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quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
What rush? It's been 2 years now.
THE MAN WANT TO BUILD A HOTEL and have no money,the police need a raise, the teachers need a raise,the nurse need a raise the cane cutters need a raise but he cannot find the money,he find money to build a hotel,that guyana dont need.why why


because he's getting huge kickbacks (in the millions) and he wants to make sure all loose ends are tied up asap.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
What rush? It's been 2 years now.
THE MAN WANT TO BUILD A HOTEL and have no money,the police need a raise, the teachers need a raise,the nurse need a raise the cane cutters need a raise but he cannot find the money,he find money to build a hotel,that guyana dont need.why why


Tourists spend money. When money flowing everybody will get a raise.
TI
quote:
Originally posted by the new yorker:
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
What rush? It's been 2 years now.
THE MAN WANT TO BUILD A HOTEL and have no money,the police need a raise, the teachers need a raise,the nurse need a raise the cane cutters need a raise but he cannot find the money,he find money to build a hotel,that guyana dont need.why why


because he's getting huge kickbacks (in the millions) and he wants to make sure all loose ends are tied up asap.


Kickbacks from who? Mr. Marriot International?
TI
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
What rush? It's been 2 years now.
THE MAN WANT TO BUILD A HOTEL and have no money,the police need a raise, the teachers need a raise,the nurse need a raise the cane cutters need a raise but he cannot find the money,he find money to build a hotel,that guyana dont need.why why


Tourists spend money. When money flowing everybody will get a raise.


Sure, lots of tourist going to Guyana...they all return home with a bullet in dem head.
Courtesy of the bandits who cant find proper jobs.
Tola
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
What rush? It's been 2 years now.
THE MAN WANT TO BUILD A HOTEL and have no money,the police need a raise, the teachers need a raise,the nurse need a raise the cane cutters need a raise but he cannot find the money,he find money to build a hotel,that guyana dont need.why why


Tourists spend money. When money flowing everybody will get a raise.
what tourist,you think any returning guyanese,will stay at this hotel.this hotel maybe for the cartels
FM
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
Tourists spend money. When money flowing everybody will get a raise.


True but almost no tourists visit Guyana and Marriott isnt the type of hotel which is interested in attracting the eco-adventure type. They will battle to snatch business travelers from Pegasus. A 160 room facility is actually much smaller than their normal.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
A major U.S. corporation like Marriott would not go into any shady deals.


marriott isnt doing anything shady. Its not their money. The investors (who ever they are) will provide Marriott with a management contract. If the contract isnt profitable Marriott will drop the hotel.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by caribj:
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
A major U.S. corporation like Marriott would not go into any shady deals.


marriott isnt doing anything shady. Its not their money. The investors (who ever they are) will provide Marriott with a management contract. If the contract isnt profitable Marriott will drop the hotel.
and the guyanese tax payers will have to pick up the slacks.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by caribj:
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
A major U.S. corporation like Marriott would not go into any shady deals.


marriott isnt doing anything shady. Its not their money. The investors (who ever they are) will provide Marriott with a management contract. If the contract isnt profitable Marriott will drop the hotel.
The "investors"? Do yo mean like the type that "financed" the Berbice river bridge? nThis PPP is prodigious in their invention of schemes with graft potential.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by marlon:

Because of the booming tourism business we need more rooms.


First half of 2011 shows arrivals from the main souirces to be either down, or flat compared to last year. The only are with some growth is from the Caribbean...mainly Guyanese living in the islands (Islanders are afraid to go to Guyana except to watch cricket). I bet most of these stay with their relatives.

Where is this boom?
FM
Marriott Guyanaâ€Ķ.US$51M investment cannot be supported

November 22, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News

“Given the Govt’s perceived connection with the underworld and the narco-trade I wouldn’t rule out money laundering-” Pegasus owner

Gary Eleazar

The controversy has been brewing for years; the silence has been deafening but this past Sunday Head

CEO of the Guyana Pegasus Robert Badal

of State Bharrat Jagdeo along with other stakeholders turned the symbolic sod for the construction of a Guyana Marriot International Hotel leaving in its wake numerous unanswered questions.
Who are the shareholders? Why commit taxpayers’ money with less than a week to election? How will it be maintained?
These are questions that local hotelier, Robert Badal, is asking.
Badal is the principal owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Pegasus Hotel which has been recognized as the country’s premier hotel for decades now. He is of the view that firstly any investment in the hotel industry should be by the private sector and not an investment with taxpayers’ money, even a public/private partnership.
According to Badal, the government over the years has demonstrated its inability to prudently manage the taxpayers’ money which it has invested over time, on each occasion raising eyebrows.
Badal recalled some of the many failings. He pointed to the Skeldon Sugar Factory which he said should have only cost US$100M and would have performed better instead of having to plug US$65M more with the country yet to see benefits.
Despite this investment, Badal is of the view that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) along with the families that depend on the sugar industry faces an uncertain future.
He spoke, too, of the Berbice River Bridge which was supposed to have cost US$30M but wound up costing some US$55M while attracting one of the highest tolls in the world.
“We have seen, over the years, so many failings by the government in the investment of taxpayers’ moneyâ€Ķthis Government has not been prudent with taxpayers’ money.”
Badal believes that any such investment in the industry should have been done by the private sector. He adds that if such an investment was feasible, the private sector would have been able to more effectively manage it and in the process receive a better rate of return.



Winston Brassington

Had the project, in his view, been feasible there would have been total private sector investment.
He questions the logic behind the investment saying that at present the country’s hotel industry as a whole operates at an average of a 30 per cent occupancy rate. “So why would taxpayers’ money be used to increase the inventory of rooms when there is no increase in demand?
“You tell me where the additional people will come from?”
Badal says that the people that travel to Guyana other than to do business generally are Guyanese returning to visit their families and they would stay with relatives while in the country. “They are not going to stay in a hotel.”
He said that under Jagdeo’s Presidency over the past 12 years the economy has only grown below the two per cent mark which would not enthuse any significant increase in traffic to Guyana.
Badal says that with an increased demand for rooms then such an investment would be justified and even if it were to increase then the only justifiable investment source would be the private sector.
The hotelier drew reference to the 2007 appeal by the Head of State for the country to increase its inventory of rooms available for the Cricket World Cup. According to Badal the majority of the new hotels that were built are now up for sale with no buyers available. “So why put taxpayers’ money to aid a multinational?”
Badal told this publication, “My issue is not putting up a hotelâ€ĶIf the Marriott wants to, it is a very rich multinational company, it should not depend on the taxpayers of this country to finance a US$51M investment and then it will come and run itâ€ĶThat’s not good business!”
The Pegasus owner vehemently said of the US$51M investment “â€Ķit will fail overnight.”
He said too that at present the vast majority of Guyanese don’t know what the deal is with the Marriottâ€Ķ“they are paying the Marriott to come and manage this.”
Badal said that an investment of US$51M would require at least a 10 per cent return which would mean some US$5M. The entire industry in Guyana does not make half of this.
The Hotelier says that for Republic Bank to put US$27M as was stated at the sod turning ceremony then there would have had to be a Government guarantee.
“I went through this process,” Badal said adding that Trinidadian banks would not finance a hotel even half the size of the proposed Marriott, without a Government guarantee.
The owner of the proposed Hotel is Atlantic Hotel Incorporated (AHI) which Brassington has described as a Special Purpose Company. To date the only names that have been associated publicly with AHI are Brassington and Marcia Nadir.
He reiterated that there is so much more need for the money, “look at the roads that don’t last a rainy seasonâ€Ķpublic sector wages, a host of problems need to be taken care of â€Ķwhy build a hotel for the Marriott?”
sachin_05
quote:
Originally posted by TI:
quote:
Originally posted by Mr.T:
That's US85 profit per room per night. That is quite a high amount. Rooms would have to be rented out at more than it cost me to book a room in my local Hollyday Inn hotel in London.


Pegasus was charging me $220 a night for a room.

You kidding me. I can get a good hotel room in most of the major capitals in Europe for that price. These guys really think that they are a major hotel in a developed country.
Mr.T
quote:
Originally posted by Brodaman:
Who is pushing the agenda and why? KING KONG?


No one is pushing the agenda. The project is behind schedule. The need for another international hotel proved that the country is moving to meet its demand. What would you say about the Chinese contract to extend the runway and terminal at CJIA?
FM
quote:
Originally posted by Cobra:
quote:
Originally posted by Brodaman:
Who is pushing the agenda and why? KING KONG?


The need for another international hotel proved that the country is moving to meet its demand. ?


So why then are taxpayers funds needed? If this hotel was so necessary its profit potential would guarantee that it would be 100% privately financed.

The notion of CBJIA needing 8 jetways is hilarious. Do you thiunk you will live ling anough to see 8 jets arrive simultaneously in GEO? Even busy St Maarten doesnt have so many jetways.
FM

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