Guyana legislature blocks hotel project
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — GUYANA’S opposition-controlled Parliament has voted against authorising a 197-room hotel and casino project, one of the biggest tourism proposals in years for the South American country.
A majority of lawmakers with the Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change say they must first see all financing documents before authorising the US$50-million project.
In a late Monday vote, lawmakers said they decided to block the project over worries about corruption and a lack of accountability.
The two opposition parties control 33 of the 65 seats in the legislature. They hold a one-seat majority over the governing People’s Progressive Party.
Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali criticised the decision as obstructionist, saying the private sector “is loud of its endorsement” of the hotel and casino project.
— AP