Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has said work on the problem-plagued Morroco-funded hotel in Portsmouth will begin ‘in earnest’ after Christmas.
He was speaking at a press conference on Friday following a trip to four countries, including Morocco, in the past two weeks.
He said while in Morocco he met with several government officials and discussed matters of interest to Dominica and ordinary Dominicans.
“In respect to the stalled Moroccan hotel project, all of the chinks have been ironed out,” he said. “Local contractors have been paid, the main contractor is in receipt of 80 percent of the projected completion costs and work to complete the hotel should commence in earnest soon after the Christmas holidays.”
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.
I wonder which Moroccan officials he met during his visit and had conclusive discussions with regarding the ill-fated hotel at the Cabrits.
Normally the Govt. of Morocco would issue a communique for an official visit/talks of this kind but curiously they did not do so this time.This leads me to the conclusion that the P.M.’s visit was not an official one.
Whether a definite agreement on the completion of the hotel was agreed with our donors is not clear because the P.M. was not specific on any details regarding further financin, or material aid from the kingdom of Morocco.
How much more can Dominicans take eh!?!?!
This government is corupt this government only relied on friendly countries to build protects,Dominica has more revenues than any previous governments still the government would build a single protect on it own.
What was the name of the previous one on the same site? Sunshine Village? Looks like this one heading for the the same burial
Government should leave private sector functions to the private sector. Just create the conditions necessary for the private sector invest and make a decent return on investment (ROI). With government is rife with inefficiency in the public sector, is it any wonder it is inefficient when it ventures into private sector functions?
If the Morocco funded hotel is not a government institution why is it the PM has to be deciding when are the y going to start work on the project?
Continue:
If I had to come to a conclusion of what caused the stall; I would suggest as usual someone in Dominica have to get rich at the expense of someone else, the Moroccans might have discovered that, and decide to abandon their efforts rather than getting into anything corrupt which could cause some official to physically get their head chopped off in Morocco, where corruption is not tolerated!
When people steal in the Muslim world they get their hands, and legs chopped of, and in some cases they get their head chopped off too!
We need to have a law in Dominica we can use to chop off the thieving politicians head when we find them with more wealth than their salary can afford!
Skerrit continue too fool them,but not forever my brother,this hotel will not be openin no time soon,just tell the poor people the entire site sits on a mass body of water and is sinking.
Cameron, SKERRIT is not the one to be blame, it’s the Dominican people both at home and abroad
LMAO!!! And of course, Dominicans will swallow that red pill. Smh
I guess it will be completed the same day as our promised international airport is completed
Skerrit, I do not care what you say, how many lies you tell about, that dilapidated decaying construction we are viewing in the picture is not going any place further than where it now stands.
When you say in earnest you are confirming you are a liar, hoping your promise will be believed. I do not know of any place besides Dominica where a fifty room so called hotel takes almost ten years to build, For six long years and counting it cannot be completed.
You are getting ready for next election, so the in earnest crap is another false hope you are arousing in the ignorant people who supports you with the hope of getting Moroccan Hotel. You would serve you supporters better if you did your usual stunt of feeding them, perhaps you should have brought back some black rice, and sheep brain from Morocco and feed them as usual!
I will give you credit for Dominica’s most traveled prime minister, as a matter of fact the most traveled prime minister in the Caribbean. Always going…
Stupes. You in Dubai dancing and having dinner in morocco while we have 4000 children without sponsors, crime sky rocketing, people dying everyday of disease horrible healthcare, your own supporters who shouting layba cannot pay there mortgage and the boiling lake get cold.
Lmao Skerrit make the boiling lake get cold. Boy some of allu need to be on SNL for real
This is not meant as criticism of the government, it’s just that it would appear that we in Dominica do not have the ability to complete what has been started. We also have a problem maintaining what have been completed. After a few years the facilities like those at the airport, Cabrits and Emeral Pool fall into disrepair. We need a new attitude in Dominica. By God’s grace we can and will do better. Almost forgot, please complete the geothermal plant.
Well said Sams Gutter, That is why the Laba daba needs to change because it has reach a state of irreparable
What about the Waitikubuli trail my friend? I hear they even steal the signs.
This is a bit humbling. This is a motel not a hotel; why can’t local investors pick up the slack?
Are you referring to local passports sellers……….scrapping bottom. Which local investors. All you those Laborats will say anything to defend this bunch of imbecile in our government.
Should have sought private investors to complete and run the facility.
looks like that even falling apart there oui
Lol!
Monsieur qui quack?
The work will commence just before election-liar
The Layou fiasco all over again.
What a bunch of incompetent nincompoops. All you taking over 5 years and all you cannot complete a 50 room hotel? This is just madness in this place. This government continues to show its inefficient, lazy don’t care about the people attitude towards the development of the country. BUT THE PARTNER THAT OWING THE CIP OVER A MILLION DOLLARS THERE AND ALL YOU PREVENTING CIVIL SERVANTS FROM HOLDING HIM TO TASK.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOl
ROTFL!!!!!!!
I often wonder why they would start a project of this magnitude unless ALL the financing was in place to take it to fruition?
I costs much more to have these long delays. The point is to complete the project so that you have paying guests who can pay down the cost of borrowing and other operating costs of the property.
Zandoli what we are seeing now is that The LABA DABA has rich a state of irreparable
to begin or resume?
Almost 6 years now and they still cannot finish this 50 room motel. Welcome to the next level citizens. A land where one-eyed jack is king. Passports are being sold like hot bread and butter. The boys and girls are enjoying Jolly Roger Rides all around the glove on the tax payer’s dime and roads and bridges are falling apart left, right and center. Labor working really hard for the few well connected ones, while the masses struggle and suffer. The country really nice boy.