Government is being urged to fast track the reform of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as its International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme faces a series of challenges.

In its latest report, the seven-member BERT Monitoring Committee (MC) identified key risks to the programme meeting the criteria and structural benchmarks set by the IMF under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

“The continued severity of the impact of COVID-19, the continuing challenges with supply chain logistics globally, and further increasing oil prices coupled with limited GDP growth opportunities are the principal risks to the programme,” co-chair of the committee Trisha Tannis said in the report for the period ending December 31, 2021, released on Monday.

Tannis, who is chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA), said that as Government spending has increased significantly over the past year due to its response to the triple shocks of the ongoing pandemic and two natural disasters, it is more important now than ever that the expected reforms to the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) make progress.

“The financial support to the SOEs continues to rise steadily, [having] reached $416 million for the first three fiscal quarters of 2021/2022, versus $366 million and $392 million in the same period of the prior two years,” Tannis said in the five-page report.

She made reference to the IMF’s December 2021 Staff Report which noted that the majority of SOEs continue to struggle with structurally-weak profitability and high operating costs that give rise to transfer dependence and highlight a need for sustained reform.

“The Committee notes that a financial health dashboard for SOEs was developed under the EFF to provide the GOB [Government of Barbados] with a mechanism to analyse the performance of priority SOEs and further elaborate targeted reform measures to reduce Government dependence.

“The Committee encourages the GOB to ensure that effective use is made of this tool and reforms of these entities are accelerated as a matter of urgency,” Tannis said.

But it was not all negative news coming from the BERT Monitoring Committee.

The Co-Chair reported that Government has continued to achieve all of its performance targets, in particular, the revised primary balance of -1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the growth in Net International Reserves to levels well above the programme target.

With regards to the quantitative performance criteria required to be met under the EFF compared with the actual results achieved, the report showed that Government had a target not to exceed $420 million in transfers and grants to public institutions, and it only spent $321 million.

As for public debt, the Committee disclosed that while the Government had set a ceiling of $13.7 million, debt only reached $13.3 million.

The least amount of Net International Reserves that Government had intended to maintain for the period ending December 31, 2021, was $1.4 billion; however, according to the BERT report, the reserves soared to $2.6 billion.

When it came to the three indicative targets, the ceiling set for domestic arrears was $60 million, but they were kept at $34 million while the minimum social spending target of $35 million ended up at $45 million.

The maximum indicative target arrears by public institutions of $29 million was actually $25 million during the period under review.

There were two structural benchmarks required to be achieved under the EFF and both were met.

One required the Minister of Finance to issue regulations for a procedural fiscal rule, specifying hierarchical fiscal objectives, accounting basis, monitoring bodies and correction mechanisms. The other one mandated the Customs and Excise Department to improve trade facilitation and risk management.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The recent proposals by Prime Minister Mia Mottley for a revamped Grand Kadooment and Foreday Morning are not new and will more than likely need to be modified, key stakeholders have suggested.

According to President of the Entertainment Association of Barbados (EAB), Rudy Maloney, the suggestion to hold the two events at multiple locations was put forward in 2020.

And while veteran bandleader Chetwyn Stewart believes the Foreday Morning event could be split up, he said Grand Kadooment would be negatively affected by such a move.

On Saturday during a live press conference, the Prime Minister announced that Crop Over would be staged for the first time since 2019, with the two main events Grand Kadooment and Foreday Morning decentralised across at least eight venues.

“That is something that has to be discussed. That was put forward some time back during 2020…” Maloney said.

“My feeling is that it is something we have been asking for for the longest time and it has now become a reality and that’s a good start, but as you would see all of the other Caribbean islands have launched their carnivals so I don’t see why Barbados should be any different. Actually I see this as an opportunity for Barbados to have if not the best, one of the best products coming out of the Caribbean with the creativity of the persons that we have.”

Stewart, whose Grand Kadooment band PowerX4 is one of the largest on the road, told Barbados TODAY that meetings with the relevant stakeholders were critical to decide the best way forward.

However, he said if Grand Kadooment was held in that format he would have to seriously consider if he would take part.

“First of all, we have to meet to see if what is being proposed can work. I think the most important thing is for BAM [Barbados Association of Masqueraders] to meet and decide…What is needed now is a lot of dialogue between the NCF, the bands and the players within Crop Over.

“From a PowerX4 perspective, the different amount of locations for Foreday Morning for us can work. For Grand Kadooment it won’t work for us basically because Grand Kadooment to us is exactly what it says. It’s a spectacle where all the bands come together, so at this late stage we do not think that it is something that we can sell to our revellers,” Stewart, a former president of BAM told Barbados TODAY.

“When you play ‘mas although you might play in different bands we all meet up on the road or we all end somewhere. But if you are going different locations it is always going to disadvantage certain bands depending on who is in one location. So for us we wouldn’t do that, it wouldn’t work for our revellers. Our revellers play what is called ‘Pretty Mas’ so if you are going to change it to that extent well then it wouldn’t make sense for us because we could do a jump anywhere by ourselves at any time.”

Meanwhile, the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes (BACA) is calling for more parity in the directives.

In a press release from its president Sean Carter, BACA said it appeared as though artistes were being discriminated against and being subjected to a vaccine mandate.

“Under the current directives, promoters, auxiliary staff and entertainers are all required to be fully vaccinated and to present a negative PCR test from a period of no more than 24 hours prior. On the other hand, patrons attending events, fetes, shows etc. are being afforded the choice to either be fully vaccinated or to present a negative PCR test. There are too many inconsistencies and even more questions which need to be addressed,” the press release stated.

“Why is there this vaccine mandate for promoters, staff, and entertainers and not for restaurant owners, managers, or staff? Why is there not one set standard for all to follow? Why is there such a lack of consistency and what are the determining factors which are being used to guide this process?

“Why is it that after successfully performing at and hosting several events in 2020 after the lockdown was lifted, it appears as though we are being punished for the mistakes of others? Why are we the only sector being subjected to this vaccine mandate, especially at a time when countries all over the world like the UK are removing restrictions and tourist arrivals from these destinations are increasing? How is it that our Government does not have a problem with these visitors coming here, yet there is a problem with us as their own Barbadian promoters and entertainers? Why does it appear as though we are being discriminated against?

“We at the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes respectfully appeal to and request that the Government of Barbados remove the vaccine mandate for the entertainment sector,” the release further added. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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The adage ‘hindsight is 20/20’ has never meant more to the life of St Michael businessman Jeffrey Large Mayers than it does now.

On Sunday morning, he took Jamal Quintyne to Crystal Heights, St James to purchase a motorcycle. He offered to take the bike back to their Belle, St Michael community, but Jamal refused, instead opting to ride it home.

In a horrific turn of events, Jamal crashed his bike just a stone’s throw away from home and died on the spot.

“It’s devastating for me because I told him that we could put the motorcycle in the back of the van and bring it up the road, but then after that, he just said nah, he is going to ride,” Mayers, the owner of Large Ital Shop,  located at Belle, St Michael told Barbados TODAY.

“I was escorting him but then I had to go down to town, so then I swung off and he came straight up the highway. He didn’t even make it home. He didn’t even get to enjoy his motorcycle,” the businessman lamented.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY at his business, Mayers recalled that sometime after parting ways with Jamal, he heard about a motorcycle accident at the Belle and became nervous.

“I left and went to the accident and on arrival there, I realised it was him. When I got there, he was already covered with a sheet and I asked one of my friends to tell me what the person was wearing,” Mayers recounted.

It was the same black pants and white vest he was wearing in photos and videos circulating on social media, showing Jamal riding off with his new bike.

“He could have let me put it in the back of the van and bring it down the road. He probably would be here all now,” he added.

Throughout the communities of The Belle and Licorish Village, Jamal, also known as Horse, was remembered as a hustler. He worked in construction with his father Martin Alfred from time to time and with Mayers, delivering Ital food around the Bridgetown area.

“He would just keep to himself and look for money,” said Mayers. “He would pick up bottles and sell them as well. He would go and pick fruits from trees for people to make drinks, all kinds of things. Whatever you wanted done, he was always there.

“He told me that his intention was really to hire out the motorcycle because Crop Over was coming up and he knew tourists would be coming, so he would hire it out and make back about $60 a day to make some money off of it. He wasn’t really into it for the fun of it, because it was just a [motor] scooter. When he went to buy it, it was a bit peppy, it was a bit quick,” he remembered.

At 3rd Avenue, Licorish Village, Jamal’s sister, who declined to give her name, said she was sad and confused about the developments.

“All I know is that he went to buy the motorcycle and on his way back, he died. Honestly, I am hearing a lot of stories and I don’t know if he hit a wall or if he was hit by someone and that person drove off,” she told Barbados TODAY.

“It really hurts to see that he is gone and honestly I don’t know how to feel, because I haven’t been able to bring myself to say that he is dead. It hurts everybody, but my brother seems to be taking it the hardest because every five minutes he is crying,” she added.

Jamal, who was the first of his father’s six children, was adopted by an “older couple” from an early age. When they died, he was left on the streets, apparently unknown to his biological relatives.

His sister revealed that at the age of 19, she started receiving letters from her brother Jamal who was in prison.

“I always knew I had a brother named Jamal. I just didn’t know him personally and that is how I got to know him. I would go and look for him and he would always tell me to tell our little brother ‘don’t ever end up in [prison], because jail is not a good place’ and he wanted to get out,” she said.

On Sunday, she recalled feeling hurt to hear about the accident close to home and that someone had woken up and did not make it through the day. Little did she know that it was her brother. It was especially surprising because he was not known as an avid bike rider.

“We were so puzzled to hear that he died on a motorcycle, because nobody has ever seen him on a motorcycle yet,” she said. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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The planned relocation of the privately-owned Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) which ply the northern routes has been put on hold.

Director of the Barbados Transport Authority (BTA) Ruth Holder disclosed on Monday evening that unfavourable weather conditions had put a spanner in the works, bringing a temporary halt to preparations to move the PSVs to the Speightstown Bus Terminal from nearby streets on Tuesday.

“Some of the work that we wanted to do we couldn’t get it done. So we will push through it during the course of the week and by [next] Monday we should be in a better position. Let’s assume that the rain is going to hold up,” Holder told Barbados TODAY.

“It was some work that we had to do on the tarmac, some overlay of asphalt, and we weren’t able to do that because of the rain. So hopefully we will get it done during the course of this week and by next Monday we should be in a position to move in full force,” the Transport Authority head added.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael said the leadership of his organisation plans to meet shortly with Holder to discuss concerns regarding the relocation.

He said when officials of the AOPT looked at the area where the privately-owned buses are to be accommodated, there was not enough space for all the PSVs that ply that northern route.

“Why over there and not on the eastern side of the terminal, because it is more room over there and they are just adjacent across from where they were parking? It is just that they are now confined in an area with the Transport Board,” he told Barbados TODAY.

The PSV sector leader also expressed concern about the toilet facilities in the bus terminal.

“Our operators are being asked to go and operate from the western side of the terminal, more so than the eastern side. We would like to see them operate more on the eastern side because we believe there would be more space. And then there is the question of the bathrooms facilities. There are going to be more people now going into the terminal,” Raphael said.

“We would have looked at the bathrooms while we were there on Monday and we realise there are not enough bathrooms to facilitate those operators who are coming in because the operators have to share the bathrooms with the general public.

“We don’t want to create any issues in going in there, but we are going to be meeting with the operators very shortly and we are going to be asking them for a discussion with the Transport Authority going forward,” he added.

Despite the concerns, Raphael had some commendations for the Transport Authority regarding the implementation of certain COVID-19 measures that would affect his members.

“…. Having the vehicles sanitised in the terminals is a very good idea,” he said.

Chairman of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO) Kenneth Best said he would comment on the relocation of his members when the plan is actually implemented.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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Government’s decision to introduce a fleet of electric buses at the Transport Board has resulted in millions of dollars in savings.

This was revealed by the Transport Board’s chief executive officer, Fabian Wharton, who told the Standing Finance Committee during debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2022 in the House of Assembly on Monday, that the switch was already paying dividends.

He said the state-owned bus company for which Government acquired 49 electric buses at a cost of $45 million in 2020, had significantly reduced the money spent on bus maintenance and fuel.

“Of course, when you purchase new buses you will immediately gain savings on your bus maintenance and that is one of the key cost drivers of the Transport Board. At the end of March 2019, we had $15 million in bus maintenance; at the end of 2020, we were looking at $12 million; at the end of 2021, it was $6 million,” Wharton pointed out.

“…. So the Government’s investment, that capital investment into those new vehicles, has really borne fruit in the bus maintenance.”

He disclosed that the Transport Board’s fuel costs had also decreased since the purchase of the electric buses.

“When we look at the financial year 2020, we are talking about $8.2 million in diesel. When you combine financial year 2021, you are talking about just about $5.6 million when you combine the diesel fleet and the electric fleet to give you what our total fuel costs would have been. In the year to date, up to the end of February, we are talking about $4.9 million, so you can see the savings,” Wharton said.

“We must bear in mind that we were going through the pandemic and the protocols that were in place. The size of that diesel fleet was a bit larger than we had anticipated and budgeted for because we were moving to reduce the size of that fleet so that we can gain those savings on diesel. That was principally because the diesel buses have a larger capacity and given that we were at 75 per cent and at one point 60 per cent [capacity], we needed to be able to move the travelling public within those restrictions so we had to maintain those buses a bit longer.”

Wharton explained that the Transport Board was also looking at ways to reduce its electricity bill by installing photovoltaic systems at its Roebuck Street headquarters and its Mangrove depot in St Philip.

He said discussions were already underway with the Ministry of Energy and the Barbados National Oil Company Limited (BNOCL) to find an alternative to charging the electric buses, in hopes of seeing a reduction in the $2.7 million associated costs. (RB)

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Within the next few months, Barbadians will be able to switch their mobile and fixed landline numbers between service providers.

That announcement came Monday from Director of Digital Infrastructure in the Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST), Clifford Bostic, who said that in addition to Digicel and FLOW offering number portability, a third provider who has been given a licence will do so as well.

“Yes, number portability is coming; it is going to be with us by the middle of 2022,” he said as debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2022 resumed in the House of Assembly.

“We have a third service provider in Barbados that has been licensed, and that is KW Telecommunications Ltd, and they are also preparing for number portability, as well as preparing to launch their services in Barbados.”

According to Bostic, Barbados and other regional partners have, for some time, been working on giving any mobile phone or landline user the ability to easily switch to another provider on the island and keep their number.

He said that after some delays, it will soon become a reality in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

“We are delivering to the market fixed landline number portability as well as mobile portability. We are going to implement legislation that is catering towards the harmonisation of legislation across CARICOM.

“This is one of the things that is now high on the priority list for implementation by CARICOM through our Telecommunications Union – that is, that we have a regulatory framework that is regional [and] allows us to provide services in a seamless manner right across this region, in the same manner as which our major providers that you know of, Digicel and Liberty Global, having a single network for a single ICT [Information and Communications Technology] space,” Bostic explained.

He said a commitment has been given by the telecoms providers to have number portability in place by mid-year, and they are working along with the Ministry “as well as a consultancy firm that has been doing number portability across Europe as well as across the Caribbean”.

“We are learning from the errors and mistakes from all those countries who have implemented number portability, and when we come to the market in mid-2022, you will see both mobile as well fixed services with number portability,” Bostic said. (SB)

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Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders will discuss a draft protocol aimed at pushing forward the further implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) during their two-day Inter-sessional summit that gets underway in Belize on Tuesday.

CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, speaking at a news conference ahead of the event, told reporters that the protocol will be discussed “and we will see if there are other things that need to be done, as the legal draftspersons would say, to perfect it”.

“But it is at the stage where we have a draft protocol for consideration. We have not had that before. So, for me, that we have managed to reach that stage is a good thing,” she added.

The CSME is an arrangement among the 15 CARICOM member states for the creation of a single enlarged economic space through the removal of restrictions, resulting in the free movement of goods, services, persons, capital and technology.

The decision, in 1989, to establish the CSME was regarded as a move to deepen the integration movement to better respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by globalisation. However, there have been varying degrees of implementation over the years and Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who has lead responsibility for the CSME within the quasi-CARICOM Cabinet, is expected to table the draft protocol during the two-day meeting.

“She has been meeting within that committee and with the CARICOM Secretariat’s staff to work through what needs to be done to accelerate implementation. One of the important things that will be on the table at this meeting is a protocol on the enhanced cooperation among member states that will allow sub-groups of member states to work together closely so that we do not remain bound by the current understanding that we all have to agree to every single step before we make a single step,” Barnett explained.

“That is one of the issues that kept back the forward movement in the Community. The growing feeling is that if there can be like minds among a subset of countries and they want to move forward on a particular aspect of the Single Market and Economy, they ought to be able to move forward together and then the remainder who may not be ready at the same time can join when they are able to.

“So, this protocol would allow that forward movement and that, I think, is the most important thing that will be addressed at this meeting in addition to taking stock as to where we are,” Barnett added.

She told reporters that the regional leaders will also be discussing the situation in Haiti. Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry is expected to attend what will be the first in-person meeting of CARICOM leaders since the COVID-19 pandemic that began two years ago made meetings a virtual affair.

Henry became head of the government in the French-speaking CARICOM country after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his private residence on July 7, 2021. The country was hit by an earthquake that killed hundreds of people a month later, in addition to having to deal with the ongoing spate of kidnappings and other criminal activities.

“Haiti is a member of the Community so it is a discussion within family, if I can put it that way. And so, within family you know we have difficult conversations, we try to be helpful, try to do what is right, we try to stand by the rules of the household. So we will be having discussions with Haiti in which we will be talking about how CARICOM can be more helpful. CARICOM has offered good office to Haiti from time to time to be able to offer assistance for strengthening of administration, for strengthening electoral processes, for training of security forces….

“We feel that this time we will continue to have those things on the table but we also feel that there is a particular role that we need to play, which is to encourage and in some ways lead the international community towards the consideration of the long-term development plan for Haiti, because a lot of the conversations tend to be around the security issues and the crime issues and that is sometimes delaying fundamental development issues,” the Secretary-General added.

Barnett said the regional leaders will also be discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on economic recovery, the ongoing situation in Ukraine where Russian forces have invaded the Eastern European country, and preparing for the meeting with the leaders of the Central American Integration System (SICA) on Thursday, 11 years after the previous summit was held.

“The reality is that we have not made as much progress as we would have wanted. The two integration movements set out a plan of action in 2011 that we are pursuing. The expectation is that this meeting of CARICOM and SICA …will see a reinvigoration of the plan of action.

“There is an undertaking that the revised updated plan of action will be agreed. There have been intense discussions between CARICOM and SICA over the last few months and so we are expecting that there will be a re-invigorating point in time,” she said, noting that Belize, which holds the chairmanship of CARICOM, is also the only CARICOM member state belonging to both integration movements.

The CARICOM-SICA summit is expected to be attended by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whom Barnett said is still likely to attend in person despite the ongoing Ukraine-Russia situation.

Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández will attend the summit virtually. (BT/CMC)

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources Santia Bradshaw is assuring the people of St Thomas that in the upcoming financial year attention will be given to roads that are severely in need of repair.

Following Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde’s appeal in Parliament on Monday for better roads for the parish which has several major tourist attractions, Bradshaw indicated that in the upcoming year infrastructural works are scheduled to be done under the CAF [Development Bank of Latin America] Road Rehabilitation Programme and will be given necessary priority.

“This is the road from Shop Hill to Content, the area from Cane Garden to Bridgefield, the Canewood to Proute Junction and Hangman Hill in St Thomas as well. Now I want to make the point that in terms of the cost of these roads, it is quite significant. It is over one million dollars in most cases.

“In some it is $1.3, $1.5 million and therefore it paints a picture of obviously the condition of the roads given the level of expenditure that would now have to be laid out on the roads. The truth of the matter is that as the heavy rains come, St Thomas, like a number of the other parishes in the countryside, is impacted even with all the best intentions from the depots. I think we will have to make these areas a priority,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Noting that the recent heavy showers have been adding to the deterioration of the roads, Forde said, during her contribution to the Appropriation Bill, 2022-Head 81 in the House of Assembly on Monday, that the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration that served the country from 2008 to 2018 did not do justice to the road infrastructure in St Thomas.

“I want to find out what can be done for the people of St Thomas, and I am not a person who focuses on myself at all. But there is so much dissatisfaction, so much criticism, cursing, insulting. I have never carried insults like these yet in my young age.

“I really am very concerned that the roads in St Thomas have been neglected for so long under an administration from 2008. When I spoke to the minister [of Transport and Works] then who was the honourable member for Christ Church South, and the men were on the road to pave that road running from Edghill through by BRC, up through Shop Hill, the equipment and everything was there, and the minister called to say ‘don’t touch that road for she though because she had 14 years to do it’,” Forde said.

The long standing Member of Parliament said she does not believe in politicians attempting to spite constituents because they remain faithful to a party.

In fact, Forde said while the north of the island continues to be plagued with water and road work issues, she is happy that her BLP administration has sought to inject the funds to help constituents in rural Barbados access better road infrastructure.

“But I am focusing on St Thomas because I am the voice for the people after 20 years and I am hurting to know that we have reached the stage where this morning, yesterday, Saturday, all kinds of calls coming in, letters are coming in again because the rain has now taken away all the patching material and so on. Water is running on the road and we have a serious problem in the parish.

“I drive there every day, sometimes four times a day. And so Mr Chairman, I would like to know what plans the Ministry of Transport and Works have for St Thomas so that I can at least bring an element of ease. There is too much expense with vehicles that are being destroyed. You can’t get to nowhere in the parish that has about eight to ten places of interest where people come on a daily basis,” Forde said.

Forde extended gratitude to the depot team stationed in St Thomas for their efforts to keep the roads usable.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Technical Officer in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources Philip Tudor explained that major road works had not been carried out in St Thomas because of the unavailability of funds.

However, in addition to the upcoming road works planned for that parish, the drainage system will also be improved to accommodate the expected increase in rainfall due to climate change. Tudor said plans are also on the cards to include additional footpaths for students who have to traverse those roads.

“I have been there for 35 years and I have never seen this kind of money being spent as we are seeing now and I am grateful for that because as I have said before we have been stretching the money we have been getting and you don’t know where to start, which road to start on. We are happy now that funds are finally being made accessible to do the major repairs throughout the island,” Tudor said. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Water Resources says it will be taking a number of measures to bring a greater level of discipline to the public service vehicle (PSV) sector within the coming year.

During the Estimates Debate in the House of Assembly on Monday, Member of Parliament for St Thomas, Cynthia Forde expressed concern about the behaviour of some PSV drivers, particularly those who ply the Jackson and Warrens route.

She complained that they often go off route and block the entrances to the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic and the Lodge Terrace neighbourhood on a daily basis.

“It is only a matter of time before someone loses their lives or gets seriously injured based on the conduct of these drivers,” Forde said.

“I realise that I am not seeing many inspectors from the Ministry of Transport out on the road these days, and these drivers – not so much the yellow buses but the ZR drivers – continue to operate in a disorderly fashion. How is Government training them?

“I recognise that they are providing a service to people, but they are going off route, and just the other day I had to speak to the driver of a Jackson ZR van who was in Vault Road where I live blowing his horn and making lots of noise, driving on the wrong side of the road and so on. I was also driving from Holetown to Black Rock recently and it took me a lot longer than usual because of minibuses dragging, that is, driving slowly looking for passengers along that stretch of Highway One. Also, every day outside the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic and the entrance to Lodge Terrace, there are three or four ZR vans blocking the entrance, and given the high number of people that traverse this area every day, what are the plans to make it safer?” Forde questioned.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw said Cabinet approved regulations last year for the Transport Authority, but those will be examined again after the Estimates “so that they will have the right to enforce them”.

“These rules will speak not only to driver requirements, but also those of owners. We are also working on a driver training programme in association with the Barbados Community College, which will be geared towards established drivers as well as new people coming into the sector, and we are currently discussing this with stakeholders,” she said.

On the question of inspectors, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mark Cummins, acknowledged that the number had fallen off in the last four years, but reassured Forde that was about to change.

“We had five inspectors before, but within the last four years, three of them retired. However, just two weeks ago, a circular came out from People Resourcing and Compliance seeking applications for Transport Inspectors, so we should be back up to five again within the next financial year,” he said. (DH)

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Government has spent $16.3 million on road repairs in the current financial year.

Deputy Chief Technical Officer in the Ministry of Transport and Works Philip Tudor, who declared that this type of funding on road infrastructure has never been spent in Barbados before, explained that the money was spent on 52 out of 135 community roads.

“The community roads were roads submitted by the 30 representatives and those community roads are roads in the residential and tenantry roads that were completed,” he said.

Tudor, who gave the update while contributing to the Appropriation Bill, 2022 Head 81 in the House of Assembly on Monday, also explained that work was done on 11 out of 62 roads [roads that are 1 kilometre or longer] listed on the CAF [Development Bank of Latin America] Road Rehabilitation Programme.

“You would have noticed that over the years we did roads … in the community districts. We started out in the south and we are moving towards the north. So, you would have seen residential roads being done in Christ Church, St Philip, parts of St Michael, St James, and we are heading north with that programme.

“So, although we have not reached, for example, certain areas in St Thomas, we did some roads in St George. We have not completed everything, but hopefully within another year or so we would, more or less, reconstruct the majority of those community roads that are in poor to very poor condition,” Tudor said.

The Deputy Chief Technical Officer also explained that highways are placed as first priority for infrastructural works because they are heavily used.

He said while there are ongoing efforts to fix the roads, the majority of roads in Barbados are bad. According to him, an evaluation of the road infrastructure in 2017 showed that 30 per cent of the island’s roads were considered to be in fair to good condition, while 70 per cent were in poor to very poor condition.

“The area where you have to scratch your head is to determine which road can be done with the amount of money that you get. That is why I suspect that, over the years, 70 per cent of the roads have turned from poor to very poor condition,” Tudor explained. (AH)

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Efforts are on the way to step up signage around Barbados with the country’s National Signage Improvement Project.

Following concerns raised in the House of Assembly on Monday regarding the need to improve the island’s signage system including fallen bus stops and poor road markings, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources Cheryl Bennett-Inniss reported that the ministry was in the process of bringing back the project and engaging private sector partnerships to help finance it.

“And that’s how we hope to eventually sign Barbados the way it should be signed. So that project is coming back and we hope that we will make inroads in this as the resources allow,” Bennett-Inniss said.

She said even though a lot of work was currently being done as it relates to signage, limited manpower has hindered the effort significantly.

The CTO explained that the responsibility of the officers at the 30 depots across the island is to move around and report fallen bus stops, hanging signs, and other issues to the road signage team which once comprised four teams and is now down to one. She said the one team is based at the Richmond, St Michael, depot and is responsible for making and replacing signs.

“We are still working on it. We have never stopped working on our signage project and repairing signs and things like that. But obviously we are moving a bit slower now because we only have one team,” she said.

Bennett-Inniss also added that while the topic of pedestrian crossings close to roundabouts is often raised, the crossing is needed close to that intersection but in a safe location as has been technically advised. She said this is why motorists must approach intersections at a reasonable speed and not race through them.

“So, the point that we mark the pedestrian crossing is the point at which the vehicle tends to be moving the slowest. What all motorists and road users need to do is to remember that they are not the only ones on the road. They don’t own the space on the road and they have to learn to be vigilant and watch out for those who are more vulnerable and that includes pedestrians, cyclists, motorists. And on the other hand, pedestrians shouldn’t just get to a crossing and run across, not waiting to make sure that the motorists have seen them first before they step out,” Bennett-Inniss said. (AH)

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The loss of a mother can be devastating for any individual regardless of their age. But for Lorraine Deane the death of her mother in 2019 compelled her to write her book For Your Glory: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories Inspired by Life Experiences which was published February 10, 2022, on Amazon.

Deane said that when her mother passed that she had wanted to do something to memorialise her, and the idea came for her to write a poem a few days after her mother’s passing.

“My mother died in 2019 and I wanted to do something for her but was at a loss regarding what to do. I can’t sing or play an instrument, plus I am a behind the scenes type person. The idea to write a poem came a few days after her death and that poem ‘Jesus Calls For Me’ was written for her; that was the first poem I ever wrote,” she said.

Deane said that after she wrote the tribute to her mother, she decided to continue writing poetry and was advised by a friend that she could compile her writings in a book.

“After I wrote ‘Jesus Calls For Me’ I started experimenting with writing poems to see if I could write another one or if it was simply a way of dealing with loss and the result was actually born out of the emotion of the passing of my mother and not actually skill, or ability. After writing several of them, I would only show them to my family and close friends.

“My sisters would always encourage me to do something with them, but I was not sure what that something was. My friend who resides in New York was the first person to suggest to me to try putting them in a book.

“I did not really embrace this idea in the beginning because writing poetry for family and friends was
completely different from writing a book for people to read and find value in.

“Though having a degree in Linguistics, I had no formal training in poetry writing so I wanted to be cautious and not rush into the project. She was very supportive during the process; she let me send her the poems and encouraged me when I doubted myself. I was eventually convinced by her and my family, so I began this journey. My niece was also a major resource for me; she helped me with the technical details and solved my computer problems for me.

“All along the way I had a lot of help, I could not have done it without them. Their continuous support and encouragement and a need to challenge myself were indeed the inspiration behind the book,” she said.

The former student of Springer Memorial School who holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of The West Indies said she had no desire to become an author

“No, being an author, writing a book or books was not something that I ever thought I would do, nor did I think it was possible; that is why it still feels so surreal at times.

However, I have fallen in love with it and I hope I can continue on this path,” she said. Deane who is a wife and a mother of three describes herself as a quiet person, over-thinker and dreamer who is a bit quiet. She said that she wants persons to understand that her book is about the goodness of God.

“I want people to understand that this book is a simple reminder of the faithfulness and the goodness of God. That He is a promise-keeping God and that there is no circumstance that we can go through where He is not right there in the midst of whatever our storm is.

That He is not only a faithful God, but He is a provider, healer, comforter and a God who fights for us daily, hourly, and minute by minute. To quote CeCe Winans’ song ‘Never Lost’, He has never lost a battle and He never will. We are his greatest treasure,” she said.

The debut author of the book said that since releasing her book over two weeks ago the response has been very encouraging. “The response to book has been better than I expected. It is a challenge for any new author that does not have a large built-in audience/following to generate buzz like the more established authors, but this is a marathon and not a sprint.

My goal is to continue to market the book and steadily accumulate readers. I am extremely grateful for all those who have already purchased their copy and thankful for those that will in the future,” she said. Deane said that she is working on other collections which shall be released in due course.

“This is the first book to be published but I am working on others. The experience was interesting, it was stressful at times but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed the process.
I don’t think it has settled in yet what I have done, I think it is going to take some time before I get used to the title of author.

I am hoping to release a companion novel of For Your Glory and I would also like to publish a children’s poetry book,” she said.

(Write Right PR Services)

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Earlier this month, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) was granted Observer Status in the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The CAC is the global inter-governmental body which has 188 member countries, jointly governed by FAO and WHO, that establishes the international standards in food safety and quality which serve as benchmarks in international trade.

The standard-development work of the organisation is carried out across various technical committees. The HCC is a regional alliance of civil society organisations working towards the prevention and control of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Maisha Hutton, executive director at the HCC noted that the Codex Committees of greatest interest to HCC at the moment are the two dealing with nutrition and labelling, respectively. She noted that the CAC had recently adopted guidelines on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) at its last session in October 2021.

She explained that this was an important development given that Caribbean countries voted last year on a regional standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods. These included high-in black octagonal front of package nutrition warning labels to help consumers to easily, correctly and quickly identify foods high in sugars, fats and sodium/salt – nutrients which when consumed in excess are linked to obesity and NCDs. The CODEX FOPNL guidelines will assist countries including those in the Caribbean as they seek to implement the most effective front of package labelling schemes for their countries.

While this work has been complete, there are a number of other issues currently under discussion in Codex that are of importance to the nutrition community in the Caribbean. These include, among other things, discussions on trans-fatty acids and food-labelling exemptions for emergencies.

Sir Trevor Hassell, president of the HCC underlined that his organisation would be reaching out to the countries of the Caribbean, who are all members of the CAC, to discuss their priorities and determine how HCC could best support their effective participation in the work of the relevant technical Codex Committees.

He stated: “CARICOM health leadership has prioritised action on the elimination of trans fats in the food supply as part of their broader agenda on tackling unhealthy diets. The HCC will seek to leverage opportunities at CODEX to influence global TFA guidance while supporting TFA elimination work at the regional level”.

Meanwhile, Renata Clarke, FAO sub-regional coordinator for the Caribbean welcomed the news of HCC’s observer status. She stated: “As major food importers, the countries of the Caribbean have a strong and direct interest in influencing the rules that govern the quality and safety of foods traded internationally.

The participation of HCC in the deliberations of the Codex Alimentarius Commissions on nutritional quality and labelling will facilitate a strong Caribbean voice in related standard setting”.

She further added that FAO will continue to seek to establish partnerships with stakeholders aimed at educating the public on the benefits of adopting a healthier lifestyle and reducing the high rate of non-communicable diseases in the Caribbean. (PR)

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With the phased resumption of face-to-face school across the island which began on February 21, 2022, it
was important for students, teachers, and support staff to return to schools safely. Local manufacturer of Beep products, McBride (Caribbean) Limited thus donated more than $10,000 worth of Beep hand sanitizing and disinfectant spray products to a group of primary and secondary schools within its catchment area.

The donations of Beep Liquid Hand Sanitiser, Automatic Dispensers and Disinfectant Spray were made to the Christ Church Foundation Secondary School, Deighton Griffith Secondary School, Princess Margaret Secondary School, Gordon Walters Primary School, Reynold Weekes Primary School, St. Bartholomew Primary School, St. Christopher Primary School, Luther Thorne Memorial Primary School and Blackman Gollop Primary School.

Assistant Sales & Marketing Manager, Caribbean, Shaneal Bynoe noted that the company was pleased to continue playing such an integral role in helping schools with their safety efforts, as the nation navigates the resumption of classes at this stage of the pandemic.

Bynoe reminded the school representatives that Beep Disinfectant Spray has been certified by a U.S.
EPA-compliant lab to kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and can be used on surfaces around school campuses to help maintain a safe in-person learning environment for teachers and students.

Managing Director of McBride, Ricardo Strickland, stated that McBride has experienced significant growth over the past few years, now exporting to over 28 markets including new markets in Latin America entered over the past three years. McBride has established an operating location in the Dominican Republic and the United States as the company seeks to expand throughout the Americas.

Strickland added that here in Barbados McBride outfitted the St. Bartholomew Primary School in August 2020 with Beep Automatic Dispensers and Liquid Hand Sanitiser and pledged to continue supporting this school and the others receiving donations, resources permitting.

Strickland revealed that the current environment was especially challenging as operating costs continue to rise at unprecedented levels.

Anthea Gill, principal of St. Bartholomew’s noted that McBride has faithfully contributed to the school over the years, and she was pleased that the company is continuing its support.

Gordon Walters Primary School principal, Gretchen Bailey-Jones mentioned that funding was currently limited due to being unable to host fundraising activities.

Major Michael Boyce, principal of Deighton Griffith Secondary School stated that the fight against COVID-19 was not only the schools’ fight but that of the entire nation and all representatives shared in their appreciation of the donation which will aid in protecting students and staff.

On hand to receive the donations were principals and senior teachers from the selected schools.

This presentation is one of many McBride (Caribbean) Limited has made over the past year in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to support key local agencies and organisations including the Ministry of Education, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Dodds Prison. (PR)

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SOURCE: CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett has called on regional countries to improve intra-regional trade by 25 per cent by 2025 as she urged regional leaders to ensure that the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) functions for the benefit of the people of the Caribbean.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 33^rd Inter-Sessional Summit here on Tuesday, Barnett said while “significant obstacles’ lay in the path of the integration process there was need now to move with trust and confidence “into those measures that make the CARICOM Single Market and Economy work for all of us.

“Let us set a target to lift intra-regional trade out of the doldrums of 16 to 8 per cent of our total trade into 25 per cent by 2025.”

She said that this could be fuelled in large measure by the agriculture sector and that the proposals  put forward to this summit by the Special Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture are worthy of favourable consideration.

“That work complements the thrust led by the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), the “Twenty-five by 2025 Initiative”, aimed at reducing extra-regional agri-food imports by 25 per cent by 2025, in response to a mandate given by the Heads of Government.”

he CSME is an arrangement among the 15-member CARICOM member states for the creation of a single enlarged economic space through the removal of restrictions resulting in the free movement of goods, services, persons, capital and technology.

The decision, in 1989, to establish the CSME was regarded as a move to deepen the integration movement to better respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by globalisation

Barnett told regional leaders that as the recovery takes hold among the developed countries following the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the time is right for the region to act upon the proposals for joint marketing of the tourism product.

“The Caribbean still remains a preferred destination, and within our member states there is a variety of attractions from the traditional to the niche markets to satisfy a broad spectrum of visitors.

She said two years after the first case of COVID was recorded in the region, “we are learning to live with it, and to conduct our affairs in what can only be described as a new normal.

“This we have to abide by in coming to grips with repairing the health, social and economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, a disaster not of our own making has befallen us.”

But she urged Caribbean people to get vaccinated against the virus that has killed and infected  thousands of people in the region, adding that ‘”much too many of our citizens remain unvaccinated; much too many of our children are out of school; much too many of our businesses are floundering with the resultant effect on employment”.

She said that the pandemic has forced regional countries to bring forward the future with respect to the widespread use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

“We can no longer delay implementation of the Regional Digital Development Strategy, including the Roadmap towards the Single ICT Space. E-government and e-commerce are for the here and now. The application of technology is what will underpin all our development efforts.

“There is no doubt that to drive that development we must have the support of international partners, both countries and institutions. We have to continue the strong advocacy for the use of a Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index, as the main criterion for access to concessional financing. We must continue the advocacy for the simplification of the procedures to access funds ostensibly designed to assist developing countries.”

Barnett said that Institutional support for advancing those initiatives in all areas is critical and that the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat has commenced its restructuring and retooling to allow for greater focus and efficiency.

“Directorates have been re-engineered and greater emphasis has been put on teamwork and cross-sector collaboration. There is greater use of the IT platforms for our work, and in communicating with our stakeholders. A cultural change, with accountability being paramount, will contribute to more effective service delivery to the Governments and People of our Community.”

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The Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTI) wishes to advise the public that if they have visited the Golden Square Freedom Park and have not seen their surname on the Builders of Barbados Wall, to kindly notify the entity by Friday, April 15, 2022.

All omitted surnames should be submitted to Haigh Communications Inc. – the company engaged to execute public relations for BTI, via the e-mail address: names@haigh.group

The BTI thanks the public for their cooperation and sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused in this regard.

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The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training will start its series of town hall meetings this month for the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE) 2022. 

The town hall meetings are being held to sensitise parents/guardians and teachers about the processes involved in the administration of the examination, familiarly known as the 11 Plus or Common Entrance Examination. 

All meetings begin at 5:00 p.m. 

The first of the sessions will be held on Saturday, March 5, at the Lester Vaughan School, Cane Garden, St. Thomas, and the Alexandra School, Queen’s Street, St. Peter. 

This will be followed by meetings at Combermere School, Waterford, St. Michael, and Springer Memorial School, Government Hill, St. Michael, on Tuesday, March 8. 

On Saturday, March 12, sessions will be held at Queen’s College, Husbands, St. James, and Daryll Jordan Secondary School, Trents, St. Lucy. 

The following Saturday, March 19, the town hall meetings will be conducted at St. George Secondary School, Constant, St. George, and Princess Margaret Secondary School, Six Roads, St. Philip. 

On Saturday, March 26, the meetings will move to Christ Church Foundation School, Church Hill, Christ Church, and Grantley Adams Memorial School, Blackman’s, St. Joseph. 

The series will conclude on Saturday, April 2, at the Alleyne School, Belleplaine, St. Andrew, and St. John Parish Church, St. John. 

Parents/guardians will be instructed on how to complete the online registration form for the choice of school, and will learn more about the deferral and special requests forms. 

All COVID-19 protocols will be in effect. (JG/BGIS) 

SCHEDULE FOR BSSEE TOWN HALL MEETINGS 

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This year’s Crop Over Festival will be a spectacle, regardless of the format it takes.

That assurance has come from chief executive officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Carol Roberts-Reifer, who has maintained that changes have to be made to the festival with the island still battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Roberts-Reifer said she fully expected that Barbadians and tourists alike would still be treated to the biggest summer festival on the island.

“I don’t like the term modified but it will almost be a COVID-19 edition of the Crop Over Festival as we know it. That does not mean that it will not be as exciting, as impactful, as colourful, as creative, as innovative as it can be within our current reality.

“So there are two things you have to bear in mind; one, that we are still managing the COVID-19 pandemic and two, that Crop Over is one of the largest economic drivers in Barbados. There are very few events that give you that return on investment where the cost of producing the festival is x and the returns to the economy are over 10 times x,” Roberts-Reifer said.

Her comments have come following Saturday’s announcement by Prime Minister Mia Mottley that the Foreday Morning and Grand Kadooment events would be decentralized through at least eight locations.

Roberts-Reifer said discussions surrounding the staging of the Festival were set to commence on Wednesday with the various stakeholders.

However, she revealed that Government and stakeholders had met at the table on several occasions, from 2020 to as recently as December 2021, on the possibility of hosting Crop Over.

She said the idea that the events be held in different locations had been suggested and as a result, some venues had already been identified.

The CEO admitted that she was therefore surprised by the call by some stakeholders for urgent dialogue on the matter.

“The eight locations are not new. Last year a group of us including the COVID-19 Unit went around and visited a number of locations, did a number of site visits when there was potential for there to be Crop Over. These locations have not changed so therefore, if you are looking at Crop Over within the pandemic that was there last year and is still here this year. Isn’t it reasonable that you would revisit in principle those venues that you have?” Roberts-Reifer questioned.

“The announcement to the press was made on Saturday. They have been invited to meetings tomorrow [Wednesday] and they have been invited to bring representatives and they have been invited if they care too, to send proposals prior, or to come to the table with proposals and it is at that time that anything can be discussed. So you cannot say that anything is on or off the table until you have had the discussions.”

Roberts-Reifer also made it clear that the Crop Over Festival benefited a wide cross-section of persons and not just masqueraders and entertainers.

“Crop Over is a festival that provides a means of living, a livelihood to stakeholder groups other than entertainers and masqueraders, never let us forget that. There are visual artists, there are photographers, there are other categories of performers and then there are the ancillary sectors like the taxi drivers, there are store owners, there are bars and restaurants, there are fashion designers and people who import goods. All of those people depend on Crop Over.

“The rational and reasonable and sensible thing to do is for us again to sit around the table and together come up with a concept that allows the country to host and enjoy and celebrate Crop Over and the season of Emancipation to the best of our ability within our reality,” Roberts-Reifer said. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbados continues to record an increase in heart attacks and strokes, according to the Barbados National Registry (BNR) 2019 cardiovascular disease report.

The document pointed out that studies have shown that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was increasing, and rates in the Caribbean were higher than other countries in the Americas, and continued to be the largest contributor to deaths in the region.

In 2019, Barbados registered 547 people with myocardial infarction (MI or heart attack). This included confirmed hospital diagnoses and cases identified after death, using death certification records.

Of the 547 cases, 342 were hospitalised. Of those with full information, the case fatality rate was approximately 32 per cent, compared to the between three and 12 per cent internationally in-hospital case fatality rates.

“The three-year average for 2014 to 2016 is 391 cases versus 499 cases for 2017 to 2019. This implies a 28 per cent increase in new cases over a three-year period. This increase was driven by an increase in events in older women (ages 74-85 years), the absolute number surpassing cases in men for the first time recorded by the BNR,” the report said.

“The in-hospital case fatality rate (CFR) was similar over the past three years 2017, 2018 and 2019 at 21 per cent, 25 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. This remains high in comparison to other countries. For example, the CFR in Scotland between 2005 and 2015 was 10 per cent,” it added.

The report indicated that men continued to have a higher age-standardised rate of heart attacks compared to women, while the median length of stay for stroke had increased from seven days to eight days in 2019, compared to 2017.

The report said the trend of younger men having heart attacks continued in 2019, with the peak age range for events falling from 75-84 years in 2018 to 65-74 years in 2019.

In relation to strokes, the report indicated that there were some 758 stroke cases registered in Barbados in 2019, which included confirmed hospital diagnoses and cases only identified after death, using death certification records.

“There continues to be a rise in strokes in younger men, with increases in the 34 – 45 and the 55- 64 age groups. This trend is in line with a global shift towards strokes in younger men in low to middle-income countries,” said the report.

“The three-year average rose from 631 to 697 in 2014 to 2016 to an average of 697 for 2017 to 2019. In-hospital case fatality for all stroke cases was 37 per cent in 2019, up from 28 per cent in 2018. In comparison, the UK has maintained an in-hospital case fatality rate of 15 per cent between 2014 and 2019,” it added.

The report also indicated that there was an increased number of cases among women in the 45 to 64 age group and the 85 years and over age group.

It said ischaemic stroke remains the largest category with 266 women and 247 men experiencing this type of event (82 per cent of cases).

“Less than five per cent of strokes were classified as subarachnoid haemorrhages or unclassified. These numbers are in keeping with the percentages of patients with these conditions in other countries in 2016 – 2017 (85 per cent – 87 per cent Ischemic strokes and 11 per cent Intracerebral strokes),” said the report.

The 39-page document noted that non-communicable disease (NCD) remains the leading cause of death in Barbados, representing eight of the top ten causes of death in 2017, with cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer of the prostate representing the top three.

“Further, hypertensive diseases, ischemic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis and other diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 28.8 per cent of deaths in 2017,” said the report.

“The incidence of cardiovascular disease increases with age and a high proportion of the Barbadian population (17 per cent) is over 65 years old. The 2015 Health of the Nation study revealed a high prevalence of common risk factors for cardiovascular disease including hypertension, diabetes, alcohol and tobacco use in individuals in this age-group,” it said.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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