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10/07/2025 - The Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers will prioritize “low-hanging fruit” such as streamlining the government and cutting through bureaucratic red tape to make it more efficient, as well as diversifying the economy, officials said after the council’s first meeting last Oct. 6 at the Governor’s Office conference room.
Lt. Gov. Dennis C. Mendiola, who co-chairs the council, said the initial gathering was meant to “put faces to names” and formalize Gov. David M. Apatang’s directive to reactivate the body. “The intent today is for us to come together, get all these ideas down, and move forward,” he said.
The reestablished council is not starting from scratch, but will instead draw from years of studies and plans dating back to the 1980s, including work done by the original GCEA formed in 2020 under former governor Ralph DLG Torres.
“We can’t just be talking about these plans and ideas. We need to start prioritizing and pick the low-hanging fruit—what can we do in the next 30 days,” said Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Joe C. Guerrero, who serves as GCEA co-chair.
The council has set up four standing committees: Tourism, infrastructure, and sports; labor and workforce development; domestic policy and government services; and economic diversification. These will include both public and private sector members and may form subcommittees as needed.
Guerrero stressed that one of the council’s first major efforts will focus on the tourism industry, particularly air service development and infrastructure upgrades. “Tourism is our No. 1 industry,” he said, adding that the CNMI also needs to repair existing facilities and attract new carriers to boost arrivals.
Officials said the council also sees growing investor interest outside of tourism, especially in light of global tariffs and shifting supply chains. Mendiola noted that manufacturing firms, including a Japan-based company with operations in the U.S. mainland and Asia, are exploring opportunities in the CNMI.
Commonwealth Economic Development Authority representatives told the council that they have received “overwhelming” inquiries from foreign investors, though GCEA leaders emphasized they would only announce projects once deals are finalized.
“We don’t want to just keep putting out false hope,” Mendiola said. “We want to ensure that these investment activities actually stick and they're actually moving here, you know, groundbreaking. And then we announce it.”
Both Mendiola and Guerrero underscored that the council’s work is nonpartisan and designed to carry over regardless of election cycles.
“A good idea should still survive any administration. The administration change should just be able to take on the work and continue, maybe steer it in a different direction,” Guerrero said.
GCEA executive director Clement “CJ” Bermudez Jr. added that the council’s role is to identify bottlenecks and recommend ways to reduce barriers for investors. “We hope to execute, and we hope to execute fast,” he said.
The Oct. 6 meeting was attended by new and returning council members, including former Commerce secretary Mark Rabauliman, representing the Northern Islands, and digital economy advocate Vin Armani.
The council plans to release a formal readout of the meeting and set up a public-facing website to share updates and invite community participation.
Report by Mark Rabago
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