Ames invites Eustace to Buccament Bay Resort

Chairman of Harlequin Resorts Dave Ames believes that Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace should visit the Buccament Bay Resort, to get a better understanding and knowledge of the operations at the facility.{{more}}

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday, Ames indicated that he would gladly give the Opposition Leader a tour of the Resort, and is surprised that Eustace did not contact him about his “concerns”.

“This is what I am upset about. My point is, I actually rang my lawyer Sam Commissiong and I said to him ‘Why doesn’t this man ring me? Why doesn’t he come here and meet the workers here?

“He is more than welcome to come here; I would love to show him around,” Ames said.

In a press statement issued to SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday, Ames said, Eustace, along with representative for the Central Kingstown Constituency St Claire Leacock, were raising “alarmist concerns”, based on information received from persons Ames described as illegal ‘expats.’

“There are some bad people here, ringing up Eustace, or ringing up whoever they can get to and trying to cause trouble here and that’s not fair.

“Mr. Eustace, an economist is quoted as saying ‘the situation has implications for the nation’s reputation and foreign investment here.’ Well he is quite correct; as a direct result of such inaccuracies as are being spread at the moment by himself and his peers, there may well be future implications for foreign investment,” Ames said.

“…. Mr Leacock goes as far as to suggest ‘there is potential for a business to go belly up, leading to violence at the worksite. It is apparent to me that Mr Leacock has no idea what he is talking about at all, and these comments are not only wholly incorrect and baseless, but frankly tantamount to incitement and hugely damaging to our relationship with the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Ames denied allegations that the 300 employees at the Resort are sometimes not paid on time, stating that they are paid on time, every month.

According to Ames, more Vincentians are visiting the resort, located in the Central Leeward constituency, to get a first-hand view of the progress that is taking place there.

He said that locals were taking advantage of the day and evening passes, which allows them to use the facilities, including meals, the pools and the bars.

He indicated that one local couple had recently booked for two weeks at the resort, after spending a day there.

“We are inviting persons to come down. What we are trying to do now is to have people to come in to understand what we have here, because I think locals haven’t seen it, and now they are beginning to see what a wonderful resort it is here and this is how we will turn the country around.

“They ring up and just arrange to come down… and what we have been doing for the past four or five months; we bring people in and we take them around to show them what we’re doing here….”

Claiming that neither he nor his company has any political afiliation, has never engaged in politics, nor has any intentions to do so, Ames said that the intentions of the visits are to remove the lack of understanding and knowledge, and he hoped that Eustace would take advantage of the invitation.

“If you want to accuse me of something, fine; but let me have my side of the story. Come speak to the people working here, come and see the truth”, Ames added.

Now a citizen of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ames said as a local businessman and a voter, he feels “the need to speak out against unnecessary and negative comments made about Harlequin, which are born from a lack of understanding and knowledge of what we do.”

“I accept that, for my part, perhaps we have not been forward enough in talking about all that we do in St Vincent, but I will ensure we have a clearer voice from now on,” he said.

Describing the journey to opening the resort as long and at times challenging, Ames expressed thanks for the support shown to the project.

“Harlequin continues to grow from strength to strength, our commitment to St Vincent and the Grenadines is solid, our focus clear, and our course set to establish Buccament Bay Resort as the finest hotel in the Caribbean and to drive the tourism market in St Vincent for the greater good and prosperity of us all,” Ames statement said.

On Sunday, June 10, Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace made his first visit to the resort, as an invited guest for the opening of the 55th meeting of the OECS Authority. Eustace, however, did not venture further than the beach area where the opening ceremony was being held.(JJ)