Senior Counsel, Alick Lawrence, of Oriental Development Caribbean Limited, developer of the Silver Beach Resort and Spa, to be located in Picard, is promising hundreds of jobs during the construction and operational phases of the facility.
On Monday the government signed an agreement with Lawrence for the development of the facility under the island’s citizenship by investment program and he said it will contain all the amenities and services of any five-star hotel in the world.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, he stated that the impact of the hotel on the economy is going to be significant with hundreds of jobs to be created.
“The impact of Silver Beach on the economy will be significant with hundreds of workers in the construction phase,” he stated. “Additionally, we have been informed by the experts that operating a hotel of this class will require the employment a minimum of three persons per room. This means six hundred employees when we are fully operational.”
But that is not all since Lawrence stated that other services will be needed.
“Our impact will also be felt to the purchase of local goods and services such as fresh fish, fresh fruits and vegetables and other local produce, tour and taxi services and cultural services, to name a few,” he remarked.
He said Silver Beach will not just be another luxury resort.
“It will be one which represents and showcases the natural attributes of the Nature Island,” he said.
According to its website, Silver Beach Resort and Spa will be a 200-room, luxury, five-star resort and “is expected to set the standard for eco-chic resort living.”
The website said the resort offers individuals two options for attaining second citizenship: the purchase of shares or the purchase of full titled units.
Alick you lie. Tell the people the truth. This hotel is owned by you and the other owners of the VIllas. It was supposed to have started a long time ago but because of the villas fiasco they had to put it on hold.truth will reveal
Agreed! It should be re-named the Silver GimmetheMoneyforaPassport Hotel!
Just saying Alick Lawrence is son of the soil born and breaded in Zicack Porstmouth
You know as well as I do, nothing good comes from Zicack
Passport agents are becoming investors hahaha; thought passport holders were suppose to be investing. Corruption at its best. Then the guy goes on to say his family has an affinity to the area and people of Portsmouth and so his family views this investment as dear hahaha. But is Portsmouth people money, is Dominican people money, Dominicans wake up, it is our passport money the man using. It I s our assets not his family assets to bamboozle us. SC please tell us how many of our passports was sold to enable you to undertake that project. People if the agent makes that amount of money that allows he and his family to make that kind of investment all you now understand how many passports that has been sold to get that going. Can you now understand how many people out of Dominica that holding our passports and who are Dominicans that we know nothing about. Dominicans open your eyes. This is gruel y revealing stuff.
Thankfully not all Dominicans are fooled by these inept liars. I aint gonna lie tho…..they got big pockets from all that CBI Arab money
This is an old story. I have an acquaintance who acquired a Dominican passport, since expired, for an investment in a hotel complex on the Layou River, built by the Taiwanese. I think many of you have driven past this abandoned relic of that former government’s efforts. Pretty soon the Moroccan hotel by Cabrits will be another such eye sore. Well he got his passport and lost his investment, having set foot on Dominican soil for one day. It is easy to sell passports to people with funny money to park—just as easy as it is to draw pretty pictures of 200 room 5-star hotels to be built in an area with no adequate sewage treatment , dreadful roads, no nightlife and an airline schedule that only moves maybe 100 plus international passengers a day on and off the island. And the dream goes on.
Not forgetting a lack of BEACHES which are THE MAJOR ATTRACTION for tourists coming from Europe and the US. If anyone did a straw poll of tourists in any of the other Caribbean islands you would always find this in the top 2 answers.
This factor should always be considered when these projects are being commissioned alongside the long awaited INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT which is always coming but never arrives.
LIAT is doing better then?
Knowledge is a deadly friend
When no one sets the rules
The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools
Yes wi….Skerrit and company…the corrupt Labour Party government
I hope its not LIAT alone the govt depending on to fill these hotel rooms if so they can forget it.
Don’t Dominicans know what is happening to that beloved country I left 30 years ago by no choice? If The leader was to try that in the 70’s, he would face the likes of strikes and a revolution with men at the time like Charles Savarin at the helm, our current presi-lent.
Dominicans! Wake up from your slumber. Don’t be bought by moneys that are rightfully yours. Demand electoral reforms….Or just accept that Dominica will become the first monarchy in the Eastern Caribbean. It’s already happening. King Skerrit is paving his way for a formal coronation in 2019/20.
I dare say Dominica has many dreamers..
So Alick Lawrence sold more passports than apple sold iphone and Alick cannot pin point one CBI with a real investment in Dominica . So way to go Alick – why not invest yourself. After all no CBI is investing. At least Alick can point to something that id associated with passports. Remember the photos in Dubai promoting passports and the huge Silver beach sign in the Background.
Whoever thought passports could be generating cash on par with coke, crystal meph, canabis. Who ever thought that men who walk around so quietly in Dominica could be so cunning ….
I saw an article on Yahoo recently about 10 countries selling passports forcitizenship. The large western economies require an investment (usually millions and other conditions) to gain access but of all the countries including other West Indian islands, dominican passports are the cheapest at £75,000 a pop. Neighbourings island charge twice as much.
I would really like to know how many have been sold, by whom, to who, at what cost, including commissions if possible. Could anyone advise me where this is obtainable? Is there a Freedom of Information Act in the Dominica constitution which allows this? Or has Dominica exchanged democracy for feudalism.
Excellent point .I recall the real P.M- Lawrence Alick. Sheepishly buying his dinner and taking the bus to Les Point in a wooden 1bedroom house. Quiet unassuming sheepish lad. Then his name became popular for winning cases ………… ( late bloomer) This guy even with his milinstoday from passports is still
unassuming in style & looks. Only difference is he like P.M Brown of Antigua is spotting Justfor men beards with a little too much colour. Funny his brother has become a bold head.Lol
Hotel, hotel, hotel and more hotel. When are we going to talk roads, roads, roads and more roads. The priority of this government amazes me. I’m sorry but I believe that this government has lost all logical sense of governance.
And what about Zika, Ebola, Yellow Fever, Dengue??? Who the flock are we going to get in those hotels now after country after country are giving travel bans upon (according to the Daily Mail, ‘zika infested Dominica’.
I guess the mosquitoes will be waking up to crisp white sheets singing “Somewhere over a Passport Sale”?
The other Citizenship and Passport Dealers should take a leaf from Mr Lawrence Senior Counsel book. Step up to the plate WHITCO Company Ltd., ,Stowe,and the other major dealers and build some more hotels and provide plenty jobs
If we have 10 completed 200 room hotels and no airport there will be no jobs because the rooms will be empty. It has also been ppointed out that the islands lacks decent roads. These things go hand in hand
If the funds are derived from the CBI and the project is not loan funded from the CBI then I suspect big time BOBOL!
All them people who against it well going and get job there, hungry they hungry.
I am convinced that these bunch of Skerrit guys live in a fantasy world of fairy tale dolls and gals and guys. We have no development, no entertainment, no industry, no agriculture, Dominicans have been reduced to beggars, Dominica is locked down by 6pm in Roseau, much less for the country areas and these fake fly by night kookoo-makak Labour political clowns, living in luxury, nice salaries and comfort, creating make belief of jobs and so called investments in Cinderella land.. Where is the corresponding/complimentary services, entertainment, etc we have to offer. These guys like the Lawrence’s, Scare-its, Asstaphans, AA`s etc have no knowledge of Dominica’s current poverty status, are lost to the reality of Dominica`s high and increasing poverty, and in denial just like the Papa Doc and Baby Doc of Haiti. This is where we are in Dominica
Phantom hotels are an easy way to launder money. Put on paper hotel will cost 10 million- actually spend 2 million but never complete it—-pocket the remaining 8 million for you and your boys. Write off the 2 million as a business loss for income tax purposes.
What’s wrong with that??? Isn’t that what you would do if, like Skerritt and his pals, you were the dictator of a country full of the most docile and stupid people on earth?
Doesn’t anyone care about a massive conflict of interest here ? How can a man who sells economic citizenship for a living also be part of a hotel development group ? HELLO ?! Why oh why do Dominicans keep on accepting corruption as the norm ? Aren’t you bothered ? WAKE UP!!!
The level of corruption on this island is almost as shocking as the fact that the people here simply accept it as normal. Anywhere else and they would be out on the streets protesting. The only thing that gets Dominicans on the street is a fete.
When I was a kid, my dad bought me a train set. It was a big set and to get some more pocket money, I used to let my school mates play with it for ‘fares’. Then I got greedy and starting putting up the fares. My mom got to find out about this and accused me of ‘bobol’, spanked me and took away the set.
Well, we have already accused the Skerritt regime of bobol, we need to go to the next level
My God, My God, My God, please help us and deliver our country
Mr. Alick Lawrence, my government signed contract with you without vetting you and I therefore as a citizen of DA need some truthful answers from you:
1. Sir, Does PM Skerrit, Emmanuel Nanthan and other friends of the government have any interest in this new business?
2. Sir, does you business team have anything to do with My Dominica Trade House?
3.In March 2015, were you part of a delegation that included Minister John Collin McIntyre, CBI Administrator Emmanuel Nanthan, and State College President Donald Peters and was later joined by Skerrit in Malaysia and Limkokwing University?
4. Can you tell us about the stated MOU with the university to establish a facility in Dominica?
5. Are you selling our passports? If so how many have u sold?
6. Are you on the Election committee? How did u get on…
I hope day sports car is just for taking people to the room cause first trip to airport it losing its gear box and oil pan! LMAO
LOLOLOL Such comedians! All these hotels with 100 s of new rooms and the Government still has not addressed lack of access. Ferry is a disaster, LIAT is NOT 5 star suitable, airport cannot handle planes big enough to fill these rooms. Plenty money going to be made but it not in tourism! LOL
Promises, promises. How often have we heard them only for them to turn out to be vacuous? Can you take a promise to the bank as collateral for a loan? The three biggest promises in the world go like this:
– don’t worry, I will make sure you won’t get pregnant.
– the cheque is in the mail
– some of my best friends are black.
It reminds me of the story of the American politician, up for election who promised that he would not raise taxes. As sooonas he was elected he promptlyy increased taxes and when confronted by a very upset voter, who supported him he simply said: ” so, what, I lied!”
Alick u cannot take the money when you die. Look he buy a red Lamborghini with our passports.
Using all of Dominica’s resources to make themselves richer while the poor gets poorer.
So Senior, Is that a way to bring the money into the country?
Am I crazy? Does no one see the HUGE conflict of interest here?
Passport seller working with the government to sell passports, gets contract from said government for his development firm to build hotel with funds from the sale of passports. WTH DOMINICA! People go to jail for less than that.
I am proud of how easily fooled the majority of voters are!
Why in the GIS reports, Skerro has himself referred to as ‘the honourable ‘Dr.’ Roosevelt Skerritt’??? Only wipers of the worst kind use titles given to them in honorary degrees. Drop the ‘Dr.’ Skerro, remember ‘Dr.’ Patrick John?? Well no one wants to go that way now do they?
A zoo with white elephants only.
and dumbnicans
It must not be for Dominica. Look I see a Red Lamborghini parked by de entrance. I didn\’t keep my promise – Said I wasn\’t going to comment on Dominica issues/problems. My bread is already buttered and I seek no favors from either politician. But my heart just keep on hurting because I love my Country so much. My own people (Dominicans) have betrayed me and my Country, by allowing such pangs to overwhelm this once beautiful Island.
When will we get a leader that\’s a leader? When will we get a PM that\’s not crooked, wicked and evil? Lord, make it happen before I depart this earth. I have traveled far and wide; Seen many places and different faces. But when I\’m in Dominica it feels like home. God knows how much I love this place. He shall give us a good leader in time. One who has the Country at heart. One who will not fleece it and bleed it. One who will not use it to become wealthy. One who is not full of his/her self. One who has wisdom and communicates without…
Without insulting the opposition and anyone who dare to defer.
It looked like a Ferrari Italia to me. In any event, just as fictitious. Smell a scam, a big, big scam! Shame on the government of Dominica!
I can feel your pain
Can any one remember what Dominica look like before David in 78
Sorry 79
As a matter of fact so much for independent ?
We have so much immediate issues to deal with in this country, healthcare, road network, infrastructure, high unemployment and agriculture as we languish in poverty… And another hotel 200 rooms with no meaningful improve access to Dominica?
I will call this Land ” The Hotel Ponzi Schemes”…. This must be a way to get the millions outside into Dominica for a FEW, this has nothing to do with employment.
A bunch .. picking on a dead carcass, Dominica
One would expect that you will no longer be making those trips to interview economic citizens at taxpayers expense. That new slush fund should hopefully keep you happy. Keep following the money.
Once a poor kid in Posse. Studied hard made it as a lawyer drafting laws making his daily commute to the housing scheme on the coast. Then the boy graduated to Sr. Counsel skipping intermediate then became the P.M in the background.
See how the boy face full no depressions. Dark and groomed. This indicated good meals lots of fat and the beard and hair with Just for Men. Suits made in Macow or China is this a trump tie ?
My boy into agriculture employing Haitians, Law on the side ,Passport (Chief) Agent head office in the mid east on many Boards etc this guy is rich. Does he have a pharmacy yet or planning? He might soon open up a few small clinics around the country. One needs $ to do so any thing and boy does he have it!
More empty promises to the poor people,Skerrit you and this ….day will come,
Alick, there is a clear conflict of interesse, you can’t be an agent selling passports and an invester at the same time
Try your best and learn to spell smh
With a sudden boom in Hotel building going on ,in the works or as the frog leap guy former finance minister in UWP & Neo DLP JT would say in the piplines.I trust ,hope pray they will not become vines ridden on the road sides. like Layou.
This is the real PM of DA behind the scence coming out slowly.
Soon he will do like his former trainee close his offices and be a full time Venture capitalist.
Forgot to mention almost- the trainee has remained in his leanings even if Russia has become Capitalist.
After reading about the appearance I took a look of the guy anew and something else became clear the podium at which he stands say P.M is this a coincidence or what? If he was addressing on behalf of Gov\’t this would explain the Podium write up but it was not in this capacity.Is this just a random photo from a Gov\’t event, or is he sending a message or was the message sent by accident lol
First, it was Pappy Joe and his 82,000 jobs; now it is Alick and his 600+ jobs. Who’s next? Maybe Punchanella!
This CBI stuff looks like a broth, i thought it was a way for foreigners to obtain a second citizenship
Thats great news that all these new hotels will be opening, i just hope the govt has a plan on how they will fill the hotel rooms.
Garçon dat not important. What happen to you nuh?? You thinking to rationally. Lol
someone has to think rationally lol
Poor guy has no clue that Dominica is no longer the nature isle but the Isle of smoke and Mirrors. The isle of S&M.
The isle wher the people are meek
Politicians are sleek
And the people are fast asleep
Oh how i luv S$M
Oh how i Luv the isle of S&M
Get your mate Roosevelt Skerrit to supply you with cheap workers from the NEP pragamme mr. Lawrence. That will help you and fellow investors make even more money on the backs of the suffering tax payers in our country.
Hundreds of passports selling making two people very rich.
This is such a joke!
What thousands of job are you going to cerate. As many big house in Dominica you all call hotels remain empty year round. I was told even when you all claim to host Creole festival, the rooms remain empty, I understand some of the rooms become storage for Band instruments.
You standing in front of your artist rendition of something that will never come to fruition,
Continue:
An International Airport should be the priority, and not this cynical act of dividing the corrupt money to ensure his life is secured, because he knows he is on his way out! I suspect what ever hotel you all are talking about, Skerrit in the middle
He might be chief executive, in other words the CEO, and the rest of you are his shield, the fall guy’s who allow your named to become soiled to protect and cover for the most corrupt human alive! You need to take your face of DNO, it is not that attractive, the evil is seen on your face, don’t try to be sincere we know what is phony and corrupt when we see it.
Right now I am far more interested in electoral reform Senior Counsel, rather than promises of jobs under a dictatorial regime.