(MENAFN- Caribbean News Now) By Caribbean News Now contributor

BASSETERRE, St Kitts — An international businessman, who describes himself as a 'proud Kittitian', is so fed up with the lack of construction progress and broken promises at Caribbean Galaxy's Ramada resort in St Kitts and Nevis that he is prepared to wager EC$5 million (US$1.85 million) with the firm's principals that they won't complete on time.

Kamal Shehada, an investor originally based in the Middle East, wrote to Ying Jin, chief executive of Caribbean Galaxy, a Chinese firm, on February 25 with the challenge that if the hotel opens on time as forecast, he will pay EC5 million to the charitable cause of Galaxy's choice within St Kitts and Nevis. However, if the hotel is not open, Caribbean Galaxy must pay EC5 million to the charity of Shehada's choice within St Kitts and Nevis.

The Ramada by Wyndham resort has been the subject of much speculation. Last year a vice president of the company stated at a public event that the property would be open by December 2018. This was later corrected, with an opening date put back to September of this year. Shehada is willing to bet EC$5 million of his own money that it won't be ready. And is ready to put the money in an escrow account in the meantime.

The government of St Kitts and Nevis has publicly backed the project, recently publishing a series of advertisements with endorsements from the prime minister, deputy prime minister, and even the attorney general.

The St Kitts and Nevis government has embarked on a massive public relations campaign to shore up Caribbean Galaxy and its Ramada project, including denying the obvious lack of progress and making unsupported claims that construction is "proceeding apace"

Shehada is an international businessman with more than 30 years' experience of construction in the Middle East. He is an investor in Range Developments, among other things, and is currently overseeing the construction of the Cabrits Resort Kempinski in Dominica.

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In related news, Caribbean Galaxy has announced it will break ground in Saint Lucia later this year for construction of the Canelles Resort, which includes Dreams and Zoetry, offering 330 beachfront rooms overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the South, together with an oceanfront residence with 380 apartments.

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