Prime Minister Gaston Browne has issued a stern warning to hotel operators across Antigua and Barbuda, demanding improved wages for workers and threatening forensic audits against businesses suspected of underreporting profits. According to Antigua News Room, Browne is pushing the hospitality sector to move beyond a minimum wage standard toward what he calls a "livable wage."
"I cannot see a situation persisting in which hotel workers… are struggling to fund a basic mortgage," Browne said, underscoring his position that employees in the country's largest industry must be able to meet basic living costs.
The Prime Minister indicated that his administration will engage hotel operators in direct talks to determine an appropriate wage level. He stopped short of promising government-imposed increases, but made clear that higher pay across the sector is the expectation.
"We will meet with the hoteliers and come to a consensus," Browne said, adding that the government would not push for unrealistic increases but expects a better balance between profits and employee welfare.
Browne suggested that higher-end resorts, in particular, have the capacity to absorb increased labour costs, and that some properties may need to adjust their pricing accordingly. "If they have to increase the rate… even by $20 or $30 per head," he said, "that is one way to address the issue."
The Prime Minister also flagged a broader concern about workforce trends in the tourism sector. He noted that persistently low wages have driven many Antiguans and Barbudans away from hotel jobs and toward public sector employment. "What is happening… is that the hotels are now employing new immigrants," Browne said, warning that this trend could pose longer-term employment challenges for local workers if left unaddressed.
On the issue of tax compliance, Browne was direct. He stated that the government will pursue action against any hotel operator found to be improperly reducing tax liabilities. "We're going to go real hard after any hotelier who seeks to manipulate their profits and undermine the taxes that are paid to the country," he said.
Browne specifically named Sandals, alleging the company has a "propensity to manipulate taxes," and signalled that such practices would no longer be tolerated. "I'm saying to them, those days are over. A new dispensation," he said.
The remarks come as the government continues to pursue a shift toward higher-end tourism, which Browne has argued will support better wages and improved working conditions across the industry. He maintained that the administration's approach seeks to balance economic growth with fairness for workers.
"We're governing in the best interest of the people of Antigua and Barbuda," he said.
