The UPP is extremely concerned about the ABLP administration’s repeated false announcements of over 26 development projects that have failed to deliver over 3,000 new hotel rooms, 6,000 construction jobs, 7,000 permanent jobs and should have pumped over US $5 billion (over EC $13 billion) into the local economy.
Since being elected in 2014, the ABLP administration has raised the hopes and dreams of many Antiguans and Barbudans with the announcement of an extensive list of development projects. However, the ABLP has amassed the highest number of failed projects under any government in the history of Antigua and Barbuda – likely the poorest track record in the world.
In addition to dashed hopes and dreams of long-term prosperity for many Antiguans and Barbudans, the country now suffers from an unemployment and an underemployment crisis, with insufficient good paying jobs to meet the needs of our people. Having made these headline announcements the ABLP, has not provided any updates or progress reports.
The UPP considers this irresponsible and calls on the ABLP administration to explain the reasons for the apparent failure of these 26 major projects which were announced during budget presentations and by senior ABLP officials over the past 8 years.
The list of projects are:
1. Sunny Hill Project (Resort in Falmouth/Bethesda area)
2. Beaches Resort by Sandals Resorts
3. Half Moon Bay Hotel
4. Morris Bay / Callaloo Cay Project
5. Hotel Resort on Pelican Island and Residences on Maiden Island
6. Labahia Hotel Resort & Condominiums (Marble Hill Business Hotel) by WIOC
7. Long Bay Hotel Resort by WIOC
8. Valley Church Hotel Resort by WIOC/PDVSA
9. Amazon Call Center at Five Islands
10. Marriott Autograph Hotel at Yeptons
11. Beach Club at Fort James by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
12. Renovation and Expansion of Halcyon Hotel
13. Port Oasis Project at Side Hill
14. NAMCO acquisition of Jolly Beach Hotel
15. Best Western Hotel at Jolly Harbour
16. Marriott Courtyard Airport Hotel
17. Cedar Valley Golf Course Hotel
18. Mike Tyson Hotel
19. Bau Panel/UNOPS Project
20. The Yida Project
21. Willoughby Bay Project
22. Western Imperial Special Economic Zone (WISEZ)
23. Brova Idea Pearl Hotel – Partly Underwater Hotel
24. USD $300 Million Hotel from Investors in Holland
25. Paradise Found (Barbuda)
26. Armand Hotel (Barbuda)
UPP Political Leader Harold Lovell states, “It is clear from the large list of stalled or failed ABLP projects that the administration is either failing to attract the right kind of investors or failing to properly nurture investments which have the potential for success.” He further comments, “It is clear that the ABLP’s refusal to cooperate with the experts at the Antigua Barbuda Investment Authority has contributed to this litany of failures. If even a quarter of these projects found success, we would have been more resilient in our post pandemic recovery.”
Prime Minister Browne himself acknowledges that we are in an unemployment crisis. In the Budget Presentation for the year 2021, he stated on page 9 that, “Figures from the Social Security Scheme indicate a decline of nearly 40 per cent in the number of contributors. This translates to about 11,000 fewer employed persons than when we started the year in 2020.”
The rapidly growing list of failed projects confirms that the ABLP Administration is incapable of reducing unemployment and providing adequate jobs for the thousands of school-leavers and returning graduates.
The full details on all 26 projects can be viewed at this link:
https://voteupp.com/upp-publishes-list-of-failed-ablp-projects/
