CNN, Newsweek and Channel 9News in Australia are reporting the plight of hundreds of workers at the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort who were terminated from their employment 18 months ago when plans were announced for the construction of the Trump International Collection Hotel on the location of the former Pan Pacific.

Promised re-employment in the new resort operated under the brand owned by US President Donald J. Trump, the unemployed hotel workers are going increasingly nervous that construction has failed to commence on the luxury resort and the distant promises will not be kepts that jobs would be found for former employees once the new hotel is open.

The economic strain of a prolonged period of unemployment with no end in sight is perhaps most acutely felt in the village of Beraban that is near the massive seaside former golf and luxury resort.

The Trump organization agreed to a management and branding agreement with the property’s Indonesian owner in 2015. Demolishment of the old hotel and championship golf course took place in 2017. But, after the flurry of activity connected with the demolishment of the hotel, all construction-like activities at the property then come to an abrupt standstill.

One of 800 former workers at the Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort, Ketut Sujana (54) told 9News (Australia) that he has been reduced to digging into his retirement funds, selling his car, and borrowing money from friends.

Sujana bemoaned: “I lost my job without any plan for the next picture,” Sujana said. “They say this hotel will be rebuilt maximum three years everything will be ready…two years already there’s nothing there, everything there is flat.”
The resort area at 108 hectares is among the largest in Bali, the local developers and the Trump Organization have boasted the new Golf and 6-star-luxury-resort will be an “integrated lifestyle resort” with breathtaking views of Bali’s iconic Tanah Lot Temple.

The Indonesian owner of the Resort is the Indonesian politically active investor Hary Tanoessoedibjo who also owns the Indonesia Media Group MNC.

Some have blamed delays on difficulties in acquiring additional hectarage and purported delays in finalizing plans while the investor has unsuccessfully lobbied to charge or obtain exemptions in building height regulations to allow high-rise developments on an Island where zoning rules limit the maximum height of commercial building to 15-meters.

Newsweek has been unsuccessful in obtaining comment on their article from Trump Hotels.

Nervous villagers are now becoming adamant in calling on the commencement of construction of the new resort.

One local tourism observer said: “Things could be worse, Mr. Trump could promised to build a university for Bali”

Source: https://balidiscovery.com/news/us-presidential-ambitions-gone-astray-at-balis-tanah-lot