Information Americas, ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Nov. 4, 2024: A Caribbean prime minister has publicly urged Sandals Resorts Worldwide (SRI), to handle excellent tax obligations on its Antigua property, Sandals Grande Antigua.
Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne expressed frustration over what he described as the posh resort’s unwillingness to satisfy its tax tasks, noting that Sandals owes round EC$30 million, primarily from the Antigua and Barbuda Gross sales Tax, (ABST).
Throughout his radio present over the weekend, Browne expressed disappointment, saying that regardless of Sandals amassing the ABST on behalf of the federal government, a good portion of the funds has but to be remitted. He voiced considerations about what he sees as a sample with Sandals throughout the Caribbean, suggesting that the resort chain’s method has been to prioritize earnings on the expense of native economies.
“I don’t perceive why these ‘so-called’ buyers really feel that they’re the one stakeholders who ought to profit. They purpose to extract each little bit of income however resist authorities taxation,” Browne mentioned. He warned {that a} related tax dispute occurred with Sandals within the Bahamas, leading to funds from the resort group.
Addressing Sandals’ Government Chairman Adam Stewart straight, Browne asserted that the corporate needs to be invested in additional than simply earnings, stressing the significance of truthful wages for workers and the success of tax obligations to assist the native economic system. He acknowledged, “Sandals shouldn’t be the one stakeholder; governments and employees deserve their justifiable share, not simply Sandals’ shareholders.”
The Prime Minister went on to critique what he known as Sandals’ “colonialist mannequin” of operation, arguing that it displays exploitative practices that undermine the socioeconomic improvement of the Caribbean. Browne added, “As a beloved Caribbean model, Sandals ought to take satisfaction in meaningfully contributing to the well-being of the communities the place it operates.”
Browne expressed that Sandals’ practices will not be solely a difficulty for Antigua however are felt all through the Caribbean, the place related insurance policies are in place. SRI has but to reply to Prime Minister Browne’s remarks and the allegations of non-cooperation with Antigua’s Inland Income Division.
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