SABLAN&STAFFLER


FOR CNMI GOV. AND LT. GOV 2022



A Thriving and Diversified Economy



Economic development must be measured by more than just Gross Domestic Product, revenues, or profit margins. Economic development must be measured by how many people enjoy a decent standard of living and access to opportunities to flourish. True economic development lifts people out of poverty, generates good jobs with decent wages, and creates pathways for small businesses to grow and prosper.


Supporting and Protecting Our Workforce
Marianas Jobs Now
Diversifying and Localizing Tourism
The Future of Gaming
Supporting Small Businesses
Investing in Sustainability and Security
Buying Local

Supporting and Protecting Our Workforce



We envision a CNMI where wages are fair, livable, and competitive and where workers’ rights are protected. We will push to enact legislation to gradually increase the minimum wage to $10 per hour, and repeal outdated sections of the law that discriminate against workers with disabilities, senior citizens, and others. We will fight to end wage theft in the Marianas, and to remove obstacles for workers to file claims for wage theft or retaliation. We will promote workplace rights education for employees in the public and private sectors. We will also advocate for a CNMI-wide policy of paid family leave to better support working families who must care for newborn or adopted children, or seriously ill family members.



Marianas Jobs Now



The CNMI must establish a robust workforce development plan to put people to work and transition the Marianas to 2029, when the CNMI-only contract worker program is due to end by federal law. We will launch the Marianas Jobs Now Initiative, and work with the Northern Marianas Technical Institute, the Northern Marianas College, the Public School System, the CNMI Department of Labor, the CNMI and municipal scholarship offices, businesses and other partners to match job-seeking individuals with employers and increase apprenticeships in more diverse fields. The initiative will include a “Come Home Project,” to recruit CNMI college and technical school graduates, veterans, and others with ties to the Marianas who are now living and working abroad, to return to the Marianas for gainful employment in the public and private sectors. The Marianas Jobs Now Initiative will also provide resources for workforce development including readiness training and other support services for eligible new hires and participating employers.



Diversifying and Localizing Tourism



Tourism should remain the number one industry for the commonwealth, and we support diversification and increased local participation to grow the industry, create new jobs, and benefit the overall local economy. We envision the development and expansion of culture and history tourism, sports tourism, educational tourism, culinary tourism, agricultural tourism, and nature-based tourism that positively impacts our environment. We will direct resources to expand the tour guide certification program, promote certified locally-based tour operators through the Marianas Visitors Authority and its partners, provide access to language training, business development resources, and marketing support for local guides, and identify other means to promote the success of locally-owned businesses in the tourism industry. In promoting the Marianas as a tourism destination, we will refocus on strengthening our friendships and travel partnerships with our allies in the region, especially Japan and South Korea.



The Future of Gaming



Casino gaming can be a productive part of our tourism-based economy if it comports with the will of the people, is properly regulated, and is run by responsible operators who are selected in a fair and open process. To assess the future role of gaming in our tourism industry, we will contract with a qualified firm to conduct an independent, professional market feasibility study of gaming in the Marianas, that will include a review of the CNMI’s regulatory structure as well as public consultation and stakeholder engagement. We will also direct an independent assessment of the structural viability of the unfinished casino resort facility in Garapan and the CNMI’s options for ensuring the safe and productive use of that site, which is critically located in the heart of Saipan’s tourist district.



Supporting Small Businesses



Small businesses are the backbone of a healthy economy. We will support homegrown local businesses and industries through a collaborative network that brings together the resources of the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority, the Northern Marianas College, the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Development Corporation, and the Marianas Visitors Authority to help island entrepreneurs jumpstart, expand, and promote their operations and products. We will revisit and retool existing programs such as the qualifying certificate, free trade zones, and CNMI product seals to better support locally-owned businesses, optimize the commonwealth’s available human and natural resources, and encourage new investment and small business growth on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. We will also establish a Small Business Advisory Council, comprised of small business owners and entrepreneurs representing various sectors, to advise us on policies affecting small businesses in the Marianas and how we can help small businesses grow and prosper.



Investing in Sustainability and Security



We will support new and expanding businesses in productive, sustainable industries that promote the security and wellbeing of the Marianas, including renewable energy, recycling, agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and the development of value-added products for local and export markets. We will engage the Northern Marianas College, and the CREES program in particular, as well as the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, the Department of Commerce, the Division of Energy, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, and other agencies to provide the research, planning, technical expertise, and fair and sensible regulatory frameworks to help local food and energy producers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs succeed.



Buying Local



We will encourage all departments, agencies, projects, and contractors to buy more locally-made and locally-available products to support Marianas businesses, and direct executive branch departments and agencies to establish, monitor, and report targets for purchasing from local suppliers. Technical assistance will be provided to help small businesses secure and satisfy purchasing contracts with the CNMI government.



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