SENATE Floor Leader Corina L. Magofna on Friday pre-filed Senate Resolution 23-12, which “urges” all businesses in the CNMI to offer senior citizens 10% to 25% discounts on products and services.
The non-binding resolution states that some senior citizens “are experiencing diminished retirement income because of offsets being applied against their monthly income to recover overpayments due to erroneous calculations made in prior years by the NMI Retirement Fund.”
The income loss “has severely and significantly reduced our manamko’s financial ability to maintain a decent living on their fixed income. Further reducing their retirement income has adversely affected their livelihood,” the resolution stated.
“With a depressed CNMI economy and inflation driving up consumer prices, it is appropriate that we, as a community, show compassion and consideration to our senior citizens and manamko’ by affording them a purchase discount to help minimize the financial hardships that many of them are experiencing at this time,” the resolution added.
Currently, the Office on Aging’s Senior Discount Card Program provides senior citizens with a 5% discount at selected grocery stores; 10% discount at selected hardware and department stores; 10% discount at selected restaurants; 20% to 25% discount at selected hotels; and 5% to 10% discount at selected clothing stores.
The business establishments that acknowledge the manamko’ discount card program include the Joeten shopping centers, Joeten Super Store, Afetna Supermarket, Payless Super Fresh & Truckload, Ace Hardware, Liberty Department Store, SM Department Store, Country House Restaurant, KFC/Taco Bell, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, Herman’s Modern Bakery, Bostonian Bakery, Mariana Lighthouse Restaurant, Pacific Islands Club, Saipan World Resort, Aqua Resort Club, Bali Fashion, Moonlight Fashion, and Gold’s Gym.
According to S.R. 23-12, “For many businesses, offering senior citizen discounts could yield profitable financial returns. Senior citizens have three things that businesses value: time, money and younger relatives.”
