The two largest business groups in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas (CNMI) are pleading for the administration of Governor Arnold I. Palacios and other local officials to support the creation and implementation of the proposed CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorisation Programme (EVS-TAP).
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the CNMI EVS-TAP will allow prescreened nationals of the People’s Republic of China to travel to the CNMI without a visa under specified conditions.
In a joint letter addressed to CNMI leaders Thursday, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands (HANMI) said the EVS-TAP will address concerns about the discretionary parole programme that do not hinder the CNMI’s economic growth.
The letter was in response to the letter some U.S. lawmakers sent to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas concerning the entry of nationals from the People’s Republic of China into the CNMI.
That letter called for the abolition of the discretionary parole programme, through which PRC nationals are allowed entry to the CNMI as tourists.
Both the Chamber and HANMI highlighted the significant impact of the Chinese tourism market on the CNMI economy and stressed the need for a balanced approach that ensures border security while supporting economic recovery.
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