{"id":34906,"date":"2016-02-10T10:11:03","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T10:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=34906"},"modified":"2016-02-10T10:11:03","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T10:11:03","slug":"sugar-bay-resort-employees-receive-paycheck-11-days-late-as-next-payday-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=34906","title":{"rendered":"Sugar Bay Resort Employees Receive Checks 11 Days Late As Next Payday Nears"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. THOMAS — Employees of the Sugar Bay Resort and Spa here finally received their paychecks some 11 days past due, and the resort’s financial stability will be put to the test again on Friday, January 12, the firm’s next payday.<\/p>\n

The Tuesday payment was revealed to The Consortium by employees who contacted the publication last week about a letter<\/a><\/span> they had received from the resort’s manager, stating that because of unforeseen financial woes, payment would be late. One of the two employees, who requested anonymity fearing backlash, said while it was a relief to finally receive pay, uncertainty as to whether employees would be paid on Friday lingers.<\/p>\n

‘Today I was finally paid the money I was owed from the 29th of January. February 12 is another payday, we’ll see what happens then,” this employee told The Consortium on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Senator Jean Forde, who met with<\/a><\/span> the resort’s manager,\u00a0Abdel Zouari last week, was assured that employees would have been paid that weekend. He also said resort officials had assured him that the situation was only temporary.<\/p>\n

The payless payday surfaced a financial problem at one of the territory’s top resorts that was otherwise be known only to insiders. Sugar Bay recently\u00a0lost its \u201cDreams Resorts\u201d status, which boasts of offerin<\/span>g<\/a>\u00a0a collection of luxury resort destinations, each with its own unique personality,\u201d and features \u201csun- soaked beaches, elegant accommodations, a world-class spa, gourmet dining, unlimited premium drinks, and many other pampering amenities.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while the territory’s struggling economy may have played a role in the resort’s current financial condition, it was accelerated by Governor Kenneth Mapp’s decision\u00a0not renew its Economic Development Commission benefits \u2014 which offered 100 percent tax free status \u2014 stating during a February 2015 press conference<\/a><\/span> that Sugar Bay and Windward Passage had failed to hold\u00a0 their end of the obligations as required by the EDC.<\/p>\n

In explaining his reasoning behind the disapproval of benefits extension, Mr. Mapp said there were \u201ctremendous violations of law\u201d within the applications, and that it\u2019s the government\u2019s job to \u201cpolice\u201d the companies and make sure they are complying with the rules.<\/p>\n

The territory\u2019s leader then made known some of the deficiencies found within the applications of both hotels.<\/p>\n

The governor said both entities were \u201cbelow the number of required employees\u201d that should be working at the facilities as part of the EDC agreement. Mr. Mapp also revealed that one of the hotels had already enjoyed 15 years of EDA benefits, while the other had enjoyed 20 years. Nevertheless, the Economic Development Authority sent the governor an application to grant said hotels an additional 10 years of 100 percent of tax benefits.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mapp continued, revealing that one of the entities hadn\u2019t filed income tax returns for more than five years, and one owed unemployment payments to the Department of Labor. One of the companies intended to invest, according to the governor, \u201ca mere $690,000 over the next ten years,\u201d which, he said, \u201cgiven the hotels and their sizes, one must understand that $690,000 over ten years is not even sufficient monies to maintain the properties; much less monies to expand, develop and provide any expansion of the facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chief executive also made known that the wages at Windward Passage and Sugar Bay were below industry standards, and although the hotels comply with the territory\u2019s \u00a0minimum wage law, \u201cgiven the amount of benefits that you have enjoyed for more than 15 years at 100 percent tax exemption, the wages to the employees are totally unacceptable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But the governor said the actions taken last year were not indicative of a leader who is anti private sector; adding that he and Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter were \u201cfully committed in supporting the incentives given by the Economic Development Authority, but it must be done in a manner that recognizes that everyone must carry some degree of their weight in the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor then advocated for local businesses that have paid the majority of taxes while major corporations reap their financial rewards with little to no tax deductions; and for residents who are currently burdened with multiple tax obligations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot continue to pile on on small businesses and employees in the territory the full burden of the services and the infrastructure of the territory,\u201d said Mapp. \u201cAnd if an entity has come into the territory, has invested, has built, has been enjoying tax benefits for 10, 15 \u2014 20 years, there must be some avenue to wean that entity off tax exemptions. The businesses cannot remain on the bottle forever. They must have some opportunity to wean off of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ST. THOMAS — Employees of the Sugar Bay Resort and Spa here finally received their paychecks some 11 days past due, and the resort’s financial stability will be put to the test again on Friday, January 12, the firm’s next payday. The Tuesday payment was revealed to The Consortium by employees who contacted the publication […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[228,3,1395,11,2474,147],"tags":[70,4510,121],"yoast_head":"\nSugar Bay Resort Employees Receive Checks 11 Days Late As Next Payday Nears - V.I. 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