Antigua PM urges Sandals to leave over tax dispute, claims $30M owed in unpaid taxes

Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told the Jamaica-based Sandals Resorts International to consider removing its property in his country after he claimed the luxury hotel brand Sandals has adopted a policy of not wanting to pay taxes.

Speaking on his weekend radio programme, Prime Minister Browne told listeners that Sandals, which owns the 373-room Sandals Grande Antigua, a six-star, all-inclusive, adults-only resort, owes an estimated EC$30 million in taxes.

He said most of the taxes are from the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax, which the company collected on behalf of the government and was holding on to portions of the money.

Mr Browne said while he did not want to make the issue a public matter, he was nonetheless appealing to Sandals to cooperate with the Inland Revenue Department so as to avoid another public spat.

SRI has not responded to Mr Browne's  accusations