State agencies and non-governmental organisations struggled on Wednesday to locate 34 Haitians who had been thrown out from their apartments the day before.

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey revealed that officials from the Child Care Board had been combing the areas around Wanstead Gardens, St James to inquire about the well-being of the eight minors and a pregnant woman in the group.

Meanwhile, Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong said a local branch of MPH, the agency contracted to take the Haitians to South America, is still working to complete their travel arrangements.

However, the Haitian Association of Barbados wants provisions made for the group to live and work in Barbados as they called for a thorough investigation into the “very strange” circumstances under which they were allowed to enter the country.

One of the directors of the association, attorney-at-law Pearlie Drakes, said he was trying to locate the Haitians and find short-term accommodation for them simultaneously.

“I will assure you that under no circumstances will they be allowed to be on the streets or to be wandering about and not knowing exactly what they are going to do,” Drakes told Barbados TODAY.

On Tuesday, the group was evicted from three apartments they had been occupying since arriving here on February 20. Investigations by this newspaper revealed that each of the 34 Haitians had paid approximately US$4 000 to be transported from Haiti to Brazil, with in-transit stops in Barbados and Guyana.

Drakes confirmed that the landlord had been paid one month’s rent, a security deposit and utility payments by MPH, totaling BDS$23 000. He said the recently formed association, which has been providing supplies for the stranded Haitians, did not have the funds to foot the rental bill.

Minister Humphrey, whose portfolio includes the Welfare Department and the Child Care Board, said he had been liaising with officials from the Home Affairs Ministry.

“I am also aware that the Child Care Board has visited and is following up, particularly as it relates to children,” said Humphrey.

In a more detailed response, Ambassador Comissiong explained that the CARICOM nationals were only in the second month of their automatic six-month stay. He expressed confidence that the country’s welfare agencies would assist the visitors, but took umbrage to previous suggestions from migration expert Dr Olivia Smith and Reverend David Durant that authorities should respond to the case with alacrity and treat them as victims.

“These two experts seem to know virtually nothing about the situation that they are opining about. In fact, judging from their published comments, it does not appear that either one of them has even visited or spoken to the group of Haitians,” said the Ambassador.

“The travel agency that made the arrangements with the chartered plane that brought them to Barbados has a branch in Barbados, and this agency has assumed some local responsibility for the group of Haitians and is working on completing their travel arrangements.

“The Barbadian governmental authorities have not prescribed any course of action for the group of Haitians. At present, they are simply treating them as a group of CARICOM nationals who are in the country on a six month stay,” he added.

But from a legal perspective, Drakes identified a number of issues that raised serious questions about MPH and the Immigration Department.

The attorney said that even for CARICOM citizens who are generally entitled to an automatic six-month stay, immigration officials should be satisfied that the visitors are capable of maintaining themselves and/or that travel arrangements for their onward travel were in place.

“I think there are a lot of issues. First of all, there are questions about the kind of arrangement they had with the agency, where they were going and whether they had tickets for onward travel to another destination and those kinds of things. None of that is actually forthcoming,” he said.

“How did they get into Barbados if none of that was finalised and the Immigration authorities were not satisfied that they had all of the necessary paperwork that is required to allow them to come into Barbados in the first instance?”

What was particularly concerning, Drakes said, was that on previous occasions he had attempted to assist Haitians with visas to work in Barbados, but was “unhappy” with the responses from immigration officials.

“That is why I am questioning why a large group can come in and have that kind of entry into Barbados with so many questions hanging over the procedures that were taken. I know that as an association we have sought visas through the Immigration Department and it has been difficult and therefore it is very questionable as to how 34 – and I am also hearing many more – have been able to enter Barbados under very strange circumstances,” the lawyer said.

Drakes said the group of Haitians are seemingly trying to escape tremendous social, economic and political instability, and he urged Barbados to “step up to the plate” and assist them.

“My appeal would be largely to see how best our Haitian brothers and sisters can be assisted in this plight and, additionally, I would expect that, in due course, there would be a proper investigation as to how they got here in the first place, what were the plans for them, who was responsible and those kinds of things,” he said.

“I know the immigration authorities have a responsibility to answer those kinds of questions and not just try to put them on a plane and ask the agency that brought them in to send them back to Haiti. I don’t think that would be right at all, I don’t think it would be fair and it very well might be illegal.

“I am convinced that they can contribute to the Barbadian society and economy and it is on that basis largely that I would suggest that the officials look at how best we can incorporate these people, and I don’t think sending them back to Haiti with the difficulties that persist there now… would make any sense,” he added.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes has warned that any increase in public servants’ salaries now would force cuts in other areas of Government expenditure.

While acknowledging that commodity prices continue to rise, putting strain on households, Haynes explained that for the Mia Mottley administration to grant an increase in public sector wages and salaries, several scenarios had to be carefully examined.

“In the context of Government and businesses generally, pay increases are related to the ability to pay and, therefore, if you have a wage increase it also means you have to make a judgment as to what you are going to forego. It is not a free good, so there are choices that would have to be made,” he said on Wednesday, though stressing that the final decision on pay hikes rested with Prime Minister Mia Mottley who is also Minister of Finance.

Singling out Government’s emphasis on accelerating its capital works programme, Haynes said this was being done in order to generate increased economic activity and employment, suggesting that this ran the risk of being postponed if the public sector wage bill was increased.

“There is a broader issue that one has to look at in terms of what is happening with your competitors, because when you raise the cost of wages does that spill over into the private sector? Does it make them less competitive with the countries against which they are competing? So, the whole question of competitiveness is the other issue that one will have to look at,” he explained.

Earlier this month, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), the largest public sector labour representative, served notice that in light of the increased cost of living, its top brass would be lobbying Government for an undisclosed amount increase in salary to help public servants live more comfortably.

This came on the heels of similar sentiments expressed by president of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), Edwin O’neal, late last month.

O’neal had indicated that since workers got a five per cent salary increase in 2018, several factors have eroded their spending power.

However, Haynes insisted that granting a salary increase to public servants at this time would require a delicate balancing act.

He declined to speculate on what percentage wage increase Government could consider, if any, stressing that the island’s ability to compete must be taken into consideration.

“I am sure that everybody would want to see some relief if prices are rising, but I think one has to look at the big picture and make that determination,” he said.

“We don’t want to go to a situation where our expenditures are such that we are not able to honour our obligations, because we have spent too much and then you don’t have the funding. So, it is a balancing act which I am sure the Minister of Finance [will have to examine].”

During his economic review of the first three months of this year, Haynes pointed out that Government expenditure on wages and salaries rose by $27 million, driven mainly by additional staff hired to implement COVID-19 control measures.

Capital expenditure also increased as Government continued several projects including the Speightstown and Constitution River flood mitigation projects, implemented the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) Residential Waste Collection Improvement project, and made provisions for repairing or replacing houses damaged by Hurricane Elsa in July last year.

At the same time, consumers are being increasingly impacted by elevated prices caused by supply disruptions, rising freight costs and spiralling food and energy prices which started in the latter half of 2021 and continued into the first quarter of the year, exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Inflation measured on the traditional 12-month moving average rose by 4.2 per cent, but by 9.3 per cent when comparing March 2021 to March 2022,” according to the latest Central Bank data.

“Rising import costs were concentrated on prices for food, non-alcoholic beverages and energy. During the quarter, food prices rose by three per cent, but over the preceding nine months significant increases for vegetables, meats, oils and fats, and seafood led to the acceleration of prices over the 12-month period,” the Governor explained.

International oil prices are expected to stabilise at elevated levels while commodity prices are forecast to increase further during the year.

Consumers could come under even greater pressure should the Barbados Light & Power Company (BL&P) be granted an increase in electricity rates, for which it has applied.

The utility company is seeking an overall 11.9 per cent increase, which would see customers paying between five per cent and 20 per cent more on their electricity bills.

Haynes acknowledged that this would also increase the cost of doing business.

However, he stressed the decision would rest with the regulator, the FTC.

In any event, the Central Bank Governor said, depending on the steepness of any increase granted, some businesses may try to absorb it while others may not be able to.

“It depends on the nature of the business,” he noted.marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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The four-year Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme which is scheduled to wind up in about five months was necessary, says Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes as he reflected on the performance of the International Monetary Fund-backed (IMF) programme.

“The issue for me is not whether you go into a fund programme, the issue is, what are the policies you are going to implement whether you are in a fund programme or you are not in a fund programme? From my perspective, we cannot go back to a scenario of large fiscal balances that we are unable to support,” said Haynes.

He was responding to questions from the media on Wednesday, following a presentation of his first quarter economic review and outlook.

Stating that he was not in a position to say whether government should enter into a new IMF programme, Haynes said it was now critical that work continue to ensure that the adjustments made over the life of the current programme were not eroded.

“There is simply too much hard work done over the last four years to simply reverse that hard work,” said Haynes, who added that “looking at the programme itself, the programme is necessary”.

He recalled that prior to the introduction of BERT in 2018 there were low levels of international reserves, high expenditure, low revenues and spiraling debt. “We needed to put in place an adjustment initiative,” he said.

“The intention there really was to restore our reserves, restore the public finances to a level of sustainability, restore debt to a sustainable level and create a foundation for growth going forward,” said Haynes.

He said that between 2018 and early 2020 Government was “largely on track” to meeting its targets under the programme, having accumulated a primary surplus in 2019/2020 of six per cent, allowing for debt commitments to be honoured.

“It was done in a way that tried to balance revenue increases over the domestic economy and also on international transactions. I would say we were making progress in that regard,” said Haynes in his assessment of the performance of the BERT programme.

The island’s debt stock was also on the decline from the jaw-dropping 156 per cent, which had placed Barbados among the world’s most indebted nations at the time.

International reserves have also been increased to record levels.

However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which started to affect the country in March 2020, interrupted the programme, resulting in increased borrowing and spending by government over the past two years.

The Mia Mottley-led administration was also knocked off its planned trajectory when the island’s bread and butter tourism industry ground to a standstill in 2020, resulting in a dramatic decline in economic activity.

The Governor told business journalists that Government was now required to get back on track since the work was “somewhat incomplete”. However, he stressed that among the critical things to consider from a long-term perspective was being able to bring down the debt to GDP ratio to sustainable levels, making sure fiscal policy is sustainable and debt payments are able to be made on a timely basis.

He also pointed to Government’s acceleration of its capital expenditure programme, which he said coupled with the expected continued recovery in tourism would “point us towards the increased economic activity which we know”.

He agreed the decision on whether to enter into a new IMF programme to continue certain economic adjustments rests solely with Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who is also Minister of Finance.

In her Budget presentation last month, Mottley indicated that she would be carrying out her assessment and would be making a decision in coming months.

“I believe she will consider all of the advice in relation to that and make a determination as to whether or not we need to go [back to the IMF],” he said.

Haynes also highlighted the need for ongoing public sector reform in order to improve productivity, transparency and efficiency across Government agencies and departments.
(MM)

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The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) will not be lobbying for salary increases for public servants at this time.

Instead, General Secretary Toni Moore said, the union will be looking to secure improved terms and conditions of service for Government employees.

The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) as well as the umbrella body for the island’s trade unions, the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), recently signalled their intention to seek a wage hike for public servants, given the increased cost of living in Barbados.

However, Moore told the media on Wednesday morning that a salary increase is not a pressing issue for the BWU, although it is “not off the cards”.

“The BWU signalled to the Government that whereas we may not focus so heavily on an increase, what we need to focus on – and it isn’t to say that the idea of an increase is off the cards – . . . is that there are more immediate and longer-term conditions that will have implications for people, not only during their working life but well into their post-working life into retirement that we need to have regularised and that is where our focus has been,” she said.

Noting that public sector workers received a raise in pay in 2018, the trade unionist said: “Since then, our effort and our focus has been on terms and conditions of service; terms and conditions of service that would regularise a number of the anomalies in the public sector which relate to people who have still been working in jobs, functioning for a number of years, whose jobs are not established and who would need to have those established so that they can be confirmed at higher levels.”

The BWU boss said there are also situations relating to changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as work arrangements.

“So, our focus is definitely that. The BWU has been working very, very hard with statutory boards in particular, trying to ensure that where workers, for instance in Government, have been put on contract that we have the Government observe all of the relevant legislation relating to what is a contract for service versus a contract of service,” she added.

Moore disclosed that the BWU had been able to get some workers at the Transport Board their rightful status so they would be remunerated and treated properly.

Earlier this month, NUPW general secretary Richard Green said public sector workers deserve a pay increase and now is the perfect time to get it.

“The NUPW historically has always made reasonable requests for raises of pay for public officers. At this time we find it a reasonable request to consider a raise in pay for public officers based on the very noticeable rise in the cost of basic goods and services. This is something we think can be considered. If not a raise of pay, consideration can also be given for some cost of living allowance for public officers,” the head of the island’s largest public sector trade union had said.

His comments came a week after CTUSAB called for a salary review in the public sector. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley has lauded the Barbados Fertility Clinic (BFC) for its contribution to Barbados’ medical tourism product.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the clinic’s 20th anniversary on Wednesday, Mottley applauded the BFC for achieving and maintaining international accreditation while fulfilling the dreams of thousands of families across the world.

“You have done it in a way that has brought medical tourism to a centre for us and having people visiting here in the seamless way in which it happens,” she said at the BFC in Hastings, Christ Church. “All of this brings pride and honour to our country but, importantly, foreign exchange and jobs as well.”

Prime Minister Mottley assured management that the Government looked forward to working with the centre to review the possibility of expanding the practice to attract other types of medical services, as well as medical tourism generally.

“Our population is only 300 000 and if we limit ourselves to the 300 000 here we would never be able to have either the scale or the depth of services. And that is why we see Barbados as a global domicile for the provision of medical services,” she said.

“We can accommodate you from anywhere in the world and once we continue to grow out these range of services then I have every confidence that that which we have invested over the years in our people would bring the return which we need.”

The BFC is the only IVF clinic in the Caribbean to have JCI accreditation which is considered the gold standard in global health care. The clinic is focused on individual care and committed to providing the highest quality medical care with an established and success-proven, internationally trained medical team. It has a track record of offering a commendable IVF success rate to patients who travel to Barbados for treatment.

In 2005, the BFC moved to its current location, Seaston House, Hastings, which was renovated to meet its needs and provide a single-site clinic.

Medical Director Dr Juliet Skinner recalled that in 2009, the BFC opened a satellite clinic in Trinidad, and a decade later opened the doors of a full IVF clinic in the Cayman Islands.

BFC, which began with a team of four, now has 55 staff members.

Dr Skinner said the centre has followed scientific advances in the IVF field to stay at the cutting edge.

She acknowledged that with 90 per cent of the clinic’s patients being non-Barbadians, the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the clinic.

“But we can proudly say that not only did we weather that storm, but we, in fact, are busier than ever,” Dr Skinner said. “We must also prepare for the future and strategically ensure that BFC is on track to celebrate its 30th and 40th anniversaries to come. Today, we would like to thank all those who have played a role in this achievement.”

Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who accompanied Prime Minister Mottley to the event, congratulated the BFC for its outstanding work, as he shared that, globally, an estimated 48 million couples and 186 million individuals experience fertility problems.

However, Dr Ghebreyesus said in addition to many of these families being unable to access fertility treatment, they face the emotional challenges of not being able to become pregnant.

“Reading about your work, getting information from your colleagues about your work, I think documenting this experience within the last 20 years would be important,” he told the BFC. “And sharing it with other countries could be part of our advocacy to show countries that this is possible, it can be done.”

“So, if you agree, you should think about it. Of course, we would be happy to document your experience and share it with the rest of the world so others can benefit and use your experience as a model,” the WHO Director General said.
(AH)

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Founder and President of the Men’s Empowerment Network Support, Fabian Sargeant is calling for a national parent programme and is adamant that the church must play a major role in facilitating the process.

Contributing to Monday’s Man Talk panel discussion organized by the Men’s Ministry of the Cave Hill Wesleyan Holiness Church, on the topic How Much Is the Church Doing To Help Rescue At-risk Men?  Sargeant said the church should come together in a collective effort to get the programme off the ground.

“I think that the church is the biggest institution in Barbados and if we had to look at a parenting programme across all the churches. I said all, but I find that churches are extremely territorial. If you really have the Bible at heart and the Bible teachings, I guess that you would see giving back to society and empowering people as part of the journey. Therefore, I don’t see why we should have an issue with a collective programme,” he said.

Sargeant said that too many young men and women get caught up in deviant activities because they were raised in homes where parents lack essential skills to guide their children through the developmental stages of life.

However, the social worker stressed that while many parents may want to know why they may need to attend a programme to learn how to parent, the national parent programme should not be seen as an avenue for parents to be told what to do with their child.

In fact, Sargeant said men who are hurting or displaying deviant or anti-social behaviours are hurting from their childhood experiences, the environment their parents raised them in and from pain inflicted on them by other relatives.“So parenting programmes are not about telling you what to do with your child. A parenting programme is really there to give you some extra tools to help you in your whole parenting journey or parenting process because sometimes as a parent you can only parent based on what you have learnt, your own experiences and your own perceptions and beliefs and values.

“But then sometimes someone can come and probably enlighten you on a skill that can complement your already existing skills and even help you as an individual to understand yourself in the whole journey,”  Sargeant said.
(AH)

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An estimated 2.8 million people, or nearly 40 per cent of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean do not have enough food, according to a recent survey conducted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

That figure is one million more than two years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Food insecurity continues to increase in the region, with the current figure 72 per cent higher when compared to April 2020, according to the survey which was supported by the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

“Having the opportunity to assess how the pandemic has impacted the livelihoods and food security of more than 20 000 respondents across the past two years has provided the CARICOM Secretariat with invaluable data that is being used to inform regional priorities in the short and medium term,” said Shaun Baugh, Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development Programme Manager at the CARICOM Secretariat.

Highlighting the lasting impact of the pandemic two years in, the survey results demonstrate deteriorating food consumption and diets, with 25 per cent of respondents eating less preferred foods, 30 per cent skipping meals or eating less than usual, and five per cent going an entire day without eating in the week leading up to the survey.

High food prices continue to affect people’s ability to afford a nutritious diet, as reflected in 93 per cent of respondents reporting higher prices for food compared to 59 per cent in April 2020.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is expected to create an even deeper impact on the cost of basic goods and services in the Caribbean.

“An import-dependent region, the Caribbean continues to feel the socio-economic strain of COVID-19 which is now being compounded by the conflict in Ukraine. With most COVID-19 assistance programmes having concluded, many families are expected to face an even greater challenge to meet their basic food and other essential needs in the months to come,” said Regis Chapman, WFP Representative and Country Director for the Caribbean Multi-Country Office.

“In the short to medium term, it is increasing pressure on governments to identify solutions to ensure families can meet their essential needs. Innovation in agri-food systems and regional supply chains, coupled with continued support to the most vulnerable households, will be essential to improving the resilience of regional food systems so that prices can be kept as stable as possible.”

CARICOM, WFP and other partners are continuing to work together to increase resilience to shocks through stronger disaster management, social protection and food systems that are more effective, sustainable and responsive in meeting the needs of those most affected by crises.
(BT/PR)

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised that due to the rescheduling of the Humanitarian Awards Ceremony to 2 p.m., today, Thursday, April 28, the Winston Scott Polyclinic, which operates as a 24-hour clinic, will remain closed until midnight.

This is to allow staff members to attend the awards ceremony at Kensington Oval.  Regular service will resume at midnight and not 4 p.m. as originally stated.

The Ministry regrets any inconvenience caused by the change in reopening times. (MHW/BGIS)

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by Marlon Madden

Comptroller of Customs at the Barbados Customs and Excise Department Owen Holder has issued a stern warning to import agents following the discovery that some of them have been submitting inaccurate information including data relating to freight charges.

While he did not immediately indicate if further investigations would be carried out or if anyone would be brought to account, Holder noted that he was prepared to read the “riot act” to import agents when he meets with them in coming days to iron out a number of their concerns.

He stressed the need for importers to provide Customs with accurate data, noting that “if you provide inaccurate data you can be subject to a fine, and therefore, I would want the agents to know that they are responsible for submitting that data to Customs and it is very important”.

Under the new Customs Bill, which was passed in Parliament in December last year, a person who falsifies or, without permission from the Comptroller, deletes, damages, alters or impairs any record, data message or information stored in the system, is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $50 000 or five years in prison, or both.

The new Customs Bill makes provision for fines as high as $250,000 and jail terms as lengthy as eight years for various offences.

Holder told members of the business community that the inaccurate data was found when he tried to tabulate information with respect to freight charges in recent years, after several stakeholders raised concerns about freight charges following the capping of those charges last month.

“When we checked we have information submitted where in some cases there were no [freight] charges at all recorded on the bill of lading, and in some cases, we saw an empty container . . . with a freight charge written on it of $86,000,” said Holder.

“Now, this is crazy, this is madness and as I say, I will meet the agents and really read the riot act because right now as we speak, the Government has implemented some initiatives and we have to provide data in two years’ time and it is therefore imperative that they submit the accurate freight where we can do the planning at the Customs level and at the Government level,” he warned.

He said “these are all the issues we have with the agents going forward. So definitely we will have that meeting with respect to that and other things where we get those solved.” Holder was responding to questions during a recent webinar jointly hosted by the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Barbados Customs & Excise Department, to explore the pre-clearance of cargo and Trusted Trader programme.

The new Customs Bill, which seeks to bring Barbados more in line with regional and international laws, makes provision for agents to be granted authorised economic operator or trusted trader status.

The two initiatives, which are still in the pilot phase, are designed to, among other things, better facilitate trade, reduce costs and better use scarce resources, and enhance trading activities at the island’s border.

The pre-clearance of cargo initiative allows for the submission and processing of information prior to the arrival of a shipment allowing for faster clearance

of imports, while the Trusted Trader programme allows for importers to gain certain benefits, engage in a level of self-regulation and predictable level of engagement with Customs, and enjoy a smoother clearance process.

In addition to meeting with agents on the matter of freight charges, officials of the Customs and Excise Department are also expected to meet with representatives of other government agencies to ensure they have procedures in place to allow for them to align their processes with the pre-clearance system.

Holder explained that while his department had an initial meeting with relevant agencies within the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry Health, which also looked at the issue of risk management, there will be follow up meetings to iron out all the details relating to the modernisation system.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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by Marlon Madden

The Customs and Excise Department is reporting progress in its modernisation plan for the clearance of air cargo, which forms part of a wider border
control and security transformation scheme for that Government agency.

During a recent information session, Deputy Comptroller of the Customs and Excise Department Sonea Jordan-Clarke gave a breakdown of how the new standardised procedures for air cargo clearance would facilitate faster clearance of goods entering the island through the air mode.

She said that the Customs Department was currently in the process of incorporating the International Air Transport Association (IATA) cargo module into the ASYCUDA World system for the air cargo clearance facilitation.

“So the customs department is in the process of doing that. We would have met with stakeholders a couple weeks back where the consultant would have gone through the module and explained the benefits and why we are going that route,” she said.

“The IATA cargo module is a module which will be integrated into the ASYCUDA world to allow for the categorisation of air cargo . . . The IATA cargo module once integrated into ASYCUDA world, it allows airlines and freight forwarders and shippers to use it to exchange air cargo electronic information with Customs.

“Once this information is uploaded then Customs can see the information . . . so that we can do the necessary checks,” she explained.

She further explained that the system will consist of four categories and will be able to make a determination how to proceed with the cargo based on their categorisation.  Stressing that it will facilitate customs risk management for air cargo shipment and result in the avoidance of unnecessary delays, Jordan-Clarke explained that category one will be for correspondence and documents, category two will consist of non-dutiable goods that do not require declaration, while category three will be for dutiable goods and the final category will be for high-value consignment that will require the full goods declaration as required in ASYCUDA.

“This is a system that has not been implemented yet. It is being discussed and being put before the stakeholders and will be implemented for the benefit of the expediting of the air cargo,” she said.

Outlining the benefits of the planned module, Jordan-Clarke said both traders and Customs should witness reduced clearance time, a reduction in the cost of doing business, reduction for the need of scarce resources, a reduction in costs, the elimination of paper, greater customs control and better compliance with customs regulations, among other benefits.

“The overall benefit that I see here for both customs and traders is that there will be improved trade facilitation as advised by the trade facilitation agreement,”
she added.

“The Customs is responding to the request of the traders and we are also responding to the requirements of the agreements that we have signed on to, and we are acknowledging the recommendations that have been put by the revised Kyoto Convention and therefore that is why we are seeking to implement these processes that we can have the clearance of cargo beforehand and therefore have customs on the cutting edge as far as doing business is concerned,” she explained.

Jordan-Clarke was speaking during a recent webinar hosted by the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Barbados Customs and Excise Department on the pre-clearance of cargo and Trusted Trader programme.

The pre-clearance of cargo initiative allows for the submission and processing of information prior to the arrival of a shipment allowing for faster clearance of imports, while the Trusted Trader programme allows for importers to gain certain benefits, engage in a level of self-regulation and predictable level of engagement with Customs, and enjoy a smoother clearance process.

marlonmadden@barabdostoday.bb

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by Marlon Madden

Major changes could be on the cards for the Barbados Lumber Company in coming months, according to information reaching Today’s BUSINESS.

However, officials are tight-lipped about the development, with one senior executive of the company only stating that “companies always make changes”, when asked about the plans for the business’ Waterford, St Michael location.

In recent times, there have been speculation that it could be on the verge of closing. Other sources have hypothesised that after years of planning, the company could be closer to carrying out major upgrades of the flagship store, which has been trading from Waterford since 1973.

The company has another location in Church Street, Speightstown, St Peter, which was officially opened in March 2015.

When asked if there was a plan to close the Waterford branch of the lumber and hardware company, the senior executive declined to comment, but indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the operations, especially due to logistics challenges.

However, when asked if the company was looking to carry out major upgrades at the location, he said: “companies always make changes.

It is exactly what form those changes will take. That is as much as I will say at this time. If there are any changes we will communicate those in due time.”

“If you go back and look at the history of the company we have a really sizeable area here at Waterford, so the possibilities are endless . . . but in terms of what that specific closing of branch or whatever there isn’t really anything to comment on at this time,” he said.

The lumber company, which is located a stone’s throw away from the sprawling, picturesque National Botanical Gardens, has been in line for major upgrades since the year 2000, but has been delayed several times.

The late former Executive Chairman and co-founder Rawle Brancker had noted back in 2015 that over the years there have been plans to upgrade the Waterford location, but due to several “setbacks” those plans had to be put off.

At the time, Brancker had noted that both Barbados Labour Party and Democratic Labour Party administrations have met with company officials because they “wanted to use the land, which the Lumber Company is on for expansion of the [National] Stadium and, on the other side, they were planning to build a botanical garden where the NCC [National Conservation Commission] is now, and using our spot for the restaurants and the bathroom because of the zone one water situation.”

In addition to lumber, hardware and other building products, the company sells a range of plumbing and electrical supplies.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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by Marlon Madden

Leaders in Barbados and other small island development states are being warned to address issues of inequality as they put policies in place to aid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and as they seek to tackle issues relating to climate change.

This was highlighted on Monday, day one of the Island Innovation’s Island Finance Forum (IFF) 2022, which is being held under the theme Investment for Sustainable Development.

During the session Leave No One Behind: Building an Equitable and Inclusive Recovery for Island Communities, Stefan Kossoff, Development Director for the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in the Caribbean for the UK, recalled the devastation that Barbados and other regional economies faced as a result of recent hurricanes and other tragic events.

He said they pointed to the importance and urgency of the need for support for the strengthening of regional capacity to better prepare for and respond to shocks and address long-term implications for climate change.

“The last two years have also underlined what we already knew, that disasters disproportionally impact women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities, with that gap with the haves and have nots seemingly growing,” he said.

He argued that as countries sought to address climate change and support economic recovery, it was critical that leaders take a “head on” approach in tackling the issues of inequity and exclusion.

Kossoff noted that as the region starts to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic there is a growing risk of the inequality gap widening. “It is therefore essential that inclusion and equity issues are factored into policy responses from governments and also from the international community. I think it means that we have to think about five things,” he said.

“Firstly, we need to have inclusive and accountable processes which put the perspective of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups at the heart of programme and policy design. Secondly, we need strong social protection systems and safety nets, which can smooth the impacts on the poorest and avoid the deterioration of their long-term prospects

“Thirdly and critically, we need high-level ownership and leadership to put social and gender dimension at the centre of national efforts around climate change and economic recovery. Fourthly, we do need to focus on economic diversification. This is a region that relies on one or two sectors.

And lastly, we need to rise to the data challenge. The point being, if we can’t measure poverty and inequality outcomes we can’t know if we are making suitable progress to tackle these challenges,” Kossoff explained. He said the UK would continue to support an inclusive recovery through its various programmes. Also addressing the five-day forum, Premier of the British Virgin Island Andrew Fahie cautioned that as small island developing states sought to invest in sustainable development, they should find ways to “extend some sort of safety net” for workers in the informal sector.

Indicating that youth unemployment and the pay gap between men and women were also concerns for small island developing states, Fahie said “in the recovery process greater advocacy for youth and women is needed.” This, he said, should be accompanied by targeted interventions and policy changes, adding that young people needed better preparation to join the economy “as opposed to fading away into the informal sectors that carry great risk”.

Fahie said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the digital divide and several other inequalities in communities across small island developing states, and he urged Caribbean leaders to make internet access available to all residents.

“We need to ensure that access is available in public spaces such as libraries, community centres and specific hotspots in towns and villages, so that those persons without service at home can have some sort of access,” he said.

“Greater digitisation can also make small island developing states more resilient to external shocks particularly natural disasters and catastrophic events, by strengthening our ability to bounce back quickly and reengage in the digital economy,” he said.

As concerns about food security continue to rise given the global supply chain disruptions, Fahie also pointed to the need for greater investment to be made in agriculture and fisheries, noting that “more investment in these sectors is needed for their expansion.”

“As small island developing states recover, we must keep in mind that there can be no separation of economic recovery from social recovery and the building of greater resilience across the society. They are intimately tied together and can no longer be separated if small island developing states are to grow and develop sustainably over the long-term,” he said.  

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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by Marlon Madden

There is a need for more flexible, long-term financing options to help small island developing states make the energy transition. This was highlighted on Tuesday, during day two of the Island Finance Forum 2022, hosted by Island Innovation.

Speaking on the topic It’s Not Easy Being Green: Islands and Financing the Green Energy Transition, Senior Advisor at GET Invest Ilham Talab said there were opportunities for expansion of renewable energy in several sectors.

However, she stressed the need for long-term financial and technical support for such projects to be successful.

She said the disconnect between those who have the money and those who need it was still too pronounced and this was resulting in several bankable projects not getting started.

“To create scale, we need to leverage patient and long-term capital, and eventually, more private capital. This is where we come in at GET Invest,” she said.

GET Invest, which is currently involved in renewable energy investments in Barbados and other Caribbean islands, is a European programme that provides a bridge between those with finance and those in need of low-cost financing for green projects in developing countries.

Talab noted that despite the challenges of small island developing states, which include limited economies of scale and scarce resources, the opportunities
were copious across several sectors.

“We still see some opportunities beyond generating power for electrification. This for example, includes the construction sector where there could be a lot of savings given the high fuel prices in the islands. The agricultural sector as well, generating more food security and productivity and also income for the farmers that spend a lot of money on these diesel pumps that most of the time don’t work.

“Of course, there is the transportation sector that does not only include the inland but also water-based transportation sector. Ports could become more
efficient all the way to becoming hybrid and then eventually becoming electric,” said Talab.

Suggesting that countries and individuals were keen on investing in the energy transition across the various sectors, she insisted that there was still too much of a disconnect with the required financing.

“What we see could help generally the sector moving forward I would say definitely is very flexible and patient technical assistance programmes . . . Partnership is
very important also with the public sector. We understand that in a lot of the islands most of the projects are originated within the public sector so we can definitely work with them towards eventually having a private developer that takes it on, in terms of sustainable implementation,” she said.

She also noted that the transition will require people to “think outside the box in trying to find solutions”, adding that while it was not easy to make the transition to renewable forms of energy it was important for individuals and companies to reach out to firms such as GET Invest, who offer technical and other support.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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A total of 432 people, 203 males and 229 females, tested positive for COVID-19 from the 1,387 tests conducted on Wednesday, April 27, by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

The cases consisted of 85 persons under the age of 18, and 347 who were 18 years and older.

There were 110 people in isolation facilities, while 4,126 were in home isolation.

The public health laboratory has conducted 646,867 tests since February 2020, and recorded 69,345 COVID-19 cases (31,871 males and 37,474 females).  As of April 27, there were 390 COVID-19 related deaths.

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 161,703 (70.8 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 151,918 (56.1 per cent of the total population or 66.5 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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As Barbados grapples with how to solve the fallout from the correspondent banking retreat from Latin America and the Caribbean, a fix could be found in the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

This was among the strategies advanced by Jerome Dwight, a top North American technology industry executive, investor, and author, as he led discussions on Tuesday at a virtual Banking and Wealth Management Industry webinar hosted by BIBA, the association for Global Business, titled: Unleashing Economic Potential in the Age of Web 3.0, Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse.

BIBA is celebrating its 25th year and Executive Director, Carmel Haynes, said the event formed part of a series of activities over the year to commemorate the anniversary, which was focusing especially on where global business in Barbados would be heading over the next 25 years.  Dwight is a former CEO of Bank of New York Mellon in Canada and Global Market Head at RBC International Wealth Management in Barbados.

He is the co-founder of BoomerangFX a SaaS (software as a service) company that launched the first end-to-end private healthcare practice solution powered by Artificial Intelligence.

In 2022, the company completed over US$20 million in Series A funding and has been recognized as one of the fastest growing healthcare SaaS solutions in North America.

Emphasising the growth and acceptance of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, he told local business executives that savvy billionaire investors such as Marc Cuban, as well as banks like Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America, were all moving to digital asset portfolios because that was where the world is going.

Dwight said despite the initial fears and uncertainty about the technology, it was being regarded as “the most safe infrastructure”. He cited the acceptance of cryptocurrency donations by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as an important breakthrough in mainstreaming the technology.

Blockchain, he noted, is an open database that records transactions of who owns what, it is decentralised and no one party can control it. It cannot be tampered with and is shared across hundreds of thousands of computers that validate the transactions and is secured by cryptography. Moreover, it has never been hacked and so the core underlying infrastructure for Web 3.0, Dwight described as “solid”.

In this connection, he said moving money across borders in the traditional format was “incredibly inefficient”, costly and time consuming. Using the example of the billions of dollars in remittances from diaspora communities in North America, he said it can take seven to ten days to move and cost up to
10 per cent in fees.

“Now you can transfer funds instantly from one wallet to the other at pennies of the cost. When you think about the free flow of capital across borders, it solves the rampant inefficiencies,” Dwight asserted. He said moving money in and out of Barbados had become more constrained because of issues of correspondent banking, however, “the movement of capital using blockchain is instant, it is verified and secure, and that is the future”.

The investor and financial expert believes blockchain technology will make the free flow of capital timelier and more cost efficient for everyday users and added that “traditional banks that turned their backs on crypto and blockchain are now coming around”. In addition to solving inefficiencies, cryptocurrency and blockchain have the potential to address the more than two billion people who are unbanked and live on cash and bartering.

With the download of an e-wallet, the unbanked can begin saving digital money through a mobile phone app. “For emerging markets that are competing with more developed countries for financial services and are being systematically left out because of some of the rules being designed, this solves a lot of that,” he added.  Dwight called for the designing of a strategy for the new economy that includes blockchain, artificial intelligence, and data science. He also urged regulators to embrace the new developments – creating the conditions for learning and best practices.

He also recommended the development of centres of excellence to attract entrepreneurial ventures, align technology, and integrate shared services with public infrastructure, and the creation of capital attraction programmes for international venture capitalists and high net worth individuals alongside local participants.

Following Dwight’s presentation, Derrick Cummins, president of BIBA, moderated a discussion involving Dwight and Praneil Ladwa, the Chief Product Officer and Head, International Operations at QuestGlobal Inc. based in Barbados, and Jason Kinch, the Director, Application Delivery Services, Digital and Client Experience at CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank.They too agreed that the pieces of the puzzle were being shaped to exploit the technology but acknowledged there was a talent resource shortage in technology on the island that needed to be addressed.  (PR)

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Virgin Atlantic Ltd. has reported a decline in revenue for 2021, when compared to 2019 figures, the last year in which the airline operated a full year of
service before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted flights in 2020.

In its financial results for the year ending December 31, 2021, the air carrier said its results reflected “an intensely challenging year” and “continuation of the immense challenges the airline industry faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the period under review, the UK-based airline reported total revenue of £928 million (about BDS$2.38 billion), up £60 million on 2020, yet down from £2.9 billion in 2019; an EBITDA loss of £166 million; and a loss of £594 million before tax and exceptional items.

Virgin Atlantic ended the year with a robust cash position of £580 million, delivered by raising £670 million in new capital, including £400 million shareholder investment completed in December 2021; maintaining £300 million annual cost savings; capitalising on pent up demand following the opening of the transatlantic corridor; and delivering record cargo revenue of £448 million, the airline said.

It noted that “those actions narrowed statutory losses by £378 million versus 2020 to £486 million in 2021, and helped to set the airline up for success in 2022”.

“As the airline ramped up operations in the final quarter of the year, it was able to welcome back more than 1,100 crew and pilots from holding pools created as part of the 2020 response to the pandemic,” the airline said in its financial report.

Due to continued travel restrictions, the officials are now expecting profitability to return in 2023, although it expects the losses this year to significantly narrow again as passenger demand and international travel continue to return to scale.

Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Atlantic Shai Weiss pointed out that with ongoing restrictions and the rapid spread of the Delta and Omicron variants of the COVID-19, customer demand was materially impacted and the year became even more challenging than previous, despite the vaccine rollout.

“Persistent volatility in international travel, fuelled by ever changing restrictions and testing requirements, resulted in significant losses and a decline in passenger numbers, with an improvement in November as our heartland destinations in the US opened up to UK travellers, following months of cross-industry campaigning to open the skies,” said Weiss.

“The completion of £400 million shareholder investment in December 2021 sets us up for success in 2022, as we take advantage of the return of customer demand.

We have much to look forward to, from the launch of a new route to Austin, Texas in May – our first new US route in five years – to the introduction of the A330-900 in the Autumn, continuing the transformation of our fleet into the youngest and cleanest in the sky,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Financial Officer of Virgin Atlantic Oli Byers said “our 2021 financial results reflect the continued challenges faced by our industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aviation was one of the first industries to be affected and remains one of the last to fully recover”.

He said: “2022 will be a year of transition as we move from survival into recovery and capitalise on the return of customer demand. We have cause for optimism balanced with macro-economic and political uncertainty, alongside the residual risks of the pandemic.

We anticipate a return to profitability in 2023, driven by a recovery in air travel demand and more than £300 million annual cost savings, already delivered”. (PR/MM)

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Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, has called for an early meeting between US President Joe Biden and leaders of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries. 

Ambassador Sanders made the call during a webinar meeting on Thursday, organized by Florida International University and the Latin American and Caribbean Centre in Washington.  

Sir Ronald pointed out that it has been seven years since the last US-CARICOM Summit was held in Jamaica.   He said during that time, the US has not formulated an effective Caribbean policy.  He described the US policy during the Trump presidency as one of “divide and rule” particularly with regard to Cuba and Venezuela. 

Ambassador Sanders also lamented that since President Biden has come to office, no high-level consultation has been held on a US policy for the Caribbean.  He said that instead the US has focused on continuing policies of isolating Cuba and trying to dissuade CARICOM countries from relationships with the People’s Republic of China.   

He said that focus on these two issues is unhelpful while CARICOM countries are struggling to recover from the economic and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including huge burdens of debt caused by climate-change induced natural disasters and paying for enlarged health services to save their peoples’ lives through the spread of the coronavirus. 

Noting that US authorities repeatedly acknowledge the Caribbean as its ‘third border’, he said that “the US ought to be seeking to strengthen its relations with CARICOM countries, including by helping them to address challenges – some of which are directly attributable to the US, such as Climate Change”. 

The webinar meeting discussed a paper, produced by Ambassador Sanders on US-Caribbean Relations in the first year of the Biden Administration. Two of the panelists were a former top US States Department official, Ambassador Tom Shannon, and Pulitzer prize journalist with the Miami Herald, Jacqueline Charles. 

The meeting endorsed Ambassador Sanders’ view that an early meeting between US President Biden and CARICOM leaders is necessary for refocusing the US-Caribbean relationship on mutually beneficial terms.  

The entire webinar discussion can be seen on the websites of Florida International University and the Latin American and Caribbean Center. 

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