LISTEN: PM Browne Concerned Foreign Firms May Be Undercutting Locals in Construction Sector

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has raised concerns about the practices of some foreign construction companies operating in Antigua and Barbuda, alleging that certain firms may be displacing local workers, underpaying imported labour, and avoiding taxes while benefiting from the country’s booming luxury development sector.

Speaking on his weekly radio programme, Browne said the government has become increasingly concerned about the growing presence of foreign entities in high-end construction projects and has instructed authorities to investigate their operations.

“A number of foreign entities have entered into the construction space now, and they’re literally dominating the luxury construction market,” Browne said.

The prime minister claimed that some companies are importing workers at low wages while reducing employment opportunities for Antiguans and Barbudans.

“My understanding is that they’re bringing in extra resources—people—and in some instances paying them a pittance,” he said. “They are displacing locals.”

Browne also suggested that some firms may be structuring their finances in ways that deprive the country of tax revenue.

“Some of them, we are told, are not even paying the taxes,” he said. “They charge the clients a particular amount and they have the money sent abroad.”

According to Browne, the Inland Revenue Department has been tasked with examining whether contractors are accurately reporting earnings generated from major projects.

“We have asked Inland Revenue to look into it and make sure they’re paying a fair share of taxes,” he said.

The prime minister warned that the government is prepared to conduct forensic audits and pursue back taxes where necessary.

“If we have to charge them back taxes, we’ll do so,” Browne said. “They may be getting away temporarily, but it’s a matter of time before we look at the properties they would have built.”

He added that authorities would compare reported revenues against the market value of completed developments to determine whether companies have underreported income.

“We know how much properties in Jumby Bay cost to build,” Browne said. “We’ll make a determination how much they would have earned and the taxes that they should have paid.”

Browne further alleged that some contractors have imported excess construction materials and diverted them into the local market, practices he said the government has moved to stop.

The comments came as the government continues to tighten work permit policies aimed at ensuring that available jobs are first offered to Antiguans and Barbudans before employers seek labour from outside the country.

The allegations have not been substantiated publicly, and Browne did not identify any specific companies during the broadcast.

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