HONOLULU >> Economic development agencies on all islands would contribute to a fund to market Hawaii under a public-private partnership that would be developed under a restructured Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. New structure for
DBEDT focuses on
developmentBy B.J. Reyes
Associated Press
Department Director Ted Liu provided details of the restructuring and the agency's proposed budget at a hearing yesterday before the House Finance Committee.
Restructuring the agency to allow it to focus on its core mission of economic development was a theme of Gov. Linda Lingle's campaign.
The agency currently exists as five divisions and 11 attached agencies, including the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii, the state's public housing agency.
Lingle's administration has introduced a bill that would transfer oversight of the housing agency to the Department of Human Services.
During her campaign, Lingle also had said she wanted to remove tourism from the oversight of the economic development agency. Liu said there was no bill introduced to separate the agency in the governor's legislative package.
The restructuring proposal outlined by Liu would establish four main divisions with a focus on interagency cooperation among the remaining attached agencies.
"Interrelationship is very important," Liu said.
The four divisions would be for strategic marketing, strategic industries such as high technology, business services and culture and the arts. Culture and the arts is a new division that would include the state's Film Office branch.
"Because of who we are and what we are, culture and the arts can and should be a powerful economic driver," Liu said.
Tourism would fall under the strategic marketing division and include partnerships.
Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism