§226-103  Economic priority guidelines. 
(a)  Priority guidelines to stimulate economic growth and encourage business
expansion and development to provide needed jobs for Hawaii's people and
achieve a stable and diversified economy:



(1)  Seek a variety of means to increase the
availability of investment capital for new and expanding enterprises.



(A)  Encourage investments which:



(i)  Reflect long term commitments to the State;



(ii)  Rely on economic linkages within the local
economy;



(iii)  Diversify the economy;



(iv)  Reinvest in the local economy;



(v)  Are sensitive to community needs and
priorities; and



(vi)  Demonstrate a commitment to provide
management opportunities to Hawaii residents.



(2)  Encourage the expansion of technological research
to assist industry development and support the development and
commercialization of technological advancements.



(3)  Improve the quality, accessibility, and range of
services provided by government to business, including data and reference
services and assistance in complying with governmental regulations.



(4)  Seek to ensure that state business tax and labor
laws and administrative policies are equitable, rational, and predictable.



(5)  Streamline the building and development permit
and review process, and eliminate or consolidate other burdensome or
duplicative governmental requirements imposed on business, where public health,
safety and welfare would not be adversely affected.



(6)  Encourage the formation of cooperatives and other
favorable marketing or distribution arrangements at the regional or local level
to assist Hawaii's small-scale producers, manufacturers, and distributors.



(7)  Continue to seek legislation to protect Hawaii
from transportation interruptions between Hawaii and the continental United
States.



(8)  Provide public incentives and encourage private
initiative to develop and attract industries which promise long-term growth
potentials and which have the following characteristics:



(A)  An industry that can take advantage of
Hawaii's unique location and available physical and human resources.



(B)  A clean industry that would have minimal
adverse effects on Hawaii's environment.



(C)  An industry that is willing to hire and
train Hawaii's people to meet the industry's labor needs at all levels of
employment.



(D)  An industry that would provide reasonable
income and steady employment.



(9)  Support and encourage, through educational and
technical assistance programs and other means, expanded opportunities for
employee ownership and participation in Hawaii business.



(10)  Enhance the quality of Hawaii's labor force and
develop and maintain career opportunities for Hawaii's people through the
following actions:



(A)  Expand vocational training in diversified
agriculture, aquaculture, information industry, and other areas where growth is
desired and feasible.



(B)  Encourage more effective career counseling
and guidance in high schools and post-secondary institutions to inform students
of present and future career opportunities.



(C)  Allocate educational resources to career
areas where high employment is expected and where growth of new industries is
desired.



(D)  Promote career opportunities in all
industries for Hawaii's people by encouraging firms doing business in the State
to hire residents.



(E)  Promote greater public and private sector
cooperation in determining industrial training needs and in developing relevant
curricula and on- the-job training opportunities.



(F)  Provide retraining programs and other
support services to assist entry of displaced workers into alternative
employment.



(b)  Priority guidelines to promote the
economic health and quality of the visitor industry:



(1)  Promote visitor satisfaction by fostering an
environment which enhances the Aloha Spirit and minimizes inconveniences to
Hawaii's residents and visitors.



(2)  Encourage the development and maintenance of
well-designed, adequately serviced hotels and resort destination areas which
are sensitive to neighboring communities and activities and which provide for adequate
shoreline setbacks and beach access.



(3)  Support appropriate capital improvements to
enhance the quality of existing resort destination areas and provide incentives
to encourage investment in upgrading, repair, and maintenance of visitor
facilities.



(4)  Encourage visitor industry practices and
activities which respect, preserve, and enhance Hawaii's significant natural,
scenic, historic, and cultural resources.



(5)  Develop and maintain career opportunities in the
visitor industry for Hawaii's people, with emphasis on managerial positions.



(6)  Support and coordinate tourism promotion abroad
to enhance Hawaii's share of existing and potential visitor markets.



(7)  Maintain and encourage a more favorable resort
investment climate consistent with the objectives of this chapter.



(8)  Support law enforcement activities that provide a
safer environment for both visitors and residents alike.



(9)  Coordinate visitor industry activities and
promotions to business visitors through the state network of advanced data
communication techniques.



(c)  Priority guidelines to promote the
continued viability of the sugar and pineapple industries:



(1)  Provide adequate agricultural lands to support
the economic viability of the sugar and pineapple industries.



(2)  Continue efforts to maintain federal support to
provide stable sugar prices high enough to allow profitable operations in
Hawaii.



(3)  Support research and development, as appropriate,
to improve the quality and production of sugar and pineapple crops.



(d)  Priority guidelines to promote the growth
and development of diversified agriculture and aquaculture:



(1)  Identify, conserve, and protect agricultural and
aquacultural lands of importance and initiate affirmative and comprehensive
programs to promote economically productive agricultural and aquacultural uses
of such lands.



(2)  Assist in providing adequate, reasonably priced
water for agricultural activities.



(3)  Encourage public and private investment to
increase water supply and to improve transmission, storage, and irrigation
facilities in support of diversified agriculture and aquaculture.



(4)  Assist in the formation and operation of
production and marketing associations and cooperatives to reduce production and
marketing costs.



(5)  Encourage and assist with the development of a
waterborne and airborne freight and cargo system capable of meeting the needs
of Hawaii's agricultural community.



(6)  Seek favorable freight rates for Hawaii's
agricultural products from interisland and overseas transportation operators.



(7)  Encourage the development and expansion of
agricultural and aquacultural activities which offer long-term economic growth
potential and employment opportunities.



(8)  Continue the development of agricultural parks
and other programs to assist small independent farmers in securing agricultural
lands and loans.



(9)  Require agricultural uses in agricultural
subdivisions and closely monitor the uses in these subdivisions.



(10)  Support the continuation of land currently in use
for diversified agriculture.



(e)  Priority guidelines for water use and
development:



(1)  Maintain and improve water conservation programs
to reduce the overall water consumption rate.



(2)  Encourage the improvement of irrigation
technology and promote the use of nonpotable water for agricultural and
landscaping purposes.



(3)  Increase the support for research and development
of economically feasible alternative water sources.



(4)  Explore alternative funding sources and
approaches to support future water development programs and water system
improvements.



(f)  Priority guidelines for energy use and
development:



(1)  Encourage the development, demonstration, and
commercialization of renewable energy sources.



(2)  Initiate, maintain, and improve energy
conservation programs aimed at reducing energy waste and increasing public
awareness of the need to conserve energy.



(3)  Provide incentives to encourage the use of energy
conserving technology in residential, industrial, and other buildings.



(4)  Encourage the development and use of energy
conserving and cost-efficient transportation systems.



(g)  Priority guidelines to promote the
development of the information industry:



(1)  Establish an information network that will serve
as the catalyst for establishing a viable information industry in Hawaii.



(2)  Encourage the development of services such as
financial data processing, a products and services exchange, foreign language
translations, telemarketing, teleconferencing, a twenty-four-hour international
stock exchange, international banking, and a Pacific Rim management center.



(3)  Encourage the development of small businesses in
the information field such as software development, the development of new
information systems and peripherals, data conversion and data entry services,
and home or cottage services such as computer programming, secretarial, and
accounting services.



(4)  Encourage the development or expansion of
educational and training opportunities for residents in the information and
telecommunications fields.



(5)  Encourage research activities, including legal
research in the information and telecommunications fields.



(6)  Support promotional activities to market Hawaii's
information industry services. [L 1978, c 100, pt of §2; am L 1984, c 236, §15;
am L 1986, c 276, §30; am L Sp 1988, c 1, §6; am L 1989, c 250, §2]