The Minister of the Interior says other matters take precedence over continuing the process of vetting Chinese investor Huang Nubo.
Nubo, who wants to build a luxury hotel in northeast Iceland, had asked for special permission for the project, and has most recently stated that if the matter takes too long, he will take his money elsewhere. Many are concerned about his intentions, however, in particular over what environmental impact his project could have on the area.
Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson was asked by radio station Bylgjan why it has taken the ministry five weeks to respond to Nubo, and to do so by asking for more information on him. The minister was frank in his response.
“We are talking about a very big case here. A matter that has not just received a lot of attention in Iceland, but also the world over. People are investigating this, and it’s been a very controversial issue here. We intend to handle it well. We’re not procrastinating or delaying in any way. We are showing it the proper treatment.”
Ögmundur added that parliament has just recently reconvened, and that other matters are in need of more urgent attention. Also, some matters – such as the issuing of residence permits – take entirely too long to process.
“There are far too many matters at the ministry which take far too much time to deal with. So I prioritise the cases of other individuals over that of this Chinese man.”
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