Tobago hotels query Government's decision not to reopen private construction

Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association vice-president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James is questioning Government’s decision to delay the reopening of the private construction sector, possibly until July 12.

“I am not sure where he is going with that, because people have bridging finance to pay for their private projects and while you (government) are stalling it, nobody can do your construction. You are still paying bank fees,” she said after Dr Rowley's announcement on Saturday on restarting state construction on July 5.

Birchwood-James said she is very concerned about the “small man,” who might be doing renovations or building houses and other commercial structures.

“Bridging finance could come up to quite a cost and you still don’t know when you are opening.

“Only opening government projects when you have private projects with about two or three men coming to build a house or commercial building – I am not sure that makes any sense.”

Birchwood-James also said she heard no mention of plans to increase the passenger capacity on the sea and airbridge.

“So we are still in limbo with our hotels, which are supposed to be open, but they are really closed, because they have no visitors coming. So we await to hear something about the airlift as well as the seabridge.”

She said Tobago hoteliers, almost 17 months into the pandemic, are still in the same position: “bills to pay and no money.”

Birchwood-James welcomed the plan to reopen the borders for vaccinated people on July 17. Unvaccinated nationals can also return but must undergo mandatory state-supervised quarantine. All adult passengers must also provide a negative covid test taken within the last 72 hours.

“That sounds reasonable, because when you read up on the other Caribbean islands, that is exactly what everybody is doing. I think the United States and England. So we are not doing anything unusual.”

“The glimmer of hope is that he (Rowley) said in two weeks' time we should have the opening of the borders operationalised, and he has given us an indication of who can come,” she said.