The Guam Chamber of Commerce released a list of about three dozen businesses that have closed or are closing as of April 25, and at the rate it’s going, the government will wind up collecting less, because there will be fewer businesses to collect from.

Chamber president Catherine Castro wants to bring that point and more to senators who, on June 9, will receive public testimony on Bill 11-38, which seeks to reduce Guam’s business privilege tax from the current 5% back to the 4% it was in 2018.

Click here to read more on the Pacific Daily News coverage

Small Business Seminar

Featuring Marie Lizama, Director,

Department of Revenue and Taxation

Your Guam Chamber Small Business Focus & Development Committee is pleased to announce that Marlie Lizama, Director, Department of Revenue and Taxation, will be the featured speaker for this month’s seminar. She will cover key information on Compliance Essentials: Timely Business Privilege Tax Filing & an Overview of the Weights & Measures Branch.

This event is scheduled for Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Guam Chamber of Commerce Office in Hagåtña. The seminar is open to members at $20.00 and future members at $40.00. Registration is open! Members are encouraged to RSVP and make advance payments to secure their seats for a swift and smooth entry on the day of the event, and future members are advised to contact the Chamber Team to process payments to secure their seats.

GYP Roadside

Beutification

The Guam Young Professionals, a Committee of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to present its Roadside Beautification clean-up scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2025, alongside Asponall Avenue, and Paseo Drive in Hagatna from 6:00 am to 7:00 am. Come out and join the Guam Young Professionals in helping keep our island clean and green!

We are taking action to improve our community and keep our island looking its best. Get involved, lend a hand, and let's make a visible difference!

A Conversation with Jeffry Grimes, Executive Director, 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base

The Armed Forces Committee is pleased to present A Conversation with Jeffrey Grimes, Executive Director, 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base, on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Guam Chamber of Commerce Office, 372 West Soledad Avenue, Hagåtña.

AFC members will have time to engage one-on-one with Jeffrey Grimes and other committee members in this intimate setting. We hope that your schedule will allow you to participate. Seating is limited so please be sure to save your spot today!

This meeting is exclusive to AFC members. Member attendance is non-transferable and admission will not be allowed for members' guests. This meeting is not open to the media. Thank you for your understanding.

For AFC members who wish to attend, please contact the Chamber Team at (671) 472-6311/8001

Partnership with Juvenile Drug Treatment Court

In honor of National Treatment Court Month, the Guam Chamber of Commerce was proud to assist the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court (JDTC) program in collecting donations from various Chamber Member companies for its Healthy Steps, Beautiful Shores 5-K walk while collecting trash alongside the Paseo De Susana Park and surrounding areas in Hagatna. We would like to thank our Chamber Member companies for your generous contributions.

Ada's Trust & Investments, Inc.

Foremost Foods/Coca-Cola Beverage Co. (Guam), Inc.

Matson Navigation Company

Pacific Islands Club

Singstone

UXO Academy of Bombs and Bullets Guam, LLC dba B.N.B

May General Membership Meeting

Featuring Acting Governor Joshua Tenorio

The Guam Chamber of Commerce hosted its May General Membership Meeting, which took place in the Micronesia Ballroom at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spa, featuring the Honorable Joshua Tenorio, Acting Governor of Guam. He spoke about the various initiatives that the Islandwide Beautification Task Force has been working on to include homelessness, derelict buildings, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, and many more in partnership with various government agencies and non-profit groups. He also touched on issues important to the Chamber, including the Business Privilege Tax. Click on the link below to view the Lt Governor's speech.

Click here to view video presentation

The Guam Chamber of Commerce announced during its May General Membership meeting the launch of the newly formed anti-graffiti campaign led by the Guam Chamber of Commerce and the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) to combat graffiti and to develop solutions to fix this long-standing problem. The campaign is also supported by the Islandwide Beautification Task Force (IBTF), the Tamuning Mayor's Office, Guam Police Department, Guam Power Authority, Guam Waterworks Authority, Department of Public Works and GTA.

Acting Governor Joshua F. Tenorio was the guest speaker at the Chamber’s Membership meeting. Acting Gov. Tenorio presented updates on the IBTF’s recent projects to combat illegal dumping, removal of junk cars and garbage, and clean up of eyesore areas around the island, to name a few. The meeting provided the backdrop for the Guam Chamber of Commerce and GVB to engage Guam’s business community, tourism stakeholders, and residents to join efforts to clean up vandalism and report any suspicious activities. Residents are encouraged to report vandalism or graffiti to the Guam Crime Stoppers, which is offering a $2,000 cash reward sponsored by the Guam Chamber of Commerce and GVB for the arrest and conviction of offenders.

Read more of the story from the Guam Daily Post by clicking here!

Your Chamber has planned an educational outreach program targeted at garnering support in favor of reducing the Business Privilege Tax (BPT) back to 4%. In past newsletters, we have provided our members with information, updates, and links to news bites and op-eds the Chamber has written regarding the call to action to roll back the BPT.

We are seeking your continued support to spread the word about the public hearing for Bill No. 11-38 scheduled for Monday, June 9th. This legislation, introduced by Senator Shawn Gumataotao, seeks to rollback the BPT to 4%. We encourage all businesses to contact senators for their support of the bill, attend the public hearing, and send testimony in favor of the reduction. Let the senators know of your struggles and how your company can use the savings a rollback of the BPT can bring. Please sign the petition, share our social media posts, published articles, and radio interviews with your colleagues and other businesses.

If you would like a template to provide supporting testimony for Bill No. 11-38, please contact your Guam Chamber, and we will be happy to send it to you.

Together, we can get the message out to our government officials that the private sector needs relief now.

We Need Your Support!

May is Drug Court Month

We are seeking support in the form of gift certificates or simple prizes for National Drug Court Month activities.

Thank you for your consideration!

Contact ccastro@guamchamber.com.gu if your company can contribute a prize or two. Thank you!

Discover the stories behind Guam’s business community with the Chamber Member Spotlight Podcast. Each month, we sit down with a featured Guam Chamber member to explore the unique challenges, successes, and innovations that shape their business. Every episode offers an inside look at what makes each company- and its leaders- stand out, from their products and services to the personal journeys that fuel their growth.

Whether you’re interested in learning about local entrepreneurship, seeking inspiration, or simply curious about the people driving Guam’s economy, this podcast is your backstage pass to the island’s vibrant business landscape.

Haven’t caught every episode? Scroll through our library by clicking on any of the links below and tune in to the stories you’ve missed! Interested in sharing your own business journey? We’d love to feature you - contact us today to schedule your spotlight episode!

Youtube • Spotify • Apple Podcast

OHS-OCD Promotes Typhoon Preparedness Month – June 2025

Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero will soon declare the month of June 2025 as Typhoon Preparedness Month (TPM) during the TPM Proclamation Signing on Friday, June 6, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex, Adelup. The proclamation signing will also be available to view from the Governor’s Facebook page. TPM promotes typhoon hazard preparedness as an active collaboration among federal, territorial and local emergency management agencies, community leaders and the public.

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (OHS-OCD), in partnership with the National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Forecast Office Guam, invite the community to participate in TPM.

"Typhoon season is something we all need to take seriously here on Guam—it's one of our biggest natural threats," said Esther Aguigui, Guam Homeland Security Advisor. "TPM is a great way to show how well we understand the dangers that storms and typhoons can bring to our island. I really encourage everyone—whether you live here or you're visiting—to use this time to talk with your loved ones about what you've been through with past storms. Share your stories and make sure everyone knows how to stay prepared."

"Guam sits within an area of the western North Pacific known as 'typhoon alley.' Despite a long history of typhoon impacts on Guam, it is important to take time annually to evaluate your personal plans ahead of the next typhoon threat,” said Marcus Landon Aydlett, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist. “Being weather-ready and having a family plan in place before a storm strikes can help ensure we all can weather the storm."

Click here to read more!

DOD STEM AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 

The Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) is a collaborative partnership between academia, industry, not-for-profit organizations, and government that aims to broaden STEM literacy and develop a diverse and agile workforce with the technical excellence to defend our Nation. By addressing and prioritizing critical STEM challenges, the Department of Defense (DoD) is investing in evidence-based approaches to inspire and develop the Nation’s science and technology workforce. Educators recognized with the DoD STEM Ambassador award will partner with DSEC to advance STEM outreach and opportunity throughout the 2025-2026 year. As members of this prestigious cohort, DoD STEM Ambassadors will collaborate to share, create, and curate resources to support STEM educators across the nation in implementing high-quality STEM learning for all students. 

Click here to read more!