ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, May 01 2015 – A cloud of environmental and other concerns hung over Thursday’s ground breaking ceremony for a proposed multi-billion-dollar project here.
The project is being carried out by Yida International, with whom the Gaston Browne administration signed a Memorandum of Agreement mere days after taking office in June 2014.
Environmentalists became irritated over the destruction of mangroves at the entrance of Guiana Island, which Yida bought for US$60 million in August last year.
But the Yida chairman, Yida Zhang, made no mention of this controversial issue during the ceremony.
Instead, he told the large crowd at Barnacle Point of his “pragmatic and revolutionary” approach to developing the economic zone while praising the Gaston Browne administration for “the historical transformation” of Guiana and surrounding islands.
Prime Minister Browne, however, was not shy to address the elephant in the room; he said those who had raised concerns about the mangroves had taken a “fundamentalist position”.
“I want to make it abundantly clear that individuals, especially small minority groups with their fundamentalist ideals; those cannot take precedence to the overall good of the country,” the prime minister said.
He added that, “some fauna may have to be destroyed” as government proceeds with various developments.
“My government does not need to be schooled in the protection of the environment,” Browne, who is also finance minister, noted.
A date for commencement of work was not announced at yesterday’s ceremony although Zhang said construction would start “in May”.
After the ceremony, the Yida team and government officials travelled to Guiana Island via helicopter where they turned the sand to mark the official start of phase one of the 16-zone project.
The first project that Yida hopes to start will include a hotel, casino, cafe and water park.
In total, the group owns Guiana Island, Crump Island and surrounding lands, a total of more than 1,600 acres of pristine and peninsula lands.
Yida promises to spend US$2 billion over a 10-year period, develop the largest free trade zone in the country, off-shore financial centre, 5-star luxury resort, internationally branded villa communities, a casino and gaming complex, multi-purpose conference centre, 27-hole golf course, marina and landing facilities, commercial, retail, sports and other auxillary facilities.
