Dear News Editor/Publisher
Please allow me, through you, to share some thoughts with my fellow citizens, because I believe this is an important moment for us as an island, and as a community that aspires to be a leader in terms of tourism and hospitality. I have sat and watched this drama play out between the prime minister and Sandals, and there are some questions that come to mind as I try to pick sense out of it.
First off, why has the prime minister chosen such a hostile and public forum to deal with this situation? The reason I ask this is that from his own statements it appears the PM has clearly not had any conversation or discussion with any of the senior people at Sandals.
I am no expert, but from my layman’s view I do not think that is the way governments should conduct their affairs and treat with investors, remember, there are other leaders and other businesses, both local and foreign, who will be watching the way this plays out.
There is no reason a prime minister should not be assertive if he thinks it is warranted, but why the grandstanding, why the hostility and threats? After 2017, this is now the second time Mr Browne has found a reason to cancel agreements and concessions with the investor. That to me, sends a negative message because if he can say A, and then say B, then what guarantee is there that he will not do it again. And what guarantee that it won’t be some other investor who gets on his wrong side next.
And remember, the key here is where is the dialogue with the investor, especially since as the prime minister himself admitted, the matter is with the courts.
Secondly I ask myself this, what does it benefit a huge international company like Sandals to risk its reputation and expose its brand to this kind of attack over what, in the scheme of things, is not a huge sum of money. First off, the question is whether the investor owes any money at all, because that is what we are waiting to hear from the court. And if the court agrees that Sandals has indeed met its tax obligations, where does that leave the prime minister?
In fact, it is the wrong thing to do to create such a public spectacle, without having dialogue with the other party, on a matter before the court. If we are to be rational, Sandals has more to lose than gain in such a situation, so how does this make sense.
Thirdly, this puts Antigua on the map for all the wrong reasons. Antigua should be showing the world that we are able and ready to compete with the major tourism destinations, and that we have both the ability and capacity to do business in a professional manner, which allows both the island and the investor to be treated fairly.
Such an approach involves dialogue, and it involves due process, such as what is taking place with the court. It does not call for a leader calling an investor colonials and comparing them to slave traders. That type of rhetoric has no place in a modern, sophisticated society, and I can only imagine what the guests feel when they hear that, because let’s not pretend that when you throw that kind of mud, it does not stick on the guests as well. Think about who it is that travels to Antigua and how they look.
I am happy to see that some voices have spoken up, and I commend your Antigua newsroom for allowing views to be heard to bring some balance to this discussion. I know people are looking for a response from Sandals but let’s be honest, what good does it do at this stage? If the matter is in court then the right thing to do is let the court come to a conclusion. It is also clear that the investor has no intention of conducting its business in public, unlike the government, and can you blame them for that. However as many as have spoken up, there is deafening silence from others. Where are the other hoteliers?
And I ask this to make an important point, because it is the entire sector that is being tainted. It is an attack on not just Sandals but its workers, despite that grandstanding on tips and so on. I havent’ heard the PM speak about the medical coverage Sandals has for its team members, or the thrift fund that allows them retirement benefits. This information is not hard to find if you try to get it. I wonder if the other hotel operators recognize this.
Does Antigua have a hotel association? What are its views? I know people may be trying to be careful, because at this stage they too may very well feel the wrath of the prime minister if they speak up, but have they at least reached out to the government, the Minister of Tourism? Are they involved in trying to find a solution? At this stage, I have seen more wrongs than rights, and the only losers in the long term will be the Sandals workers, and the country as a whole.
Thank you.
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Writer there can be no agreement if what the agreement calls for an illegal act. What former FM Errol Cort tried to do, the law gave him no such power. What you also fail to see is this is the same matter coming to the fore again, where Sandals thinks it should be treated differently than all other hotels and be able to pay a lower ABST rate. The Antigua Hotel and Tourists Association, in reference to Sandals preferential treatment, has made clear its disagreement with these type of unfair agreement that in essence disadvantages most of its members
Sandals has really sent its minions and imps to drum up support. The sad thing is that some are buying what Sandals is selling.
🥱 Sandals is behind all these “letters” 🥱
@V for Vendetta. I thought the same thing. Are Sandals management team writing these letters to the editor at ANR? I smell a rat.
The PM has acted correctly as all the facts are not public yet. There is alot here not just about their refusal to pay the ABST which they collect on behalf of the government. Harold Lovell had allowed it. The ABLP government when they discovered this blatant breaking of the law eventually went to Parliament and waived over one hundred million to bring an end to that sage. 100 million that the people of this country gave to Sandals. Then they are coming again with the same crap. It is our money that Sandals collect on our behalf. Then there is the next issue where of Sandals staff are tipped, they have to report and give the money to Sandals, which they claim goes to their Sandals Foundation. So when you hear them making donations, that is where more than half of the money comes from. But worse than that they set up a system where they get people to give tips and if the staffer does not turn in the tips, they are fired. As I said, there is alot going on here. The final straw is when Sandals took the government to court over the ABST.
The is no way an opposition party would be supporting the foolishness Sandals is doing. So this has to be someone from Sandals is writing these letters.
Why these people can’t find something too do with their life what about the persons who damage their self at work and sandals throw them aside no compensation no help let’s talk about the persons who’s old and can’t keep up but sandals want them to walk away from there years of service now is the right time for them too stand up power in unity and stop sell out
He’s just postering to collect money from a bribe. They haven’t fed him in a while.
Trying to get money for the Christmas Season.
He will move on and soon we won’t hear a thing.
@The Writer, I’m not in any long letter writing here, You fail to understand workers want what rightly belongs to them. There tips and whatever benefits Sandals has promised them. These workers give their all to do them work. They deserve it, I don’t if you know, but hotel work is not easy to do.in all departments. And you mentioned,the words modern and sophisticated. May I remind you that colonialism is still in effect up to today. Our government has the now King Charles as head of state. Which the King is still in charge of our island. So good luck with that one there. The late Queen Elizabeth the 2 is still on EC currency. So please, give us a break. In my opinion Sandals wanted to be in the public, when they refuse to pay the government their tax and to insult to injury , Sandals has taken the Government to court. So, you, and Sandals can keep you all small talk here, trying to like the victim. STOP IT. Total nonsense!!!
Waa wahh, (crying like a little snot nose baby & wiping eyes)
Oh, won’t somebody please think of poor Sandals Parrot Gallery?!/their thieving selves.
It’s just so unfair that they’re expected to pay their fair share and act like responsible corporate citizens!
😭 I mean, why should they have to abide by the same rules as everyone else?
🙄 It’s not like they’re a huge company that benefits from operating in our Antigua and Barbuda, space lol.
Clearly, the government is just being so unreasonable, and Sandals Parrot Gallery is the real victim here. 🙄🙄🙄
Sandals, Pay up or shut up!
https://www.tribune242.com/news/2024/jul/30/sandals-hits-back-at-claim-it-hid-60-of-resorts-intake/
SANDALS is disputing assertions by the Bahamian tax authorities that its Emerald Bay resort only reported 40 percent of revenues earned as it defended its one-of-a-kind “business model”.
#Melissa John, the Exuma hotel’s financial controller, in a September 8, 2023, letter to the Department of Inland Revenue (DIR) denied the property had failed to properly disclose “the true nature of transactions” which have sparked demands for $30.844m in allegedly unpaid VAT and Business Licence fees combined.
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