Imperial Pacific International (IPI) has warned it could miss yet another construction deadline due to ongoing labour shortages plaguing its Saipan integrated resort.
As reported by local media, IPI’s VP for Construction Eric Poon told the Commonwealth Casino Commission on Thursday that the company would not be able to meet its 28 February 2021 construction deadline if it couldn’t significantly bolster its work force, which currently sits at just 253 construction workers. Poon said IPI would need 1,000 workers to get back on track.
IPI was granted a two-and-a-half year extension by the Lottery Commission only last September, with the company having stated it would miss its previous 31 August 2018 deadline due to “the drastic reduction and non-availability of sufficient skilled and qualified construction labourers locally in Saipan and mainland USA.”
IPI had also been granted a 13-month extension to 31 August 2018 in July 2017.
The company said on Thursday that it was hoping to bring in 200 more workers from Taiwan in April.
Notably, IPI’s latest deadline extension to 28 February 2021 came with the threat of a US$5,000 fine for each day construction runs over.
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