THE Saipan Chamber of Commerce supports the proposed Commonwealth Apprenticeship Program Act of 2023, but has concerns about a bill “to establish the Division of Better Business Bureau within the Department of Commerce.”
In a letter to Senate Vice President Donald Manglona, Saipan Chamber of Commerce President Joe Guerrero said the Commonwealth Apprenticeship Program Act of 2023 or House Bill 23-48 “will not only address our workforce needs but also empower our citizens with the skills and opportunities they need to thrive in our community.”
Introduced by Rep. Denita Yangetmai, the bill would re-establish the Registered Apprenticeship Program within the CNMI Department of Labor.
Apprentices, who should be at least 16 years old, would be required to live and work in the CNMI for “a period of one year for each year of participation in the program.”
Additionally, businesses that employ an apprentice “duly enrolled” in the program is entitled to a “tax credit against its [CNMI business gross revenue tax] equal to 50% of the eligible costs paid or incurred by the business.”
“House Bill 23-48 is a vital and forward-thinking piece of legislation that addresses the urgent need for a skilled and locally trained workforce in the Northern Mariana Islands,” Guerrero said in his letter.
He added that the apprenticeship program is also aligned with the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018, “which calls for the transition to a workforce that includes more U.S. eligible workers, particularly in skilled labor fields.”
Guerrero said the apprenticeship program would allow for a structured system of training that could produce a new generation of trades professionals.
Concerns
As for Senate Bill 23-38, which would establish the Division of Better Business Bureau within the Department of Commerce, Guerrero noted that the new agency would have several duties, to include scrutinizing the language of advertisements, keeping a record of consumer complaints against specific businesses, and more.
In addition, the bureau would implement “a rating system using an A+ through F letter-grade scale.”
“We suggest that businesses rated below ‘A’ should have the opportunity to appeal their rating,” Guerrero said. “This appeal process should be fair, transparent, and accessible to all businesses, and it should be managed by an independent body or a designated government division.”
He added that to ensure fairness, disputed ratings should remain in a “pending status” until an appeal process is completed.
“This will prevent any undue harm to a business’s reputation based on an initial rating,” Guerrero said.
The chamber likewise believes that a hearing officer who will oversee the appeals process should be “impartial” and must possess “expertise in business matters to ensure a fair and informed decision-making process.”
Senate Bill 23-38 was authored by Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero.
