Rowley: Brand defence only reason for Sandals pull out

THE Prime Minister has responded to skepticism that negative publicity was not the sole reason for Sandals Resorts International withdrawing from the Tobago project. He insists brand defence was the only reason.

"I can tell I know of nothing else."

Dr Rowley was speaking on Thursday during a media conference held at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's. He said the brand was being accused on US television programme Good Morning America of destroying the Tobago environment and building on a Ramsar site.

"The Sandals board took a decision that (they) are not prepared in (their) current circumstance where we are having to defend our brand not only in Tobago but in Antigua and elsewhere all of a sudden...brand defence has become a big issue for them. They at their board took a decision 'where we are already rooted we have no choice. We have to defend whatever goes on there for us. But where we have not yet put down a stake, let's just leave it alone.' And that's what happened. They had not picked a leaf in Tobago. They had not signed a contract in Tobago, yet they were being accused of scandal and the Opposition Leader telling people that they make deal with the Prime Minister and all that. They say they didn't need that. They have enough to deal with elsewhere where they are already existing."

He said his Government must take some responsibility for the loss of the project "because we didn't set out to fail." He dismissed theories that it was a "gambit" and the project would return in a few months. He added he was not hopeful of Sandals returning to the island.

Rowley also responded to a statement from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar after the announcement and including that the project was withdrawn because it failed to garner public support. He recalled visiting Scarborough and speaking with citizens about the project.

"I came away convinced the project had widespread support, and persons were anxiously preparing to receive this development in Tobago.

"One of the problems we are having in TT, with this Government in particular, is that we have become so accustomed to being lied to, that when the truth is spoken without any frills and without any ulterior motives the population has difficulty in accepting the truth. Simply because we have grown up, particularly in recent times, on a diet of lies from official sources. So I understand the cynicism."

He also responded to Persad-Bissessar's suggestion that the money intended for Sandals be used for areas such as social services and crime. He said there was no money, but the plan was to use the project to get a loan as well as to get private sector investors.

"The money we were going to spend on the hotel doesn't exist."

Rowley said Government spent hundreds of millions to boost tourism in Tobago, and in one instance spent $200 million.

"The conclusion we arrived at was the money was largely wasted."

He said the Government had to pay airlines to bring seats to Tobago, but the Sandals brand would have relieved this obligation and boosted traffic to a scale where airlines would want to come.

"This was no whim of the Prime Minister. It was a solution to a longstanding problem."

Rowley also reiterated that the project was never planned to be on No Man's Land and criticised the media for taking that as "gospel." Rowley said he rode a horse in the area and ensured the site was far away from No Man's Land. He also rubbished Persad-Bissessar's claim that the project was done in secrecy, and said even if the Government wanted to conduct the project in secrecy it was not possible because of the legal requirement to consult. On environmental concerns, he said the Government would have to be "mad men" to spend billions on a facility chosen for its natural beauty and then destroy it.

He added Sandals was chosen because it was the only brand to bring the strong airlift to the island.

"You can only get Sandals from Sandals."

Asked whether the Government communication was the best of the project, he said there was always room for improvement.

"I think we did enough to have a majority of people saying it was a good project."

On activist Afra Raymond, who had gone to court to have the Sandals MOU released, Rowley responded "Afra does his business, it is a free country. I stick to the facts."