progress Report 6 on the implementation of the new labor law, or P.L. 15-108.
Kaipat said if these establishments “are not in compliance by year-end, the Director of Labor will cancel the permits of all of their foreign workers for failure to comply with commonwealth law.”
The report, which she submitted to the 16th Legislature, stated that Labor Office has completed a cross-training for almost all of its personnel “so that they can all do more than one job.”
She said the cross-training will give Labor the much-needed flexibility as it has already reduced its staff.
“We have planned ahead for the budget restrictions in FY 2009 and we believe we will be able to keep entirely current despite the cutbacks,” she said.
Kaipat said Labor would like to work closely with all legislators to deal quickly with any problems with the implementation of P.L. 15-108.
She assured legislators that her department will act promptly. “I am here to work with you as efficiently as I can. I will direct [any concerns] to the proper person and follow up personally to be sure things get done.”
