Tobago House of Assembly (THA) electoral representative for Roxborough/ Argyle and political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Assemblyman Watson Duke said Tobagonians must win in any deal with Sandals Resort.
Duke spoke with Newsday on April 8, one day following a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Stuart Young, government officials, THA officials, tourism stakeholders and the Sandals executive team, led by CEO Adam Stewart, at the Prime Minister’s residence in Blenheim.
At a media conference at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Central Administrative Services Tobago (CAST), Young said it was agreed to give Sandals a “clean slate.”
Sandals' return to Tobago followed an invitation by former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley.
The government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sandals for a resort to be built in Tobago, but negative publicity about the project resulted in the luxury hotel pulling out of the deal.
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Duke, who was part of the meeting on April 7, said the discussion for Sandals' return is on and he will be a part of the process. He said all hotels of a five-star nature are welcome, but “we have to look at it in a detailed way when the discussion takes place.”
He said for any five-star hotel to come to the island, there must be three wins.
“The first win, the hotel must win. The brand of hotel must win, that’s the reason for business. People want to make a profit on the dollar.
"Second, the THA must win. You can’t come and make the House of Assembly look like a dolly house, it must be respected as a house of legislature.
"And the third win – which to me is the most important win – is the win for the people. Unless the people of Tobago can win, there is no need for any hotel whatsoever in Tobago.”
When contacted on April 8, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said he agreed with the decision to re-invite Sandals and to have them make a “fresh pitch or fresh proposal” to the island.
“In other words, we’re saying that all of the former arrangements are now null and void. We are not pursuing anything in the former arrangement whatsoever and we want to start the conversations on a fresh page. Looking at basically everything from start.”
He said Sandals has agreed to develop a proposal for investment, which he said is an interesting sign.
“Sandals made the point yesterday that their preferred model of development is one where they build their own hotel using their own capital or money, and that too is welcomed information."
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He said he was happy for the progress that was made during the meeting, adding that the Assembly remain committed to continue this discussion after the general election on April 28.
Questioned on the THA’s stance that Tobago wants a Sandals on the island but on its own terms, he said: “Given that we are starting brand new and there is currently nothing on the table, we are very much open to discussions.”
He said the only grouping not invited to the meeting was the environmental groups, however he was “assured that they would be definitely included in the conversations going forward.”
