Tobago bar owners frustrated

Frustration is the general feeling among Tobago bar owners, who were hoping for some good news on Saturday during the Prime Minister’s address to the nation.

During the covid19 update at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Dr Rowley announced a further ease in restrictions in several areas, including the resumption of limited dine-in services at restaurants and food establishments.

However, he announced bar owners would still have to operate on a take-away basis, at least for the next two weeks – until November 21.

Rowley said the Government did not want to undo the strides made in fighting the pandemic at this time by allowing bars to resume business as usual. He argued bars naturally lend themselves to congregating.

Dexter Woods, owner of Amsterdam Bar, Patience Hill, said bar owners are aware of the impact the virus continues to have on all sectors in the country.

But they are feeling the pinch.

“Nothing is really being done for us, and it is generally unfair both to us, the Tobago bar owners, and our counterparts in Trinidad,” he told Newsday.

“We are weathering the storm like everybody else and the problem that we are having is that there is no sort of redress for us at all.

“We have all the debts the same way like everybody else. There is still little grants that go to some people, while other people getting cushioned in some other way. We not asking for nothing much.”

Woods, who believes there are about 200 bars in Tobago, said the Government could have at least given them a waiver on rent payments.

Also, he said, “We closed since March, so you could say is a full year – and we still expected to pay our full year of licence.”

Woods said the existing “grab and go” arrangement is not working.

“Everybody knows that because somebody come in, they buy a beer and they go. By the time they start to drink it on the step going down, by the time they reach on the bottom the beer done. Are they going to walk back up the step to buy a next one? It ain’t really making any sense as such.”

Woods said lawmakers do not necessarily need to go to bars.

“They could buy a bottle of champagne and keep it in their house. So, it coming down to a poor people issue.”

He said bar owners are adopting a wait-and-see approach.

“There is not a stand that we can take, and we don’t intend to take a stand, because we tried that and it did not work, and we understand that it cannot really work.

“It makes no sense that you are pushing against something that you cannot help.

"But it is just a frustrating time for us.”