City mayor writes President over land earmarked for Qatari hotel
Chief Citizen Alfred Mentore says that a letter has been sent to President Irfaan Ali urging him to heed the city’s concerns as it relates to the construction of the Qatari hotel on disputed lands along Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.
He told Stabroek News yesterday that the Head of State was given a seven-day timeframe to respond to the concerns of the council regarding the construction on lands that the city said were bequeathed to it more than 130 years ago. The Guyana Lands and Survey Commission has emphasized that the lands are under the control of the state. (See other story on page 11.)
Mentore said that he is anticipating a timely response from President Ali before the council’s next statutory meeting which is scheduled for Monday, March 11.
“I am hoping that we can have a roundtable discussion regarding this situation because it is a grave concern for the citizens and the city council as well”, the Mayor said.
“In the contents of the letter I stipulated the deadline so I am hoping that the President honours that before the seven days because the statutory meeting is scheduled for Monday, so once he meets me before that would be great”, Mentore said.
Asked what would be his recourse, if the President does not meet with him to discuss the situation, the Chief Citizen while optimistic of a positive response said that if it comes to that then a decision will be made following a meeting with the city council.
The Guyana Office for Investment (GInvest) last week disclosed that the Qatari company (Assets Group Inc) planning the luxury development on Carifesta Avenue will purchase the land for $2b.
Mentore when contacted had told this newspaper that the company can’t purchase land that the city has control over without consulting with it.
He warned that if the company or the government fails to consult with the city on the matter the council will issue a cease order against the work that is getting underway on the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Guyana National Service (GNS) grounds for the US$300m resort.
The Chief Citizen said that the council’s attorney will be consulted as it relates to the intended purchase of the land.
He noted that if the state was interested in building the facility on these lands, procedurally applications must be submitted to institutions such as the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission and the Guyana Land Registry, etcetera.
Mentore reiterated that the GNS and NIS grounds were meant for educational, recreational and institutional purposes.
In a statement last week Wednesday GInvest said that the purchase price was part of the Memorandum of Understanding that was inked. The statement was the first disclosure of the intended sale of the land.
The project will be spearheaded
through Assets Group, a subsidiary of Power International Holding (PIH), and is slated to be completed by March 01, 2026.
It is aimed at providing fiscal concessions in keeping with the standard incentive regime for hotel businesses and the tourism sector.
Since taking office in 2020, the administration has received several proposals to construct internationally branded hotels and state-of-the-art convention centres in Guyana. Notably, this particular proposal compares “very favourably” to all others received, the release added.