by Marlon Madden

Barbadian authorities are being urged to incorporate greater use of financial technology to help bridge the digital gap.

This is among recommendations found in the Inter-American Development (IDB) Caribbean quarterly economic bulletin report that was released on Tuesday.

The report – Digital Infrastructure and Development in the Caribbean – noted that Barbados needed an estimated investment of about US$10.6 million to close the digital infrastructure gap.

“The economy of Barbados requires an estimated investment of US$10.6 million to close the digital infrastructure gap, equivalent to 0.24 per cent of GDP.

The gap for mobile broadband amounts to US$10.3 million, while the gap for fixed broadband is less significant at US$286,163. Closing the digital infrastructure gap would bring estimated benefits of 12.1 per cent of GDP and productivity gains of 9.9 per cent,” said the report.

However, the document, which focused on increasing productivity as a key driver of long-term growth and an opportunity for the Caribbean to get to the level of similar economies across the world, said infrastructure in Barbados could be improved by way of more public-private partnerships.

Singling out the area of financial technologies, it said “greater use of financial technologies is crucial to bridging the digital gap”.

“Firms and banks in Barbados report that strict know-your -client and regulatory burdens, including those related to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, hinder domestic financial transactions and credit provision,” it said.

The authors noted that “fostering greater use of new and innovative financial technologies and revising relevant regulatory requirements to enhance access could help address some of these barriers to financial access and inclusion”.

The report pointed out that while Barbados’ ranking has improved over the years when it comes to internet use and information and communication technology adoption, there was still a lot of room for improvement.

“The percentage of internet users per the adult population in Barbados is 81.8 per cent and ranks it 35th out of 141 countries on the 2019 Global Competitiveness Report index.

“The country’s information and communications technology (ICT) adoption score is 23rd out of 141 countries on the same Index.

“This is a major contrast to the 2015 ranking of 101st out of 143 countries. Telecommunications infrastructure and ICT service cover age in Barbados is adequate, but there are low levels of ICT development and usage in both the public and private sectors,” it explained.

Pointing out that steps have already been taken within the energy sector with the deployment of electric vehicles and solar water heating, as well as the modernisation of water infrastructure, it said the biggest gaps were in the area of “telecommunications and digital areas”.

“The biggest gaps exist in the telecommunications and digital areas – in access to internet connectivity, in the speed required to improve the telecommunications infrastructure across mobile and broadband platforms, and in providing digital training for teachers to enhance their educational services skills, given the challenges of the COVID-19 environment.

“To close the digital gap, there needs to be greater investment in financial technologies, and the government must continue its current digital transformation agenda,” said the report.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Caribbean startup accelerator TBR LAB is partnering with Visa to empower the proliferation of high-growth technology business ventures by driving the development and implementation of digital payment solutions in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Through this partnership, startups and fintechs will benefit from easier access to the financial systems, as well as the scalability, reliability, interoperability and security insights that Visa’s experience as a global payment network brings to the region’s financial technology ecosystem.

TBR LAB is an evolution of Tech Beach, a multi-medium platform that bridges people and organisations positioned to evolve through technology with the road map, resources and skills to help them excel.

TBR LAB provides a continuous development framework including ups killing programmes, a startu
accelerator, and workforce development, to enable enterprise organisations and governments to deploy impactful tech-driven solutions.

“Our shared vision for accelerating digital transformation makes Visa a natural partner for TBR LAB,” says Founder of TechBeach Kirk-Anthony Hamilton.

“Joining forces empowers us to build bridges that yield increased investment, partnership and mentor ship to radically transform the digital landscape of the Caribbean and emerging markets,” he added.

As programme partner, Visa will create opportunities through its Fintech Connect programme to design and promote innovation and the exchange of ideas with financial technology firms and technology start-ups to accelerate the development and implementation of digital payment solutions in the region.

Visa will support them through the Fintech Fast Track program, which will help both new and established businesses leverage the speed, security, reliability and scale of the Visa network to get up and running quickly, taking the process from months to weeks.

The programe provides turnkey access to Visa’s ecosystem partners, including licensing, application programming interface (APIs), as well as extensive go-to-market toolkits, online education and expert advice to help Fintechs scale their business.

“The alliance with TBR LAB is an important step in Visa’s firm commitment to collaborate with enterprising Fintechs and new technology-enabled businesses,” said Jorge Salum, Visa’s Senior Business Development Leader in the Caribbean.

“This partnership is part of a broader effort to drive innovation in digital payments, money movement, lending and commerce, which will ultimately result in greater digital and financial inclusion in the Caribbean,” he said.

Visa and TBR LAB will also work together to support and promote the Visa Everywhere Initiative, a global startup engagement programme that tasks start-ups to “solve payment challenges of tomorrow, further enhance their own product proposition and provide visionary solutions for Visa and their vast network of partners”.

The open innovation program helps startups unlock new opportunities and provides startups with a global platform to demonstrate ground-breaking solutions.

The programme first launched in the US back in 2015 and has since expanded to every corner of the world, recruiting startups from over 100 countries. Over the past five years, more than 7,000 startups have participated, and they’ve collectively raised more than $2.5 billion in funding. (PR)

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by Garth Patterson Q.C.

In his article entitled, “Voting During a Pandemic”, which appeared in another section of the press, Peter Wickham described as “dubious” any suggestion of a court challenge to “the exclusive and constitutional right of the Prime Minister to call elections at the time of her choosing.”

As a statement of general principle, this may have some merit. But in the context of this general election, which is being held during a global pandemic, where several thousands of qualified electors will be denied the opportunity of voting, his statement misapprehends or ignores the important role that the courts, as the bastions of the public interests, must play in safeguarding the rule of law generally and ensuring the strict adherence by the various branches of Government with the provisions, precepts, tenets, and policies of the Constitution and any applicable law.

A constitutional challenge may be made to the courts where any person complains that his fundamental rights – those guaranteed to him under the Constitution – are being infringed.

There, the claim is brought to vindicate some constitutional right that he is personally entitled to enjoy, for example, the right to free speech, the right to free movement, the right to liberty.

In addition to vindicating constitutional rights, a person may seek to challenge, through the courts, the actions of the Government or any public official or authority in a public law challenge.

This is usually done by way of an application for judicial review under the Administrative Justice Act (“AJA”), which entitles any person whose interests are adversely affected by an administrative act or omission, or any other person who satisfies that Court that his application is justifiable in the public interest, to make an application to the court.

The essential characteristics of a public interest challenge are that it raises public law issues which are of general importance, where the applicant doesn’t necessarily have a private interest in the outcome of the case.

The AJA applies to any decision, determination, advice, or recommendation made under a power or duty conferred or imposed by the Constitution or by any enactment; and the Government bodies or persons whose actions are subject to review include Ministers, public officials, tribunals, boards, committees, or other authorities of the Government of Barbados exercising, purporting to exercise, or failing to exercise, any power or duty conferred or imposed by the Constitution or by any enactment.

Most judicial review challenges do not fall into the category of public interest challenges because, even if they do raise issues of general importance, they are usually cases in which the applicant is seeking to protect some private interest of his or her own. But the AJA confirms that applications may be made by anyone acting in the public interest.

Public interest challenges are not “ordinary litigation” between adverse parties.

It is now recognised by the courts that the true nature of the court’s role in public law cases is not to determine the rights of individual applicants, but to ensure that public bodies do not exceed or abuse their powers.

Lord Diplock in one case said: “It would, in my view, be a grave lacuna in our system of public law if a pressure group …, or even a single public-spirited taxpayer, were prevented by outdated technical rules of locus standi from bringing the matter to the attention of the court to vindicate the rule of law and get the unlawful conduct stopped”

Any public-spirited citizen of Barbados, therefore, has a right to speak up if he believes that the Government is acting in a manner that is incompatible with the rule of law; or that it is acting unlawfully, unreasonably or abusing its powers.

A qualified elector who is being prevented from voting because of infection with the COVID-19 virus may have a legitimate basis for complaining to a court that, in all the circumstances, his right to vote has been unlawfully infringed.

But the complainant does not have to be some-one whose voting rights are likely to be, or are being, infringed.
The Caribbean Court of Justice has held that every person or institution in Barbados functions under the Barbados Constitution, being the supreme law of the land, and is duty bound to act rationally, reasonably, and fairly.

The power and duty to dissolve Parliament is conferred by the Constitution upon the President, who must act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.

The President and every Prime Minister – in discharging that constitutional responsibility of advising the President must exercise those powers and duties in a manner that promotes the rule of law and is consistent with the letter and policy of the Constitution and applicable electoral laws.

Both the President and the Prime Minister are bound to act rationally, reasonably, and fairly in discharging those solemn constitutional duties.

The Government’s decision to dissolve Parliament and to hold elections during a pandemic are, therefore, amenable to judicial review, provided that the applicant can establish that, by doing so, the Government breached its constitutional duty of rational, fair, and reasonable decision-making and/or contravened the substance or policy of any applicable law or constitutional provision.

No Government can freely ignore the law; and the right to vote is enshrined in the Representation of the Peoples Act (“ROPA”), which the Constitution mandates must make provision for every qualified voter to have a reasonable opportunity of voting in a general election. This, necessarily, includes every otherwise qualified COVID-positive voter.

The President dissolved Parliament at a time when over a thousand voters were in isolation or quarantine, and when it was reasonably foreseeable by the Government that many thousands more would, in the very near term, become infected by the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.

As at the time of writing, the number of persons in isolation/quarantine has nearly tripled since the dissolution of Parliament – and that is only according to public statistics; the real number is likely considerably higher.

It is certainly arguable, therefore, that, in the absence of overriding national interests or some other compelling reason for doing so, the decision of the President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, did not satisfy the tests of rationality or reasonableness.

Nor was it fair to the several thousands of voters who will likely be deprived of a reasonable opportunity of voting, the protection of which was the underlying policy behind the Constitution and the ROPA.

One of the express bases on which the court may grant judicial review under the AJA is that the impugned act or decision is in conflict with the policy of an Act of Parliament, including the Constitution.

There is an indisputable, overarching public interest in ensuring that general elections are conducted freely, fairly and in accordance with the law, and the courts are well equipped to vindicate the interests of the public.

To the extent, also, that the existing electoral law, the ROPA, fails to make adequate provision for voting other than by in-person voting at a polling station (e.g., voting by mail) during the pandemic, the ROPA itself may be vulnerable to constitutional challenge.

It was certainly open to the Government to change the existing law, in anticipation of elections during a pandemic, to facilitate these other forms of voting. A court, in these circumstances, has jurisdiction to stop the elections from proceeding under a law that is, ex facie, unconstitutional.

Garth Patterson Q.C. is a Senior Partner of Lex Caribbean. He was called to the Bars of Jamaica and Barbados in 1987 and the Bars of New York and St. Lucia in 1990 and 2011 respectively.

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by Marlon Madden

R&J Merchandise is among the newer set of micro businesses on the island spared the worse from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. And owner Rennette Dimmott is attributing this to her business model.

Having no physical location, Dimmott explained that she simply takes orders from individuals for “anything under the sun”, gives an estimated time of delivery, source the items and then delivers them.

“We have been doing pretty well in the market because it is merchandise where we buy and sell anything under the sun. The focus is that you order what you want and then we get the item to you,” she said.

“It is a new model and it is a good model too, because you won’t have stock on your hand. Therefore, I find that works. People would order what they want rather than you purchasing a lot of stock and having it on your hand to sell off. So that has worked,” she stressed.

Reporting that business has been steady during the height of the pandemic despite starting a mere two months before it started to affect the island, Dimmott said she was especially happy she did not have to deal with the overhead costs that were associated with running a physical store.

“The overall infrastructure is different because it is done by ordering and delivering so that overhead expense is not there, which is a very good thing. The operating cost for the brick and mortar is not there so it makes it better.

We are still there holding our own, it is doing well,” she said.

Dimmott currently works with two other people. The former nurse and lecturer told Today’s BUSINESS she started her merchandising business in January 2020 simply because she wanted to enjoy the privilege of working for herself.

“I believe in working for myself and having that degree of autonomy. When you are working for someone you are always at their whim and fancy, but once you develop something for yourself you can move at your own pace.

“Not that you don’t have to put in the hours, because as a self-employed business person you have to put in more hours, but it is still a great feeling and it is designed to help build you – it helps build self-esteem, self worth and it is part of development, it helps to nurture those managerial skills and develop you as a person into a well rounded being,” she explained.

Dimmott, who is in the process of completing her law degree at the University of the West Indies, is also a writer and trained forensic psychologist and drug counsellor.

She said she believed in the continuing upgrading of skills and she encourages anyone hoping to start a business to take the leap.

“I would encourage anyone to get into business and seek other avenues because it helps with development, it puts your name out there and it is something to look forward to. You can’t just throw your hand up in the air,” she said.

“To me, any business is good once well planned out and structured and the business plan is designed to ensure that your targets and goals are delivered at the end of the day. I think [entrepreneurship] is still a good area for young people to engage in,” said Dimmott.

The former operator of a short-lived café at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre said when she was staring that business several years ago she had challenges in obtaining financing from an institution to do so.

Fortunately for Dimmott, she has been able to save over the years and that played a critical role in the establishment of her business.

“At that time I would have approached several financial institutions in Barbados and I find that they do not help small business persons. But I went ahead nevertheless. You know you have money stacked for different things, and while you don’t want to utilise all that money, but because I was not successful with those institutions I then utilised my funds to open that business,” she recalled.

Dimmott said she hoped authorities would take the entrepreneurship more seriously and do a lot more to assist potential entrepreneurs to access funding to start their own business.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbados recorded yet another COVID-19 death on Wednesday, January 12, bringing the death toll from the virus to 269.

A 74-year-old man passed away from the viral illness at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility. He was partially vaccinated.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, has extended condolences to his family and friends.

The post Barbados records another death appeared first on Barbados Today.

Registered electors are reminded that they should take their Identification Card when attending the polling stations at which they are entitled to vote and to note that Identification Cards may be used even if they have been issued in excess of 10 years.

Any elector who has lost or misplaced his or her Identification Card may present a valid passport or driving licence at the polling station. However, any elector who does not have any of these documents is still entitled to vote and should attend the polling station.

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There were 577 new COVID-19 cases – 251 males and 326 females – recorded on Wednesday, January 12, from the 2,439 tests conducted by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

The positive cases comprised 110 persons under the age of 18, and 467 who were 18 years and older.

The number of people in isolation facilities was 100, while 4,181 were in home isolation.

Two people died as a result of COVID-19 on Wednesday. A 52-year-old unvaccinated man and a 72-year-old partially vaccinated man succumbed to the virus at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility.

As at January 12, there were 269 deaths from the virus.

The public health laboratory has carried out 495,482 tests since February 2020, and recorded 33,888 COVID-19 cases (15,864 males and 18,024 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 157,136 (68.8 per cent of the eligible population). The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 145,357 (53.6 per cent of the total population or 63.6 per cent of the eligible population).

The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (MOH/BGIS)

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Public health officials appear to be waiting in vain to strike a deal for the procurement of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines suitable for children under age 12.

Coordinator of the National Vaccine Campaign Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand revealed that an order for thousands of first and second doses made around November last year has so far not reached Barbadian shores.

“We have children five to 12 in view and we are trying to source enough vaccines to cover all of them, both for their first dose and their second,” Dr Ferdinand told Barbados TODAY.

“The discussions are going on, we’ve looked at the possibility of getting vaccines for them, we’ve tried to find out where we can get them from, we’ve placed an order and we’ll wait and see what happens, because it’s a different vaccine from what we have for the older people and the older children,” the vaccine coordinator explained.

Dr Ferdinand made it clear that no taxpayer dollars were spent on the order.

Earlier this week Director of Medical Services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Dr Clyde Cave, in another section of the press, expressed concern about a sizeable increase in children contracting the virus since the detection of the Omicron variant.

He added that while there was no major rise in hospital admissions, the sheer volume of new cases would expose children with underlying conditions to the dreaded Multisymptom Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C).

The Pfizer doses for children are not as “concentrated” as the vaccines for older children and adults, says Dr Ferdinand.

But the doses also have not been cleared for use by the World Health Organization (WHO), on whose judgements local health officials heavily depend.

“We haven’t had any directive coming from the WHO, so the WHO has not really approved it as yet. The USA is using it, the FDA has approved it for their population, but the WHO has not come out and said you can go ahead and use for children five to 12,” said Ferdinand.

That does not stop some parents from contacting the National Vaccine Task Force to find out if and when their young children can be inoculated.

But the vaccine coordinator explained: “You don’t just pick them up. You have to search around and see how we can put in an order, see what the [Pan American Health Organisation] PAHO can do, see what Covax can give us. So we’re looking to source them.”

Of the 21,000 children ages 12-18, 11,093 or 52.82 per cent have taken first doses and 9,928 or 47.2 percent have taken the second jab.

There has been greater uptake of the vaccine among minors ages 16-18 than those 12-15, who are more likely to be in school.

“I am hoping that if school becomes face-to-face, and vaccination is one of the requirements for them to re-enter, that they will come up and get them, but remember, some of the children are between 16 and 18 and they are the hard-to-reach young people. So we have to have two types of strategies. One for those who are out of school young people and another for those who are still in school,” she added.

Officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness are still meeting with stakeholders about the reopening of face-to-face classes. A decision is expected to be made by January 20.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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A three-day protest by former LIAT employees slated to start tomorrow in Barbados and across the rest of the airline’s network has been placed on hold.

President of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) Patterson Thompson said Thursday night that he took the decision not to go ahead with the picketing at this time due to time constraints in pulling off a properly-organised demonstration across the region.

“Given the rush and the limited time, we decided to postpone the planned picketing. This would now give us enough time to properly plan it and better engage all the COPs [commissioners of police] and get feedback,” Thompson told Barbados TODAY.

The ex-workers are demanding urgent payment of the EC$120 million (US$44.4 million) in entitlements due to them since being severed almost two years ago.

In a letter dated January 6, 2022 and addressed to the Barbados Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce seeking permission to stage a peaceful protest near the Grantley Adams International Airport on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Thompson informed him it was to draw attention to the long-suffering plight of the terminated LIAT workers who have been without their entitlements for the last 20 months.

“The Leeward Islands Airline Pilots’ Association is respectfully seeking permission to demonstrate/picket on or around the Tom Adams and Pug’s Rum Shop roundabouts leading to the Grantley Adams International Airport on the 14, 15 and 16 January, 2022,” the correspondence read in part.

“We intend to picket during the hours of 2 to 6 p.m. on either side of both roundabouts. All social distancing and mask mandates will be enforced by the individuals demonstrating/picketing. We estimate 30 members will be picketing between the two roundabouts,” the LIALPA leader wrote.

A similar letter was also written to Head of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit Ronald Chapman on the same date.

The approximately 500 former employees of the cash-strapped regional carrier, which is currently operating limited flights, have been agitating for their entitlements since losing their jobs when the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed travel and impacted LIAT’s bottomline.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has offered a “compassionate settlement” of 50 per cent of the ex-airline workers’ severance, payable in cash, lands and bonds, or a combination of those options.

But recently, the LIALPA president insisted that neither that offer nor the $2,000 per month advance being given to the Barbados-based LIAT staff by Prime Minister Mia Mottley go far enough to deal with the ex-workers situation which was getting progressively more dire.

The advance is to be paid back at a future date from any eventual severance settlement. emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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An 81-year-old man has literally been left out in the cold since the passage of Hurricane Elsa last year.

Charles Weekes, of #2 Charnocks, Christ Church, has been living in a roofless house that could collapse at any moment.

When a Barbados TODAY team visited the area, the elderly man was resting in the only corner of the house that had covering left.

Weekes, a man of very few words, recalled how the storm-force winds sent his roof sailing and battered his wooden house.

“I stand up and see how the house crumble, the galvanise roof blow off during the hurricane,” he said.

Despite the house being on the brink of collapse, the former plantation worker is still living there, saying he has nowhere else to go.

“When the rain comes I have to go somewhere else in the house to get shelter….I got a daughter in Rock Hall but I really don’t go up there,” he said.

The soft-spoken man said that despite numerous visits from officials, no one had ever gotten back to him on how he could have his house repaired.

He said: “I don’t have anybody to help me but I would like some help…The [neighbour] she does look out and give me some things but nobody else.”

Meanwhile, Weekes’ neighbour, Willma Kirton, said she was very concerned about his living situation.

She told Barbados TODAY: “Since the storm, I saw the representative for the area, John King, when they came and visited the area but I don’t know what actually went on there with the situation, but it don’t seem like if he getting any help.”

The 72-year-old woman said she has been trying unsuccessfully for the past few months to get some assistance for Weekes.

“I called the housing people and they went and visit. Nothing has been done but the land that house is on is rental land but he has land in St Philip. He is waiting every day and he comes and he complains to me saying that they will do something for him when he dies,” she said.

“I does help him out. I does give him lunch on days but I don’t feel the condition of the house is very good. I don’t feel he could live in there because when the rain falls and he is getting wet it’s not a good condition and it hurts me but I can’t do anything.”

She is therefore pleading with the powers that be to come to the immediate assistance of Weekes whose situation she said is worsening by the day.

“The representative John King is not there but now you will have to wait and see what will happen after the elections,” Kirton said.

kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb

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The Barbados economy is expected to record double-digit growth of about 14.2 per cent this year, according to the latest Central Bank of Barbados estimates, which puts the growth rate at a modest 1.6 per cent for 2021.

This was reported by the Ministry of Finance in the pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update Report dated January 10, 2022, which is required to be published no later than five working days after nomination day.

According to the document, signed by Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Director of Finance and Economic Affairs Ian Carrington, government’s revenue and expenditure are to increase by the end of the current fiscal year ending March 31.

Revenue targets now stand at $2.63 billion for fiscal year 2021/2022, due mainly to an expected increase of about $24 million in tax revenue, while it is estimated that expenditure will reach just over $31.3 billion at that time.

It also estimated that Government would require close to half a billion dollars to service existing debt obligations for the October 2021 to March 2022 period of the current fiscal year.

The report pointed to increased tourism performance as the main driver of economic growth, noting that current forecasts anticipated that travel and tourism should lead to arrivals of around 78 per cent of pre-pandemic levels during 2022, and “a return to pre-crisis levels by the 2023 winter season”.

“If the easing of travel restrictions is sustained within our main source markets, the United States and the United Kingdom, this should result in a winter season recovery to match pre-pandemic levels by the 2023/2024 winter tourism season,” it said.

While pointing to expected lower unemployment levels and higher inflation, the report indicated that the forecasts for Barbados hinged on the speed of the global economic recovery, the effective execution of planned medium to large-scale investment projects and collective global ability to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the medium-term, Barbados is expected to reach its projected growth once economic expectations materialise, with the island returning to a long-term growth path of around 2 to 2.5 per cent,” it noted.

GDP is expected to expand from the estimated $9.3 billion in 2021 to just over $10.7 billion this year.

The report indicated that agriculture and manufacturing helped in the improvement of the second half economic performance for the year.

“With the surge in global supply chain disruptions, these sectors were the first to augment local demand, thus easing international supply challenges with an increase output in root crops in the case of agriculture and sanitizing products in the manufacturing sector. Together, these sectors contributed to nine per cent of domestic economic output,” said the report.

“The non-traded sectors of the economy also contributed to the recovery in 2021, as demand was boosted by the easing in restrictions and curfews, which allowed for the recovery in the retail trade and services sector,” it added.

In relation to Government’s debt, the Ministry of Finance noted “At March 31, 2022 it is estimated that the public debt stock will be approximately $13.3 billion or 137.3 per cent of GDP.

“External debt is estimated at $4.47 billion, domestic debt at $8.75 billion, external guaranteed debt at $46 million and central government arrears at $34.6 million. It is therefore projected that this will be approximately $430.4 million below the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ceiling on public debt of $13.737 billion,” said the report.

It is projected that about $464.2 million will be required to service existing debt obligations during the October 2021 to March 2022 period, of which $235.9 million is for interest expenses, $201.7 million for amortization and $26.5 million for Sinking Fund contributions.

“This is inclusive of actual expenditure as at November 30, 2021. This is approximately $3.2 million more than what is budgeted for the period and is attributed primarily to increased expenditure on domestic securities from security prepayments and issuances to settle legal claims against the Crown,” said the report.

The 22-page document indicated that total revised debt expenditure for 2021-2022 is estimated at $791.2 million, about $26.8 million less than what was approved.

It said: “The projected decrease in expenditure is primarily attributed to interest rate savings due to lower LIBOR rates and slow disbursements on project loans, some of which benefited from extensions to the terminal disbursement dates and maturity extensions.”
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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A mother’s worst fear was realized on Wednesday evening when she discovered her son had taken his own life.

Catherine Lawrence got the dreadful news that her 25-year-old son, Tremaine Kadeem Lawrence, had ended his life.

She told Barbados TODAY she had just come out of the shower when her boyfriend delivered the news.

According to the Barbados Police Service, Tremaine’s body was found hanging in the living room of a house in Baycroft New Road, Bridge Road, St Michael.

Fighting to hold back tears, Catherine recounted the moment she saw his body.

“When I saw him hanging from the ceiling I was so shocked. I turned away at first, then I went back and looked at him. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My son was right there. I’m three houses away, he could have talked to me but he did not,” she lamented.

The mother of five said that despite Tremaine being a little “hard ears” the two were extremely close.

“He always tells me, ‘mummy, I love you’. We were close, we were like best friends and if he was going through any trouble from before he could come to me, but I didn’t know that it was over the limit and that it would push him to do this. He did not give me any indication that he was going to do this,” she said.

On reflection, she added that a few days prior, the young man had made amends with family members with whom he had issues.

“He was making apologies to everybody and saying sorry to people,” Catherine added, although insisting that she did know “why he would do something like this”.

Likening Tremaine to the biblical character, Nicodemus, she added: “He was important to us…. He gave us a lot of trouble, but as his mother, I was there for him for all the way and I will always love him up until the day I die, and I believe that I will see him again.”

Catherine told Barbados TODAY she was experiencing mixed emotions as she continued to struggle to process her son’s death: “I still can’t believe. I just don’t know how I feel. I feel angry, I feel sad, disappointed and from my heart, I just feel like I would take a belt and beat him.”

However, she is trying to stay strong.

“I don’t want to break down and cry because I know that would make me sick and give me high blood pressure, but I am trying to be strong in my heart. I am angry and I just want to scream but I trying to compose myself and stay strong.”
kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb

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A new United Nations (UN) economic report is forecasting growth for Barbados at 7.5 per cent this year and 3.3 per cent in 2023.

However, Chief of Global Economic Monitoring at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Hamid Rashid is warning of a bumpy, if not perilous, road ahead for countries across the globe.

Rashid was addressing a media briefing on Thursday as he joined UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin in launching the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2022.

The report, which places Barbados as a high-income economy based on per capita gross national income, estimated that the economy grew by 1.5 per cent last year.

Indicating that global economic growth was estimated around 5.5 per cent last year, after a decline of 3.4 per cent in 2020, Rashid said: “The world economy is certainly in a very difficult spot and the road is bumpy, if not what I would say perilous. We have significant challenges.”

He explained that while there was some rebound in economic activity last year due to pent up demand and higher consumer spending, that should be seen as the “glass half empty” since it was playing catch up after the more than three per cent decline a year prior.

Rashid said there were some “interconnected challenges or headwinds” ahead for the global economy – the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, lingering market disruptions, supply chain challenges and rising inflation in both developed and developing economies.

“That is, to some extent, holding back full recovery of the global economy,” he said.

The DESA official said the global economic outlook was “cloudy” at best, with growth estimated to be a modest four per cent this year and 3.5 per cent in 2023, contingent on an ease in supply chain disruptions, lower inflation, equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations across countries and regions, an ease in COVID-19 cases, and “no surprises in monetary policies” in developed countries.

He said there continued to be worrying trends of high extreme poverty rates, unemployment, lower income levels, and unequal access to COVID-19 vaccines that must be addressed.

According to the 232-page UN report, an estimated 64 million more people could live in extreme poverty in 2022, when compared to 2019 estimates.

Rashid said the situation was even more worrying for developing countries, adding that the pandemic had reversed poverty reduction trends, which was estimated at 812 million people globally in extreme poverty in 2019, compared to an estimated 897 million in 2020 when the pandemic struck, and 889 million last year.

He expressed concern about the loss of jobs in developing countries, which he said was especially impacting women and youth, even as commodity prices continued to rise, threatening food security.

“Some of the developing countries are doing better than others, especially commodity exporters, due to some pick up in commodity prices. On the other hand, some of the tourism-dependent countries are still hurting very much because tourism hasn’t picked up as yet,” said Rashid.

He also expressed concern about a widening income gap between rich and poor countries, explaining that while GDP per capita in developed countries was expected to fully recover next year, the GDP per capita in developing countries was expected to remain “below levels projected before the pandemic”.

The macroeconomic policy advisor said the current situation called for proactive fiscal policies, better public debt management, job creation, social protection, better use of technology and ramped up support for low-income countries from the international community.

“Fiscal space is limited for many countries and on top of that, many of them are facing high levels of debt, and the rising cost of public debt is [posing] a lot of challenges for them. We have to strengthen international cooperation for low- and middle-income countries, especially in terms of debt relief and debt restructuring,” said Rashid.

“We have a situation where many of the developing countries need significant fiscal support but they cannot do it because of this debt overhanging, debt burden that they are facing, and that is where the international cooperation must play an important role to provide meaningful debt restructuring and debt relief to stimulate the recovery and sustain the recovery in the near term,” he said.

The UN report predicts that, collectively, the Caribbean economy would expand 11.5 per cent this year and 3.7 per cent next year. It estimated growth of 3.2 per cent for the Caribbean last year.

Zhenmin cautioned that the global economy was still “in a time of great uncertainty” with no immediate end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the economic and social challenges facing the world could slow the pace or reverse progress countries made towards achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The senior UN official said in addition to the need for lower inflation rates, sound fiscal policies, job creation, higher investments, continued social protection and equity in COVID-19 vaccination, countries should continue to work towards reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.

“We are at a critical juncture in human history today. Decisions we make and actions we take today will profoundly affect future generations and shift our common destiny. So, let us turn this crisis into opportunity,” he said.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is still positive about the continued rebound of the tourism industry, despite the adverse impact the Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus has been having on international travel.

It said in a statement that the lessons learned in 2021 and the resilience demonstrated by the region gave it hope that the sector would continue to recover despite the uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic.

“The year 2021 has given us an indication that there is light at the end of what has been a long tunnel which began in March 2020…. While the results to date have not indicated a return to 2019 levels, the exceptional results recorded in the summer to year-end period of 2021 show that a scaled or gradual rebound is likely and very possible by the end of 2022,” the CTO said on Thursday.

It noted that over the past 18 months, all Caribbean destinations have shown their resilience in creating strategies for recovery, incorporating frequently updated travel protocols, and collaborations with regional and international partners in the areas of health and economic support and development. Recovery in each instance, it said, took place while ensuring the health and safety of residents and visitors.

The CTO noted that by mid-2021, there was a turnaround in tourism activity, with the Caribbean exceeding the global average for stayover arrival growth and tourism’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP).

During the third quarter of 2021, there were 5.4 million tourist arrivals to the region, almost three times the arrivals for the same period in 2020, but still 23.3 per cent below 2019 levels.

“Preliminary reports suggest that this progress continued through to the end of the last quarter. Consequently, it is estimated that tourist arrivals for 2021 will exceed 2020 levels by 60 to 70 per cent,” the regional organization stated.

“These experiences and lessons have taught us that travel and hospitality can co-exist with the pandemic affecting both our destinations and markets. Recovery strategies, continuously being adapted to existing circumstances, based on continued partnerships and collaboration, advocating for safe and healthy visitor experiences and prioritising the health of residents, have proven to be the formula for recovery of the sector.

“The year 2022 is being observed as the year of wellness in the Caribbean, with a focus on renewal. Given the Caribbean’s unique diversity, destination by destination, visitors to our shores will discover endless options to be rejuvenated in the region. Similarly, we encourage Caribbean nationals to explore and rediscover the diversity within their own destinations and those around them,” it added.

According to the CTO, there is a clear demand for the region’s tourism product, as shown by its ability to outpace the global growth average for arrivals.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that we continue to position the region to meet this demand in new and refreshed ways,” it said.

“Even as we work on our short-term strategies for recovery of the sector, we urge longer-term approaches to promote sectoral sustainability. Building on our 2021 World Tourism Day message, we encourage moving towards social inclusion and creating smart destinations based on smart businesses as key planks which will lead to sustainability.”

Noting that the region’s human resources are critical to the success of the sector, the CTO said that during 2022, it hopes “to build on a regional study of human resources to maintain the excellence of our hospitality.(BT)

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Barbados needs urgent changes to its electoral process to advance its development, deputy leader of the Alliance Party for Progress (APP) Lynette Eastmond has declared.

And according to the five-time political candidate, those changes must include a vote for third parties, given what she described as the unsatisfactory representation by the island’s two main parties, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP)  and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in the St Philip West constituency she is hoping represent in Parliament.

“We need to do big things again for our people. But, unfortunately, what has happened between the two parties, they just play musical chairs. They are confident that you will put them back in, whether you are still dissatisfied with them or not, that you will put them back in.

“At this point in time, Barbados needs something else to advance its democracy. If you look at many of the countries in the world, you would see that most of the developed countries who are doing well have more than two parties,” Eastmond told a spot meeting at Woodbourne Park, St Philip.

She pointed out the DLP’s David Estwick had done nothing in the constituency since losing the vote in 2018, only to reappear this election; while the BLP had disrespected residents when it replaced incumbent MP John King with Minister of Science, Innovation and Smart Technology Kay McConney to contest the seat without consulting them.

Eastmond argued that while she was not the elected representative, she successfully lobbied for a fix to poor drainage issues affecting some communities and has also researched, reviewed and shared information on critical pieces of legislation to inform citizens.

She offered to build on these efforts and promised a new type of representation.

“What I am bringing to you is representation that actually involves you. Most of the politicians these days do not understand that representation means talking to you, finding out what your concerns are, and seeking to implement them, it is not having in your own head what is important and going about doing it.

“When you win a seat, my view is that it is an opportunity – an opportunity to work for you the constituent within the constituency, to meet with you frequently and to understand what your needs are, to discuss them and implement change for you,” Eastmond contended.

Turning her attention to broader national issues, the APP candidate suggested that Barbados had to develop its own plan for growth, and not rely on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Insisting the country should not only be dependent on tourism, Eastmond said: “If we had a competent government, they would look at the talent that we have in Barbados, not only in technology but all of the creative and cultural sectors, and ensure that you actually develop industries.

“You need a ministry that is going to focus on the business of culture, the business of technology. This is what you need. It needs a ministry itself dedicated to marketing and promotion, and I have said if you take one per cent of the budget allocated to tourism it would make a vast difference to this industry which, in my view, we need to create.

“This is just one of the ideas that can bring growth back to the Barbados economy and can help to create jobs in Barbados,” she said. (SD)

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Incumbent Member of Parliament for the St Michael West Central constituency Ian Gooding-Edghill has showered praises on his colleague Neil Rowe, as he called on residents of St Michael North West to re-elect him on January 19.

During a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) spot meeting Wednesday night at Deacon’s Farm, Gooding-Edghill said Rowe has made a significant contribution to St Michael North West.

“Neil Rowe has been able to make changes that were absolutely necessary. Neil Rowe was able to put several people to work in this constituency. Neil Rowe was able to improve drainage in this constituency. Neil Rowe came to this constituency and he ensured that he also had his fair share of roads,” Gooding-Edghill said.

“But I come to you to say to that after three and a half years, you have found a man in Neil Rowe as a representative. A person who’s capable of representing your interests. A person who will give his very last to his constituents. A man who’s deeply committed to his people. And as we walked through Deacon’s Farm, Goodland, Free Hill, the one thing that people tell you, they tell you that ‘we see Neil Rowe. Neil Rowe is never missing in action’.”

According to Gooding-Edghill, in this general election, the choice is clear.

“Neil Rowe has been truly an outstanding son of the soil in St Michael North West, and I want to say to you that with such talent, with such a record of accomplishment, I can only ask you when you go to the polls on January 19th that you return Neil Rowe as a duly elected Member of Parliament for this constituency,” he said.

Gooding-Edghill also took the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to task over its handling of the Barbados economy during its last two terms in office.

“This Barbados Labour Party inherited a government that had broken infrastructure. They had neglected the infrastructure in Barbados.They had so ruined the Barbados economy that there wasn’t one good credit about Barbados. Everything was downgraded to junk,” Gooding-Edghill said.

“The Democratic Labour Party did nothing to restore confidence in the public transport system in Barbados. The Democratic Labour Party did nothing to improve unemployment, to increase employment, to reduce the levels of unemployment in Barbados. The Democratic Labour Party left us with few reserves to cover any expenses for imports that we wished to buy.

“That is what they left us with, and now they come to you to ask you for a vote. And when they come over here knocking on your doors In Deacon’s Farm, I want you to ask them and I want to remind them of the sorry and sad state that they left Barbados. I want you to remind them about the credit ratings that they left Barbados with — down to junk. I want you to ask them and remind them about the public transport system that was broken that the Barbados Labour Party had to fix. I want you to tell them that you don’t want them to come at your door because their time in office was so disastrous,” he added.

Gooding-Edghill said the BLP made the job of managing the affairs of the country look small, even though it was “a massive undertaking”.

“And I dare say to you that on the basis of what we’ve accomplished … you will be left with no choice but to return the Barbados Labour Party and Neil Rowe,” Gooding-Edghill said. (DLB)

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Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St James South, Dr Ronnie Yearwood has declared he is not seeking to represent the constituency for personal gain but to improve the lives of the people living there.

In fact, he said although not yet elected MP for the area, he has worked on several projects in the community, such as free Wi-Fi access, that has had a positive impact on residents.

That work, Yearwood said, was for the betterment of the community and not about personal gain or glory.

“That is what we did. I say ‘we’, not ‘me’, because it is all of us together. I don’t want my name on [any] projects. I came into the community and helped to build what exists here. I don’t need to pull down something and to erect something because it is the glory of Ronnie Yearwood. It’s not about me, it’s about you,” he told residents. “It will always be about you. I am here to add value, that is what it is about.”

At the same time, Yearwood declared that his record of service in the constituency is an admirable one, compared to that of the current Member of Parliament for the area, Sandra Husbands.

“I have a record in St James South, in Haynesville, in these communities that I can stand on, and I am not the Member of Parliament. That should tell you something. That should tell you that I care and that I am committed,” he said.

“The vision that I have for St James South, the vision that I have for Barbados, is built on one about empowerment because I believe that you have to be able to make decisions that are good for your life. It is not about the Government directing and telling you what to do. You need the power, you need the resources, and you need the ability to make the decisions that are good for you.”

The political hopeful added that although the DLP had made mistakes over the years, it remained consistent in its support for the constituency.

“I am the first to accept that the Democratic Labour Party has not always gotten it right. I get that. Over the years, we have all taken our lashes – some of them deserved, some of them not deserved – but I am here to tell you that we have never left you. We have always been here for you and we would never leave you,” he said. (SB)

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MP for St Philip North, Dr Sonia Browne has put forward a case for her re-election in the January 19 poll.

Addressing supporters at a spot meeting in Merricks, St Phillip Wednesday night, she highlighted some of her achievements since taking office in 2018, particularly a breakfast programme, which feeds students from three of the five primary schools in that constituency. In addition, she says housing conditions have improved especially following the passage of Hurricane Elsa last July.

“I fought for people who had poor housing… and houses are now being built, houses are now being replaced.  After the hurricane, I went into the communities and we handed out tarpaulins, and many people, a couple shops nearby that (were) damaged, were supplied with materials to start their own fixing. And those who did not have resources to fix their own homes, they’re now in the process of having them fixed by rural and housing (departments) and so on,” she said.

Dismissing criticisms by her opponent Michael Lashley that she has done little to assist her constituents, Dr. Browne said her record spoke for itself.

“You want somebody that is sustainable and will fight for you once she is able. And you have found that in me,” she said.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley defended Browne’s performance, telling the people of St. Philip North that their representative is a no-nonsense person who has been working in their interest.

“I have a lady in Sonia Browne who raises the issues legitimately on your behalf. She doesn’t mince her words, and she’s a plain talker and lets us know what you need. And I respect that, because I too am a plain talker as you know,” Mottley said.

She also hailed Browne’s work on the Community Elder Care Programme of the National Assistance Board. (BT)

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Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St Michael North East Damien Griffith is calling for a change in the tax structure to help alleviate the financial burden on the most vulnerable citizens.

Speaking at a spot meeting in Bush Hall on Wednesday night, Griffith told supporters that although the current administration was highly critical of the previous National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) which the then DLP government placed on goods imported into Barbados and on domestically manufactured goods, the levies and taxes that effectively replaced it have put a heavier burden on Barbadians, particularly the poorest in society.

“Much was made about the NSRL; it was blamed for everything under the sun and every problem that we had, but, in reality, the NSRL was a fairer tax and the economists now say this. The burden of that tax was not placed on the poorest people; instead, it was a tax that was absorbed by businesses and in part passed onto the consumers, but no one alone bore the brunt of the tax,” Griffith said.

“We are now faced with a water bill that went in the last three and a half years from $30 minimum to about $85 minimum,” he added.

Given the higher cost of living being experienced by citizens in the wake of the pandemic, with prices on goods continuing to rise, Griffith said more must be done to curb the trend, as the most vulnerable Barbadians, such as the elderly and disabled who operate on fixed incomes, are now tasked with surviving on reduced savings.

“Now you have elderly people making $1,400 a month having to pay utilities, having to buy food, and then not being able to make ends meet to do anything else. We cannot be a strong community unless we have a system in place to take care of the elderly,” he said.

“We need to create systems where each of our vulnerable groups are empowered, and through that, pull the entire community up.” (SB)

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Pinelands Creative Workshop and the Haynesville Youth Club have launched the Multi-dimensional Approach to Resilience and Adaptability (MARA) Project which was made possible through funding from the Maria Holder Memorial Trust.

This morning, the organisations held a walk through at their Police Post, Haynesville, St. James location to show the face-to-face aspect of the project in full swing.

Chief Executive Officer of Pinelands Creative Workshop Sophia Greaves-Broome said that the organisation was in the second phase of the MARA project after conducting its research in both the Haynesville and Pine communities to see how they can best assist the youth of those communities despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

“The project is based on the research I would have undertaken with Peter Skeete as we went through various experiences with COVID and found ways to strategise how we can help those that we serve.

“I would have approached Maria Holder Memorial Trust with the findings from both communities to start to build out the MARA project which was accepted by the Maria Holder team. We are able to deliver a multi-dimensional programme and a multi-community programme where we are offering academic support.

“We are also looking at cultural heritage preservation as well as developing new leadership and new ways of thinking using the social entrepreneurial approach,” she said.

Greaves-Broome said that the initiative caters to ten children in the face-to-face sessions at the Police Post and an unlimited number of children in the online sessions which are hosted by Pinelands Creative Workshop. She added that the Multi-dimensional Approach to Resilience and Adaptability (MARA) Project sought to bridge the educational and technological divide in some communities.

“We are seeking to fill those educational gaps because we know once there are gaps the possibility without any support, any netting or bridging, we would have problems in terms of interference with the delicate social dynamics and cohesion, especially in housing estates.

This programme is timely especially in dealing with some of the areas that have been exacerbated like internet and technological access, as a result of COVID 19, and would take time to fix.

Therefore, this initiative allows for Pinelands and Haynesville to hit the ground running with practical interventions to provide the necessary bridging and retooling to assist with the goal of building back better,” she said.

Founder of the Haynesville Youth Club Peter Skeete said he found that a lot of persons in the Haynesville Community did not have access to online schooling thus he knew a project such as MARA was imperative to assist the nation’s children.

“Since the start of this term a lot of our young persons were not exposed to online schooling and what we felt is that there was a need for us to respond to that need and in so doing we were able to get some free Wi-Fi and tablets donated from our colleagues from the community who would have done very well in life and have decided to give back.

“We have close to ten persons currently at the Police Post who are doing their online schooling, and this is supplemented by the after-school programme where that effort continues as reputable teachers are there, and they are engaged in English and Mathematics training for the upcoming 11+ exam.

“This particular project with the Maria Holder Memorial Trust is a continuation of that outstanding collaborative project that we have done with Pinelands since 2001 in culture, sports and now education as we help to build our young people and provide meaningful opportunities to limit their participation in negative behaviours,” he said.

Greaves-Broome added that the initiative’s overall goal is to assist as many children as possible who may find themselves without the technology or infrastructure for online school.

“The online is open to all persons although we are working with the Haynesville and Pine communities. These are challenging times and we would want to embrace all persons who find themselves in a not-so comfortable position but still want to have access to the best opportunity possible for their children. Feel free to contact us as we are not limiting persons as we want to help those who may need the additional support.

“We hope that parents would see this as the prime opportunity because the Government cannot do it all. Support like that provided by the Maria Holder Memorial Trust is a practical way to build the future human capital and at the same time, narrow those gaps that could lend to a broken and inequitable society. It has to be a whole of society or a collective approach to people and community development and by extension, national stability.

“Pinelands Creative Workshop can be contacted at 430-0551 as well as Peter Skeete at 829-4891 so that your child can get the best opportunities as they move forward.
A critical part of the Pinelands philosophy has been and continues to be – to provide opportunities for all whether you are from the Pine community or not.

“We realised on review that our last project had a national impact and was able to touch persons from almost every parish across the island.

“As an organisation we are clear about the challenges but we want to continue to assist our children, men and women across this island who may need our support, and to do this we need to continue to garner support, build active partnerships and see the translation of much of the research move from filing cabinets and book shelves into real time actions,” she said. (Write Right PR Services)

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