Saipan project on schedule despite labour shortage: mgmt

Feb 28, 2019 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World  

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Work on the Imperial Pacific Resort will finish this year, says management, even though fewer than 300 construction workers are on the building site, the Saipan Tribune reports.

The newspaper reported on Thursday that casino operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC discussed the number of construction workers on the site with the casino regulator in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a United States possession in the western Pacific Ocean.

The newspaper said the regulator, the Commonwealth Casino Commission, expressed its concern regarding potential new delays in the project. Commonwealth Casino Commission executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero was quoted as telling representatives from Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) that they should offer updates on the progress of the construction every month.

The deadline for construction of the casino resort has been changed repeatedly.

At question is completion of the “initial gaming facility” of the casino resort, which has been reported to be a 329-room hotel with a rating of either four or five stars; a gaming area covering 14,140 square metres (152,202 sq feet); villas; restaurants; shops; and meeting space.

The company began in July 2017 gaming operations at its Imperial Pacific Resort (pictured). Previously it had been running an interim facility called Best Sunshine Live.

In Thursday’s report, the Saipan Tribune quoted Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) vice-president for construction Eric Poon as telling the commission he expected the work to be completed by December 31 despite the shortage of skilled workers. The company sent home some Filipino workers because of visa restrictions imposed by the United States.

“We’ve lost over 500 workers just within a month,” the newspaper quoted Mr Poon as saying. “It is difficult for us to accept, but we have to face it.” Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) now wants to recruit construction workers in countries other than the Philippines, added the Saipan Tribune report.

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Imperial Pacific International. Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) has the right to an exclusive casino licence on Saipan, the main island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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