A visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, on island this week for the Seventh Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Review, has been assured that Government, despite battling the economic fall-out from COVID-19, had achieved several macro-economic benchmarks.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ryan Straughn, along with other government officials, met with the IMF team on Monday, to provide an update on the island’s performance, despite threats from external sources.

Acknowledging that adjustments had to be made to the EFF, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Straughn insisted that Government was still “very committed to seeing the reform efforts through”.

“We have responded to a number of social pressures, which have eased somewhat, but we still need to continue some aspects of social spending until all of the population can see an ease in their living circumstances,” he pointed out.

Based on the agreed targets on both sides, Mr. Straughn said he is confident that as the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine rage on, the execution of government’s capital works programme and private sector investments coming on stream will provide a much needed boost to the economy.

“The Prime Minister is a very strong advocate, as you know, with respect to finding a different trajectory to the debt that has accumulated specifically for COVID-19. We continue to make those arguments with all the multilateral institutions. We believe that in order for us to be able to respond to climate adaptations and other issues, you will need to ensure that the appropriate fiscal space is available so as not to inhibit the normal development trajectory of the country,” the Minister insisted.

Cognisant that the challenges had become greater since entering the programme, Mr. Straughn added: “As we exit the programme now, obviously we have to recognise that we are in a different space, and therefore, I think that as we seek to respond to our own climate adaptation needs, that we are able to look at a suite of potential financial options in order to allow not just Barbados, but certainly, the rest of the region to fully recover from the threat of COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, the IMF’s Mission Chief for Barbados, Bert van Selm, said the team was delighted to be back in Barbados after more than two years of meeting virtually.

Mr. van Selm used the opportunity to inform the meeting of the proposed visit of the Managing Director of the IMF next month to give Barbados’ assessment, instead of issuing a press release at the end of this visit.

“So first, we will do the seventh review and then of course we have a very important step in between; we now have this visit of the Managing Director that is planned for mid-June and that is of course a great opportunity to sort of highlight and celebrate the success of four years of economic reforms….

“For the Managing Director to come here to Barbados and use her weight to bring that message, saying that everything is fine, has much more impact.”

Mr. van Selm noted that with the global increases, especially in fuel prices, there would be discussions on the macro framework and what other policies would be put in place to shield the populace.

While on island, the IMF Mission Chief will receive updates on Barbados’ renewable energy thrust; engage in talks with government and the private sector on a range of issues, including renewable energy, the financial sector and the NIS.

On Friday, May 13, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is expected to participate in the wrap-up meeting.  (BGIS)

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The youth are being encouraged to lead the charge against ocean and plastic pollution and other environmental challenges.

Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, called on youth to champion the cause to rid Barbados of pollution, and become active players in the fight.

He made this call as he addressed the hybrid Fourth Leadership Dialogue under the Stockholm +50 National Consultations at the Hilton Barbados Resort, recently. It was held in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment.

“I implore the young persons in this room to continue your advocacy; be active participants; be activists.  Put all your efforts in ensuring that your neighbour does the right thing…as it relates to protecting the environment,” he said.

He also urged the youth to lead the charge against ocean and plastic pollution.  “You must champion the cause to rid this country of the plastics that would find their way into the food chain on to your table causing all kinds of negative problems. You must be the active players in that fight,” Mr. Forde stated.

The Minister also urged them to challenge themselves as it relates to the environment, and become involved in areas such as dendrology, horticulture, as they are the things that would save the country.

He added that biodiversity must now become the conversation going forward, as protecting the environment and mitigating against the vagaries of climate change and were important.

Mr. Forde further called on all Barbadians to take definitive action in their daily lives to allow the earth to breathe.

He pointed out that Barbados produced about two million tonnes of carbon dioxide, of which 1.6 million was attributed to the energy sector.

But, he suggested, the time had come for persons to do things differently to reduce energy dependency and burning fossil fuel, to create a cleaner and greener environment.

The Minister outlined that actions to reduce the carbon dioxide footprint and reduce ozone depleting substances, include turning off the car when not driving; turning off the lawnmower when not in use, and only using air conditioning systems when needed.

“Our decisions here now will determine the future of the unborn child. Our decision today is a decision that will combat the existential threats that we face,” Mr. Forde cautioned.

UNICEF Representative, for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr. Aloys Kamuragiye, emphasised this point, noting that while children would bear the biggest brunt of the impact of climate change and environmental pollution, they were also active agents of change, and could become advocates for climate action and environmental rights.

Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Valarie Cliff, also urged the youth to let their voices be heard because this was their world which they were inheriting.

She also noted that Barbados joined Trinidad and Tobago in participating in the global initiative which represented an opportunity for the to present on an environmentally resilient future for Caribbean small island developing states. (BGIS)

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Leaders of the island’s teachers’ unions are expressing serious concern about COVID-19 outbreaks and what they describe as “unilateral” decisions to abandon protocols at some schools.

President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell revealed that members had expressed serious concerns about an outbreak at the Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) president Mary Redman said protocol breaches at another primary school are potentially exposing teachers to infection from all angles, as the country contends with a heightened number of cases across the board.

Of particular concern to Redman is the Blackman and Gollop Primary School where a decision was reportedly taken to abandon physical distancing protocols and welcome all students back into the classroom from Monday to Friday.

“Definitely I’ve been getting reports about increasing numbers of teachers and teachers reporting increasing numbers of students in the school,” she confirmed.

“But what is of concern to me is a report that I got from one of my members at Blackman and Gollop stating that the full complement of students turned up for school on Monday, and to allow for that, the administration has abandoned physical distancing.

“Our members have indicated that there was no prior discussion with them about the matter and that is a cause for concern for us in a situation where we are in the middle of an uptick of Omicron BA2 and it’s so transmissible,” the BSTU head added.

Redman noted that along with the daily number of cases reaching as high as 620, the positivity rate has been over 30 per cent, with 20 per cent of the infected population under age 18.

She noted that within the primary school environment, teachers are exposed to potential COVID-19 spread from 30 households through each child in the classroom, whereas secondary teachers could be exposed to the virus spread within over 200.

“The fact of the matter is that if teachers are not able to teach because they are sick or exposed, who will teach the children? If teachers are falling sick and if teachers are being exposed to children or colleagues who are ill… then no one will be able to come out to school,” said Redman.

Throughout the ongoing fourth wave, education officials have not closed schools where COVID-19 cases have been confirmed.

But the BSTU president cautioned local authorities to take their cues from Trinidad and Tobago, where overwhelming outbreaks within schools followed the abandonment of basic protocols.

Meanwhile, at a section of the Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School, which is being temporarily housed at Belleville, St Michael, sources revealed that at least three of the 12 teachers and the two security guards attached to the school, tested positive for the virus.

Barbados TODAY learned that at least four other teachers were awaiting test results, and an entire class was sent for testing along with students from other classes.

Twelve classes housing Infants and Class 1 students are accommodated at the building, which is apparently air-conditioned and poorly ventilated.

Teachers have also expressed concern that some students with symptoms have been reporting for school without being tested.
Still, the source said education officials have denied staff requests to have the school temporarily closed.

“We had a meeting last night and that was one of the items discussed, but I don’t want to go too deep into it yet because we are still doing our investigations,” Lovell told Barbados TODAY.

The BUT president said the challenges with COVID cases in schools are not isolated to any one institution, but teachers were trying to strike the balance between learning to live with COVID-19 and protecting teachers on the job.

“Striking the balance would involve following the protocols wherever possible, but the Ministry has made a decision not to close any schools, so we would want our members, wherever possible, to follow the protocols. But we would also want the Ministry to make sure that they ensure that the protocols that they would have indicated would be in place are in place to facilitate the physical distancing,” he added. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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This was confirmed by Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrahams who told Barbados TODAY that authorities were closely monitoring the situation.

Abrahams, however, did not reveal how many cases had been identified at the St Philip penal institution.

“The prison is a subset of Barbados…

What happens in the general population will eventually be reflected in the prison community. The prison has COVID-19 protocols that are employed and have been previously employed to great effect where instances of COVID-19 have been detected in the inmate population or among the staff.

“At present, I can confirm that we are monitoring the situation occasioned by some positive COVID-19 test results and we are applying the required measures to contain and manage any spread,” Abrahams told Barbados TODAY.

The alarm that all was not well within the prison was raised this morning when none of the inmates on remand at HMP Dodds made an appearance in either High Court or Magistrates’ Court.

Several High Court judges informed judicial officers that inmates would not be coming to court because of an outbreak at the prison.
It meant several cases had to be adjourned as a result.

Back in January 2021, there was a major COVID-19 outbreak at HMP Dodds, in what was declared a “crisis situation”.

At its peak, the cluster at the prison totaled 363 infected persons. This number included 85 prison officers, 261 inmates, and 17 staff members.
The outbreak was brought under control in three weeks. During that time there was a complete lockdown of the facility with no one allowed to leave or enter the premises. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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The Barbados Government has rebuffed a warning from the Caribbean Credit Bureau Limited (CCBL), that this country’s Fair Credit Reporting Act, is likely to cause job losses and the leakage of Barbadians’ financial data outside the region.

The bureau said in a press release issued Monday that the legislation – which has created a regulatory environment to promote the development of a fair credit reporting system; regulation of the use of such data; and the secure keeping of the private data of persons collected by a credit bureau – was not necessary and has the potential to do more harm than good.

“There is no need to regulate the business of credit bureaus as we currently have a system in place that has been proven to work for players in this sector and by extension our stakeholders,” the CCBL said.

But today, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn dismissed the position of the bureau that the existing act would have a negative impact on Barbadians’ way of life.

“Many Barbadians, both as individuals and businesses, pay their bills habitually [online], and the proper recording of that is actually going to unlock further access to capital, which naturally will lead to more investment, certainly at the business level and then even within the investor class. Therefore I don’t share the pessimistic view that the introduction of the regulations around how credit bureaus are regulated, will have that negative impact on persons,” Straughn told Barbados TODAY.

The minister recalled that when he led the debate on the bill in Parliament, he was at pains to indicate that during the pandemic, a significant number of people’s credit was affected because of COVID-19.

“I don’t see the notion of people being unemployed as a consequence of the fact that persons’ credit history in total, would be taken into consideration in respect of their credit worthiness. I don’t share the view that the act and the accompanying regulations would lead to unemployment in Barbados. I think is would be the complete opposite,” the Cabinet minister stressed.

The minister also responded specifically to the credit bureau’s claim that the provisions of the legislation would result in the financial data of Barbadians being leaked outside of the region.

“Barbadians like most people in the world do e-commerce on various platforms – pay for goods and services on various platforms, have accounts on various platforms, departments stores and so on – even have access to some extent to credit and debit cards. The use of those facilities is backed by global entities such as Master Card, Visa, American Express, Pay Pal. All of these are international companies which are all external companies to Barbados,” the senior economist pointed out.

“Therefore the use of one’s data on any platform, supported by these payment service providers, have been the reality of Barbadians for more than 20 years now. The exposure of persons’ data is no more at risk with the introduction of the Fair Credit Reporting system and therefore within the context of when persons are desirous of inquiring about credit, they are the ones that can determine who will access their credit file, for one specific purpose, and for that specific purpose only.

“Whether external companies or local companies, every company, every business, every financial institution would have fiduciary responsibility to make sure that the data they have, is captured and stored only for the purposes for which they were intended, and therefore, once that is done, it does not expose people in the way that maybe is suggested,” Straughn contended.

But the minister insisted that while malicious people across the world would still seek ways to hack computer systems, such behaviour would not deter the government from pursuing that modernisation which would “unlock access to credit” for thousands of small Barbadian companies, to be able to do business locally and also expand their operations outside of Barbados.

Straughn said it is important that those messages are clearly understood by the public, rather than living in fear and not making significant progress regarding the development of the economy and the country.

Also responding to the Credit Bureau’s assertions was secretary of the Central Bank of Barbados Elson Gaskin.

Gaskin, who is also co-chair of the working group that advised on the drafting of the Bill, assured that the Act will in no way disadvantage any credit bureau currently operating in Barbados.

He explained that the legislation was introduced to standardize credit reporting activity in Barbados and to provide greater transparency for consumers.

The Caribbean Credit Bureau however declared: “Should Government refuse to reconsider this Act’s passage, we run the risk of seeing our unemployment numbers rise if local credit bureaus are unable to satisfy the requirements in the Act, the potential loss of foreign exchange, people’s data being exported and utilised by organisations and persons unknown to us who by their very actions can undermine our already broken financial system.”

The Fair Credit Reporting Act was passed in December 2021 and proclaimed last month.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The Barbados Police Service has joined forces with their international counterparts to track down and prosecute cyber criminals who are preying on local citizens and businesses online.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn said Tuesday this collaboration must now be stepped up and continued to ensure that not only the data of individuals and entities in the public and private sectors is protected from foreign hackers in particular, but that the perpetrators can face the law courts in Barbados.

“Anyone, anywhere in any part of the world can attempt to hack any system. But I must tell you that the Barbados Police Service along with other agencies, we work closely with other international police organisations, to collaborate to find the perpetrators of hacking and work with those authorities in those jurisdictions to provide the evidence to be able to bring people to justice,” Straughn told Barbados TODAY.

“It is that collaborative effort within law enforcement internationally, that has to be stepped up and continued to make sure people’s ability to be able to conduct business online and store data within their businesses or on personal computers, is supported by the legislation which permits law enforcers to hunt down the perpetrators,” he added.

Straughn explained that government was doing its best to beef up its own cybersecurity against domestic and foreign penetration.

“I know that the private sector is equally doing the same. Therefore, once there is no gap between the public sector and the private sector, then I know that we would be in a good place,” the minister said.

Regarding last week’s data security breaches of some local commercial bank and credit union customers by what is believed to be an overseas source, Straughn said investigations into that matter were progressing, but that government would prefer if the person or persons responsible can be tried in Barbados.

“There was an issue and the investigations are still ongoing. When that person (or person) is found, we will work, with those jurisdictions to be able to see those persons come before the law courts within the jurisdiction, and where possible, we will seek to have it done here,” the minister announced.

Straughn said the government is taking cybersecurity so seriously, that it has also established a special cyber security working group with links overseas aimed at protecting the assets of the public and private sectors in the digital space.

“There is an active working group of professionals from both the public and private sectors domestically and resources that are available to Barbados internationally that have allowed us to form a Cyber Working Group to address a number of the issues that obviously would be confronting Barbados in a highly digital and globalised world,” Straughn revealed.

The minister said one of the issues that will confront Barbados relates to the increasing use of “cloud” computing.

“If you look by extension to cloud computing, if you look at WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, all of the social media platforms, they are all driven by data-gathering algorithms and therefore, the ability for data and information to be shared on those platforms to collect information on persons that you don’t ordinarily want to collect, these are issues that we are confronted with,” he stated.

He said even on the mobile phone, there are apps that are capable of tracking data without the knowledge of the owner or user.

“You would appreciate that as individuals, we interface in a very digital way and therefore, the ability to ensure the appropriate systems are in place, not only at the regulatory level, but also at the private sector level, challenges us to make sure that, as we build out an indigenous framework for the country, everybody is equally strong and not equally weak,” Straughn contended.

“It is something that is clearly concerning to all, both in the public and private sectors and we are working collaboratively to solve this problem,” the minister disclosed.

Straughn added: “At the end of the day, the kind of inconvenience that is caused to customers or to individuals, especially when there are data breaches that lead to fraudulent activity, obviously creates areas of concern, that, within the Ministry of Finance we are concerned about. We have been working with the financial institutions to be able to protect their systems.

Straughn revealed that the government was also working on how the complete network of persons should treat to the data, who has access to it and when and how.

However, he cautioned that this can only be achieved through collaboration between Barbadian and foreign data gatherers for the purposes of cybersecurity discussions.

The minister also issued a word of warning to Barbadians against exposing themselves unnecessarily to having their identity stolen or their computer systems compromised.

“I will take this opportunity to remind you that you must not exchange information with persons purporting to offer grants and these types of things whether on the internet, on social media or otherwise…cause often times they are data-gathering exercises. If you volunteer your information to persons, even though they use it for the purposes, and they did not indicate they wanted the information, clearly it is fraudulent. The reality is that by the time the fraud is discovered by the individual, their lives have been so offended, that it takes quite a bit of time to be able to remedy that,” he declared.

Last week, the local bankers’ association said in a statement the data violation had indirectly affected “a very small percentage” of commercial bank customers and that the breaches did not result from unauthorised access to customers’ personal information held by the commercial banks in question.

“Rather, it appears to be related to a small number of online retailers whose websites are used by customers for online shopping,” it said.

In any event, TBBA said “Whether a breach is as a result of unauthorised access to a local bank’s systems or occurs when their clients are engaged with a third party, our members are committed to working with their customers to address impacts.” emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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A visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) team here this week for the Seventh Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Review has been assured that despite battling economic fallout from COVID-19, Government had achieved several macroeconomic benchmarks.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ryan Straughn, along with other Government officials, met with the IMF team on Monday to provide an update on the island’s performance.

The IMF’s EFF supports the Barbados Economic Recovery Transformation (BERT) programme which was implemented by the Government in 2018 to generate economic growth and restore debt and fiscal sustainability over a three-phase, five-year period.

Acknowledging that adjustments had to be made to the EFF due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Straughn insisted that Government was still “very committed to seeing the reform efforts through”.

“We have responded to a number of social pressures which have eased somewhat, but we still need to continue some aspects of social spending until all of the population can see an ease in their living circumstances,” he pointed out.

Based on the agreed targets on both sides, Straughn said that as the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine rage on, the execution of the Government’s capital works programme and private sector investments coming on stream will provide a much needed boost to the economy.

“The Prime Minister is a very strong advocate, as you know, with respect to finding a different trajectory to the debt that has accumulated specifically for COVID-19. We continue to make those arguments with all the multilateral institutions. We believe that in order for us to be able to respond to climate adaptations and other issues, you will need to ensure that the appropriate fiscal space is available so as not to inhibit the normal development trajectory of the country,” Minister Straughn insisted.

Cognisant that the challenges had become greater since entering the programme, he added: “As we exit the programme now, obviously we have to recognise that we are in a different space and, therefore, I think that as we seek to respond to our own climate adaptation needs, that we are able to look at a suite of potential financial options in order to allow not just Barbados, but certainly the rest of the region to fully recover from the threat of COVID-19.”

The IMF’s Mission Chief for Barbados, Bert van Selm used the opportunity to inform the meeting of the proposed visit of the Managing Director of the IMF next month to give Barbados’ assessment, instead of issuing a press release at the end of this visit.

“So, first, we will do the seventh review and then of course we have a very important step in between; we now have this visit of the Managing Director that is planned for mid-June and that is, of course, a great opportunity to sort of highlight and celebrate the success of four years of economic reforms….

“For the Managing Director to come here to Barbados and use her weight to bring that message, saying that everything is fine, has much more impact.”

Van Selm noted that with the global increases, especially in fuel prices, there would be discussions on the macro framework and what other policies would be put in place to shield the populace.

While on island this week, the IMF Mission Chief will receive updates on Barbados’ renewable energy thrust; and engage in talks with the Government and the private sector on a range of issues, including renewable energy, the financial sector and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

On Friday, Prime Minister Mia Mottley is expected to participate in a wrap-up meeting. ( BT/BGIS)

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Barbadians should brace for a reduction in future pension benefits due to protracted unemployment, while National Insurance Scheme (NIS) operators can expect reduced income from investments in the short to medium-term, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those predictions have come from independent consulting actuary Judy Veira who also warned that self-employed individuals across the Caribbean should take their payment of NIS contributions more seriously.

“Of course, you are going to have some reduction in future pension benefits because of the loss of contribution weeks whilst unemployed. I think there should be, I would expect hopefully, an increased appreciation for NIS benefits and possibly an increase in compliance,” said Veira.

“I would like to think, certainly even among the self-employed, they realise ‘I really should be contributing to the NIS and contributing on a consistent basis because you never know I may need short-term sickness benefit’. You may never know there is another pandemic, maybe this may encourage others to step up and be active contributors to their respective NIS schemes.”

Veira made the comments during a recent webinar hosted by the social security subcommittee of the Caribbean Actuarial Association (CAA), under the theme Social Security Around the Region and the Response to COVID-19: What lies Ahead?

Veira, president-elect of the CAA, explained that national security schemes should expect a reduction in contributions due to several factors, including the loss of jobs among the expat workforce and the reduction in new employment.

“Also, the temporary unemployment benefits may have reduced the sustainability of some national insurance scheme funds. Time will tell,” she said.

The actuary said she did not expect the cash flow as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to materially impact the long-term financial stability of regional security schemes.

“Certainly in the short to medium-term, I think they can all expect lower investment income. I think they would have some concern in terms of their investment. A lot of them are heavily invested in government bonds and now these governments are under a lot of financial pressure due to the pandemic  . . .  so will those governments possibly default or delay in their bond payment? Because these national insurance schemes are invested in these government bonds, there are some credit risk to them too,” she explained.

Veira pointed out that in the case of Barbados, which paid out some $155 million to satisfy over 35,000 unemployment benefit claims in 2020, there will need to be a review of that fund to ensure its sustainability.

“[They] will need to take a step back and look at ‘did we prepare ourselves sufficiently and ensure our contribution rate is still at an acceptable level, is it consistent with the benefits being offered, do we need to make any changes?” she said.

Veira said if schemes were planning to reduce benefits, increase contribution rates or make any other changes to their schemes, they may have to do so sooner rather than later.

“Whatever reforms these schemes had pre-COVID-19 are still going to have to do it and they may also have to do it a little bit more aggressively and hasten it a little bit more to offset any short-term consequences of the pandemic,” she warned.

“So, it does beg the question in the end, will these national insurance schemes have to give more in-depth consideration to one-off significant events such as the pandemic, volcanic eruptions that [affected] St Vincent and Barbados, hurricanes and other natural disasters when assessing our long-term financial sustainability?”

Veira also raised the question of whether social security schemes should give greater consideration to how much they support governments.

She encouraged countries that did not have a permanent unemployment benefit fund to implement such a system.

The actuary also urged operators of the security schemes to carry out a careful assessment to determine what areas needed to be strengthened in an effort to better prepare for future events and to know how the past two years might have impacted on projected cash flows.

“Because of the protracted period of unemployment that was experienced in the past two years, there is going to be lower than expected contribution income. The pandemic has also exposed the financial vulnerability of self-employed persons, they were just darn lucky that a lot of these national insurance schemes and governments [stepped in],” Veira said. (MM)

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The leader of a local Rastafari organisation is calling on the government to compulsorily acquire some of this country’s natural springs for the benefit of the religious community, the general public and the development of community tourism initiatives.

Interim Secretary General of the National Registry Rastafari Secretariat and Trust Paul Ras Simba Rock said it was unfortunate that members of the Porey Spring community who had worked hard to beautify the area were encountering red tape in their efforts to make a living from the project.

Members of the community last month challenged an order from the Town and Country Planning Department to halt the construction of a chattel structure being erected for small business people to sell food, craft and other items. Despite the paintings, sculptures and other small structures placed at the site over the last two decades, someone staking claim to the land near the popular spring called for an end to the developments.

“I was quite disappointed to read about what was going on and I know there are legalities, but I always say that any branch that is too swift will break in the wind. All trees, as hard and as big and as tough as they are, are flexible to be able to adjust with the wind and laws are the same way,” Rock told Barbados TODAY.

“If people had seen Porey Spring 20 or 25 years ago in comparison to what it is now, they would know that [the residents] have really done a good job and I think that these should be encouraged and I would take a guess that it is young Rastas who are doing it,” he added.

When residents first raised the alarm, former St Thomas Member of Parliament (MP) Sir David Symmonds called for a thorough investigation into the ownership of the public bath and recreational space with a view to having the government acquire it for the enjoyment of surrounding communities.

Sitting MP Cynthia Forde also promised to intervene, while urging residents to follow the proper legal channels before attempting further development.

Rock also believes the land should be compulsorily acquired and community committees established for the upkeep of the spring.

“I think that one of the first things that should be done is to formulate a management committee to deal with the development of the springs around Barbados,” he said.

“I would hope that such a team would also include Rastafari and the acquisition of land shouldn’t be such a big thing, because in most cases, you are talking about an acre of land or so. If that can be done and held for the people of Barbados, I think that that would be good,” he added.

Rock said many of the well-known springs like the ones at Fortescue, Three Houses, Pot House, and others should be included.

“Work with the residents around the spring and even the Rastafari community who are the unofficial guardians of the spring,” he encouraged.

But apart from the social and economic importance, the Rastafari leader said springs hold a sacred place in the hearts of members of the local community.

“Spring water is seen almost like a spiritual cleansing especially after we have gone through tribulations, say somebody went to jail and they came out of jail, the first thing they would do is go to the spring and get a spring bath or if they go to the hospital and recover from illness,” he explained.

“This isn’t an official position from the National Registry Rastafari Secretariat and Trust but I would think that the Rastafari community would all be in agreement that the springs should be treated as sacred spaces.

“In some of the communities where access to water can be a problem, the springs are used to collect water. People do their washing in the spring and the spring is a very valuable asset to the communities around us and to the Rastafari communities,” he added. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbados is getting the backing of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in its call for a change in the method used by development finance institutions in determining whether a country qualifies for concessional finance.

President of the CDB Dr Gene Leon said the current system was being used “to the detriment” of the region and other developing states, which are constantly faced with a range of challenges even when their wealth improves from time to time.

Currently, development finance institutions classify countries as either low, middle or high-income based on their gross national income, which forms the basis for the interest rate at which the countries borrow from those institutions.

Countries that are considered in the middle-income category, including Barbados and several other Caribbean Community member states, fall outside the criteria for receiving concessional finance and therefore borrow at a much higher rate.

The CDB president argued that it was almost as if countries were being penalised for making progress when they go from being a low or less-developed classification to a middle-income or better.

“It is used to our detriment because it is almost as if you get penalised for progress too early. So you graduated, you have gotten to a point that is good or better, but what is missing [is that] we forget that irrespective of how much better you’ve improved, the things that prevent us from growing have not changed. The constant repetition of being hit by natural disasters has not changed; the shocks that we have from external factors have not changed, our structural issues, whether it be our size . . .” said Leon.

“We have now sought to, and we are in the process of advocating on this, that we need to think about this differently, and we need to think about it differently from the simple perspective that what really matters is not the income that you have achieved, but your ability to recover when you have a crisis that has actually hit you,” he explained.

This comes on the heels of several calls by Prime Minister Mia Mottley and several of her government ministers for a change to the concessional financing rules employed by the development finance institutions.

Describing the current method for financing as “inadequate” and affecting all developing countries that fall within the middle-income category, Leon said it was time for it to be changed.

“What we are proposing is something that will have impact not only on CDB borrowing member countries, but the entirety of the developing world that has access to concessional finance and that label developing, less developed or developed, according to a GNI (gross national income) classification,” said Leon.

He said in the meantime, it was his intention to make changes within the CDB “to benefit from a more equitable way of addressing the needs of our members, even if we do not get to the point where we become accepted internationally”.

Leon, was addressing a media conference on Tuesday to announce the upcoming CDB 52nd annual meeting of the board of governors, which is scheduled for June 1-16. It will take place online and in person.

He said the matter would be ventilated during those meetings, which will be held under the theme Measure Better to Target Better: Adaptation and Resilience.

This year’s President’s Chat, a series of discussions with members on key development issues, is expected to include the presidents of the CDB, the Inter-American Development Bank, European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank.

Officials are also expected to discuss issues surrounding climate change; linking the sustainable development goals to national budgets; food security; renewable energy and economic recovery and access to finance.

Dr Leon said he believed there were three broad pillars critical for the development of the region – better measurement in order to be more targeted, the need for development finance and more sharing and partnerships.

Stating that these areas must work together, he said “The idea is always that when we grow, when we move forward, we do that in a complete and holistic way so that the development is not lopsided.”
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Counselling for Personal Development, Shawn Clarke has suggested that Government open a halfway house for young people who are charged for wandering but do not display signs of criminal behaviour.

Although declining to comment on the ongoing investigation into the state-run juvenile correctional facility, the Government Industrial School (GIS), Clarke said for many years he has been concerned that young people who had no criminal intentions were being sent to the same institutions as those who were involved in criminal activity.

He insisted that the system must separate juveniles who have the disposition to get involved in illegal acts from those who may have been charged for wandering – that is, running away from home.

“Some children wander away from home for varying reasons. Some wander to escape what is happening in the household, some seeking peace of mind, so not all young people who wander are doing it for negative reasons or negative intentions, and I always felt that there is need to be a separation,” the psychologist said.

“There needs to be some facility that can house these young people who are having issues at home.”

Clarke therefore suggested that consideration be given to opening a halfway house for juveniles who are trying to escape challenges in the home.

He recommended that the state take charge of setting up such a facility where counselling and other forms of intervention can be offered to residents.

“So they are taught life skills, homemaking skills, money management skills, and they are taught . . . to deal with the situation [at home].

“There are aspects where the family can come together weekly in counselling for family therapy on how they can co-exist together after the period that the young person would spend at the facility. Make sure that they are separate and distinct from the young people who may have criminal intent,” Clarke said.

While acknowledging that there are some young people who are bent on criminal behaviour, he insisted that “we cannot group our young people like that”.

“There needs to be some separation and to offer different levels interventions that are needed to save our young people,” Clarke said. (AH)

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Veteran politician Hamilton Lashley is hoping that newly-elected President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Dr Ronnie Yearwood is prepared to face the challenge of healing the division in the party head on.

Lashley, who said that the young versus old division that has interfered with the party’s internal affairs for many years may create a headache for Dr Yearwood. He suggested that the new leader formulate a workable plan to bring the members together, and put it into action as soon as possible.

He charged since Dr Yearwood’s victory, there has been underlying subliminal messages circulating among senior members of the party as it relates to “the older members” and the role they play.

“Of course you cannot and should not discriminate against a person in any organisation from reaching the pinnacle of their talents based upon this discriminatory process that currently exist within the walls of the Democratic Labour Party called age.

“He has to heal these wounds first that clearly exists. He is a relatively young man and he has first to conquer that. Until this divisiveness stop within the DLP, he of course has a long road to travel and a rough way to go,” Lashley said.

On May 1, the university lecturer was elected as the new president at the DLP’s Extraordinary Conference, held at the George Street, Belleville, St Michael headquarters. Dr Yearwood captured 273 votes compared to the 205 former government minister Dr David Estwick secured.

“My solution for Dr Yearwood would be one of fostering cohesiveness rather than divisiveness. It is one where each and every member should be treated equally and this great divide should be eliminated. But he has a difficult role. This threat that undermines the DLP must be healed and not a plaster put on it, then we will continue to have a divided party. He has his work cut out [for him],” Lashley said. (AH)

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Students and teachers of the Irving Wilson’s Autism Department have received a much-welcomed boost to their educational environment thanks to a recent donation from leading insurance and financial solutions provider, Sagicor.

In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, celebrated globally throughout April, and World Autism Awareness Day, celebrated on Saturday, April 2nd, the company donated approximately $3,000 worth of educational and general supplies to the Autistic Department to bolster the strength and capacity of its programme, and assist with the learning and development of the 42 students currently enrolled, as well as their Independent Living Programme.

Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sagicor Life (Barbados) Inc., Paul Inniss, said the donation showcases Sagicor’s commitment to improving the lives of those affected by this condition, through providing them with the tools and skills to live as normal a life as possible, along with promoting the need for increased awareness of autism and the acceptance of persons with autism by all Barbadians.

“The rate of autism in all regions across the world is high and the lack of understanding has a tremendous impact on those affected, along with their families,” said Inniss.

“The stigmatisation and discrimination associated with neurological differences remain substantial obstacles to diagnosis and therapies.

Appropriate support, accommodation and acceptance of this neurological variation would allow those on the spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, and full and effective participation in society.”

Armed Alleyne, principal of the Irving Wilson School, which is located on Pine Plantation Road, St. Michael and caters to autistic, visually and hearing-impaired youth, said the acceptance of persons with autism, like acceptance of pretty much all people, involves moving past surface impressions.

“It involves trying to understand them, trying to know who they are, along with what drives and moves them.

A large part of that is achieved through engaging with these individuals in ways that expose them to skills and knowledge that can be incorporated into their daily lives, as well as equipping them to provide for themselves in the future.

Donations such as this one from Sagicor, therefore go a long way towards assisting educators with executing their educational and developmental programmes, which are focused on giving the students the best chance at a normal life after graduating from the institution.”

The donation follows one made to the school at the end of last year, when Sagicor donated a weed trimmer to assist with the upkeep of their on-site garden, which was started as a way to teach the students about agriculture, as well as the business elements that go along with it. (PR)

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The Chairman of Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), Vincent Pereira, has revealed a profit attributable to its equity holders of US$109.1 million for the half-year ended March 31, 2022.

Total assets stood at US$16.97 billion at March 31, 2022, an increase of US$0.93 billion or 5.8 per cent over the total assets at March 2021. This increase was mainly due to growth in customer deposits across subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands, BVI, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.

In announcing the results Pereira said: “This represents an increase of US$6.2 million or 6.02 per cent over the US$102.9 million reported in the corresponding period of the last financial year.

While this performance remains 7 per cent below our pre-COVID 2019 half year performance, it continues a satisfying upward trend in the Group’s performance reflecting our efforts towards better cost management and increased support of our clients across the Group.”

He added: “During the first half of the Group’s financial year all territories in which we operate continued to relax most COVID-related protocols. While many countries retained some travel related protections as well as public mask mandates, most removed curfews and restrictions on gatherings, re-opened schools and permitted almost all commercial activities.

The tourism dependent territories benefitted the most from this easing of restrictions as these have all experienced increased activity in this sector. This buoyancy was somewhat offset by continued supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, originally due to the Covid pandemic and now exacerbated by the uncertainty, destruction and disruption as a result of the Russia/Ukraine war.”

Pereira concluded: “I would like to express my gratitude to each and every member of the Republic Team as it is their commitment every-day to serve our clients and communities with excellence that has enabled this outcome for the RFHL Group.”

The Board of Diårectors has declared an interim dividend of US$0.16 (2021: US$0.15) per share payable on May 31, 2022. (PR)

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The CATAPULT Caribbean COVID-19 Relief Arts Grant is in the second year of a partnership between Kingston Creative, the American Friends of Jamaica and the Open Society Foundations that has delivered over half a million US dollars in support to the arts community.

This year, by offering relief grants to 300 creatives of US$500 each, the grant has helped to complete arts projects, purchase equipment and cover living expenses for Caribbean artists in dire straits due to the impact of the pandemic.

436 creatives applied from 23 countries across the Caribbean and these were narrowed down to 300 recipients by a panel of jurors: Anna Maria Hernandez (Aruba), Holly Byone (St. Vincent & the Grenadines), Juan Francisco Pardo (Aruba), Natalie Urquhart (Cayman Islands), Nicholas Laughlin (Trinidad & Tobago), Sara Shabaka (Jamaica) and Simone Harris (Jamaica).

All 436 grant applicants will also be added to the Caribbean Creative Network, a publicly accessible artist directory developed by Kingston Creative to increase visibility, market access and earnings for artists across the Caribbean. The online database will serve as a resource that the public can use to find, hire and easily partner with creatives for both international and local projects.

Many artists expressed that the grant not only helped them financially, but also served as a symbol of validation for their artistic practice.

“As professional artists we face a lot of unique challenges, chief among them is not being taken seriously,” Jamaican artist, Īṣā Orí expressed.

“Nonetheless, I am equally comforted and motivated to know that there are organisations like the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) and Catapult, who not just believe in us, but are also willing to help us.”

The grant also helped artists to find working and studio space to produce their art.

“Since I received the grant, I was able to find my own place where I can now work on my projects in a more focused way. I’m now writing again and also working on my next show,” said El Bacalao, a creative from the Dominican Republic.

The partners of the CATAPULT programme are also satisfied with the outcome of the grant’s second iteration.

Wendy Hart, President of the American Friends of Jamaica, said: “The CATAPULT partnership has been focused on both the immediate needs of artists and building opportunities for the future. It is a shared vision of impact and a commitment to the future of the creative community”.

“We are very thankful that with the help of our international partners we were able to assist creatives in this way for a second year,” said Khadijah Chang, Project Manager for the CATAPULT Arts Grant.

“We are especially excited about how impactful the Caribbean Creative Network will be as it is part of a long-term strategy to help creatives across the Caribbean to network and earn more income.”

“Open Society Foundations is privileged to support this second edition of the CATAPULT initiative.  In times of COVID, Caribbean artists, their families and their work continue to be impacted in multiple ways, having a detrimental effect on the whole of our societies.  We look forward to continuing to support artists and artists’ organisations in the region,” said Auro Fraser, Open Society Foundations’ Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean.

For more information on the CATAPULT Arts Grant, visit https://catapultarts.com/ and for more information on the Caribbean Creative Network, kindly email info@kingstoncreative.org. (PR)

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The COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 431, after a 70-year-old man passed away from the virus today, Wednesday, May 11.

He was fully vaccinated.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill, has extended condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. (BGIS)

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Jade Sapphaire Patricia Cole, 14, of Wanstead Gardens, St. Michael. who was reported missing on Sunday, April 17th, 2022 by her mother Kristle Cole, has been traced and is safe.

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The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory recorded 513 new COVID-19 cases, 232 males and 281 females, from the 1,697 tests conducted on Tuesday, May 10.

Of the positive cases, 130 persons were under the age of 18, and 383 were 18 years and older.

The number of people in isolation facilities was 109, while 4,174 were in home isolation.

As at May 10, there were 430 COVID-19 related deaths.

The public health laboratory has conducted 664,507 tests since February 2020, and recorded 74,967 COVID-19 cases (34,328 males and 40,639 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 161,931 (70.9 per cent of the eligible population). The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 152,255 (56.2 per cent of the total population or 66.7 per cent of the eligible population). The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older.

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Persons with disabilities (PWDs) will soon have designated parking spaces in Bridgetown.

Two spaces have been allocated at Tudor Street and one each at Prince William Henry Street and McGregor Street at their junctions with Broad Street.

Come Friday, May 13, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, will assign the spaces during an official ceremony, which will be held at Prince William Henry Street (next to the Royal Shop on Broad Street), beginning at 9:30 a.m.

He is expected to be joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Santia Bradshaw, and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Corey Lane.

The designation of parking spaces for PWDs follows requests made for such by the National Disabilities Unit. (BGIS)

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