Pacific

Taiwanese builders to work on CNMI casino

12:41 pm on 30 March 2019

Photo: RNZ/Mark Rabago

In the Northern Marianas, close to 200 workers from Taiwan are expected to complete construction of the Imperial Pacific Resort and Casino on Saipan.

Worker shortages and the devastation by Typhoon Yutu last October have slowed construction works of the multi-million-dollar project by Hong Kong firm Imperial Pacific International.

The company was forced to lay off more than 300 Filipinos after the US Citizenship and Immigration Services removed the Phillippines from its list of nations eligible for the visa programme.

Imperial Pacific said 253 of its workers are on Saipan and are expected to meet the February 2021 deadline.

The company is looking at recruiting labourers from Thailand, Korea and Mongolia.

It said more than 1000 workers were needed to complete the project.