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KAIETEUR News articles of October 24th , titled “Brassington seeks to outsource Casino, Restaurant and Night Club” and October 28th , titled “Separation of Casino, Nightclub, Restaurant at Marriott Hotel – A financial scheme to steal Guyana money’ –APNU” are intellectually dishonest and nothing but another attempt by the opposition and their media associates to cater to special interest groups of the opposition, interested in distorting the facts. For the record, Government/NICIL and AHI have consistently said that the Entertainment Complex will be separately operated. However, Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) will own both the Hotel and the Entertainment Complex, and all investment, income, and expenditure will be in the name of AHI. Operators are simply persons who will take responsibility for the management of these individual units, on behalf of AHI. Operators may be international, regional or local brands, and will be selected via a competitive process, as stated in recent public advertisements.
Government/NICIL/AHI wishes to point out public references that specifically state that a Request for Proposals (RFP) process will be used to select the operators of the Entertainment Complex. Members of the public will recall that in June 2010, Marriott announced that it will be the operator of the hotel. However, no announcement was made on the Entertainment Complex –the selection of the operators for the Entertainment complex was deferred until the construction design, construction and project financing, was sufficiently advanced.
The following are public reference to the Entertainment Complex being operated by separate operators from the Marriott:
1. On March 8, 2012, an advertisement was published inviting a private equity partner in which the preamble at 1 (b) of this public advertisement stated:
“…the operators will be selected during 2012 via a Request for Proposals (RFP); the selected operators will oversee and guide outfitting of the 3 components of the Entertainment Complex.”
2. In response to a question posed by the AFC leader, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, in Parliament, the Minister of Finance, in a response in March of 2012 (Notice Paper No. 12) clearly stated in the answer to Question 4 (iv)
“…Outfitting costs for the Entertainment Complex estimated at US$4 M that is expected to be funded by the operators (casino, nightclub, and restaurant) once these operators are selected via an RFP to be issued.”
It is unfortunate that the opposition members of Parliament have not read the response to these questions that they have themselves asked, since the continued distortion of this project, could have been avoided.
3. On the debate series on “Corruption and the Marriott Hotel” aired on August 22, 2012, at which the leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, was present for the opposition, Mr. Winston Brassington stated:
“….will very shortly ….. advertise for the Operators of the Entertainment Complex…,
In all communications on this project, dating back to 2010, including the advertisement to shortlist firms for the construction, and again this year, in a call for private investors in the US$8M private equity that will own 67% of the equity of AHI, the project has been described as both a Hotel (to be operated by Marriott) and an Entertainment Complex (to be separately operated).
Kaieteur News article of October 24th additionally stated, “according to the current laws no facility with less than 200 rooms can operate a casino.” KN journalists have clearly not done their research, as The Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Act 2007, Section 29 (3) clearly states:
“No casino premises license may be issued except for a new hotel or resort complex (a) with a minimum of one hundred and fifty rooms allocated for accommodation.”
It has been pointed out that Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan is the lawyer for Mr. Robert Badal, the owner of the Pegasus Hotel. Mr. Ramjattan is on record as representing the Pegasus Hotel against AHI. It is also a public record that Mr. Badal is a strong supporter of Mr. Ramjattan and the AFC. This evident form of cronyism by the AFC has been publicly stated in the debate and has not been disputed. On the other hand, throughout the entire process of this project, the Government/AHI have employed public advertisements to advance each stage of the project:
a. 2009—Advertisement for a Public Private Partnership, “Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI). Joint Venture for Hotel Development.”
b. 2010—Advertisement for “Pre-Qualification of Contractors”
c. 2012—Advertisment for a Supervision Firm “Requests for Proposals”
d. 2012—Advertisement for “Final Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in AHI’s (Marriott Hotel Project) private equity.”
e. 2012—Advertisement for “Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI.) Requests for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Casino/Night club/Restaurant Operators”
It is clear that self-interest of the AFC in supporting their supporter, Mr. Robert Badal, owner of the Pegasus, is the key driver in their continued attacks at distorting this project, and the overall investment climate in Guyana. Kaiteur News has become one of the major instruments of the opposition in seeking to attack investors and damage our investment climate. These distortions and attacks should be seen for what it is—“Exploits by the opposition for cheap political gain.”
Issued by NICIL/AHI & the Government of Guyana.
Government/NICIL/AHI wishes to point out public references that specifically state that a Request for Proposals (RFP) process will be used to select the operators of the Entertainment Complex. Members of the public will recall that in June 2010, Marriott announced that it will be the operator of the hotel. However, no announcement was made on the Entertainment Complex –the selection of the operators for the Entertainment complex was deferred until the construction design, construction and project financing, was sufficiently advanced.
The following are public reference to the Entertainment Complex being operated by separate operators from the Marriott:
1. On March 8, 2012, an advertisement was published inviting a private equity partner in which the preamble at 1 (b) of this public advertisement stated:
“…the operators will be selected during 2012 via a Request for Proposals (RFP); the selected operators will oversee and guide outfitting of the 3 components of the Entertainment Complex.”
2. In response to a question posed by the AFC leader, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, in Parliament, the Minister of Finance, in a response in March of 2012 (Notice Paper No. 12) clearly stated in the answer to Question 4 (iv)
“…Outfitting costs for the Entertainment Complex estimated at US$4 M that is expected to be funded by the operators (casino, nightclub, and restaurant) once these operators are selected via an RFP to be issued.”
It is unfortunate that the opposition members of Parliament have not read the response to these questions that they have themselves asked, since the continued distortion of this project, could have been avoided.
3. On the debate series on “Corruption and the Marriott Hotel” aired on August 22, 2012, at which the leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, was present for the opposition, Mr. Winston Brassington stated:
“….will very shortly ….. advertise for the Operators of the Entertainment Complex…,
In all communications on this project, dating back to 2010, including the advertisement to shortlist firms for the construction, and again this year, in a call for private investors in the US$8M private equity that will own 67% of the equity of AHI, the project has been described as both a Hotel (to be operated by Marriott) and an Entertainment Complex (to be separately operated).
Kaieteur News article of October 24th additionally stated, “according to the current laws no facility with less than 200 rooms can operate a casino.” KN journalists have clearly not done their research, as The Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Act 2007, Section 29 (3) clearly states:
“No casino premises license may be issued except for a new hotel or resort complex (a) with a minimum of one hundred and fifty rooms allocated for accommodation.”
It has been pointed out that Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan is the lawyer for Mr. Robert Badal, the owner of the Pegasus Hotel. Mr. Ramjattan is on record as representing the Pegasus Hotel against AHI. It is also a public record that Mr. Badal is a strong supporter of Mr. Ramjattan and the AFC. This evident form of cronyism by the AFC has been publicly stated in the debate and has not been disputed. On the other hand, throughout the entire process of this project, the Government/AHI have employed public advertisements to advance each stage of the project:
a. 2009—Advertisement for a Public Private Partnership, “Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI). Joint Venture for Hotel Development.”
b. 2010—Advertisement for “Pre-Qualification of Contractors”
c. 2012—Advertisment for a Supervision Firm “Requests for Proposals”
d. 2012—Advertisement for “Final Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in AHI’s (Marriott Hotel Project) private equity.”
e. 2012—Advertisement for “Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI.) Requests for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Casino/Night club/Restaurant Operators”
It is clear that self-interest of the AFC in supporting their supporter, Mr. Robert Badal, owner of the Pegasus, is the key driver in their continued attacks at distorting this project, and the overall investment climate in Guyana. Kaiteur News has become one of the major instruments of the opposition in seeking to attack investors and damage our investment climate. These distortions and attacks should be seen for what it is—“Exploits by the opposition for cheap political gain.”
Issued by NICIL/AHI & the Government of Guyana.
