by Marlon Madden

The tough decision taken in 2018 to restructure Government’s debt and the employment of several economic advisors are today bearing fruit, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has declared.

In an effort to silence her critics on the most recent hiring of a Public Advisor on COVID-19, Mottley, who is the Minister of Finance, explained that without previous advisors and without taking the difficult decision of debt restructuring, Barbados would not have been in the current position it is economically.

Barbados now boasts of very healthy foreign reserves, which stands at just over $2.9 billion, or close to eight months of import cover. The highest it has been for the country.

“For those who say ‘a lot of that is borrowed’, I say show me who was able to borrow money before May 2018. We could not borrow a Yen, we could not borrow a cent and that is why we had to print money,” said Mottley.

She argued that the island was in a far better position than some of its Caribbean neighbours when it came to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to the effects of some of the worse crises in recent times including Hurricane Elsa’s impact in July and the ash fall from the La Soufrière volcano in St Vincent in April.

“Any one of those three events on top of what we were doing when we came into office in terms of stabilising this economy would cause other people to literally either surrender or be the victim of serious heart attack and indigestion as they try to solve it,” she said.

Pointing out that the journey has not been an easy one, Mottley said “but it is a journey that has been literally worth it because the resilience, the determination, the persistence and the sacrifice shown by Barbadian people buttressed by advisors – because we don’t have in the government all of the services and skills that we need”.

Mottley, who was addressing the nation recently, said she was upset at the “vilification and attempted demonisation” of retired journalist David Ellis after he was appointed last week as the COVID-19 Public Advisor.

The Prime Minister also brushed aside any lingering concerns about her administration’s decision to hire several economic advisors including the UK-based advisory firm White Oak, which had been paid in excess of $20 million to help with the restructuring of the island’s just over $7 billion debt.

In fact, Mottley stoutly defended having various advisors on Government’s payroll, saying “were it not for the guidance and advice of our advisory team we would today be forced to make very hard and painful decisions with respect to the management of COVID and with respect to the oversight of other vital aspects of our social and other health care services”.

“We are fortunate my friends, to have the services of advisors like White Oak, who helped us restructure our debt, such that one month before the start of COVID we had completed the domestic and the international restructuring of our debt.

“We were fortunate as well to have the benefit of advisors like Dr Kevin Greenidge and Professor Avinash Persaud, and Dr Clyde Mascoll and Mr Justin Ram in more recent times, to help us be able to ensure that the kind of fiscal space and the economic decisions we have to take to get us through this situation we can do,” she explained.

Over the past two years the Mottley-led administration has come under heavy criticisms from political and other pundits when it decided to hire the economic advisors. Economists and residents have also raised concerns over the island’s continued borrowing, which has increased the debt levels.

However, Mottley insisted that it was because of the advisors, the borrowing to shore up the international reserves, coupled with other policy interventions and the dedicated assistance from the Cubans and Ghanaian nurses, that Barbados was able to manage the effects of the natural disasters and health crisis so far.

“So, we are fortunate in a very key way,” said Mottley.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

The post Advisors key to economic recovery, says PM appeared first on Barbados Today.

Governor General of Barbados, Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason GCMG, D.A., Q.C., will be conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree at a special convocation on Saturday, October 2 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to public service.

She will receive the scroll during a virtual ceremony which will be broadcast at 5 p.m.  The event will be streamed live on UWI TV and social media platforms.

Dame Sandra is one of four eminent regional citizens who will be honoured in October by The UWI Cave Hill Campus, with three others receiving their recognition during this year’s graduation ceremony slated for October 23.

The former jurist was born on January 17, 1949 in East Point, St Philip, and attended the St Catherine’s Primary School and Queen’s College.

Before embarking on her legal career, Dame Sandra was a teacher at the Princess Margaret Secondary School and later worked at Barclays Bank in Barbados and Jamaica.

She obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from The University of the West Indies Cave Campus in 1973, and a Certificate of Legal Education at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad in 1975.

The former lecturer at The UWI Cave Hill Campus has distinguished herself in the legal profession and achieved several firsts throughout her career. She is the first Barbadian female attorney-at-law to graduate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, the first Barbadian to be appointed as a member of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal, the first female president of that tribunal, and the first female Court of Appeal Judge of the Supreme Court of Barbados.

Dame Sandra has held several roles in the administration of justice: She was Magistrate of the Juvenile and Family Court in Barbados and a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. She is also a former Chief Magistrate and Registrar of the Supreme Court.

Additionally, she has been a member of several organisations including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Chair of the Community Legal Services Commission, and a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

She is also a former diplomat who served as Ambassador to Venezuela, Chile, Colombia and Brazil.

On January 8, 2018, Her Excellency officially took up her appointment as the eighth Governor General of Barbados and was conferred with Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and St George (GCMG). Upon assuming office, Dame Sandra became the Chancellor of the Order and the principal Dame of St. Andrew (DA), under the Order of Barbados.

Dame Sandra enjoys reading, playing scrabble, watching cricket and travelling. She has one son, Matthew, who is also an attorney-at-law.

The post Dame Sandra to receive Honorary Doctorate during a special UWI Convocation appeared first on Barbados Today.

by Marlon Madden

Although he is not yet sure what career path he wants to take, eight-year-old Jessie Olton is already making a name for himself through a T-shirt business that he uses to raise awareness about literacy and violence.

The Charles F Broome Memorial Primary School student, who said that he is very concerned about the direction in which the country is going, told Today’s BUSINESS he wanted to make a difference and that was the main reason behind starting his business
J. Pro (Jessie’s Production).

“I started J. Pro because I wanted to send message to kids and adults,” said Jessie. He prints three main messages on the front of the t-shirts – one giving encouragement, one speaking to the issue of violence and the other speaking to the issue of literacy. Olton said he was simply tired of the violence, murders and “people saying bad things to one another”.

“So I get this business going to help stop the violence . . . I just want to inspire people of all ages to do the right thing,” he added. He explained that while he had the idea for the t-shirt business since last year, which he got from watching various videos on social media, it was not until July of this year that he was able to begin his operation with the help of his mother.

Currently, individuals are able to place an order via Instagram (J.pro246) and J. Pro will deliver. While Jessie is yet to make up his mind on what career path he will choose, he said one thing is for sure, he wants to play a role in putting an end to violence in Barbados and he wants to do so in a meaningful way.

“My wish for Barbados is for it to be an anti-violence place where everybody in Barbados can live happily,” said Jessie. He said he was determined not to allow the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in several restrictions, to hinder his quest.

“The pandemic does not affect it. It makes me want to do it faster and help me upgrade the business,” he said, adding that he already has his sights set on expanding.

“For now, we are just selling shirts but in the future we are going to work on getting hats, pants and a lot of stuff,” he said. He said while the most difficult for him
now was learning “how to handle” the business what he likes most about doing it “is that I get to help people”. The St Thomas resident has a simple advice for his peers – “even though you are young, you are never too young to do the right thing”.

Jessie, who was recently acknowledged by Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw for doing his part “to promote positive messages among our youth”, gets a lot of help from his mother Tara Mayers, who said she took care of the technical aspects of the business, provided some guidance and taught him financial literacy along the way.

“I try not to get him overwhelmed with the more technical things, but I keep him involved because it is his business. So he has to take some responsibility. I try to speak with him concerning the running of the business but not in a way that is heavy,” said Mayers.

She recalled that one day her son came to her after several days of watching various videos online and told her he was interested in “doing some merch”. “I had no idea what merch meant. So he had to break it down for me. He said ‘mommy, merch is merchandise’. I then said okay, if you want to do this and want to go that route I will support you, but we have to do it about something that is active in your life,” she recalled.

Mayers, who is a teacher, said the family believes in God and that made it a lot easier for them to decide on spreading positive messages. The mother of two said she had no idea her 8-year-old would take an interest in a business, and in the process, try to raise awareness about violence and literacy.

“It is not something you would sit down and you would think about. And as a parent you would think at that early age it is about education, about preparing them for the future. So to come to me at 8-years-old, looking to do something bigger than what I had envisioned it was warming to the heart,” said Mayers.

She reported that the business was already gaining traction across the region, with orders coming in from at least one other Caribbean country. “I believe the online platform provides the opportunity for the ease of business.

Traditionally, you would have to look at a place to set up and those costs . . . but with the online platform it is easy to reach persons and get out there. That is the good thing about where we are right now,” said Mayers. “In terms of Barbados though, I would say that more support is needed, more support for persons who are entrepreneurs, more support for persons who decide to go against the grain and do something untraditional as it relates to bringing in income. It takes a lot of bravery and time.

I think more support is needed,” said Mayers, who said she tried to support local businesses every month or every other month. Jessie, who says he enjoys spending his free time cooking and acting, said he will be working on some funny and inspirational videos to help with his anti-violence campaign.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

The post Kidpreneur mixing business with positive messages appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Barbados Meteorological Services continues to monitor the progress of newly upgraded Tropical Storm Sam located near 10.9N 38.1W, this places the centre of Tropical Storm Sam about 2275 km (1415 miles) east of Barbados at 11 AM Thursday 23rd September 2021.

Tropical storm Sam is expected to become a hurricane by tomorrow and a major hurricane by Sunday. An initial westward motion, followed by a slower west-northwestward track over the weekend is forecast and as a result, this system is not likely to pose any direct threat to the island.

As Sam passes to the north of Barbados very early next week, we can expect a reduction in wind speeds, this will lead to warmer than usual air temperatures.

For further information and tips on what you can do during these warm episodes please follow our social media pages and other recommendations issued by official sources.

The BMS will continue to monitor the progress of this feature over the next few days.
Recommendations to the public: Continue to monitor all updates and alerts issued by the BMS.

The next update will be at 2 PM Friday 24th September 2021.

The post BMS monitoring Tropical Storm Sam appeared first on Barbados Today.

by Marlon Madden

Come next month, small business operators in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will have the opportunity to access up to US$25,000 in funding to help them improve their operations.

Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Deodat Maharaj announced on Tuesday that as part of the agency’s grants and technical assistance programme, it would be introducing a new call for proposals in October, focusing mainly on female owned businesses and youth.

“Recognising the imperative of finance, we are currently planning to launch another call for proposals to provide grant funding under the 11th European Development Fund. We will have a larger antelope of funds through the continued generosity of the EU so that we can offer even more funding for you in the MSME sector in the region,” he announced.

“Within the context of our strategic plan . . . we believe we must focus on building the new economy, tapping into the opportunities that will be created by the blue and green economies. For sure, we need to help our MSMEs to prepare for this transition, given the possibilities for the sector, just in terms of jobs,” said Maharaj.

“We have been focusing these grants for projects on green technologies, innovation and the digitalisation of businesses, with marginalised groups including women and youth being specially targeted,” he added.

He was addressing the State of the Sector Conference of the Small Business Association’s Small Business Week 2021 on Tuesday, which was held under the theme The Road to Resilient and Resourceful Recovery. The Caribbean Export Development Agency and the Caribbean Development Bank collaborated with the EU earlier this year to provide support for regional MSMEs with financial and technical assistance.

Deodat reported that for the call for proposal that closed on July 9, 2021, there were some 350 applicants. He said the results from that will be released next month along with the criteria for accessing the new round of funding.

Under the last call for proposals, regional firms had the opportunity to apply for grants of up to US$15,000 for projects relating to digitalisation, marketing and promotions, resilience building, resource efficiency and renewable energy, certification, purchase and upgrade of capital goods, capacity building and protection of intellectual property rights.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

The post MSMEs to get more funding appeared first on Barbados Today.

The number of claims from motor vehicular accidents took a dip last year, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. This, as the level of gross premiums for the insurance industry in Barbados fell by some 1.7 per cent last year to reach $488 million.

According to the recently released 2020 Financial Stability Report, the decline in gross premiums for the sector came as lines of business such as motor and property and “other” recorded marginal declines in the number of policies in force.

“Subsequent to the 2018 domestic debt restructuring programme, profitability of the sector showed signs of improvement as the return on assets stood at 3.8 per cent, 2.1 percentage points higher than in 2019. The net income position improved as the industry recorded lower underwriting expenses,” said the report.

“This fall in expenses stemmed from lower-than usual claims from lines of business such as motor, following the first COVID-19 lockdown. As at the end of December 2020, preliminary estimates indicate an approximate 6 per cent falloff in the level of claims for the motor vehicle line of business,” it said.

At the end of December 2020, total assets in the general insurance industry were estimated to be around $987.8 million, a 5.6 per cent decline, when compared to the previous year.

“The decline in assets was mainly reflected in cash and deposit holdings, which fell by $23.1 million. Similarly, total liabilities for the group also fell by 5.8 per cent to reach $813.9 million. This is the result of reductions in provisions set aside for claims and decreases in other liabilities such as treaty accounts and premium taxes,” said the report.

Property insurance continued to be the largest line of business, accounting for 35 per cent, followed by motor, which accounted for 33 per cent, consistent with the percentage recorded over the last two years.

In relation to life insurance, the combined assets at the end of 2020 for the six companies writing this line of business were $2.75 billion, representing an increase of 5.7 per cent over the comparable period one year earlier.

The report, which is done by the Central Bank in collaboration with the Financial Services Commission and the Barbados Deposit Insurance Corporation, said the increase in assets for the life insurance industry was driven largely by the growth in related party investments which were estimated to be approximately $1.23 billion, 8 per cent higher than recorded at the end of December 2019.

It said: “Government and company bonds, the second largest component of investments, increased by approximately 8 per cent. Similarly, total liabilities, which were driven by increases in life insurance and annuity provisions, rose by 2.3 per cent to reach approximately $1.4 billion”.

At the end of 2020, capital as a percentage of assets was an estimated 48.2 per cent, 1.7 percentage points higher than at the end of 2019. “All entities exceeded the required solvency margin and the assets base exceeded liabilities by approximately 93 per cent,” it said.

The number of gross life insurance premiums written last year fell by an estimated 3.7 per cent, as all lines of business with the exception of industrial life and group life, reported lower premiums than the prior year.

“The ordinary life line of business continued to account for over half of the premiums generated by the life sector in 2020. The 53 per cent recorded reflected an increase of 3 percentage points when compared to 2019,”
said the report.

“Profitability for the sector dipped slightly in 2020, falling by 0.5 percentage points to reach 4.3 per cent. The sector experienced a fall in total expenses of $60.4 million, but, this was overshadowed by the $65.8 million decline in revenue recorded during the period as a result of lower returns from related party investments,” said the report. (MM)

The post Insurance industry records mixed results in 2020 appeared first on Barbados Today.

President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Justice Adrian Saunders has bemoaned the fact that Caribbean people, for the most part, have not been making greater use of their rights under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

He was speaking at the handing over ceremony in which third-year law students of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, who participated in a Trade Lab Clinic hosted in conjunction with the Shridath Ramphal Centre for Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC), produced 34 summaries of CCJ decisions.

The summaries of the CCJ decisions between 2008 and 2020 were prepared by Chelsea Lawrence, Mya Brathwaite, James Morris and Régine Mondesir.

The students were supervised by SRC director Dr Jan Yves Remy and lecturer in the Faculty of Law Dr Ronnie Yearwood, while international trade law practitioner Claude Chase, acted as mentor to the students.

Dr Remy, who conceptualised the trade lab, explained that the project was established to deepen the “understanding of the Court’s role in interpreting and applying the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and deciding on issues regarding freedom of movement, trade, services, and money in the CARICOM region”.

In a presentation to students, Remy said it was her desire that the project will achieve greater implementation of “this hope of Caribbean integration”. In his comments Justice Saunders commended the project.

“Any initiative that highlights how the rights are to be enjoyed; that places a spotlight on the jurisprudence that has been developed in this area; and that makes this jurisprudence more easily accessible to the people and States of the Community, does a tremendous service to the region,” he said.

Moreover, the senior regional judicial officer said the “digest is more than just concise summaries of the cases.

It includes aids that give significant added value for researchers quite apart from providing a readily accessible snapshot of the decisions for the public at large.”

Dr Yearwood noted that the CCJ summaries would allow practitioners and academics to “digest and reach into the cases in a quicker way”. (IMC1)

The post CCJ’s laments unused rights under Treaty of Chaguaramas appeared first on Barbados Today.

A total of 161 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory. The facility conducted 2,205 tests on Wednesday, September 22.

The new cases comprise 67 males and 94 females. Forty-three of these individuals are under the age of 18, and 118 are in the 18 and older age category.

There are 896 patients in isolation.

The death toll from the virus now stands at 63. The latest casualty is a 53-year-old man, who died on Tuesday, September 21. His COVID-19 test result, which was received on Wednesday, September 22, came back positive. He had comorbidities and was unvaccinated.

Barbados has recorded 7,065 cases of the viral illness (3,499 males and 3,566 females) since March 2020.

The public health laboratory has performed 302,684 tests.

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, 128,969 first doses have been administered, so far. To date, 99,921 persons have received their second dose, which translates to 36.9 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated against the virus. (BGIS)

The post COVID-19 Update: 161 new cases, one death, 896 in isolation appeared first on Barbados Today.

Hours before the United States slapped Antigua and Barbuda with an advisory that warned Americans not to visit the island due to widespread COVID-19 infections, a regional tourism body says such warnings do not tell the full picture.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) said while travel advisories have been placed on several Caribbean destinations due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, attributed to the highly contagious delta variant, the region is still safe because of effective health safety measures and a continued commitment to protect employees and visitors.

Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General of the CHTA, contended that the evidence does not suggest that increased travel to the region over the past several months contributed to any significant spread of OCVID-19.

The CHTA CEO argued that travel warnings based on COVID-19 positivity levels can be misleading.

“We have gone to great lengths to produce the safest possible corridors in our tourism-related communities,” she stressed, adding that “Caribbean travel is safe and continues to get safer.”

The CHTA official lauded regional countries, noting that contact tracing analysis provided by several countries that are monitoring this, showed the level of COVID-19 transmission between residents and visitors was “negligible”.

Moreover, Ledesma said testing of traveller departing to major source markets had shown insignificant positivity rates. Ledesma insisted that the Caribbean was commited to health safety which started long before the beginning of the pandemic.

Early in 2020, CHTA has worked with Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Global Tourism Resiliency and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC)
to form the COVID-19 Caribbean Tourism Task Force.

The CHTA statement added: “There is no question that the rate of vaccination within the tourism and related communities is higher than the national averages, and we know that vaccination provides that extra level of protection for our team members and their families. (IMC1)

The post Travel advisory against Antigua not the full picture appeared first on Barbados Today.

With the launch of its Renewable Energy Loans and development of a new Schools Block Programme, Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited continues to make strides in adopting the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Responsible Banking.

Last year, Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) became a signatory to the six responsible banking principles that are designed to ensure that banks develop strategies and practices that better align with and reflect the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate agreement, and relevant national and regional frameworks.

Following the signing, President and Chief Executive Officer of RFHL, Nigel Baptiste, said the Bank “intends to be the cheerleader of this initiative for the Caribbean region, and encouraged other  stakeholders in the financial sector to follow  suit.”

RBBL Managing Director and CEO, Anthony Clerk, explained: “In Barbados, we are assessing our portfolios to better understand the positive and negative impacts of our products and services so we can make the necessary improvements and continue to develop the kinds of initiatives that will help us to further align ourselves with the principles.

“We are also focused on building out our Power to Make a Difference programme. That programme in particular helps us to meet our sustainable development commitments and that in turn ensures that we are fulfilling our mandate of responsible banking.”

General Manager, Retail & Operations, Sharon Zephirin, said the Bank will be even more attentive to how well their products and services encourage and support social and environmental development as well as financial growth opportunities for citizens.

“Through our competitive Renewable Energy loans we are continuing to enhance our portfolio of products and services so that it includes measures that help Barbados meet its 2030 carbon neutral goals, and help our region to do its part to respond to the global climate crisis. We also see products like these as another step to putting the power of sustainable energy supply into the hands of average citizens.

“As for the Schools Block Programme, I am especially excited about its potential to allow us as a bank to be more responsive to the social and developmental needs of our youth.

“Each branch will start to develop relationships with the schools in their zones. We are encouraging school boards, teachers, student bodies and PTAs to reach out to us to pitch their initiatives and engage with us so we can see how we can support school projects.

“All of this fits squarely into the UN’s Quality Education sustainable development goal as well as the responsible banking principle of engaging with our stakeholders to achieve societal goals,” she said.

The six responsible banking principles involve aligning bank strategies and practices with sustainable development and climate goals; continuously increasing positive impacts by setting and publishing clear developmental targets; working responsibly with clients and customers to enable economic activities that create shared prosperity for current and future generations; proactively working with stakeholders to achieve society’s goals; adopting effective governance and a culture of responsible banking; and being transparent about and accountable for both the positive and negative impacts brought about by bank initiatives, products or services. (PR)

The post Republic Bank deepens its social pledge appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Barbados Community College (BCC) will host its virtual orientation via its website www.bcc.edu.bb, beginning next week. 

Sessions for local students will take place on Wednesday, September 29; Thursday, September 30; Monday, October 4; Tuesday, October 5, and Thursday, October 7. While those for regional and international students will be held on Friday, October 8. All sessions are scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. 

For more information, prospective students should visit the college’s website. 

The BCC has advised that the orientation is open to all persons who submitted applications for the 2021-2022 academic year, noting that the admission process is ongoing. (BGIS) 

The post BCC virtual orientation to begin next week appeared first on Barbados Today.

Prominent Barbadian developer Mark Maloney has been asked by a Florida judge to supply by Friday, information on the citizenship of the people he is suing in a matter in which he claims to have been defrauded of millions of dollars intended to purchase COVID-19 vaccines. But to add to his troubles, the businessman is now being threatened with a major countersuit by one of the parties in the action.

It’s part of a new twist to an already convoluted saga surrounding the purchase of AstraZeneca vaccines by Maloney’s company, Radical Investments Limited, as part of a regional bulk-purchasing arrangement involving the Barbados, St Lucia and Bahamas governments. The supply of the required information could avoid the case being dismissed.

Radical Investments is suing Good Vibrations Entertainment LLC, the purported supplier of the vaccines and a number of other businesses and individuals involved in the original attempt to buy the vaccines. The order for the jabs was never fulfilled leaving the plaintiff millions of dollars out-of-pocket.

Radical Investments Ltd. claims in its court papers that it was deceived and lured into an elaborate scam to advance the sum of US$10.2 million for one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which never materialised. The company alleges that on or around late March or early April, 2021, Maloney, the director of Radical Investments, was introduced by Cheryl Chamley, a Trinidadian national who resides in the United States and works in the PPE sector, to the principal of Good Vibrations Alex Lee Moore.

But in an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY via telephone on Thursday, an angry-sounding Moore accused Maloney of not telling the full story and pledged that he will be filing a “huge” countersuit against the Barbadian businessman by Monday at the latest.

Maloney also now has another challenge on his hands.

According to News Americas publication today, a Florida judge has ordered Maloney’s St. Lucia-registered, Barbados-based company to present proof by Friday detailing the citizenship of each individual being sued or face a dismissal of its lawsuit.

The publication said that U.S. District Court Judge, Aileen M. Cannon, ruled that before the court may assess whether there is “diversity jurisdiction”, the plaintiff must submit allegations or proof detailing the citizenship of each of the individual members of Good Vibrations Entertainment, LLC, Prestige Pegasus, LLC, and RDS Cargo Group DWC, LLC, all named as defendants in the suit.

“The citizenship of one member may destroy federal diversity jurisdiction if complete diversity of citizenship does not exist between the defendant and all of the members of a plaintiff’s limited liability company,” the news outlet reported the judge as writing in Fort Pierce. Diversity jurisdiction refers to a federal court’s exercise of authority over a case involving parties who are citizens of different states and an amount in controversy greater than a statutory minimum.

But while the Barbadian developer and cement supplier has that hanging over his head, the Good Vibrations Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is warning Maloney that “all hell is going to breakout” as his team of lawyers prepares for battle.

Moore has even threatened to fly to Barbados to have the matter adjudicated.

“If he filed a law suit against us, a countersuit will be filed within this week. If not this week, then by next week. There will be no question.  He is going to have a countersuit which is going to happen here probably by Monday or Tuesday with my attorneys. Next week he is going to have a countersuit which is going to be huge,” the Good Vibrations boss told Barbados TODAY.

While not naming anyone, Moore revealed that he had been receiving death threats and would be addressing that before the law courts there as well.

“I had a conversation about this death threat with the FBI and they wanted me to go ahead and send it in and they would deal with it, but I said ‘no, I am going to wait to see how this guy acts and if he tones himself down. But he did not tone himself down. So now we will have to deal with that accordingly,” said the chief executive whose company’s core business is state-of-the-art film, TV, digital production and humanitarian work.

Moore said he has not yet been served with any court papers and only learned of the legal action during the interview with Barbados TODAY. He said he will now have to embark on a damage control campaign in Barbados.

“Now that I understand this is taking place, I am going to have my PR in Barbados and we are going to be placing advertisements regarding this situation in Barbados,” he declared.

Seeking to explain the fracture in relations with Maloney and the non-delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccines, Moore claimed he was not the first choice as the business partner in this venture.                                                                                                                                             “He had a deal with the Barbados government prior to even coming to me,” Moore claimed. “He was dealing with another supplier. He didn’t get it [the vaccines] and then he came to us to help facilitate afterwards. We were second. So now he is trying to blame and pawn everything off on us, when in actuality, it wasn’t us. He was under pressure, so he is trying to use me and my company as scapegoats and I would not tolerate that from anyone,” Moore contended.

“We work in humanitarian. I am a conscious-minded person. I love people. We don’t take people’s money, we don’t fraud people. He got money back in the escrow. I have a receipt of wire money from the actual attorney money that was sent back to him and his company,” the Los Angeles-based company official stated.

He did not share the receipt as promised.

Moore said he told Maloney upfront that he should not insist on trying to procure AstraZeneca in the short timeframe in which he was requesting it because the delivery would be delayed from the manufacturer.

However, he said Barbados could still get the vaccines.

“I have been working to deliver vaccines to these guys regardless, absolutely. There was a delay in the process because AstraZeneca is behind. We told this guy that from day one. You can’t get vaccines in a certain time period. AstraZeneca is behind,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“My company was acting as a facilitator. The initial company that was doing this was United Product Distribution. So United Product Distribution was who he and the Ministry of Health wrote out their documentation to, not Good Vibrations,” Moore recalled.

Barbados TODAY has obtained the purported copy of correspondence dated April 6, 2021 bearing the letterhead of the Ministry of Health here and signature of permanent secretary Janet Phillips and addressed to United Products and Distribution LLC authorizing Radical Investments Limited to procure one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“They are not going to do your order, but they gave me permission, if you want to do it, I will go ahead and I will still run it through; I will put it through my company for you, but again, I am telling you, you should switch; you shouldn’t do AstraZeneca, you should do Covishield. That’s a generic version and that’s available immediately. But for AstraZeneca, we don’t know,” Moore recalled of the discussion.

“Right from day one [we were] quite transparent. Now he is using my company as his scapegoat because he wasn’t able execute and deliver and past the buck off on me,” the Good Vibrations boss claimed.

“Prestige Global were the ones who had the relationship, I was just the one facilitating it. Pharma is the manufacturer of the vaccines and they are still waiting to be able to make their own out of Switzerland and once they do within an eight-week period; he didn’t want to wait any more.”

Asked how soon the vaccines would be delivered Moore replied: “The vaccines being delivered to Barbados is a determination which has to happen between Prestige Global, not my company. I don’t deliver vaccines, I am a facilitator. I didn’t even solicit these people, these people came to me because of the relationship of someone who knows that I help people as a humanitarian and facilitator.

“So Barbados has an opportunity right now. I can put them directly with the manufacturer, with Sinopharm. Sinopharm can be delivered within a week. Seven to 10 days, that’s what they told me. But if they are stuck on AstraZeneca, I can’t tell you when AstraZeneca is going to be delivered because AstraZeneca is so behind,” the CEO reiterated today.

Barbados TODAY also reached out to Maloney today for comment as well as to United Product Distributors in the US, but without success.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)

The post Good Vibrations, firm accused of swindling Radical Investments over ‘jabs that never were’, responds appeared first on Barbados Today.

Staff of Barbados’ oldest newspaper say they have not been paid in the last two months and are crying out for help.

The finances of the Barbados Advocate have been thrown into a tailspin following the death of its owner and chairman Sir Anthony Bryan in June, 2020.

It has come as a result of Court Order CV 450, brought by his son Allan Richard Bryan et al, against Gail Sherry-Anne Padmore, one of the directors of its Board, which has seen the company’s main account frozen since the end of July.

With the director not allowed to dispose of, deal with, or diminish the value of any of the assets, whether solely or jointly-owned, the main account of the newspaper, fondly referred to as “The Old Lady of Fontabelle”, was included by the claimants in the order.

As a result, the company has not been in a position to meet its monthly obligations for close to two months.

In a press release issued today by its staff, they described the situation as “untenable” and called for the company’s funds to be unfrozen to allow them to be paid.

They said the situation had led to some of them experiencing serious financial hardships.

“Now with September’s payday looming, staff continue to feel the pinch with many at the end of their rope with overdue bills and mortgage and rent payments. Several, who are also parents, have been rendered unable to purchase textbooks and other school supplies even with the new term starting days ago.

“With the latest hearing being held this past Wednesday, the ruling has been deferred for a second time, now to October 7 and it appears as though September’s payday will also pass without employees receiving salaries for the work we have done and continue to do in these trying circumstances. What makes the situation even more hurtful and insulting is that while provisions have been made in the Order for the Defendant in the matter to receive a weekly allowance, no such thought was put in place to ensure the staff and other obligations of The Advocate could be paid, putting families and the entire organisation at risk. Exacerbating this situation is the lack of cohesion on the actual Board in handling this matter in particular, and others preceding it, as it has been split down the middle since the death of owner and chairman Sir Anthony Bryan,” the press statement added.

“The majority of the staff has taken the decision to break the silence ensured by the goodwill we have extended to the company and are making several requests. These include the freeing up of funds from the frozen account, as well as allowing for the payment of the group medical insurance, National Insurance Scheme contributions and utility bills. The staff is also demanding a greater level of  cooperation at the board level for the betterment of the company.

“With the newspaper company flailing defenselessly in the middle of this legal tug-of-war, staff is being unfairly punished. After cultivating a legacy of virtue and trustworthiness in the local and regional media space over 125 years, the future of The Barbados Advocate is now uncertain,” the statement further read.
(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)

The post Advocate staff go without pay after late publisher’s assets frozen appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Mia Mottley administration is facing mounting pressure to revisit its position on mandatory vaccines sooner rather than later as daily COVID cases and deaths soar to unprecedented levels.

Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) Edward Clarke warned that the potential for crippling economic fallout was now a “severe national issue” with serious implications for both the business class and working masses.

And, in the midst of a trade union backlash against mandating vaccines in some establishments, Clarke defended the employers’ right to protect workers.

“Where we are according to Dr Forde is at the beginning of a storm and it is a more major crisis than just Christmas. We could have a very devastating impact on Barbados for a long time if we don’t heed warnings and the people don’t go and get vaccinated,” Clarke told Barbados TODAY.

“I have agreed with the Prime Minister as the head of the Private Sector and she as the head of the Social Partnership that we would not mandate enforcement or encourage our people to enforce, but there is going to come a time when this country has to make a decision…because if we don’t achieve the targets that we have to achieve as a country, what is the next step?

“It is time that people understand the seriousness of the situation and the danger to society and themselves by not being vaccinated,” the private sector chairman declared, adding, “If hardears don’t hear, hard ears is going to feel.”

A whopping 161 new COVID cases and one death were reported on Thursday and one death, continuing the surge of the last two weeks. A total of 896 people are in isolation. Healthcare officials are warning that this may just be the tip of the iceberg as cases could increase to as many as 500 per day in the weeks ahead.

One of the main concerns for the business community is the tourism industry, which could be under tremendous strain if night-time curfews, lockdowns and other restrictions persist.

“Tourists will go elsewhere if they are not coming to Barbados and Barbados will take much longer to recover,” Clarke warned.

Still, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) are accusing some companies of bullying for granting office spaces exclusively to vaccinated employees and threatening mandatory testing. CTUSAB president, Edwin O’Neale warned of a “proportionate” response from the labour movement and BWU General Secretary Toni Moore accused offending businesses of opposing the Social Partnership agreement.

In response, Clarke acknowledged the organisation’s collective support of Government’s voluntary vaccine policy but added that businesses remained free to make their own decisions, particularly “in certain critical areas”.

“Are we going to continue and wait forever until people get vaccinated? We don’t have that luxury of time. We simply don’t have the luxury of time. Individual business people are therefore going to make their own decisions if it prolongs too long,” said Clarke.

“This is a severe national issue that we seriously have to look at and consider the long-term impact on our country and on our people. What is the future of employment? What is the future of the health system? Where do we go as a country? It is a much bigger issue,” the private sector leader contended.

“We in the private sector are continuing to have meetings with our staff. We are doing educational things, we are bringing in doctors to speak to our staff, so we are encouraging more and more people to try and get vaccinated. But unless the numbers change dramatically, some other decision is ultimately going to have to be made by those in authority,” he concluded. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)

The post Business sector says Gov’t will soon have to take decisive action on vaccinations appeared first on Barbados Today.

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) President Verla De Peiza has dismissed as lacklustre Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw’s defence of the failed deal to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, the subject of a claim of a scam in an American lawsuit.

She called for the full details of the deal to be revealed and explained clearly to the Barbadian public.

The scandal involves a fledgling St Lucia-based Barbadian firm Radical Investment Limited (RIL), owned by construction magnate Mark Maloney, which alleges it’s been swindled out of millions of dollars it paid for ultimately non-existent doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on behalf of the Barbados Government, through the American-based company, Good Vibrations.

DePeiza called journalists to DLP headquarters on Thursday to respond to Bradshaw’s remarks made a day earlier, when she stated no taxpayers’ dollars were spent on the transaction and that the agreement was reached with Radical at the height of the “vaccine race”.

The lawyer-politician said: “It is not enough to just say that so far we have not paid out any money, nor do I as an attorney, knowing the relationship between an agent and a principal, am I comforted by simply hearing that the loss is not ours, but it is the agent’s because that really depends on the agreement between the agent and the principal.

“We need to know what percentage of any commission was to be paid to the consortium here… because looking at the documents filed in the American court, we are seeing a price tag of $US10 a dose, when we know that Oxford AstraZeneca has made it very clear that they were dealing directly with Governments, or through High Commissions, and their price was US$3 a dose. So we need to have some clarity given to the money aspect of it, to the legal aspect of it, and we really need to understand why it is the Government would go to brand new companies.”

DePeiza also scoffed at the notion that any form of due diligence was done over the two companies in question, Radical Investment Limited and Good Vibrations. For her, not only should have red flags been raised around the unseen track records of any form of medical expertise within both companies, but in the case of Good Vibrations, it was chartered in the American market as an entertainment brand, and not a medical firm.

She said: “Why were the hints not picked up, since the Acting Prime Minister insisted that there was due diligence, why was it that the name of the company if nothing else, it is obviously an entertainment company by its own name, why is it no due diligence was done behind a company that by its own name and objective is for entertainment purposes, why would that be the chosen company with which to deal in order to procure vaccines for Barbados?”

The DLP president insisted that any explanation for the process which sought to portray Maloney as having intricate contacts within the medical space that the Government itself did not have access to, does not hold water since it is now clear that any such contacts surrounding vaccine procurement simply did not exist.

DePeiza told journalists: “It is pretty clear now that who was fronting for the Government of Barbados, had no access, and had no contacts, so that just blows that argument out of the water. As we stated in the press conference, Barbados is already a part of a grouping that can do bulk buy, it is called CARICOM, we do not have to recreate a space.

“Outside of that, the access to the vaccine, AstraZeneca, never mind the others, AstraZeneca made their position clear. We are dealing directly with governments, approach us through your High Commission. They made that abundantly clear, and also they were selling at cost, there was no profit margin for that.

“So to introduce a middle man and to introduce cost, especially significant cost which could buy another million doses let’s be real about it… we already had established channels for access, and we definitely already had contacts.”  (SB)

The post ‘Lacklustre’ defence appeared first on Barbados Today.

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) vice president Andre Worrell has called on Minister of Health Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic to explain any role his ministry played in the current scandal surrounding a deal by a company owned by a local businessman to buy COVID vaccines for the Government from an American company that did not deliver the product.

St Lucia-based Radical Investments, owned by cement and construction magnate Mark Maloney, has filed a lawsuit in the United States claiming to have been “deceptively” lured into an “elaborate” $20 million (US$10.2 million) scam for one million “non-existent” doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through Floridian company Good Vibrations.

Court documents claim that a half-dozen defendants were involved in the massive scam that included the provision of false statements to Prime Minister Mottley.

While Mottley is at the United Nations in New York preparing to address the General Assembly, Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw told the nation in an address Tuesday that no taxpayer dollars were involved in the failed deal.

While speaking to the press on Thursday at DLP headquarters, Worrell said the idea that the Minister of Health was not aware of the deal in the first, even though it was on behalf of the Government, was unbelievable and warranted explanation.

He said: “We are questioning the Minister of Health. In a statement to Barbados TODAY, he said that he knew nothing about the process where documents are being circulated, having been signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, in April of this year, surrounding the same vaccine issues.

“So that begs the question, does the Minister of Health have a communication channel with his Permanent Secretary, does he have regular management meetings, and why is something as fundamental and important as this, not being discussed with the Minister of Health?”

In the same breath, Worrell called for a change in strategy from health authorities in the way the COVID fight was currently being run. According to him, not enough emphasis was being placed at the ports of entry.

“If we are to win this fight against COVID right now, we will have to tighten the restrictions as suggested by the health care practitioners,” said the DLP spokesman. “The Democratic Labour Party, the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), and virologists have suggested that we look at changing our travel protocols. We have not heard the Government making any mention of increasing controls at the border.

“What was suggested, is that we need to start having a mandatory three-day quarantine, with testing on the third day, so that we can trap and identify all positive cases of COVID at the border. We recognize that vaccinated persons can be COVID positive as well, so this policy which we currently have, where vaccinated persons spend one night in quarantine, is clearly not sufficient.”

Worrell also called on vaccination sites to be expanded to include pharmacy locations and private doctors’ offices in an effort to help increase the access for Barbadians to get the jab and help break the current surge in COVID-19 infections. (SB)

The post DLP: ‘What did the Minister of Health know about vaccine scam?’ appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) is calling for the implementation of a mandatory vaccine policy for healthcare workers as the unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases takes its toll on frontline human resources.

In an assessment of the current situation, BAMP President Dr Lynda Williams reiterated calls for patience with the ‘vaccine hesitant’, but revealed that such leniency could no longer be extended to public health workers.

“While these efforts are ongoing, we reiterate the call for consideration of a policy-driven mandate for vaccination of healthcare workers, which already has a precedent in practice. We believe that our weak, sick and elderly must be protected when seeking care from healthcare providers,” declared Dr Williams.

“We are currently witnessing the progressive dwindling of limited human and physical health resources. Rationalization of services that can be safely offered at public health institutions, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is now a priority and patients must receive clear guidance for their next steps lest we create a tsunami of NCDs and unintended consequences,” the medical practitioner added.

Examining the current restrictions that include a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, Dr Williams contended that changes to these measures should be contingent on more than meagre increases in the country’s vaccination numbers.

“Re-evaluation of set public health measures after two weeks, should take into account many other factors, including the reporting of the true positivity rate in the community, which may be achieved by deducting those PCR tests done by travellers from the denominator. There is also a need to continue to consider the reporting of cumulative incidence, as a trigger for assessing the need for intensification of public health interventions,” contended Williams.

“Vaccination is a key means of reducing transmission of the virus, however, we are keen to point out that a person is not considered to be maximally protected by vaccination until two weeks after the second dose. Therefore, we must play ‘catch-up’ as the rate of spread of the more transmissible variants is well ahead of the rate of double vaccination.”

She also called for a strategic plan to address the rampant community transmission. This should focus on educating citizens about the importance of regular testing for residents in COVID hotspot areas, Government institutions and on the frontlines, Dr Williams noted.

The medical body took aim at the issue of misinformation that seeks to “denigrate the tireless and unstinting efforts of the healthcare workers of Barbados”.   

“Our death rates have remained low because of the quality and excellence of the Barbadian healthcare system and the wonderful professionals who work within it. BAMP salutes every public health practitioner, doctor, nurse, maid, pharmacist, orderly, clerk, administrative official and general worker in our health system and particularly those at the QEH, Harrison Point, other isolation centres and polyclinics.

“Our doctors and nurses are second to none and medicine is a noble and time-honored profession worthy of societal respect. We will not sit idly by while persons of no repute, slander our distinguished medical professionals and we ask these cowards, who hide behind the relative safety and anonymity of the internet, to immediately cease and desist and think about the damage that they are causing to society as a whole.

“To our medical professionals, we advise you to ignore the detractors and fight on. Continue to do all you can in the face of this deadly enemy called COVID-19,” Williams advised. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)

The post Docs want tighter policies in place appeared first on Barbados Today.

Barbados has lost a pioneer and stalwart in the pig farming industry.

Dennis Eversley, one of this island’s well-known pig farmers who has been a champion of buying local, passed away earlier this week.

Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) James Paul described Eversley as a trailblazer and an icon in the pig farming industry, who was always willing to innovate.

“He has had the admiration of other pig farmers in that he has been one of those farmers who has been outstanding,” said Paul.

The BAS head recalled that Eversley and his wife, who predeceased him, worked very hard and invested heavily to build their Kirtons, St Philip pig farm operation that eventually became one of the largest on the island.

“His death caused a lot of us shock [on Wednesday] when we learned that he had passed. I want to say on behalf of the association and the industry that a lot of us owe a debt of gratitude to him for what he has done for the industry. We hope that his legacy continues in that pig farm located in St Philip. We hope a lot of the work he put in is not lost to the industry,” said Paul.

“He was one of the persons who, before I entered into the BAS, played a critical role in the formation of the Barbados Pig Farmers’ Co-op Society, and even before then, he was already a member of the original BAS. We are all very saddened over the fact he has passed. And we want to signal that we have to give him the appropriate recognition,” said Paul.

After spending some time in England where he completed some studies, Eversley returned to the island and shortly after, he introduced new pig breeds to Barbados.

Eversley, was involved in pig farming since 1982.

One of his closest allies in the industry Gay Reed, operator of Barnwell Farms Ltd., told Barbados TODAY the industry has lost a titan and a pioneer.

“Mr Eversley was a stalwart in the pig farming industry. I want to extend my condolences to the family and may he rest in peace,” said Reed.

“One of the things I will always remember Mr Eversley for is his quick wit and thinking along the lines of improving the pig farming industry in Barbados,” he said.

Reed said he hoped the farm would continue, pointing out that the disappearance of his farm would create “a big gap”.

His farm, one of the largest on the island, usually supplied the market with about 50 pigs per week.

President of the Barbados Pig Farmers’ Co-operative Society Ltd. Henderson Williams told Barbados TODAY Eversley’s passing was a “great loss” for the country.

“We are saddened by the passing of Mr Eversley. He made a sterling contribution to the pig farming industry in Barbados. He was one of the larger producers on island. He was absolutely dedicated and was very knowledgeable,” said Williams.

“His passing is a tremendous loss for Barbados and we hope that his grandson and/or daughter can keep the farm going,” he said.

Back in July, Eversley told Barbados TODAY that he would speak with one of his daughters in England and if she had no interest in the business then he would seek to sell it.

The businessman, who operated his farm close to his home, had signalled his intention to exit the industry, citing difficulty with high input costs and the “dumping” of cheaper pork products in the market.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)

The post Pig industry loses ‘proper’ farmer appeared first on Barbados Today.

As Barbados and other Caribbean countries continue to grapple with a high rate of vaccine hesitancy, and with thousands of doses of the vaccine nearing expiration, the United States Embassy in Bridgetown is lending its voice to vaccine discussions hoping to allay fears and encourage people to take the jab.

US Ambassador Linda Taglialatela expressed grief that too many people in the region continued to die from COVID-19.

She said it was for that reason the US remained committed to sharing its resources “to end this pandemic”.

“We have donated more than 110 million vaccine doses directly to 60 countries,” she said, as she reminded the audience that the US had pledged 5.5 million doses of vaccines to the Caribbean Community.

However, Taglialatela said: “The good news is that the vaccines are available. The bad news is that not enough people are taking the life-saving shot. There are doses that will soon expire right here in Barbados.”

Earlier this week, officials associated with the National Vaccination Programme sounded the alarm that a batch of the AstraZeneca vaccines would be expiring at the end of October, and they were therefore urging more Barbadians to come forward for the jab.

The island received its first batch of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines at the start of April this year. The country subsequently received more vaccines.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley indicated recently that she would like to see at least some 10,000 people being vaccinated over the next five weeks.

A total of just over 128,160 people in Barbados have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine since the vaccination campaign started in late February.

The percentage of the adult population considered fully vaccinated is 36.6 per cent or just over 99,117, as at September 21.

During the embassy’s Facebook live session on Thursday – Get the Facts on the Vax! – with Dr Varough Deyde, Caribbean Regional Office Director with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccines.

They mostly queried the efficacy and safety of the vaccines, with Dr Deyde saying “It is strongly recommended that everyone gets vaccinated. These vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. They help protect us and our families.

“Even if you still get infected after taking your vaccine, it will likely prevent you from getting seriously ill, getting hospitalized or dying. The vast majority of the cases we see today in the Caribbean and globally in the hospitals are people who did not get vaccinated,” he said.

Dr Deyde said while there were side effects from taking the COVID-19 shots, it was a “common” occurrence as the vaccine does what it is supposed to do which is to “stimulate our body to react to the content of the vaccine”.

He said that waiting to get natural immunity was not the best bet.

“We don’t know how long natural immunity lasts and we don’t know how good that immunity in each individual is”.

“Therefore, because we don’t know how long this immunity or how good this immunity is, it is better to get the vaccine to provide that immunity that has been tested,” he said.

Insisting that the vaccines were new but proven to be safe and effective, Dr Deyde said current data suggests their effectiveness last at least six months.

“We also know that some vaccines have longer than the six months and we are still observing and looking at the data since these vaccines have started,” he said, adding that currently there was no evidence that the vaccines can have any long-term side effects.

While advising that anyone with underlying health conditions should first speak with their medical doctor before taking the vaccine, Dr Deyde said “The general recommendation is that those who have underlying conditions are among the population who are at higher risk of getting the worse outcome if infected with COVID-19.

“So yes, they should be taking the COVID-19 vaccine if they are severely immune-compromised or have conditions that cause them to have immune response deficiencies,” he said.

Dr Deyde gave the assurance that there was no evidence to suggest that any of the COVID-19 vaccines or any other vaccines cause fertility problems.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)

The post US urge vaccine take-up appeared first on Barbados Today.

Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley may have missed an opportunity to recommend improvements to the national budget and strengthen parliamentary oversight of the budget process, Finance Minister Ryan Straughn has suggested.

His comments came in response to Bishop Atherley’s rejection of an invitation from an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team to meet with the House of Assembly Standing Finance Committee on Tuesday.

When House Speaker Arthur Holder informed lawmakers of the meeting, Bishop Atherley took to the floor and made clear that he had never received correspondence from an IMF team inviting him to any previous meetings with Government and he was therefore not prepared to meet with them.

He told the House: “The Opposition will not participate in this meeting with the IMF. I got notice of this yesterday morning, that is not my complaint. My complaint lies herein; the Government of Barbados has been in an arrangement with the IMF for the past three years plus months. Several engagements with IMF teams have taken place both physically and virtually.

“On no occasion up until this point has the Leader of the Opposition been given the courtesy of a call, a letter, a briefing, a conversation, a dialogue, with any representative members of the IMF teams that have been to Barbados.“I find this to be grossly out of order,” he contended,

Straughn explained that it was not the usual IMF Staff review team but rather a technical assistance mission to review the structure of the Ministry of Finance that is in the process of modernizing its operations.

He said: “As part of their mandate they wanted to review what happens at Parliament because obviously as we would appreciate we [Ministry of Finance]  do the numbers crunching and all the processing.

“And then they wanted to find out what happens at Parliament in the context of when we pass the Public Management Act that there will be new provisions in terms of providing the fiscal framework and the mid-year review.

“So they wanted to meet with the parliamentarians to understand the process, and what input they have on the budget and all those things.”

Straughn said it was “unfortunate” that Bishop Atherley who is also Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee opted out of the talks.

“But other members who form part of the Committee were present and represented what they were doing as part of the PAC, the minister  said.

“And therefore there was nothing particularly untoward about the meeting because it was really just about how the Ministry of Finance now and in the context of Parliament, how do we effectively improve not just where the formulation of the budget lies with the ministry but Parliament’s role as oversight with respect to the budget process.” (SD)

The post Straughn: Opposition leader ‘missed out’ on chance to fix budget process in IMF meeting snub appeared first on Barbados Today.