Speculation that Chinese criminals may work on Baha Mar 'baseless'
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
SPECULATION that thousands of Chinese criminals will be brought in to build Baha Mar have been called baseless allegations by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Nassau.
Concerns raised in the local press suggested the Chinese government has chosen convicts from its overcrowded prisons to work on foreign projects and may do the same when they bring in 8,150 workers to construct Baha Mar.
Editorial writers called on government to exercise due diligence in vetting their work permits if the foreign labour is approved as concerns stemmed from an article published in a Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, which reported that China "has devised a novel strategy to relieve pressure on its overcrowded prisons: Use convicts as labourers on overseas projects in the developing world." It gave as example projects in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Africa where Chinese labour was used.
But the suggestion that The People's Republic of China may use the $2.6 billion Baha Mar project to export criminals to the Bahamas provoked a clear clarification of the facts from the Chinese embassy.
Liu Liqun, second secretary and press officer at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, said that the allegations are unfounded.
"The Chinese Embassy fully respects each and every view expressed surrounding the Baha Mar project," he stated.
"However, such groundless accusations, which insult not only China, but also those countries having cooperation with us, go beyond tolerance."
Mr Liqun said that the Chinese contractors who have been working tirelessly on the Bahamas National Stadium project, "are disciplined and diligent, winning full respect and high praises from the Bahamian society."
PLP MP Fred Mitchell suggested the reason for speculation over the integrity of Chinese workers could stem from the FNM government's failure to be clear with the public on the issue.
He said: "The government is not exercising any leadership with this project and I think it's deliberate because they want to scuttle the project and that lets in speculation about this or that.
"I think some of the criticism has been exaggerated, but each view should be seriously considered by the authorities to see whether or not it is possible to deal with the concerns.
"However they seem to have the country flailing around wildly without any sense of direction."
A labour resolution tabled by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in the House of Assembly has paved the way for the approval of work permits for the 8,150 Chinese workers and parliamentarians are expected to debate and vote on the resolution this Wednesday or Thursday.
The ratio of foreign workers to Bahamian employees at Baha Mar is expected to be 71 per cent foreign to 29 per cent Bahamian during the construction phase as agreed in the partnership deal between Baha Mar, the China Export-Import Bank and China State Construction.
Mr Mitchell said the anticipated parliamentary vote is ludicrous as it is the government's responsibility to decide whether the Chinese employees should be permitted to work at Baha Mar or not.
"What business is it of ours to ask Parliament whether or not the government should grant work permits?" he asked.
"I think the whole notion is ludicrous.
"The Prime Minister is looking for political cover because he's afraid to make the decision."
Baha Mar estimates it will take around five years to build six hotels with around 3,500 rooms and condominiums, a 100,000 sq ft casino, 200,000 sq ft of convention facilities, a 20-acre beach and pool experience, an 18-hole golf course and a 60,000 sq ft retail village in Cable Beach.
The project is expected to inject an estimated $1 billion into the Bahamas Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and create almost 11,000 permanent jobs for Bahamians.
September 20, 2010
tribune242
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