Guyana losing out through misguided anti-Marriott campaign – Gerry Gouveia

HOTELIER and former Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman, Captain Gerry Gouveia said there is, currently, a misguided campaign to derail the Georgetown Marriott project.While the supply of a foreign labour force to undertake such a venture is not unique, Guyana is losing out as a nation by not having made available to Guyanese the possibility of working along with the Chinese, he told the Guyana Chronicle.
In an interview with this newspaper yesterday, Gouveia lauded the advent of a Marriott here, declaring that the project is a transformational one for the country, in at least 100 years to come.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Roraima Group of Companies, which include the Duke Lodge, in Kingston, said a Marriott will serve to improve the local hospitality, as well as contribute to the attractiveness of the country.
As it relates to employment, the businessman said the construction will provide jobs for Guyanese over the course of the next century.
“The Marriott is by no means a project to be stopped,” Gouveia maintained, adding “the fact that 80 Chinese workers are on the project is not unique,” and drew reference to the start-up of Omai Gold Mines.
          
FRENCH CANADIANS
Gouveia said, although there were some Guyanese employed in the establishment of Omai, it was primarily built by some 300 French Canadians.
He said, however, that, personally, he would have liked to see Guyanese on the worksite gaining knowledge from the Chinese.
Gouveia asserted that the percentage of production per hour by the Chinese labour force at the Marriott site is unprecedented and maybe Guyanese would have been able to bring away a lot of value from working with them.
Himself undertaking a massive expansion of his hotel infrastructure, he said it is more a matter of a transfer of technology and work ethics.
Gouveia said he has asked several major contractors in Guyana about their ability to undertake the Marriott and “they say maybe, but they can’t promise the deadline.”
He reminded that when a contractor signs onto a deadline and does not meet it, there are financial penalties.
“The project has to go on,” said Gouveia, even as he agreed to still have Guyanese employed on the erection.
Alluding to some of the concerns raised by sections of society, lamenting the unemployment of Guyanese at the worksite, Gouveia said he does not believe there is heavy unemployment in the local sector nor is there a large supply of labour required either.
In his opinion, the issue of labour at the site might be blown out of proportion. He said: “The more important thing to focus on is the issue of deliverance…for every hour, what is the production being presented as a finished product.”
          
I AM AMAZED
The veteran aircraft pilot said: “I fly over that project site and I am amazed at the rapidity.”
For that, he said the credit has to been given to the Chinese “but Guyana is losing out by not learning from it.”
Gouveia said that the Private Sector is advocating, even at this stage, that jobs be made available for Guyanese at the site, where they can learn from the Chinese.
“This is what we did,” he said, referring to the Omai Gold Mines project.
“Guyanese learned and it lives on even today…when we do mega projects, this is what we need…we need Guyanese working along,” he explained, stating it is not just about men “working hard” but rather also involves the logistics, coordination and management.
“That kind of management we could learn from,” said Gouveia.

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