Elon Musk, the white South African-born billionaire who is running President Trump’s highly controversial “government efficiency department,” appears not to be a very popular businessman with some Caribbean Community (Caricom) governments — at least one is pursuing him for unpaid satellite internet services, while another is deliberately limiting the growth of his services to the country.
Authorities in Antigua say Musk owes the Eastern Caribbean nation money for services rendered to internet users on the island, while Belize says Starlink’s services will only be made available to far-flung areas in the country, limiting its ability to out compete local internet providers.
Both Prime Minister Gaston Browne in Antigua and his chief of staff Lionel Hurst have said the issue has been discussed at cabinet level several times in recent months and there are no plans to let up on demands for Musk to make outstanding payments.
Musk and Starlink have been trying to break into the Caribbean market for the past three years and have had success in Jamaica, Belize, and Antigua, but Hurst said the technology being used by Starlink makes it difficult to regulate the company and make it comply with local laws.
“I don’t think the quantum has yet been determined, but we do know that there are over 100 people that are utilizing Starlink at the moment, and the other telecommunications companies must pay (sales taxes) on the services they provide to consumers,” Hurst told reporters. “Starlink, because of its direct connection with the customer, is not reporting the companies or the persons who are utilizing its services, but we do know that it is operating out of Antigua, and so the government intends to collect the taxes. This is some of the information that we have garnered.” The tax is levied at 17%.
Hurst added that “the amount would be insignificant in terms of the quantum of the sales tax, but the rule is that every telecommunications company must pay. Well, we know this was only shared with the cabinet, but it appears as though the information and telecommunications ministry has been doing the necessary research to determine how many people [are using the service]. I believe that it started sometime last year, so the investigation has been ongoing. Whether or not we will actually be able to get that tax is a question that we have not yet been able to answer, but the idea is that we must at least inform [Starlink] that taxes are due to the government of Antigua and Barbuda.”
Antigua’s move to draw down from Starlink comes as fellow Caricom member state Guyana says it is considering an application from the company to begin offering services in the oil- and gas-rich nation.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips recently told reporters that “Starlink has an application on file and it’s going through the process. We’ve had discussions with Starlink. The discussions are ongoing, and I envision it will reach a point where [like] the other 124 countries in the world where Starlink has contracts … we will have a license. In terms of a timeframe, I would say as early as possible because those discussions are ongoing. You may recall the president himself had a conversation with Mr. Elon Musk, and I myself had conversations with senior executives of Starlink. We’re moving toward licensing them in the shortest possible time.”
In Belize, meanwhile, authorities have denied Starlink’s application for a full license, limiting them to unserved areas in the Central American nation that is also a Caricom member. Prime Minister John Briceno said loyal companies providing services to the country must be protected.
“We are not giving them an open license, but if a citizen comes and says — and we have been doing that forever — ‘We want a satellite dish,’ you get a permit to do that. If you … live deep in the bush and do not have access to internet service and want to bring it in, they will approve it. I think that is the best compromise.”
You should be worrying about keeping good service but the phone so people can communicate instead of your little greedy tax money so you can go eat caviar and buy a new car or you people want to do a s*** on your ass in the government and suck everybody dry with tax money