Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Planning, Gloria Joseph, has said progress is being made in relation to the problem-plagued Cabrits Resort and Spa funded by the government of Morroco and which was expected to be completed in 2013.
She said in an interview with state-owned DBS Radio, that by the end of the year, a team from Morroco will be on the site getting mobilized for construction.
“There has been some progress on the Morroco hotel in that we have had several meetings with the company contracted by the Morrocan Agency for International Cooperation,” she noted. “We’ve had discussions, they visited the island on three occasions within the last three months.”
She said a visit was done to the island for “further technical studies to inform the final designs, that is designs for completion for interior work, interior decorating, for landscaping for the air condition and lighting and planning works and they returned to Morroco.”
Joseph noted that at this point the final designs for the facility are completed.
“They have already consigned some material to Dominica and we await the arrival of the material,” she revealed. “We expect in the next few months, I cannot be very certain exactly what date because they have not yet confirmed the date, but before the year is up, we should see the Morrocan team on site getting mobilized for construction.”
Actual work on the hotel began in February 2011.
In October 2012, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the hotel would be completed in October 2013 and “not one day later.”
At a press conference in June 2013, MP for Portsmouth, Ian Douglas said the project was nearing completion, and concentration was being placed on “electrical, tiling and plumbing.” He also said at that time that five individuals had expressed interest in managing the hotel since the government has no interest in running it.
In October 2013, Douglas, who was also Tourism Minister at that time, announced that a management team from Bonaire was expected in Dominica “to see if we can reach a happy medium as far as what the government would want and what we can expect from them managing the facility.”
In November 2013, then Trade Minister, Collin McIntyre said the government was still searching for a team to manage the hotel. He said the hotel would be opened ‘sometime next year’ (2014) and the government was “recruiting staff and training staff for the hotel.”
When it appeared construction had stopped for a period of time at the facility, Douglas was questioned at a press conference in May, 2015. He responded by saying the project was experiencing “a slight setback” but was still on stream. He said a team from Morocco was expected in Dominica “to deal with the issues of décor, such as fixtures, lighting, tiling, and painting.”
At the same press conference, Skerrit, mentioned that the Morrocan Government has changed the contractor and architectural team for the project and they have been “very delayed in addressing the replacement.”
Two months later, in July 2015, Douglas blamed ‘administrative changes’ in the government of Morocco due to the Arab Spring for delays in the construction of a hotel.
The hotel was originally expected to be built in Melville Hall but it was later moved to the Cabrits on the basis that the location was more economically viable and the move was based on ‘sound analysis.’
The 50-room hotel is expected to comprise of seven major buildings including a conference facility to accommodate 200 people, duty-free shops, and a Spa. It has been touted by the government as a ‘generous gift’ from the government of Morocco.
The hotel will be built. Perhaps in 2049, but everything indicates that it is well on the way to completion by that time.
Be patient. Our government, having got the cash to build the hotel, no doubt has had unexpected expenses which are responsible for the delay in getting the hotel up and running.
It seems that Dr. Skerritt is confirming that the hotel will be built and will be successful giving 100’s of jobs to locals. However, the delivery date for the jobs is uncertain as the hotel is not scheduled to finish before 2065.
I guess we just have to wait a little bit longer and be patient.
This is why you don’t built an economy on begging …and why D/ca needs term limits on the PM.
Skerrit/DLP has had 16 years to build a jobs-producing economy but has failed miserably. They have basically set a bad precedence for Dominicans by encouraging laziness and dependability thru redclinicism! Only Dominicans can get themselves out of this mess by having a strong work ethic.. But it will start when they are courageous enough to select leaders who are serious about moving Dominica forward.
There have been no major private sector investments in Dominica in 16 years. Only public sector projects – that only benefit the donor countries. Dominica doesn’t have the money to maintain these projects. Why is the government in the hotel building business is beyond me? How are they gonna run it? They need to give some serious concessions to a major international hotel chain to finish it off and forget about Morrocco and their fertilizer!
the Syrians that bought dom citizenship can live there…but will need 2000 rooms…
How do people do it. This lady claims to be a born again person. Always in church seeking souls yet still she forms part of a cabal that continues to lie and cheat the Dominica people. Ian Douglas spoke of the delays as being the paint and the tiles and some other interior decor issues and that the government will finish the project under the CBI money. Now this lady comes with more sugar coating and twisters. I mean stop the lies man. She is also part of the system as CPO aiding and abetting the Skerrit administration in the blantant victimisation of public servants. So my question is how these people do it? shout God! God! God! Even to tears every Sunday and then during the week be part of a system that is perpetuating lies and hate. Man these people baffle me. GOD is the final judge but their daily double lives speak volumes.
She is fighting for her daily bread, so she give SKERRIT first place in her life Jeremiah 29: 13 tells us that the LORD Said, If you seek me U shall find me when u search for me with all your HEART, So it is clearly a matter of (A FORM OF Godliness but denying the power there of)
After 5 years, this hotel is nowhere close to the finish line. What a race. Just more jokes from the bunch of liars in office. They should stick to what they know best, selling passports.
THIS IS A MOVIE ENJOY WATCHING!!!
DNO you making me laugh,, thanks for the years in review!!
I love when they do that. It really puts things in perspective,
As a construction welding engineering in the UK i know for a fact that any project of that size the ground would be tested for under ground water, gas, oil or sink holes then the top contractors would move in to build, so don’t come with all that bobohaha you guys coming up with trying to destroy Dominica emage overseas, but at the end it’s you your children’s grandchildren that will suffer, i am a none believerer but i sure believe in Mr Dr Pm Skerrit and the labour administrations of Dominica
You are a welder period. You have no idea what is being discussed and here it is you are offering a comnent thst clearly identify you as a fool. I wish you had a chance to rescind that comment. Idiot
Thank U mr. Arte El Labore,
Ma Dominique left D/ca with 3 category of slaves, they are the Field Slave, the Yard slave, and the House Slave, will U please tell us where U are fitting?
and when U will have placed ur. self correctly keep ur advice for ur self we know what we need
Evil Illuminate worshipers, the administration U worship that’s what it is
Sir, you are a shill and a fool.
Arte El Labore … You should not have said anything…. Now you make us know you eat your school fee. Not just that but you eat the pencil and eraser without sipped the ink from your pen for good measure.
I hope Mr. Douglas does not forget to put a team together to investigate the unfinished post office on the Bayfront close to the bank, and fix the eyesore. Maybe, Tonge wants to use it as a spectacles for the tourism season 2016/17.
Why is Ian the one commenting on this project? The hotel is not in his constituency! Is it that there is so little that he can point to that he has done to improve the lives of the people of Portsmouth that he has to resort to claiming a dead elephant?
Whenever the project is completed, it will be something positive that will complement the hotel industry in Dominica and especially the jobs it will help produce not only for the people from the North including the farmers and those in the fishing industry but for others from the island.
Let us pray for its completion and look forward to the benefits it is sure to bring and say Thank You.
I love that Doubting Thomas according to you “whenever the project is finish” remember the same was said about the completion of the Layou River Hotel after the BVI case. The people of Layou and St. Joe including farmers, fishermen will all benefit. So I agree with Doubting Thomas whenever the hotels are completed the people will benefit to hell if it takes forever. To help with accountability once it finish. What idiots we have in this country eh boy.
What is most funny to me is that the cochoni government send a woman who is suppose to be holy and righteous to spin more tales.
Only fools/Laborites buy this crap about design of interior ,air conditioning and stupidness. But then again only this government get away with blatant lies and absolute disrespect fir the people. Where you ever hear that after putting up a structure you then looking to design interior and air conditioning 4 years after the structure is built. In 2004 they were uttering God is good now they can barely mention the word god. Now money and lies are the gods they worship. What an evil bunch.
Lang Mama is non religous so I can say what hypocrites are tok afraid to say. While Dominicans sit by and think prayer will take this bunch of scam artists out of our faces – keep praying while god surfing the Internet to figure out where is the next how to get a cheap ticket to get the fp$$$ away from the nagging prays.
As Pinnard Bryne would say “Construction Fraud”!
Great Job, All them UWP people watching to rush for jobs.
WHAt kind of concrete jungle is that???? Another WHITE LABOUR PARTY ELEPHANT…no hotel chain in their right mind is going to drag their name down with that piece of s…t.
COME CLEAN WITH THE PEOPLE OF DOMINICA…THIS IS A COMPLETE FAILURE….EVEN IAN DOUGLAS GIVE UP ON IT ALREADY….HE JUMP ON THE KIMSPINSKY BOAR NOW!!!
Can I ask the PS to tell us the real truth why the hotel is on a stand still?
Thank you mam in advance.
Dominicans , look closely……………….the difference in the buildings.
The top building has three floors, the template of a so called finished product is smaller and with two floors. Which is the real expected finished product.
Ebe Skerrit and co belief that Dominche sort wi…
Après Skerrit ce comes, eve bobol.
So basically everyone has lied so far. And we’re supposed to believe this latest offering ? Meanwhile Morocco continues to oppress the people of Western Sahara unchallenged by nation states, which is what this was all about in the first place. What ? You thought they did it out of the kindness of their hearts and for a few bags of camel dung fertilizer ?
Paragraphs five,have you ever read such a fabrication,by a senior person in the ministry
Lies,Damm!ies and statements from the ministry.,ministers and Prime Minister.
So how about the Marigot hospital?
How did you get you picture there?
LOL, ok Official!
Putting such sensitive responsibilities in the hands of Dominicans is a “no” “no”. So sad. It’s very risky to give your business into the hand of Dominicans. Very few will have your best interest let alone -the business itself and this is for their own good!!!? Can you imagine? Wow.
One more person who will turn out to be lying about this project! Its a long long list.
how i wish the pinocchio story was real
Be possitjve nuh good tnings comes to thixe who waits
PS in Planning? Is this the same lady that is the Chief Personnel Officer?
Oh Yes…Holder of 2 top public service positions after just 1 year in the system
mi un cadeau papa… it may never get “unwrapped”
That cadeau was a jhab en sac
More lies to the poor fools,this hotel is going nowhere,tell the people that water is sucking this structure down.
There are more that isnt being told, its a failed project, thats why they are so busy with that Kempinsky hotel