HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon said, yesterday, that the most sensible and reasonable contractors would “automatically” work with a labour force with which they are comfortable and familiar.

He was addressing issues surrounding the construction of the controversial Marriott Hotel which is drawing criticism from, among others, the political opposition and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).
Speaking at his weekly media briefing, in Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, the Cabinet Secretary said he stands corrected to believe that some in the Private Sector are complaining, too.
The Marriott Project has attracted severe critics, to the effect that Guyanese are not allowed to work on it, whereas the Home Affairs Ministry has granted work permits to the Chinese for them to complete the building.
Labour Minister Dr.Nanda Gopaul has, since, publicly articulated Government’s stance on the issue and Luncheon, yesterday, said Cabinet stands by this position, which in essence, justifies the acceptance and execution, by National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the contract that now has the public’s attention.

NO SURPRISE
The HPS said it was no surprise, to the Government, that China had chosen to use a labour force from that country. He said the contractor is responsible for discharging the terms of the contract.
“This firm went through the administrative arrangements, applied for visas for the workers to get here. When the firm started its recruitment of labour, it was clear that they were recruiting from the population in China.
“We have not addressed, in contracts, a discretion that has always been left to the contractor. He has to get the labour. We have never really inserted into contracts the sourcing of labour.
“My feeling was the Chinese firm resorted to their labour force as any contractor moving into the execution of a contract would resort to the labour force with which they are comfortable. And this firm, apparently, is in the international realm in the construction industry,” Luncheon observed.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Hotels Inc. (AHI), the special-purpose company established for the erection of the Marriott, is, currently, seeking investors to outfit, operate and maintain an entertainment complex “annexed” to the hotel.
AHI has indicated that expressions of interest are being solicited for the operation of the entertainment complex which would require a five-year business plan, including employment and training. The entertainment complex comprises a specialty restaurant, nightclub and casino.
Marriott, a U.S.-based high-end hotel chain, operates some 3,700 properties in 74 countries and territories worldwide and reported revenues of more than US$12 billion in 2011.
The Georgetown Marriott Hotel was designed to receive LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is on track to be Marriott’s first LEED hotel in the Caribbean and Latin America.
It will operate as part of a public/private partnership between the Government of Guyana and Private Sector investors.