est. 2007

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Sandals MoU? Part II

The following entry by Citizen Advocate Afra Raymond should be of interest to civic minded Barbadians and in particular the BU family. He continues to prosecute the pillar issues which underpin the arrangement supporting the introduction of Butch Stewart’s Sandals to Trinidad and Tobago. In Barbados the models being used to promote the Hyatt and…

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sandals_tab3
Sandals/Beaches Tobago Hotel Pads Bubble Diagram – Source: Afraraymond.com

The following entry by Citizen Advocate Afra Raymond should be of interest to civic minded Barbadians and in particular the BU family. He continues to prosecute the pillar issues which underpin the arrangement supporting the introduction of Butch Stewart’s Sandals to Trinidad and Tobago. In Barbados the models being used to promote the Hyatt and Hilton projects are not dissimilar.

What are the pillar issues?

  • Governance
    • Integrity
    • Transparency

The price citizens must pay to ensure our democracy is eternal vigilance.

  • David, blogmaster

The previous article updated readers on my attempts to obtain the Sandals Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed high-end, large-scale resort development in Tobago. That proposed development is said to be a significant part of our country’s diversification efforts so it requires our sober attention if we are to understand what is at stake.

The model for this project is one in which the State either pays for or guarantees the financing of the new resort. The State would pay for the cost of design, financing, construction, fitting and furnishing of the new resort, all to the standards set by Sandals. The completed resort will then be operated by Sandals under a management agreement. T&T is unique in the Caribbean in that our largest hotels were funded by Public Money with the operators working via Management Agreements.

Read full text of Afra’s prosecution of the Sandals matter in Trinidad – Sandals MoU II

19 responses to “Sandals MoU? Part II”

  1. 45govt Avatar
    45govt

    Good for him. Did his mother REALLY christen him Afra, FFS??

  2. Well, Well Avatar
    Well, Well

    They are all a bunch thieves ripping off Caribbean taxpayers, keep eyes on them at all times.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    We the people are left to wonder why the need for Caribbean governments entering deals with Sandals to keep the agreements secret. There are three reasons that come readily to mind:

    1. Governments may be embarrassed at the mobaton of concessions delivered to Stewart on a platter at taxpayers expense.

    2. Sandals always insist on NDAs because the objective is to avoid governments expecting a standard agreement based on existing. In other words Stewart is aware that the state of regional economies make them vulnerable to being exploited read taken advantage of.

    3. Then there is the opportunity for corruption.

  4. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    All Caribbean governments should together ban Sandals if their modus operandi is always one of a mix of tax evasion and avoidance

  5. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    “Stewart and his father, founder and chairman of Sandals Gordon Butch were in Barbados for major Sandals employee event.

    He confirmed construction of the US$450 million hotel, the most expensive to be built in the chain, would start on January 1 and should be completed over a two-year period”

  6. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Brother Hants

    After your post of June 28th at 3.28 p.m., “watch muh now” as I abdicate that position I was on record to say last week bout “demanding a renogiation of Sandals/DLP MOUs”

    Heheheheheh

  7. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Gabriel June 28, 2018 9:13 AM
    “All Caribbean governments should together ban Sandals if their modus operandi is always one of a mix of tax evasion and avoidance..”

    How is that ever going to happen when those tourism-based territories are all competing against one another for the same share of the same little tourism pie?

    Governments in the region are controlled by tin-pot dictators who see their individual 2×3 territories as their own little fiefdoms.

    If these “leaders” cannot even get the CCJ to operate as a genuine regional institution and as a vital limb for regional cooperation and for the meaningful advancement of political democracy how do you expect them to behave with respect to tourism largesse other than like crabs in a barrel?

    The islands in the Caribbean have always been treated as a ‘divided’ theatre ripe for exploitation in which to undertake a “mix of tax evasion and avoidance” from the invasion and settlement by Europeans and their modern descendants in North America; from privateering to piracy to smuggling to offshore banking to so-called international business operations to the selling of economic citizenship.

    Nothing new under the Caribbean Sun!

  8. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    Couldn’t agree with you more Miller!We are one sorry bunch of azzoles who cannot understand the meaning of the proverb ‘United we stand,divided we fall’

  9. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    GABRIEL
    MAN DONT DEGRADE THE WORD AZOLE …….LOL
    AN AZOLE IS A USEFUL COMPOUND ……ALSO AN AZZOLE LOL MURDAH

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The son also rises.

  11. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Hants June 29, 2018 12:23 PM

    That ‘Beaches’ project would be good for the Bajan economy as long as the money to build, outfit and furnish such a large undertaking is coming from overseas, whether new or lying in some old offshore account.

    Such a large investment can do nothing but good for the local construction industry which is a rather large piston necessary in ‘firing the Bajan’ engine to generate economic growth in order to keep the ‘sweet-life-loving’ country from economic and social implosion. Beaches will be a net forex earner; not a user like Cost-U-Even-More not Less.

    If only the Bajan people can be given similar assurances on the Hyatt erection then the Maloney man can only warm the cockles of the financial heart of PM MAM’s new administration, EIA or no EIA.

    But there is an alternative to Hyatt! Why not let the man put his money where his baloney mouth is and sell the ready-done Hilton hotel to a genuine outfit called ‘Visions for a Climate Change future’?

    Let him have another ‘Vision’ and turn the proposed Hyatt site into a beach club /gazebo with gaming attractions, a small craft bazaar with space allocated for a small window to the sea.

    This alternative use of beachfront land would blend in nicely with the Bay street surroundings especially when the renovation plans for the Old Empire shell are incorporated with the major upgrade for the main site but with No Liquidation to house rats and other vermin, of both the four and two-legged variety.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller & Gabriel

    You must have taken note of the mouthings of Butch Stewart’s son reference to a good meeting they had with PM Mottley?

    #interesting

  13. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    Surprised you appear to be comfortable with the one legged investment inflows. What do s the plan to push for inflows to drive diversification?

  14. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David June 29, 2018 1:27 PM

    I am sure you have heard the saying: while the grass growing the horse (or forex cash cow in this case) is starving to death.

    Barbados needs more than an economic tourniquet at this point in time but a blood fusion in the form of an immediate injection of FDI.

    Otherwise, you can kiss your Mickey Mouse dollar bye-bye since it would not even worth the paper poor Grenville Phillips would be using on which to write his letters of termination to his AWOL SB members.

  15. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @millertheanunnaki June 29, 2018 1:40 PM

    ….’blood transfusion ….”

  16. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    I’m reading the Butchers of Jamaica holding the US450 million Beaches over Mselle Mia’s head for another 3 years before she can talk about the give away of the Stuart & Sealy duo.Construction ‘expected’ to begin in January 2019 and will last for 30 months and the funding to come from external sources.Mia will be constrained to mark time or tread cautiously.Of interest is that our biggest market is the UK and not the US which the Beaches interests are being given the big lotta tax breaks and concessions and friggin up our retained earnings capacity.
    Contrary to the sage Hal’s conclusion that Barbados took off after Ronald Tree’s investment,Hal must know Barbados was a favoured destination with the Crane,Windsor,The Royal,Ocean View,Island Inn,St Lawrence,Blue Waters,Accra,Silver Beach,Southern Palms,Sandhurst,Coral Reef,Colony,Miramar et al.Barbados was a well known brand long before Sandy Lane.Matter of fact it was that fact that gave rise to the Ronald Tree interest since Barbados was already attracting high end home purchases including Canefield House bought by the American Charles Merrill , the famous Wall St banking tycoon.

  17. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    I forgot one of the long outstanding hotels in Barbados the Paradise Beach Club.I recall the names Cunard and Guinness associated with property ownership in Barbados in the 40’s,50’s.

  18. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    They say a picture is worth a thousand words.The press featured a meeting of Butch and the new Minister of Labour Colin Jordan.The MP appears to be ‘bowing’ to Butch.I think it’s the MP being an extraordinarily tall man,attempting to get down to Butch’s level.There was also the photo of Butch whispering in the ear of Stuart Layne of Barbados Tourism Investment Inc.,En garde!!

  19. David Avatar
    David

    @Gabriel

    Do not forget that Colin Jordan is a creature of the tourism system.

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