Critical concerns about Sandals project

After all, I do not have onetenth of the information at my disposal as compared to the Prime Minister. Yet I need to share some concerns and to ask to be guided by the dissemination of relevant information.

Firstly, I do not have to be convinced about the bona fides of Sandals as a company and a brand. It is the equivalent of buying a Mercedez-Benz if seeking a vehicle. Who could criticise such a choice? But surely you would first choose from within the range according to your needs and your pocket. You would not select a van for driving to and from work.

Similarly, I ask what is the nature of the proposal from Sandals? Without that we may end up with a proverbial van.

I note that in Sandals CEO and Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart’s recent presentation to the Chamber of Commerce he referred to the benefits of the plan they have for Tobago. We now know that there is a plan, something that we had been told previously did not yet exist.

I can’t imagine that he could give the projections that he did unless the plan was quite advanced. Effective consultation demands that it be shared with us. We do even know for sure how many rooms are to be built or where.

With respect to the anticipated net gain annually to the economy of $500 million, is it asking too much for a simple breakdown between taxes (PAYE, corporation, sales etc), purchases, wages and anything else? Can we be told who pays for the construction and what will be the total cost to us of the development, including water and electricity contracts? What will be the net foreign exchange footprint, positive or negative and how much? If the resort does in fact comprise 750 rooms, then the claimed benefit equates to $1,826 per room per day at 100 percent occupancy and $2,029 per room per day at 90 percent occupancy. I need some convincing about such a projection.

We could then have a proper discussion that rises to the level of consultation that eludes us thus far. But the manner of this project’s progress raises two critical concerns beyond the financial and procedural. They are legal.

One should recall that in advance of this announcement, the Prime Minister informed us that he had taken over control of the tourism product in Tobago. We also need to consider the relevance of the Aliens (Landholding) Act.

Control of tourism in Tobago rests in the hands of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) under a schedule of the THA Act. It is not there as a gift from a sitting Prime Minister to Tobago. Rather, it is given by way of an Act of Parliament.

It is the law of the land.

My concern therefore is about the right or lack thereof to remove that power back to central government without approval by Parliament. Is this power now to be treated as discretionary, to be given and taken away at the whim of the Prime Minister of the day? If yes, will the same apply to the imminent Autonomy Bill? Where do the various political parties stand on this? There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Prime Minister being a key player in this or any other transaction. That should be applauded. I do not see how he can legally take control away from the THA.