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Commitments and contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2021
Commitments and contingencies |
Commitments and contingencies | 19. Commitments and contingencies Commitments The Company has entered into employment agreements with certain executives, which expire through December 31, 2024 and provide for, among other things, base annual salaries in an aggregate amount of approximately $3.9 million, performance bonuses and various employee benefits. The Company has purchase obligations totaling approximately $5.1 million through December 31, 2022. Contingencies COVID-19 The worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was formally recognized by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. In response to this pandemic, the governments of the countries in which the Company operates - the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, and the United States - implemented preventative measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, measures which have had profound adverse consequences for the economies of those countries. Tourism, a major economic driver for the Cayman Islands, temporarily ceased due to closing of the country to tourist arrivals by air and sea travel and has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Tourist arrivals to The Bahamas by air and sea also declined significantly due to the pandemic and continue to be less than pre-pandemic numbers due to the continued reluctance of people to travel internationally. Overall economic activity in the United States has also declined. As a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economies of the countries in which the Company operates, the Company has experienced, and could continue to experience, decreases in consolidated revenue, cash flows generated from operations, net income and overall liquidity as compared to pre-pandemic periods. Furthermore, the prolonged extension of the economic downturn created by the COVID-19 pandemic could further adversely affect the markets for the Company’s products and services. Such adverse market effects could further adversely impact the Company’s expected future cash flows from its four reporting units and could require the Company to record impairment losses to reduce the carrying values of one or more of these reporting units due to a decline in their fair values. Although the Company cannot presently quantify the future financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, such impacts will likely continue to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Given the uncertainty associated with the resolution of this pandemic, the Company cannot presently determine how long such adverse financial impacts may last. Cayman Water The Company sells water through its retail operations under a license issued in July 1990 by the Cayman Islands government (the “1990 license”) that granted Cayman Water the exclusive right to provide potable water to customers within its licensed service area. Although the 1990 license was not expressly extended after January 2018, the Company continues to supply water under the terms of the 1990 license, as further discussed in the following paragraph. Pursuant to the 1990 license, Cayman Water has the exclusive right to produce potable water and distribute it by pipeline to its licensed service area, which consists of two of the three most populated areas of Grand Cayman Island: Seven Mile Beach and West Bay. In 2021 and 2020, the Company generated approximately 33% and 32%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 47% and 44%, respectively, of its consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license. ​ The 1990 license was originally scheduled to expire in July 2010 but was extended several times by the Cayman Islands government in order to provide the parties with additional time to negotiate the terms of a new license agreement. The most recent express extension of the 1990 license expired on January 31, 2018. The Company continues to operate under the terms of the 1990 license, providing water services to the level and quality specified in the 1990 license and in accordance with its understanding of its legal obligations, treating those obligations set forth in the 1990 license as operative notwithstanding the expiration of the express extension. The Company continues to pay the royalty required under the 1990 license. In October 2016, the Government of the Cayman Islands passed legislation which created a new utilities regulation and competition office (“OfReg”). OfReg is an independent and accountable regulatory body with a view of protecting the rights of consumers, encouraging affordable utility services and promoting competition. OfReg, which began operations in January 2017, has the ability to supervise, monitor and regulate multiple utility undertakings and markets. Supplemental legislation was passed by the Government of the Cayman Islands in April 2017, which transferred responsibility for the economic regulation of the water utility sector and the negotiations with the Company for a new retail license from the WAC to OfReg in May 2017. The Company began license negotiations with OfReg in July 2017 and such negotiations are ongoing. The Company has been informed during its retail license negotiations, both by OfReg and its predecessor in these negotiations, that the Cayman Islands government seeks to restructure the terms of its license in a manner that could significantly reduce the operating income and cash flows the Company has historically generated from its retail license. The Company is presently unable to determine what impact the resolution of its retail license negotiations will have on its cash flows, financial condition or results of operations but such resolution could result in a material reduction (or the loss) of the operating income and cash flows the Company has historically generated from Cayman Water’s retail operations and could require the Company to record impairment losses to reduce the carrying values of its retail segment assets. Such impairment losses could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations. CW-Bahamas CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable balances (including accrued interest) due from the WSC amounted to $21.5 million and $16.8 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. From time to time (including presently), CW-Bahamas has experienced delays in collecting its accounts receivable from the WSC. When these delays occur, the Company holds discussions and meetings with representatives of the WSC and The Bahamas government, and as a result, payment schedules are developed for WSC’s delinquent accounts receivable. All previous delinquent accounts receivable from the WSC, including accrued interest thereon, were eventually paid in full. Based upon this payment history, CW-Bahamas has never been required to provide an allowance for doubtful accounts for any of its accounts receivable, despite the periodic accumulation of significant delinquent balances. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has not provided an allowance for doubtful accounts for CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable from the WSC. The Bahamas government and the WSC continue to make intermittent payments on these accounts receivable, and such payments amounted to approximately $22.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. If CW-Bahamas continues to be unable to collect a significant portion of its delinquent accounts receivable, one or more of the following events may occur: (i) CW-Bahamas may not have sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations; (ii) the Company may be required to cease the recognition of revenue on CW-Bahamas’ water supply agreements with the WSC; and (iii) the Company may be required to provide an allowance for doubtful accounts for CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable. Any of these events could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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