CCC seeks US$250,000 to rehire staff

The Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) wants to hire back an executive director and five other personnel.

Northern Mariana Islands.- Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) chair Edward C DeLeon Guerrero has made a request to governor Arnold I. Palacios, seeking approval for the allocation of US$250,000. Part of the funds would go to rehire staff needed to assist the commission in addressing critical matters over a three-month period

The US$250,000 requested was originally designated to cover arbitration costs associated with the ongoing disputes with casino licensee Imperial Pacific International (IPI). According to The Saipan Tribune, DeLeon Guerrero stressed the importance of the funding to enable the CCC to continue its work in the coming months, both to work towards a global settlement regarding the amounts owed by IPI and to consider the possibility of licence revocation and the subsequent issuance of a new licence.

The CCC’s plan, contingent on the governor’s approval, is to rehire an executive director, a special assistant to the commission, a manager for the Division of Enforcement and Investigations, a manager for the Human Resources Division, an administrator and a maintenance staff member. 

As of October 1, 2023, IPI’s dues to the CCC include US$17.6m in regulatory fees, fines, and penalties, as well as US$62m in casino licence fees spanning from 2020 through 2023. The preceding CCC administration had originally set aside US$350,000 to cover arbitration costs associated with IPI. From the unspent US$250,000, CCC intends to allocate US$94,800 for the salaries of the six personnel, US$81,200 for board compensation, US$50,000 for office rental and the remainder for various other expenses.

In January, the regulator suspended its activities due to a lack of funds. 

Saipan investor may be willing to finish IPI’s casino resort

DeLeon Guerrero says that a potential investor has expressed a willingness to invest in completing Imperial Pacific International (IPI)’s unfinished casino resort. During a CCC board meeting, he said the prospective investor is prepared to take on the task but would not pay the CCC and CNMI fees that IPI owes: US$62m in casino licence fees owed to the CNMI government and US$14.5m in regulatory fees owed to CCC.