Imperial Pacific hasn’t paid executive staff

IPI has paid security guards but not its executive office staff.

Northern Mariana Islands.- Imperial Pacific International (IPI) has announced that it has paid wages owed to its seven security guards but not senior office staff.

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that IPI has hired additional staff to clear vegetation from the unfinished IPI hotel complex and villa site and that these are also working as security guards at night at IPI’s warehouses at Chalan Piao and Lower Base.

According to Mariana’s Variety, IPI officially has 14 employees, including seven security guards, but the additional staff are Chinese nationals who are not licensed by the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) but report directly to Cui Lijie, a major shareholder.

IPI has struggled to pay its employees since it halted operations in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In November the company said it was looking for investors to help it reopen in casino in Saipan next year

Speaking at the Commonwealth Casino Commission board’s monthly meeting, IPI adviser Tao Xing said an investor was expected to come on board soon and that IPI would be able to open its casino in the first half of the year.

In May, IPI reported that it had signed a memorandum of agreement with South Korea’s IH Group to secure funding to help it reopen its casino in Garapan and pay some of its obligations, including payroll and outstanding payables to vendors. However, so far there has been no news regarding the agreement.