Barbados-born economist Carlos Forte has challenged the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and its new leadership to focus on unifying its rank and file and become a credible alternative for Barbadians.

Further Forte – who was addressing the DLP’s extraordinary conference on Sunday where university lecturer Dr Ronnie Yearwood defeated veteran politician Dr David Estwick by 68 votes for the party’s presidency – is of the view that the party ought to share with Barbadians a bold, realistic, hopeful and inspiring vision of the future.

Speaking via video stream he suggested that the new president must lead the party’s internal renewal, established a small shadow cabinet, continue its work in all 30 constituencies, and immediately engage the Government and public on the creation of a new republic constitution as well as confront the Mia Mottley Government on its handling of the country’s affairs.

“The DLP, should rise to the challenge of charting a development agenda and a national strategic development plan, if the present Government does not. These are some of the challenges that should arrest the attention of the DLP and its leadership.

“The DLP must introspect and demonstrate to the public of Barbados that it is capable of transforming itself into a 21st [century] organisation that can effectively champion the causes of the people, and deliver for them when given the opportunity to serve. It must first look within.

“You have been given a prime opportunity to recondition your party machinery. Put oil in your lamps, reinvigorate your internal structures and refresh your brand as you prepare to rev your engines for the political battles ahead. You will need to mould your talent, recruit fresh blood and transform your own internal structures and governance systems. The new leadership of the DLP will have to rise to the challenge of making the DLP the governing party of choice again,” Forte stated.

He also contended that as a small island developing state, with a small open economy that lacks diversification,2 and technological innovation, some of Barbados’ most intractable challenges are a high cost of living, a high cost of doing business, a lack of economic enfranchisement or economic democracy and poverty.

The island’s inability, he believes, to earn enough foreign exchange, limit outflows of corporate surpluses, and its inability to attract sufficient foreign direct investment, have from time-to-time spawned balance of payments problems, depleted foreign reserves, and since 2008 spawned an unprecedented post-independence period of under-development.

However, the Canadian-based consultant suggested that in order to overcome these weaknesses, Barbados needs a strong, resilient and diversified economy.

“Inclusive growth must not just be a mantra, it must be the cornerstone of our nation’s development and the advancement of our people. The fruits of commercial success, economic expansion, government procurement and consultancies must not be reaped by the moneyed class and politically connected alone. Barbados must be for all Barbadians! Not just the ‘too few’ as former Minister Kellman called them,” Forte said. (KC)

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Future generations will get to enjoy a tastefully developed National Botanical Gardens.

So says Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who said plans were in the works to better utilize the Botanical Garden’s 250 acres of greenery.

She made the comments today during a tree planting ceremony in the Gardens as part of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) Family Fun Day event to celebrate May Day.

Mottley said today’s children would benefit from the planting of trees at the venue, along with other planned projects including an amphitheater.

The Prime Minister had previously revealed that a new Geriatric Hospital would also be built on the site of the Botanical Gardens.

“The world is not an easy place now but just as those who went before us were able to rise above and take on the challenges of the time and to prepare a way for us we believe that we can do so collectively to prepare a way for these kids who joined us in the planting of these trees. In a very real sense all that we are really doing is for them and they will accept in the future their responsibility to do for their children. This is the relay race of civilisation that we all support,” Mottley said during the ceremony where a plaque was unveiled to commemorate the event.

“This is just the beginning. It has taken us two years just to clean up and get here and we are now going to see actual physical structures going in to support us, the amphitheater and the next time we are here hopefully a year from now we will have an amphitheater that is purpose built and made to host events and different types of gardens.”

General Secretary of the BWU Toni Moore gave the assurance that the union would continue to play a key role in promoting and encouraging Barbadians to take care of their environment.

She said it was the union’s intention to plant 24 trees at its Solidarity House headquarters next Thursday.

Moore said there were also plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding relating to an energy project in Mangrove in the coming days.(RB)

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that her Government will not appeal the recent High Court decision that allows prison officers the right to join trade unions in Barbados.

Back in April Justice Cecil McCarthy, in a written judgment, struck down as “unconstitutional” Sections 23 and 24 of the Prison Amendment Act of 1982.

“My friends, we have committed to trade union recognition. Cabinet has approved the policy that will lead to the legislation to allow for the recognition of trade unions and employers’ associations and we have also taken a decision not to appeal the judgment of the court with respect to prison officers and their right to freedom of association, recognising at the same time, however, that we need to sit down with them and other security officers to ensure that while we respect their rights to freedom of association, we do not put the country’s national security at risk at any stage,” Prime Minister Mottley said in an address to mark May Day celebrations.

She also served notice of her Government’s plan to strengthen the Employment Rights Tribunal.

“We have recognised that the capacity of the Employment Rights Tribunal system needs strengthening and that the case management approach has increased already, the number of cases being heard but we are not stopping there and we will move towards making the Employment Rights Tribunal a full time tribunal, with at least two tribunals meeting each and every day. I expect the Ministry of Labour to give us the paper on operationalising this policy in the next few months,” Mottley revealed as she lauded workers for their service especially over that last two years.

“Our workers’ union represents the gamut of employees from the lowly to the decision makers but on May Day today (Sunday, May 1) we recognise and salute more so those we so easily identify as the salt of the earth. We salute you who kept Barbados alive during the darkest days of this COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and yes in 2021.”

“I want to say to all Barbadians, may we never forget. May we never again fail to appreciate the daily sacrifice of those who work each day to make Barbados a better place.

“Indeed in recognition of this we as a Government will seek to put in place an eternal flame at Golden Square that would forever cause us as a nation to remember that in our darkest days there were those workers who worked fearlessly and with serious sacrifice to put this country first and to put the health of the people of this nation first. We hope that this will allow all Barbadians forever to remember this extraordinary sacrifice and display of courage by ordinary workers,” the Prime Minister announced.

This was the country’s first national celebration of Labour Day since the start of the pandemic.

“The last two years my friends have been challenging but the opportunities of today and tomorrow are many and they bring with them the potential to improve our lives and to transform our landscape by phenomenal measure but we cannot do it without you, the workers of Barbados. We cannot become world class by 2030 unless each and every one of you wants to help in this mission and I will ask you over and over to commit yourself to this. To commit yourselves to active citizenship, to commit yourselves to transforming our nation because we know that will be the surest way to lay the platform for your safety, for your security, for your prosperity and for this country’s overall prosperity,” she added.

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Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector Colin Jordan says the Barbadian way of conducting industrial relations will not be stopped under his watch.

Speaking at the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Labour Day Rally & Concert held at Golden Square, Freedom Park, The City, on Monday, Jordan said even though the traditional way of conducting industrial relations appear to be contentious at times stakeholders were often satisfied when they leave the bargaining table.

“We have a way that is sometimes contentious but at the end of the day employers and workers and all union leaders in this audience know there is always smiles and there is a rapport.

“We cannot afford to lose that and we will not import any style that will cause the Bajan way of conducting industrial relations to disappear, it will not happen under my watch. It will not happen under the watch of this Government,” Jordan maintained.

The Labour Minister also made it clear that as businesses sought to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, there would be zero tolerance approach to workers being moved from employee status to self-employed or subcontractors.

“Workers ought to be protected both by the law as well as by social security systems,” he stated.

The Minister also told the gathering that he had obtained Cabinet’s approval for a review of the Labour Clause Public Contracts Act, to ensure organisations that benefit from Government awarded contracts are held to high standards.

“That standard being that those who are employed in the execution of those contracts are properly remunerated and are properly included in the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Cabinet, he further disclosed, had also approved the drafting of the Trade Union Recognition legislation which will speak to both trade unions and employers’ organisations. (AH)

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Fire officers and Police are on the scene of a fire at Massy Worthing, Christ Church,

( more details as they come to hand.)

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Quick action by fire officers brought a blaze at Massy Stores in Worthing, Christ Church under control.

According to Divisional Officer Mervin Mayers, around 5:36 a.m., a passerby saw smoke emitting from the supermarket and informed officers working at the Worthing fire station located next door.

“They [officers] went into action and after searching they recognized there was a freezer that started the fire.

“Right now they are engaged in ventilation procedures to remove the smoke from the building so they can get a better look at what  has taken place.”

Mayers and two other senior officers led a team of eleven officers from the Worthing and Bridgetown fire stations that responded to the fire.

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Barbados’ COVID-19 death toll now stands at 400 as of today, Tuesday, May 3.

This follows the passing of a 91-year-old woman, who died from the virus on Sunday, May 1, and a 77-year-old man who passed away today.  Both were unvaccinated.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill, extends condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. (BGIS)

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The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 334 new COVID-19 cases, 126 males and 208 females, from the 928 tests conducted on Monday, May 2.

Of the positive cases, 68 persons were under the age of 18, and 266 were 18 years and older.

There were 104 people in isolation facilities, while 3,250 were in home isolation.

The public health laboratory has conducted 652,229 tests since February 2020, and recorded 71,127 COVID-19 cases (32,614 males and 38,513 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 161,762 (70.8 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 151,992 (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. (BT/BGIS)

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 The Barbados Water Authority advises today Tuesday May 3^rd that the Ionics Desalination Plant at Spring Garden is currently offline as a result of electrical power issues. Customers being supplied by the Shop Hill, West Coast & Castle Grant distribution systems are expected to be affected by water outages during the course of the day. This situation may continue until full production from the Desalination Plant can be restored.

While the outages may not affect customers immediately, residents along the West Coast and in parts of St. James, St. Thomas, St. Andrew, and St. Joseph are advised to store some water to assist themselves should they be impacted by water outages in the coming hours. The Authority will make every effort to help residents in these districts via tankers while the situation is ongoing.

The Barbados Water Authority apologizes for the inconvenience this service disruption may cause and will share updates on the situation.    (BWA)

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The Barbados Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance to help locate a missing woman.

She is Pearl Carmen Marshall, 90, of Birch Path, Pinelands, St. Michael.

She left home about 3 p.m. on Monday, May 2nd.  She was reported missing by her grandson Chad Marshall of the said address.

At the time of her disappearance, she was dressed in a floral skirt, a white blouse, and blue and white soft wears. She was also carrying a handbag with a floral pattern.

Pearl is five feet, six inches tall, slim, and has a dark complexion. She has a round face, a large nose and she also wears dentures. She has short grey hair and a slight beard.

Pearl is a diabetic who requires insulin. She is known to travel to Bridgetown on her own on a regular basis, returning home around 7 p.m.

Any person who may know the whereabouts of Pearl Marshall is asked to contact the District ‘A’ Police Station at telephone number 430-7242, Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS (8477), or the nearest police station.

*Please note this is the most current image of Pearl Marshall available for circulation.

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It is my pleasure today to join you, members of the Muslim faith in Barbados, in your celebrations, recognising that one of the strengths of our post-Independence existence has been the very successful promotion of a diverse and inclusive society.

The rich contribution of the Muslim community to Barbados’ social and economic life cannot be denied, and the absence of distrust, tension, and even violence that have become the norm in other jurisdictions are unknown here.

We are who we are because of our respect for our differences — and our willingness to embrace our similarities. If we ever doubted it, the challenges of the last two years have made it crystal clear that disease and illness are not retarded by religious beliefs, ethnic background, or personal tastes.

And in a similar vein, we were able to emerge from the worst moments of the COVID-19 pandemic with minimal bruising because we allowed neither religion nor colour to stop us from working together to subdue a common enemy. We fought side by side; now we celebrate with you.

On behalf of the Government of Barbados, I say: Long may the spirit that embodies Eid be found in every Muslim, and long may the religious respect and tolerance of Barbados stand as a model for nations the world over.

Blessed Eid-al-Fitr to you all!

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Cabinet has officially approved plans for the staging of Crop Over 2022 with changes to the previously announced format of the main cultural events as well as the COVID-19 protocols that will be in effect.

However, stakeholders are already reporting a significant reduction in the number of bands participating in this year’s event.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Carol Roberts-Reifer disclosed that there would be one Grand Kadooment jump and two Foreday Morning jumps.

She also announced that revellers will now have the option of either being fully vaccinated or presenting a negative antigen test.

More than a month ago, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, announced five Grand Kadooment routes, four Foreday Morning routes, and that revellers needed to be both fully vaccinated and tested prior to the jumps.

According to Roberts-Reifer, this year’s Grand Kadooment parade will leave the ABC Highway at Warrens, St Michael, and move south to the Emancipation Statue before making an about-turn toward Waterford Bottom and onto the National Stadium.

One of the two Foreday Morning routes will leave the King George V Memorial Park and end at Bushy Park Raceway, while the other will begin and end at Searles, Christ Church.

“For both Foreday Morning and Grand Kadooment, it is the intention of the NCF and stakeholder groups to canvass the neighbourhoods and communities in these locations to ensure that we don’t seem to be invading without any interaction or conversation with the residents in the areas, such that their day-to-day living and the staging of this event for one day only can coexist peacefully,” said Roberts-Reifer.

“The other thing is that revellers for both Foreday Morning and Grand Kadooment now must be fully vaccinated or present a rapid Antigen test,” she added.

Roberts-Reifer was addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the NCF’s West Terrace St James headquarters with numerous stakeholders, including the Barbados Association of Masqueraders, the Entertainment Association of Barbados, the Barbados Association of Event Professionals, and a representative of Foreday Morning band leaders.

They indicated that just 14 Grand Kadooment bands and 16 Foreday Morning bands had confirmed their participation in this year’s Crop Over festivities.

“I think it is the stark reality of our life at the moment. There are people of all backgrounds and ages who are telling you, ‘I am still a little bit wary of COVID and perhaps I won’t go out as much as I used to, or perhaps I won’t go out at all’. That is the reality,” said Roberts-Reifer.

“There are people who would normally travel to festivals, not just Crop Over, who are saying ‘perhaps I will skip this year out’. There are others who are not working because they have not worked since COVID because their jobs were made redundant. It is just the state of the world, so the expectation that numbers would be at the levels they had been at in 2019 is a bit difficult,” added the NCF CEO.

Spokesman for the Foreday Morning band leaders, Bryan Worrell said he was pleased with the process and outcome of the negotiations for this year’s festival.

“This is our first year getting a subvention, that is the first time for that, and we are very excited. We know that there were multiple routes previously and we have been able to dwindle those down to just two routes now,” he told reporters.

“We have 16 bands that have come forward and will be participating, down from the usual number of 40 or more, and I just want to say that I look forward to participating.

“There is a special effort to push Barbadian music for this event, Foreday Morning, and we will do as much as we can to facilitate that through the selection of music through our deejays, etcetera,” he added.

President of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders Anthony Layne praised the NCF for its commitment to this year’s festival, noting that, already, bands have started to launch.

“We agreed at times and we disagreed at times, but at the end of the day it is about what happens for 2022, and I am very pleased to see where we are today,” said Layne.

“It is a little short in terms of time we have for August 1st, but I believe it is time enough that we can execute and make this festival as good as we possibly can. As I have said to our members, which is about 14 bands that should be coming, we will still produce the best possible costumes for 2022 because this is our stepping stone for 2023,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bryan Corbin, chairman of finance of the Barbados Association of Event Professionals, is optimistic about the impact of the festival on the struggling sector.

“It’s been very hard; a lot of us have lost business, some have even lost their homes, and we have lost important tradespersons due to COVID. So, I want to thank everyone, the Government of Barbados, especially the NCF, for making sure that we are at this point, to make sure that we are here once again,” he said. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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The Haitian Association of Barbados is calling for an investigation into the “very questionable” circumstances under which a group of 34 Haitians, who have found themselves in difficulties, were allowed to enter Barbados.

Attorney-at-Law Pearlie Drakes, one of the directors of the association, explained that the case of the Haitians who were being moved through Barbados en route to Guyana and Brazil have led to more questions than answers about the country’s border practices.

“I would expect that, in due course, there will 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? The immigration authorities have a responsibility to answer those kinds of issues and not just try to determine whether to put them on a plane and send them back to Haiti,” Drake told Barbados TODAY.

The association’s calls have been magnified by a declaration from Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn that the documents upon which the Haitians were seeking entry into that country were “fake”.

In a recent interview, Drakes called for transparency from authorities about the nature of the agreement between the group of visitors and an agency called MPH, which allegedly took US$4 500 from each of the Haitians and promised to cover all expenses between Port-au-Prince and South America.

The lawyer said it would have been unusual of immigration officials to grant the Haitians entry into Barbados if they could not show proof of onward travel in the form of plane tickets, visas, and other prerequisite travel documents. He added that even in the case of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) citizens, who are generally entitled to an automatic six-month stay, the ability to sustain oneself financially is often a prerequisite.

“So, the six months is not the basis upon which they enter. [Authorities] must be satisfied that they can be here and that they are able to maintain themselves while they are here, that they would not become a ward of the state, and that if they were supposed to have onward travel to somewhere, that all of those arrangements were in place even before they entered Barbados,” Drakes told Barbados TODAY.

“How did they actually get into Barbados if all of that was not finalised and the immigration authorities were not satisfied that they had all the necessary paperwork that is required to allow them to come into Barbados in the first instance? How did they get into Barbados without all of that information being made available and that the necessary laws in Barbados were followed as they normally would be?” the Haitian association spokesman added.

Even more peculiar for the association is the fact that on numerous occasions, they have been met with red tape when seeking assistance from Immigration with matters relating to Haitians.

“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. It is something that needs proper investigation,” said Drakes.

“I have sought to work with the Immigration Department and to be honest with you, have not been happy with some of the responses that we have gotten. 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.

The 34 Haitians were staying at an apartment in Wanstead Gardens, St James, from February 20 when they arrived in Barbados until last week, when they were evicted by the landlord, who had reportedly received more than $23 000 in rent from the travel agency.

Barbados’ Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams has not issued a statement on the Haitians since late March when he visited the property at Wanstead to verify that they were not being held there against their will.

However, his Guyanese counterpart has made it clear that the group would not be given visas to enter Guyana, as he alluded that the incident was not isolated.

Meanwhile, the Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey said the children who were among the evicted were being housed by members of the local Haitian community.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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The greatest challenge on the hands of newly elected Democratic Labour Party (DLP) president, Dr Ronnie Yearwood, is unifying the deeply divided political organisation.

Political analyst Devaron Bruce believes the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus law lecturer presents the “new branding” needed to assist the party with overcoming the negative perceptions associated with the notorious ‘old guard’.

However, describing Dr Yearwood as “politically weak” and lacking “institutional depth”, veteran political scientist Dr George Belle predicted that his success will be even less than his predecessor Verla DePeiza, who presided over the party’s most recent 30-0 thrashing at the polls.

At an Extraordinary Conference on Sunday, Yearwood, the former St James South candidate, captured 273 votes to the 205 won by former government minister Dr David Estwick in the battle for the DLP presidency.

“I think the victor in Dr Yearwood is the preferred victor if we are going to be talking about rebranding, rebuilding, and really bringing a new energy to the Democratic Labour Party,” Bruce told Barbados TODAY.

“That development can only be a positive, considering the alternative from one who has been rejected on multiple occasions on the national level and now at the party level. I think Dr Yearwood has what is necessary to bring the energy and a renewed vision to the Democratic Labour Party going forward,” he added, noting that the two massive general election defeats in 2018 and 2022 were part and parcel of the legacy left by the Freundel Stuart administration, with which Dr Estwick is associated.

On the other hand, Dr Belle declared that the Dems had gained very little at last weekend’s conference as the numbers, in his opinion, point to a continuation of the party’s leadership crisis. In fact, he noted that on each of the three occasions DePeiza contested the post, she won by more convincing margins.

“I think this is the weakest demonstration of support for a leader in the DLP elections and it is compounded by the fact that Dr Yearwood comes from outside of the party, and without exposing himself to the inner culture of the party he aims for leadership, which I think is a fairly shallow political manoeuvre,” Dr Belle told Barbados TODAY.

“I do not think he has the institutional depth in terms of knowledge or memory to pull out from the Democratic Labour Party, that which is plaguing it most. Therefore, it will be difficult to identify genuine problems within the party that would help it to drag itself out of the present political hole that it finds itself in.

“I, therefore, cannot see how he is going to perform that well as a leader who is being chosen to rebuild the party. I think it is a further demonstration of the weakness of the Democratic Labour Party at this moment,” added the former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Cave Hill Campus.

In 2018, mere months after the DLP’s first 30-nil election defeat, DePeiza was appointed president unopposed. In 2019, former general secretary George Pilgrim attempted to unseat her, but gained a meagre 197 votes to her 349. In August last year, DePeiza defeated the Reverend Guy Hewitt by more than 200 votes in a fierce race to the presidency that often spilled into the public domain.

According to Dr Belle, Dr Yearwood will be forced to lead a party with at least three factions that include supporters of Dr Estwick and the old guard, supporters of DePeiza, and the new president’s own fledgling faction.

“His greatest challenge is to get support from the factions that do not support him. I think they would tend to ignore him and, therefore, he cannot get the full energy of the party in relation to reform and rebuilding,” the political scientist underscored.

Bruce said the low voter turnout was not surprising, with the vote coming less than six months after a general election when political organisations tend to have less energy.

“I think the most pressing need of the party at this time would be to bring together a level of support. Internally, he has to deal with the divisions and some of the weaknesses of the organisation. So, there must be a real relook to see what the organisation internally needs before it can look at what the nation needs. So, it is really about bringing people together under his banner,” said Bruce.

“I think Ronnie really needs to lay out what his vision for the party is and to also bring others onboard for their vision for what the party ought to be as well and really determine and bring together those individuals… to create a single vision out of multiple perspectives,” he added. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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A former deputy chairperson of the state-run Government Industrial School (GIS) has misgivings about the outcome of yet another probe into the operations of the juvenile reform institution, recently announced by Government.

Marsha Hinds, who is an advocate for the rights of women and girls, is concerned that the investigations announced on Saturday by Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams following persistent allegations of abuse against some female wards, may not address the relationship between children in need of care and those in conflict with the law.

Hinds said on Tuesday that this is one of the key questions that continues to be left unanswered.

“When we finish the investigation, how are we going to separate children in conflict with the law and children in need of care in Barbados? How does the investigation get us to that point? UNICEF has done report after report after report; they have given us guidelines after guidelines after guidelines with respect to how Barbados can separate these two streams of children. We are following the guidelines. That’s the difficulty,” Hinds told Barbados TODAY.

She is also contending that the children at the GIS should not be allowed to remain at the facility in Barrows, St Lucy while the probe which the minister said will last six weeks, is taking place.

“I also believe that natural justice demands that if you are doing another investigation into the Government Industrial School a mere year after you did an investigation, that the children at the Government Industrial School should be rehoused until you determine that it is safe or not safe. I believe that after having asked the public to do an investigation last year, and then now having come back to ask the public for another six weeks to do an investigation, that most fundamental and important unanswered question is where will the children of Barbados be housed, while the minister continues to determine if their status is a safe one or not,” she declared.

“Above and beyond whether we are doing an investigation or not, these are the kinds of things I would have liked to hear the minister speak to that remain unaddressed,” she stated.

In any case, Hinds finds it puzzling that the minister is conducting an investigation behind another investigation.

“I don’t understand why we are doing an investigation behind an investigation. I think the minister has admitted that the first investigation was not effective. I believe that we have enough reports that have been written about the Government Industrial School that we don’t need another investigation. What we need at the Government Industrial School is leadership and bold action,” the women’s and girls’ advocate suggested.

“He, in the press conference said that there were these allegations that have been floating around the school for years. Now, I know the minister is an intelligent man and a worldly man and he must know like the rest of us that where there are allegations that have plagued an institution historically, there must be something that is wrong. Where there is smoke, there is fire,” Hinds declared.

She thinks that whether or not another probe is done, the reality is that in six weeks, “we are going to have to be willing to act”.

Hinds pointed out that unless there is a willingness to act, no amount of investigations “will get us anywhere”.

Minister Abrahams informed a press conference at the weekend that a panel has been appointed to conduct a full departmental inquiry into operations at the Government Industrial School. The panel is to be chaired by former Deputy Police Commissioner Oral Williams and includes educator Tessa Chadderton-Shaw and former Principal of Queen’s College Coreen Kennedy-Taitt.

“I’ve decided to have a departmental inquiry into the operations at the Government Industrial Schools. A full departmental inquiry to address all of the issues that we know are on the table; to address the policies and practices at school; to address things like the curriculum, to address extracurricular activities, to address mentorship, to address all of the things that touch and concern these young ladies,” he said

“This is not one of those investigations that go into perpetuity, there is a fixed time for dealing with this. This has to be given the priority and all of the resources that Government can put at this point in time to get to the bottom, in particular, of the most recent allegations.”

Addressing the recent public outcry surrounding the incident where two teenage girls escaped from the St. Lucy facility, Abrahams said that though much of the information circulating in the media and social spaces has not been accurate, the overall state at the facilities was a troubling one.

“The recent situation concerning the absconding of the young ladies from Barrows in St. Lucy has thrown up a lot of issues that bear immediate investigation and attention. Our initial investigation, surface investigations, into what informed or what may have caused the young ladies to take the approach that they took and even certain policies and procedures at the school have yielded some serious concerns for us that we cannot possibly ignore,” he said.

Abrahams also revealed that a secondary inquiry will also be conducted into the operations at the Dodd’s Prison, with Philip Pilgrim, Q.C., chairing the committee that will include former youth commissioner Dr. Lisa Jaggernauth and senior lecturer at UWI Cave Hill Dr. Akhentoolove Corbin. Members of the public who currently have insight and information concerning operations at the facilities are being asked to share all relevant information with the committee. A telephone number and email address were being set up for citizens.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbadians may soon have to pay more for chicken.

Chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) James Paul warned on Tuesday that although poultry prices have not yet increased, despite a significant increase in feed prices internationally, farmers will eventually be forced to pass on those costs to consumers.

At the same time, the island’s largest feed supplier Pinnacle Feeds Limited has announced that livestock feeds will rise by an average of eight per cent from Wednesday.

The company blamed the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as unfavourable weather conditions in South America for the increase on the world market.

Pinnacle also warned that prices would be influenced by fluctuations in the coming months.

“We have been shouldering some of the weight of rising input prices but this price increase is needed as the prices of corn and soybeans continue to increase significantly on the world market,” the company said in a statement.

“…The price increase will average eight per cent but the exact increase will vary by feed.”

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Paul said corn prices were at their highest in over a decade.

“Chicken prices have not gone up as far as I am aware, so, in other words, for chickens slaughtered this week the prices are not going to rise.

“Secondly, we just have to face the fact that other prices have gone up. How do we survive in an environment in which other prices have gone up? The same gas prices have gone up and the fact of the matter is that corn is now $8 per bushel. I don’t know if you appreciate that corn has not been at that price in the last 10 years or so and that is a fact,” Paul explained.

“It is not a situation where we can say that better can be done. We are hoping to see, of course, some kind of downward movement, but until that downward movement happens we are forced to buy more expensive corn to feed the animals and more expensive than we’ve ever seen corn before…. So, in the meantime, let us bear in mind that the industry will do what it needs to do to keep prices within the reach of consumers to the best of their ability, but this is not a situation where better can be done under the circumstances.”

Paul said with prices continuing to rise due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Government might have to intervene to give farmers ease.

He said an earlier rebate on feed that had been offered by Government was no longer in place.

“That was only a one-tenth subsidy and as a matter of fact, I would want to suggest that here is where maybe the Government might want to consider a subsidy to the industry, especially in terms of the feed, because if we can reduce the cost of inputs to the industry then it will be better. It is a temporary thing because I really do hope that we can get a resolution to the war in Ukraine, although it is looking to be protracted more than anything else….

“What we are seeing now on the world market is that there is a lot of speculation on commodities. Commodities are seen now as safe havens for money, so because of that the demand for it has gone up and that is what is driving up the cost of commodities such as corn and soya and wheat on the world market. This is a situation where we in Barbados have very little control over,” Paul lamented.

Efforts to reach Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security Indar Weir for comment proved unsuccessful up to the time of publication.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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Amid trade union calls for wage hikes for public servants, chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) Trisha Tannis has contended that any pay increases must be matched by enhanced productivity, output, and efficiency.

She said this is necessary in order for wage adjustments not to contribute to further increases in the cost of living.

“What we do not want is that the adjustment goes in one pocket and comes out in the other, which we have seen in the last 18 months,” Tannis said as she briefly touched on the issue on Monday, when she delivered remarks at the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Labour Day Rally and Concert at the Golden Square Freedom Park.

Her comments come on the heels of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), the umbrella body for the island’s trade unions, calling for a wage hike for public servants given the increased cost of living in Barbados.

During her address, Tannis also indicated that she was prepared to work with stakeholders to spearhead long overdue but critical analysis and research to identify the major sources of value chain inflation and inefficiency in the cost of goods and services in the country.

The BPSA chairman said that in that analysis, the value of re-examining the concept of capital when speaking of business, to one which better conveys the concept of inclusion of all involved in business, should be heavily weighted and prioritised.

She stressed that the time has come for workers to get involved in capital ownership.

“It is high time that labour, workers, look in the mirror and see the face of capital ownership as their right. A revised concept of capital, I believe, will result in a paradigm shift that would also redound to a national awakening of our customer service, quality, personal motivation, and productivity. And this shift would also hasten the incubation of a new class of capital ownership that springs forth from the grassroots and belly of the working class of this nation,” Tannis said.

She said such research is necessary if sustainably affordable market prices of goods and services are desired in the country.

Tannis said that in looking to the future, in the spirit of collaboration, Labour Day this year should signal a commitment to the engagement, leading to wealth creation in Barbados not only for a select few but for the majority of the population. (AH)

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After half of a century as a Barbadian-owned company, Simpson Motors has finally changed hands.

The British multinational automotive firm Inchcape announced Tuesday it had completed the acquisition of the Sir Kyffin Simpson-founded motor dealer and its regional automotive distribution arm, ITC.

While Inchcape did not disclose the price tag attached to the buyout, a press statement said the acquisition is expected to add some 120 million pounds sterling in revenue per year to its coffers and will be accretive to group margins. An acquisition deal is said to be accretive if the acquiring firm’s earnings per share increase after the deal goes through.

This takeover by Inchcape comes five months after Simpson Motors had announced the merger of the three companies.

In what appeared to be a farewell comment, Sir Kyffin wished all of his colleagues at Simpson Motors Limited and ITC the very best for the future.

“In the 50th anniversary year of our group’s foundation, I am delighted that Inchcape, a global business built on a strong foundation of heritage and values, will take Simpson Motors and ITC into the future,” he stated.

“It is exciting to know that our people will be able to leverage the strength that comes from a regional and international network of partnerships, and that this will open great opportunities for growth and expansion. I would like to wish Inchcape, our dealer partners and all my colleagues at SML, the very best for the future,” the Barbadian business mogul said.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Inchcape, Duncan Taitt said he looked forward to building upon the valuable Simpson Motors’ brand across the Caribbean.

“We welcome the fantastic talent and expertise of ITC and Simpson Motors to the Inchcape family and look forward to building on the exciting opportunity for the group in the Caribbean,” Taitt said.

He noted that the Americas and Africa were his company’s fastest growing region.

“And with the addition of ITC and Simpson Motors further bolstering our distribution and OEM partnerships, as we deliver on our accelerated strategy,” the CEO pointed out.

Simpson Motors distributes passenger vehicles for Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Subaru, as well as commercial vehicles for Isuzu, Fuso, JCB and John Deere.

ITC says it is leading distribution operations across the Caribbean – over 30 countries – including Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, and Martinique. It also distributes vehicles for Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Subaru as well as commercial vehicles for Isuzu, Fuso, JCB and John Deere.

Meanwhile, Parkland Fuel Corporation, Canada’s largest independent supplier and marketer of fuel and petroleum products, has already bought over 75 per cent of the shares in Simpson Oil Limited (SOL). (EJ/PR)

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Businesses are being accused of reducing employees’ work hours weekly to prevent them from collecting benefits under the minimum wage legislation.

President of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Edwin O’Neal, said while the Mia Amor Mottley-led administration passed the legislation to raise the minimum wage to allow the poorest paid workers to work for better wages, there are “big businesses” that have been cutting workers’ hours per week preventing many of them from reaping the full benefits of the legislation.

“The persons who did that are the very ones who make noise for VAT forgiveness; who make noise for forgiveness when they hold the deductions for taxes and NIS [National Insurance Scheme]. When I worked in another place and any person held on to money that was not theirs, there was a description for that in the criminal court,” O’Neal said as he delivered remarks at Monday’s CTUSAB Labour Day Rally and Concert, at Golden Square Freedom Park, in the City.

He also took a swipe at those who are threatening the viability and continuity of CTUSAB. Unfortunately, he said, the threats are not only coming from external agencies, but also internal stakeholders.

O’Neal said while he would not wash what he described as all the dirty linen in public, he is serving notice on those who by their actions, or lack of, are seeking to bring the viability of CTUSAB under pressure.

He said while the trade union movement has been characterised by negotiations, there are rules and regulations involved in the process.

“You don’t join an organisation and then when you don’t get things your way, like the little boy you pull up stumps and done play. To those on the outside and inside who want to take potshots at CTUSAB, I ask you what can you do for the union? We are constantly in a battle and as long as God gives me strength, I shall fight that battle,” O’Neal added. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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