The state-owned Chinese company that built the troubled $3.5bn Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas has been lined up to help build a new parliament for Jamaica.
The Jamaican government signed a memorandum of understanding on 9 March with China Construction America (CCA) for design consultancy services on the first phase of a major redevelopment of the Jamaican parliament and government offices in downtown Kingston.
As well as a new parliament building, a national museum will be built, alongside mixed-use commercial, residential and service zones.
Last year Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the government would build a new campus of government buildings to bring together all ministries, agencies and departments into a purpose built area to "represent the future of Jamaica".
Holness said the government would "ensure that the regulatory environment works in an efficient and supportive way" and "ensure security for our Chinese partners who will be working in Jamaica".
A subsidiary of state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), CCA’s other main project in the Caribbean has been the troubled $3.5bn Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas.
Originally intended for commercial opening in December 2014, Baha Mar was hit with repeated delays and is still not complete. After its developer filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2015, the project’s main creditor, the Export Import Bank of China, assumed control and the mega resort is now due for partial opening in April 2017.
Image: Prime Minister Andrew Holness (second from right) signs the MoU with China Construction America for work on the parliament and government office project. Seated, and also signing, from left, are: Senator Ransford Braham, Chairman, UDC; Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica, Niu Quinbao, and, far right, Xuexuan Zheng, Vice President of CSCEC (The Jamaican government)
- Amended 15 March 2017 to state that construction of the Baha Mar resort is not yet complete.
