Efforts should be made to promote and encourage all segments of the economy. Increased taxes only make CNMI businesses less competitive and less able to survive. A well thought out study be done to meet a balance on the community and business needs. Well intentioned and well meaning mandates often unnecessarily increase the cost of doing business and the cost of government and reduce our competitiveness. To be successful, CNMI businesses must be price competitive with businesses around the world and specifically within the region.
Government needs to be more aware of their customers and become more user friendly.
These funds should be used to emphasize the diversity of our Mariana Islands and our tourism product. Emphasis must be placed on keeping the core markets healthy and developing new markets anticipated to provide visitors well into the 21st Century. MVA should have a comprehensive plan and develop measures of effectiveness in order to ensure accountability for the use of funds. Our cultural heritage is a major factor in what makes the CNMI a special place to live and visit. We would especially encourage the schools to include programs in their curriculum to educate our children about the Marianas heritage and language.