T-MINUS 170 DAYS--STATUS REPORT ON GUYANA'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000979

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/CAR
DS/IP/WHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV CASC ASEC EAID GY
SUBJECT: T-MINUS 170 DAYS--STATUS REPORT ON GUYANA'S
PREPAREDNESS FOR CRICKET WORLD CUP 2007

REF: GEORGETOWN 562

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(B)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: With just 170 days left until the
scheduled opening of Cricket World Cup 2007, Guyana appears
unprepared to host this major sporting event. A CARICOM
review of Guyana's security arrangements has concluded that
Guyana "has no plan" and appears to be "overwhelmed by the
magnitude" of the event. Lack of accommodation, inadequate
disaster preparedness and contingency planning, and poor
transportation arrangements are also major areas of concern.
Amidst speculation that Guyana may lose the games to another
Caribbean venue, the political stakes remain high both in
Guyana and within CARICOM. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Venue and Potential Attendance
--------------


2. (U) Guyana is currently a venue for the "Super 8"
quarterfinal matches from March 27 to April 9, 2007. While
the teams that will ultimately play in Guyana are uncertain,
the tournament brackets will most likely bring England, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan
and the West Indies cricket teams. The British consulting
firm Sinclair, Knight, Merz has estimated that as many as
37,000 spectators will ultimately come to Guyana for the
games, while Local Organizing Committee (LOC) officials are
preparing to handle up to 12,000 visitors at any given time.


3. (U) Ticket sales for the matches in Guyana have reportedly
been slower than expected, with about 50% of the public
tickets sold as of late August. By contrast, the ICC reported
in early September that tickets had been sold out for Super 8
matches in Grenada and Barbados. Media reports have quoted
the CWC West Indies 2007 Commercial Manager in Jamaica as
saying that most ticket sales for the matches in Guyana have
gone to members of the Guyanese diaspora in the U.S., UK, and
elsewhere in the Caribbean.


4. (U) Matches will occur in the new US$26 million
Indian-financed and built Providence Stadium (capacity
15,000),located about 10 miles south of Georgetown. As of
early September, the LOC reported that construction was at
93% completion. The LOC has aimed for an October 31
completion date, in time for a final venue inspection by the
International Cricket Council (ICC) in November.

--------------
SECURITY
--------------


5. (C) A four-man CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and
Security (IMPACS) team visited Guyana September 12-15 to meet
with senior officials of the Guyana Police Force (GPF),
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, CARICOM officials,
and members of the LOC. Their findings are not encouraging.
According to their report, "the Guyana Police security
committee did not have a draft of any security plan and
seemed a bit overwhelmed at all the security planning
required for this event. It appeared that they were going to
treat this as a common cricket match and had no idea of the
magnitude of regional and national planning required for an
event of this nature." The report recommends that CARICOM
provide funds for security training and suggests that a
UK-based firm may provide venue security training. The team
also provided the GPF with a National Security Plan template,
and the GPF pledged to return a draft security plan within 7
days.

--------------
ACCOMMODATION
--------------


6. (SBU) The IMPACS report also expresses concern about the
lack of adequate secure accommodation in Georgetown. Most of
Guyana's limited existing capacity has been devoted to

housing teams, officials and media (TOMS),leaving little
room for spectators. Attention has centered on a hotel being
constructed by reputed narco-money launderer Omprakash
Shivraj next door to the cricket venue that will reportedly
have 274 rooms. Construction appears to be running apace,
though rumors swirl regarding financial difficulties that may
jeopardize its completion (Reftel). As of late August 2006,
Guyanese authorities reported capacity of 1,728 hotel rooms,
including 676 still under construction.


7. (SBU) The potential use of cruise ships to provide
additional accommodation continues to be bandied about but
does not appear to be a serious option. New Minister of
Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad, a failed
travel agent and former Investment Advisor to the President,
told the Ambassador in a September 19 courtesy call that the
GOG is still considering cruise ships. However, LOC
Accommodations and Hospitality Coordinator Nikolas Oudkerk
told EconOff the following day that no private investors have
embraced the cruise ship idea and that it does not seem
viable. Oudkerk said that a Florida-based firm, Hillborne
Projects International, has agreed to provide 250 trailers
that will house up to 6 people each in the National Park in
Georgetown. This is a private initiative to be done on a cost
recovery basis. The GOG has also announced a "bed and
breakfast" scheme to encourage Guyanese to host visitors in
their homes as well as a potential "tent city" to be
constructed at a water park near Timehri Airport. As of late
September, the "Bed and Breakfast Secretariat" had reportedly
identified only 400 rooms against its target of 2,000.

--------------
TRANSPORTATION
--------------


8. (U) The venue's location along the road between Georgetown
and Timehri Airport has raised concern about congestion on
the only road into and out of the capital. The LOC has
announced a "park and ride" arrangement whereby buses would
transport spectators to the stadium from four parking areas
in the Georgetown vicinity. This would allow only vehicles
transporting TOMS and security personnel and emergency
vehicles to access the road. Providing access to workers who
commute into and out of the capital has apparently not been
considered.


9. (U) The IMPACS report found that Cheddi Jagan
International Airport, Guyana's sole international airport,
has "adequate space" in the arrival/departure lounge.
However, the report expresses concern that the security
checkpoint has only two lanes. The airlines' capacity to
bring people into and out of the country is also a variable.
Visitor arrivals for all of 2005 totaled just over 116,000
people, suggesting that CWC will require Guyana to absorb
more than a quarter of its yearly visitor capacity in just
two weeks. The impending restructuring of British West Indies
Airways, one of three airlines to service Guyana, presents an
additional variable.

--------------
LEGISLATION
--------------

10. (U) Also required for Guyana to host the games is passage
of so-called "Sunset Legislation" that prohibits ambush
marketing, establishes protections for ICC trademarks, and
protects commercial rights for ICC concessionaires.
Parliament did not address such legislation prior to its
dissolution, making this a priority for the ninth parliament
when it sits at the end of September.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


11. (SBU) The Cricket World Cup will likely be an economic
disappointment. President Jagdeo essentially brushed aside
IMF and other donors' concerns in signing a US$19 million
soft loan payable in 2024 with the Government of India. India

supplemented this with a US$6 million grant. The Government
Information Agency reports that the GOG will spend as much as
US$3.5 million on urban beautification. Meanwhile, while some
hoteliers have made modest improvements to their facilities,
others seem reluctant to undertake costly upgrades for which
the rate of return after the ten days of cricket are over is
uncertain.


12. (C) Privately, several government and business contacts
have expressed concern at Guyana's ability to manage the
event. Regarding the potential influx of spectators, Attorney
General Doodnauth Singh told the Ambassador that he hoped
people would not come to the games, implying that Guyana was
unprepared to accommodate outsiders. This sentiment is a
useful commentary on the present situation. If, as
preliminary ticket sales suggest, most of the visitors are
overseas-based Guyanese who will stay with family and are
accustomed to local conditions, then Guyana's lack of
preparedness will not be as acute. However, the net economic
benefit will also be reduced, especially if members of the
diaspora return next March in lieu of annual or biannual
travel during the holidays.


13. (SBU) Post understands that Guyana faces a November 8
deadline for inspection by the ICC. Speculation has been
increasing that Guyana will lose the games should the ICC
find preparation inadequate in November among various
interlocutors. Cricket insiders cite Dominica, Trinidad and
Jamaica as potential alternate venues, although the ICC
confirmed on that Trinidad's unfinished Brian Lara stadium
would no longer be a venue. The ICC's plan to allow visitors
to the region to travel among host countries without a visa
includes Dominica in the list of countries although it is not
currently hosting any matches.
Robinson