Critics will ‘eat their words’ when new seafront resort comes into operation – Jagdeo

For the third consecutive week, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has been forced to defend the construction of the Qatari- funded multi-million dollar Georgetown Seafront Resort and Convention Centre along Carifesta Avenue as the government continues to come up against steady criticism.

Last week, the Vice President pointed out that the lands awarded to a private Assets Group out of Qatar belong to the State and not City Hall.

But the APNU opposition and some Councilors within the Georgetown Mayor and City Council continue to claim otherwise; notwithstanding, Jagdeo is steadfast in his support for the project which he said will go ahead and when it comes into operation, the critics of today will be made to “eat their word”.

“Anyone who visits Marriott will see how we have outgrown that hotel.

“This country is changing and you have to cater for all sorts of activities that bring benefits to the people.

“This hotel will cost over US$300 million of private money, it will be a five-star hotel -the only one in the country and one of few in the region – it shall have convention space five times that of the Marriott ballroom… at the end of construction, at least 500 Guyanese who will have permanent jobs there,” Jagdeo said.

And so he reminded of the detractors, many of them opposition members, who similarly sought to block the construction of the Marriott hotel

“They had to eat their words with that development.

“They come with this talk of green space again and dig up an old document from the archive that neither city councilors nor the people can read.

“This is like everything else we hear them complain about,” Jagdeo said.

The criticism also extends to the new stadium in Region Three (Essequibo Islands – West Demerara), to be built by the Qataris as a gift to Guyana.

“They are dismantling the ones they built for the World Cup and they will give us a gift,” Jagdeo said, noting that oil and gas companies are supporting the other stadium under construction in Berbice, Region Six.

“We are not utilizing revenue to build but they will be game changers for people who live in these regions,” Jagdeo added.