(Antigua News Room )Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed that the government has denied a request from Sandals Resorts International to import its own fleet of luxury vehicles for guest transportation.
The hotel chain requested concessions on the imports which the Cabinet declined.
He told Pointe FM that the resort chain’s approach as “greedy,” describing the request as an attempt to monopolize profits within Antigua’s tourism industry at the expense of local businesses.
“They want everything,” Browne said. “What room is left for the taxi drivers now at the airport? So they want to benefit in everything.” The Prime Minister explained that the government rejected Sandals’ request to protect the livelihood of local taxi drivers, who rely heavily on providing airport transfers to tourists.
This request from Sandals, Browne suggested, forms part of a broader pattern of practices that prioritize corporate gain over local economic participation.
He has previously accused the company of treating Antigua as a “plantation” with “colonial” practices, emphasizing that Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism economy must remain inclusive and beneficial to the wider community.
The Prime Minister signaled that the government would not yield to Sandals’ request or allow practices that could threaten local businesses.