New- Law- Scraps EIC,Pokercap
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.--------------------------~ -~- arianas %riety;~ · Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 , ' ~ evvs Dynasty confirms business not good By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff BUSINESS outlook for the Asia-Pacific Region remains bleak for the next two years. Thus, the cost-cutting measures instituted by the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino which sent back three Filipino workers Sunday and will reportedly trim down the number of employees by almost half. But Kui Fah Liew, general manager of Hong Kong Entertainment which operate the Dynasty, said they are more optimistic about the market, as he raised hopes that the market will start picking up in 12 months. "Some economists in the world are predicting that the recession would go as far as 24months [two years]. We don't look that far. We are hoping that the economy will tum around in 12 months," he told reporters. He said the business environment has been stable although it has not been moving up and "it is the reason why we are looking at a 12- month recession." He said the market is not expected to pick up in a year. Barry Small (center), a survivor of the KAL 801 crash was declared an honorary member of the Guam Fire Liew met with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday to assure that Department yesterday by Captain Gil Reyes (left), and given a hard hat which was worn by Chief Chuck Continued on page 20 Sanchez (right) on the day of the crash. Variety Photo ' .. New- law- scraps . By Sara ~rant ' . v.i~~d .~h~: ~rash which took 229 · Variety News Staff. .hves a year ago, Small has been TAMUNING - "I waritto tell on-'island to attend memorial the people of Guam they have ceremonies and· extend ·thanks been brilliant." to those who helped him follow~ EIC,pokercap That's what Barry Small said · irig the tragedy. yesterday about the treatment At the .small gathering with By Aldwin R. Fajardo chambers of the Legislature ear he's received on.Guam since the firefighters from rescue units 1, Variety News Staff lier this month. crash of Korean Air Flight 80 I 2, 3 and. 4, Reyes presented a. STARTING next year, low-in House ways and means com in August of last year. · hard-hat to Small that was worn come Northern Marianas residents mittee chair Rep. Karl T. Reyes Small visited the Tamuning by Chief Chuck Sanchez the day will no longer receive their .an stressed that elimination of the Fire Station and met with crew of the crash. nual earned income credit after excess tax credit on EIC will eli mi members from the· Guam Fire "All the training we .do ulti Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday nate the risk to the Commonweal th Department where he was de mately leads to being .able to signed into law a legislation that and the NMI taxpayers. clared a member of the "broth assist survivors. Having Barry eliminates the EIC and increases "The Commonwealth's imple erhood of service of firefighters" here today is the greatest honor licensing fees for poker and mentation of the EIC in a manner by Captain Gil Reyes. that we could ask for," Reyes pachinko machines. that diverges from that of the US One of 29 people who sur- House Bill 11-262, or the Fis Internal ·Revenue Code exposes Continued on page 23 cal Integrity Act of 1998, offi the CNMI to potential liability in cially became ·Public Law 11-25 the tens of millions of dollars," to also lift the limit on the number Reyes said. DPHS negotiates reduced Pedro P. Tenorio of gaming machines on Saipan, PL 11-25 intends to repeal the as well as repeal the sunset provi can be immediately addressed," sunset provision under Public Law rates for medical referrals sions in the local tax law. Tenorio said in his transmission 9-22 which would bring taxes By Haidee V. Eugenio "Although I have approved this letter to the Legislature. imposed on cigarettes to $0.50 Variety News Staff bill, I urge the Legislature to moni The government is expecting to per every 20 cigarettes and $0.15 IN LINE with the government tor its implementation closely so generate an additional $9 million per gallon of fuel. Alcoholic bev wide belt tightening effort, the that any provision which proves from the new revenue-collecting erages will be taxed by I Opercent Division of Public Health is work contrary to its purported intention measure which was passed by both Continued on page 23 ing closely with its key Hawaii based health care provider in ob FJ~:J::ri:.:f'T.~.:~~.::::~-:T~· ·· ·.:·.:-"1~:. i,,r',!7,?Z~s.=2~~1;J.I~£UE:.m::.::-;.,z:··~-~~~-:&~~~~.E-"~_;.i,':··~..... ,.. ;0,4;.';!'~£·'· ,~-.~ -·': ..; taining discounts for CNMI pa !'.Ji 10 new rooms put WSR.back on single track~ tients referred by the DPH Medi 1,I , cal Referral Office to Honolulu. ~---• ..1 "" ·. By Haidee V. Eugenio :; Health Secretary Joseph Kevin · Variety News Staff . Villagomez, who will be heading U FOLLOWING the completion ,1 for Honolulu tomorrow, said he f::) of I Onewly-constructed class- ~.~ will be meeting with officials of kl rooms, William S. Reyes El- _;j Continued on page 20 Joseph Kevin Villagomez H ementary School is now back ~.~.. t.;},'.I to the single track system. a WSR Principal Maria C. 2 kids die in.Guam incidents • I • ~1 Pangelinan yesterday said that " since the school now have By Jacob Leon Guerrero shortly afternoon during a family enough classrooms to accom Variety News Staff outing at the Inarajan Pool. modate a total of 8~9 students HAGATNA - Police reported The boy's uncle spotted his for school year 1998-1999, it yesterday that two children died nephew's body floating on the PSS Commissioner Rita H. /nos joins other officials for the ribbon will now cease the old track in sep~rate incidents here. pool. cutting ceremony for the 10 newly-completed classrooms at the Guam Police Department said The boy, whose name was with- WSR Elementary School. Photo by Haldee v. Eugenio Continued on page 23 a four-year old boy drowned Continued on page 20 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- AUGUST 11 ; 1998 TIJESDA Y, -AUGUST I I , 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND Vrn\vs-3 Japan opposition eyes early ·polls venues may By MARTIN FACKLER ing he would focus on fixing the gested he may face a tough time. By Aldwin R. Fajardo continue to monitor the casino indus He also said that not even the re cal Year 1999, which prompted the TOKYO (AP) - Criticizing the economy. Obuchi has promised quick action Variety News Staff try on Tinian closely and will recom ported decline in revenues and busi governor to inflate next year's budget ··qualificationsandabili ty"' ofJ apan' s "I will exert all my energy and take to revive arecession-boundeconomy PRO.JF.CTED revenues for the next mend the supplemental appropria ness profits of the T mian Dynasty prnposal to $242.5 million. new Cabinet. opposition lawmakers all possible steps ... to grapple with the that threatel)S to throw the rest of Asia fiscal year may suffer a slight drop, tion if revenue collections from the will affect the proposed budget 'We He said a meager net increase in called Monday fornew elections and economic prnblerns, ·• Obuchi pmm into a new rnund of economic chaos. after Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Ca sector warrant it have to look at the submitted projec resources was identified in the re said that only a revolution in politics ised. He is seeking to stimulate con sino revealed that it has· also been could end the country's economic OpinionpollshaveshownObuchi 's sumption with more than 6 nillion "When we submit our budget, we tions again but most of the revenues vised prnjections over the May I affected by the worsening economic woes. Cabinet to be one of the least popular yen($4l billion)worthoftaxcutsand take intD consideration the new in that we included are the increase in submittedestimates,although the to situation in the Asia-Pacific Region. PiimeMinister KeizoObuchi faced new governments in decades, with l Onillion yen ($69 billion) in public dustry but we did not count too much user and poker machine liq:nsing tal is still lower than that oflast year. blistering criticism as he fielded ques fewe; than one-third of voters ex spending. 'The projected revenues may be on the casino," Tenorio said, stress fees," he pointed out. He said an increase of $5 million tions on the floorofParliamentforthe pressing appmval. But that's not enough, say opposi affected, although I am not sure how ing that there will benochangesinthe The government is anticipating over and above the administration's first time since becoming prime min Nowhere was the declining popu tion politicians. much or how severe," Gov. PedroP. revised $242.5 million budget pro some $2.5 million increase in pro first estimate on revenue collection ister last month. larity of the ruling Liberal Demo They point out that many of Tenorio said. posed for the next fiscal year. jected revenue collections for the Fis- Continued on page 19 "What qualifications and ability cratic Party more clear than in last Obuchi 's initiatives were written by In his revised budget proposal, does this new Cabinet have?" said Tenorio mentioned the projected gov month's parliamentary elections, Japan's powerful bureaucrats, who . I Pedro P. Tenorio lawmaker Kansei Nakano, a member when a landslide victory by opposi have traditionally made policies to be ernment income from the opening of Underwood airs hope his bill on of Japan's largest opposition party, tion parties cost the LDP contml of rubber-stamped by Parliament I the Tinian Dynasty and the construc Tinian adding that his administration the Democratic Party.