Afra Raymond unpacks the Sandals matter in his recent blogpost , Property Matters – Sandals Shuffle, AGAIN – David, Afra Raymond
“…we are running a Country, not a Company…”
—Mia Mottley QC MP, Barbados PM – from her inaugural budget Wednesday, 20 March 2019
This title occurred to me due to the quiet backsliding of the main supporters of the Tobago Sandals project. This is the kind of situation where people thought they were operating safely in the dark, until someone suddenly opens the door and turns on the lights. The emergence of Sandals’ recent skirmishes have also reminded me of a shuffle.
Those shameless promoters told the public repeatedly about how satisfactory the existing arrangements were for State-owned hotels and went on to explain the special benefits of Sandals and so on and so forth. The steady exposure of the rickety arrangements for the existing hotels and the publication of the Tobago Sandals MoU have combined to end the scheme. Sunlight is really the best disinfectant.
The decisive point here, in terms of the important issue of Caribbean Leadership Standards, is that our current political administration agreed to make tax/duty/work permit concessions to Sandals for that Tobago project which the State was funding. In all the other Sandals projects and their various issues about concessions, about which we are hearing so much, those hotels were built by Sandals. In Tobago, our Treasury was going to fund the entire resort and yet our politicians were intending to grant concessions, facilitate transfer-pricing and allow Sandals free choice in respect of goods and services. No wonder those Sandals officials were smiling the whole time. I tell you.
Please note that this kind of deal is not found anywhere else on the planet. That is for those supporters who want to chat about how Sandals transformed here or there. Here is the only country in which we were going to pay for the entire resort. Under the terms of that MoU Sandals was putting no money at risk. None.
None of the former defenders of Tobago Sandals seem ready, willing or able to defend their proposals, now that the actual agreed intentions have been disclosed. We are yet to hear any T&T leader even hint at repudiating any of the detrimental terms agreed in that Tobago Sandals MoU.
That position is quite different from that of the Barbados PM Mia Mottley QC who in delivering her first budget on Wednesday 20th March 2019 spoke strongly against Sandals proposals to obtain certain guarantees which would have prevented them from being taxed any differently for a term of 40 years. PM Mottley was clear in rejecting the Sandals proposals as being inimical to the stability of their country, and diluting the role of Parliament in establishing taxes. ‘…we are running a country, not a company‘ was a striking phrase used by PM Mottley, one for us to remember.
https://videopress.com/embed/uODmNqeW?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0
Read full blog post –
Property Matters – Sandals Shuffle
Graphic credit: Afra Raymond
Lolll!!!
TURD PARTY LAUNCHING BUT THE DLP GONE
GONE GONE G O NE E GOOOOOOOONE!
GP soooo lol
THE DLP GONE
GONE GONEGONE GONE
YES THE DLP GONE GONE
IN MY HEART THERE IS SONG
THIRTY TO ZERO GONE
IT IS TRUE THEY GONE
YES YES THET GONE
G O N E GOOOOOOOONE!
We will wait to see how the Cahill proposal is integrated into the Mia Mottley WTE plan for the country. We should be reasonably certain given Mottley’s resistance to plasma gasification and the lack of transparency surrounding Cahill, Qunatum will have to amend the Cahill plan.
Mottley keep throwing up the Hyatt as what seems to be another smoke and mirror strategy
If Mia thinks that HYatt would engage her in new plans she needs to think about finding other investors who have time to engage in her political poppycock
BTW i wonder hiw much concession the new owners received for the delapidated flee bag Caribee Hotel
HYATT is the hotel management company signed on to manage the hotel. It is Maloney’s company responsible for the development,/construction Vision.
I am certain that Hyatt submitted plans to Maloney as to how they would like the Hyatt constructed
The Hyatt brand if one take a close look at the builings are similar in Height
Mottley plan would not be in similarity to all of Hyatts world wide and might even cost Hyatt more
money
You know this how? You saw the amended plan?
Was it you who posted to the blog that Hyatt decided to bypass Barbados and go to another island?
I wonder where ManyPussy gone fish?
She really ent doing she job pun BU
She want firing doah
A big article in de paper bout David Come Sing A Song and she miss um?
“…Government’s plans to expand the layout of the proposed Hyatt hotel will not face any opposition from social activist David Comissiong once it is properly and lawfully done. Speaking to Barbados TODAY on Government’s new proposal, Comissiong said he would have no issue once the proper procedures were followed…”
Oh dear, I should have posted dat when I typed dat
ManyPussy beat muh to it
Steupseee
“The Government intends to free up regulations for Barbadians to dip into more than $11 billion of their savings and invest it as equity in entrepreneurs.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley said a part of her administration’s growth strategy was to “mobilise domestic savings” and support the spread of ownership of assets to all citizens.
Barbadians hold more than $9 billion on commercial bank accounts and approximately $2 billion in credit unions.”
My advice to Barbadians. Make sure you always have enough ” savings ” to pay for emergency or unforeseen MEDICAL TREATMENT.
No i did not post that comment however as of now the only ones talking about the possible potential for Hyatt coming to barbados is Mia
The fact remains that on the Hyatt website no statements are being issued as to Yea
In the meanwhile Mia operatives pushed the Hyatt story as if it is a forgone conclusion
The possibility however will remain mute now that Mia has alternatives plans for the construction which most likely will be rejected by Hyatt.
PDYR congratulations your TURD party was officially launched last night compliments of Mariposa
Hope u liked your attire