The calypso fraternity in Barbados is mourning the death of one of its own.

Walter Whitney, who went by the sobriquet Bongo and was best known for the popular 1992 calypso “Take it or Lump It”, passed away on Monday.

Cultural Ambassador the Most Honourable Anthony Gabby Carter, was among those paying tribute as he descri bed Bongo as one of the artform’s most underrated singers and writers. Bongo was also a member of Carter’s Battleground Calypso Tent during the early 1990’s.

Recounting stories of tent life, Carter also praised the calypsonian for his dynamic performance and style.

“The crowds every night would go crazy mainly for four acts, Grynner, Madd, Carew and Bongo. Bongo was very good at performing the calypso. He had a unique style of delivery and we haven’t seen it since then. He and Carew had the Bajan kind of delivery that was different. It was distinctly Bajan in his accent and everything.

“Since Like It or Lump It, he never got the same amount of popularity in his career, but as a human being, he was one of the most pleasant people you could communicate with. He was always friendly with everybody and could give a joke and also take one,” Carter said as he extended condolences to Bongo’s family, friends and fans.

Calypsonian and radio announcer, Ronnie De Announcer Clarke also conveyed his sympathies to Bongo’s family, saying he loved and respected Bongo’s passion for kaiso.

Characterising Bongo’s hit Take It or Lump It as a classic Bajan song, Clarke contended that very few artistes produce a song with such impact as that song had on the entire island when it was released.

“One which has played frequently since 1992. A die-hard member and supporter of the Democratic Labour Party who repped them in song. A real Bajan style of delivery and well received.

In addition, Clarke vouched that Bongo was a very nice person.

“He was good company and one whose memory is worthy of our continued respect,” Clarke maintained.

Music producer Elmore Roach, of Radar Studios, expressed disbelief at his friend’s passing while he recounted what would be their final recording session together.

“He came to me five weeks before the climax of the season and he was telling me he wanted to do this song. I was telling him ‘man Bongo it is too late. By the time we finish it, there would only be about four weeks left and it would be better to bring it out for next year’. “He said ‘No! The message that is in this nobody else has brought it out like this.”  It is a song for the children, with advice to do the right things’.

“He insisted that I do A Song for the Children for this season. I did the song, released it and people started calling me about it. . . .  The song still managed to get on rotation even though it came out late. I would have felt really bad if I did not do that song especially because of the message in it. It is a message that is going to live on and will live past us,” he stressed. (KC)

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The Barbados economy is projected to grow by about 5.9 per cent this year, according to data released by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on Tuesday.

In a new edition of its flagship annual report, Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean: Trends and Challenges of Investing for a Sustainable and Inclusive Recovery, the United Nations agency said Government expenditure is also expected to rise and revenue expand.

According to the report, the economy of the Caribbean region is expected to grow overall by some 10.2 per cent, due to the whopping 52 per cent growth expected in the Guyana economy.

Meanwhile, Latin America and the Caribbean together are projected to have average growth of 2.7 per cent, returning to the path of low growth it was following before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This, it said, was keeping with the slowdown seen in the first half of 2022, after growth of 6.5 per cent in 2021.

“The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean face a complex economic and social environment in 2022. Weak economic growth is accompanied by strong inflationary pressures, slow job creation, falling investment and growing social demands. This situation has created major challenges in terms of macroeconomic policy, with a need to reconcile policies that promote economic recovery with policies to rein in inflation and make public finances sustainable,” ECLAC said.

“The complex domestic situation in the region is compounded by an international landscape in which the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine has heightened geopolitical tensions, dampened economic growth, reduced food availability and driven up energy prices, adding to existing inflationary pressure caused by supply shocks from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.”

The report said that in the Caribbean, total revenues are expected to increase again in 2022, driven mainly by rises in tax revenues and revenues from other sources, such as non-tax revenues, capital revenues and external grants.

“This increase reflects rapid growth in tax revenues in the first few months of the year in several countries. In the cases of the Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the trend in tax revenues is primarily explained by growth in the amount collected through value added tax. Non-tax revenues are expected to increase slightly, driven by larger external grants in several countries,” it said.

ECLAC placed Barbados as the country with the ninth highest weighted inflation rate out of 27 countries in the region with figures, as of May, of 9.3 per cent, behind St Lucia, Dominica, Paraguay, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia and Mexico. The median average was said to be around 7.7 per cent.

The ECLAC report also suggested that in the Caribbean, public spending is expected to grow in 2022, driven by public investment and higher interest payments. In line with the expected trend in Latin America, primary current spending is expected to contract during the year, mainly owing to lower outlays on pandemic-related subsidies, it added.

“In contrast, capital expenditure looks set to increase significantly, although this is highly dependent on inflows from external grants . . . . Interest payments are expected to rise again, in line with higher projected expenditure for some countries, such as Barbados (where interest payments grew by more than 100 per cent in real terms in the year to March), St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname,” it said.

In relation to fiscal balances in the Caribbean, ECLAC said they were expected to remain close to last year’s levels, though indicating that Barbados should be among countries in which the primary balance is expected to “turn into a surplus”.

When it comes to the debt-to-GDP level in the Caribbean, ECLAC said it reached some 84.1 per cent in March 2022, which was four per cent lower than at the end of 2021.

However, in the case of Barbados and Suriname, the Chile-based organisation said those debt levels stood out at 131.4 per cent and 131.2 per cent, respectively.

“Despite the relative stability of the subregional average, the Caribbean countries still have very high debt levels compared to other regions with similar income levels. The effects of the pandemic on the subregion have considerably increased levels of public debt, with debt-to-GDP ratios of over 80 per cent in the last few years,” it said.

It noted that in the Latin America and Caribbean region, the value of exports is expected to rise by 22 per cent this year, and the value of imports by 23 per cent, as domestic demand continues to grow.

According to the 251-page document, with increasing uncertainty about global growth, inflation trends and developed economies’ monetary policy responses, international financial markets have become more volatile, creating more demanding conditions to obtain financing, which is detrimental to the countries of the region.

“In addition, the dollar has tended to appreciate against almost all currencies, which is also unfavourable for Latin American and Caribbean countries,” ECLAC stated.

Addressing a press conference held at the commission’s headquarters in Santiago, Chile, Acting Executive Secretary of ECLAC Mario Cimoli urged countries to implement policies that encourage growth and poverty reduction.

“In a context of multiple goals and growing restrictions, there must be a coordination of macroeconomic policies that would support the acceleration of growth, investment, and poverty and inequality reduction, while also addressing inflationary dynamics,” said Cimoli.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is probing an incident that occurred at the Eugene F. Correia Airport on Sunday evening with President Irfaan Ali and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley on board.

According to reports, just after the plane landed with its VIP passengers from Boa Vista, one of the wheels veered off the taxiway as the aircraft was heading towards the terminal building and got stuck in the mud to the side of the taxiway.

Emergency teams including the Fire Service rushed to the scene.

President Ali and Prime Minister Mottley and their teams had to exit the aircraft at the side of the runway and were taken to the terminal building.

A senior Government official said there were no injuries and the plane did not sustain any damage.

The incident is still being investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority to determine whether an error by the pilots caused the mishap or if there was a mechanical issue.

The plane was being commanded at the time by two seasoned senior pilots of the Guyana Defence Force.

Prime Minister Mottley has safely returned home.

(News Source Guyana/BT)

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Complaining that the high cost of fuel was affecting their ability to afford a decent standard of living, taxi operators are calling for a further reduction in gas prices.

Taxi drivers who operate from the Grantley Adams International Airport are adamant that the recent fuel cap which came into effect last Friday is not enough.

In fact, they have suggested that Government lower the cap to $3.75 per litre or simply remove or reduce the fuel tax of 40 cents per litre that was implemented in 2018.

One taxi driver who gave her name as Claire Brathwaite said while she did not believe taxi drivers necessarily needed a special rate, the price of gas was still too expensive.

“The price reduction should be across the table for everybody because there are some people who use their vehicles to drive just as much as taxi drivers. The $3.75 is a good price. For the week I ain’t really make nah money because you get a one job today and a one job tomorrow and by the time Friday come you want fuel and you have to put back in the same money so you don’t have nothing much to carry home to your family,” Brathwaite told Barbados TODAY.

Another driver who declined to give his name also complained about the high prices.

He said business had decreased substantially, while fuel had increased significantly.

“We aren’t making that kind of money to begin with. We are only getting one job a day and that’s hard for us. I feel taxis should get a special rate but the $3.75 isn’t bad,” he said.

An operator, Walcott, said he had been driving taxi since 1975.

He too argued that the cap was not enough and said Government had several other options to give not only taxi operators but all motorists an ease.

“These people really in fact don’t know what they are doing. These are total misfits and you can’t have so many consultants and that is what you come up with,” the veteran driver said.

“Anything that goes beneath what we are currently paying will be helpful to be honest. That 40 cents that they already put on, if they don’t want to remove it completely then you can drop it by half because you’ve already made more than you really wanted and it will continue. People will continue to buy petrol, so therefore you will still get back the amount that you expect.”

Another long-serving taxi operator said he did not understand why they could not receive a subsidy on fuel similar to that given to the Transport Board.

He said that would make their jobs much more comfortable and allow them to make more profit.

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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It is well understood but often unappreciated that today’s youth will be tomorrow’s leaders. Youth need to be aware of the issues that affect the world now because the current global challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change, will impact their future.

Paying lip service to their concerns about high unemployment and the lack of job opportunities will not be enough if they want to ensure a robust future for their countries and the world.

There has long been a concern about the mismatch between education and the labour market—our education systems do not keep pace with the ever-changing job market, which includes technological advances. The unfit labour force has led to a high youth unemployment rate worldwide, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

In August 2021, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported that unemployment among the youth (ages 15–24) in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 23.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2021.

In its Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022 report, the ILO further estimated youth unemployment in Latin America and the Caribbean to be 20.5 per cent this year. Africa’s youth were hit even harder by the pandemic, with the Brookings Institution estimating that youth unemployment soared as high as 60 per cent in 2021.

Moreover, in the 2022 report, the ILO noted that in 2020, one in five young people in Africa were not in employment, education or training.

The role youth play in our development has not been lost on the organisers of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2022 (ACTIF2022), which will be held from September 1 to 3, 2022 in Bridgetown, Barbados. The event is hosted by the Government of Barbados and Afreximbank.

During the inaugural conference, a panel will discuss, “Creating Opportunities for Youth and SMEs in Today’s Global Economy”.

Moderated by Business Development Consultant, Taahir Bulbulia, the panel will bring together youth leaders from Africa and the Caribbean to advance their views on transformation, establishing a permanent and inclusive channel that facilitates their collaboration on priorities, action plans and solutions and youth entrepreneurship.

Forbes reported that the pandemic propelled entrepreneurship. As employment opportunities dried up, start-ups emerged, many of which were led by youth. To ensure youth entrepreneurship thrives in Africa, the Caribbean and indeed worldwide, it will be imperative to nurture environments that allow young persons to open, maintain and grow businesses.

Panellists for the ACTIF2022 youth session include Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, Special Envoy on Youth to AU Chairperson, African Union; Youssouf Simbo Diakité, Diaspora Youth Network, Head of Vienna Office & Berlin Liaison Office; Raphael Saul, Motivational Youth Speaker; Ryan Moseley, Manager, Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme; Khaleel Kothdiwala, Youth Leader; and Oluranti Doherty, Director, Export Development, African Export-Import Bank. (PR)

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The latest ease in COVID-19 travel protocols has been welcomed by visitors to the island, with some saying it has made Barbados more attractive.

Last week, the Ministry of Health and Wellness announced that effective August 20, unvaccinated travellers would no longer be tested on arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA).

Instead, unvaccinated travellers have to provide a negative rapid antigen test or PCR test taken within three days of arrival.

When a team from Barbados TODAY visited the GAIA on Tuesday afternoon, visitors gave the move a thumbs up.

An English tourist on her second trip to the island, who only gave her name as Claire, said she was happy the testing requirement had been removed.

“Yes, it’s definitely easier and it makes it a lot more enjoyable. I’d rather not have to get the PCR or rapid test either but, obviously, you have to do what you’ve got to do,” said the tourist who was accompanied by her two daughters.

Another British visitor, who opted to remain anonymous but disclosed she will be staying here for 11 nights, also approved of the change.

She said the time had come for the world to accept that living with COVID-19 is the new norm.

“We just need to live with it now and we just have to kind of stop causing all of this disruption, really. That’s my view, but it certainly does make travelling easier,” she said.

Adrian Lovell, a Trinidadian who flew in from New York, said the new protocol was in line with what was happening elsewhere.

“It’s very much in line with what’s happening at other airports around the world. I was at a cruise a few weeks ago and they are now more lax with testing so it seems as though it’s in line with everything that’s going on,” he said.

However, Lovell suggested there was a potential downside. He cautioned that while the elimination of the testing protocol would improve the travel experience, it could also result in an increase in COVID-19 infections.

“It seems like on one hand, the pandemic is shifting down but then on the other side it still seems like cases are there and a lot of people are getting infected, so it will be interesting to see how these changes affect the number of infected persons here, but I’m hoping for the best,” the visitor said.

Adding that the change in protocols would also likely result in more people coming to the island, Lovell added: “On one hand, travelling is going to be a lot smoother and on the other hand, there’s going to be a lot more people travelling so there may be more lines, but not having to get tested that does make things a little bit more convenient.”

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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There were 221 new COVID-19 cases, 116 males and 105 females, recorded from the 877 tests conducted on Tuesday, August 23, by laboratories across the island.

The cases comprised 26 persons under the age of 18, and 195 who were 18 years and older.

The number of people in isolation facilities is 70, while 2,241 were in home isolation.

Five people have been added to the COVID-19 death toll. An 82-year-old man passed away from the virus on Tuesday. Additionally, the Coroner’s Office reported four other COVID-19 related deaths in the community within the past two weeks.

As of August 23, there were 537 deaths as a result of COVID-19.

The laboratories conducted 751,102 tests since February 2020, and recorded 100,191 COVID-19 cases (45,296 males and 54,895 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 163,149 (71.4 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 154,321 (56.9 per cent of the total population or 67.6 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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A tropical wave is expected to bring moderate to heavy showers, rain and thunderstorms from tonight, the Barbados Meteorological Services said Wednesday.

In a weather statement, the forecasters said the wave was located near 55W or 460 km (290mi) southeast of Barbados at 8’ clock this morning

“The tropical wave remains disorganized with an elongated area of low pressure to the southeast of Barbados. Current model guidance is now suggesting the tropical wave will bring some moderate to heavy showers, rain and thunderstorms during the night of Wednesday 24th August, 2022 and into Thursday 25th August, 2022.”

The BMS said it is monitoring other tropical waves in the Atlantic and it has advised the public to remain alert.

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Barbados and Leeward Islands both scored wins to stay at the top of the points table as the Rising Stars Under15 Championship continued in Grenada. Playing yesterday, the Bajans defeated Jamaica by eight wickets to move to 8.8 points. Leewards were made to work hard but overcame Guyana by four wickets as they moved to 8.2 points.

Guyana batted first and made 72-5 off 16 overs with a topscore of 23 from Dave Mohabir. Leewards replied with 73-6 off 15.4 overs to win by four wickets with just two balls to spare. Amoree Jones ended on 17 not out to take his team to victory.

In the other match Jamaica batted first and made 79-8 off 16 overs. The best batter was Adrian Silveria who made 17 not out off 12 balls with three fours.

The best bowler was Jayden Chase who had figures of 3-0-10-3, while Akobi Crichlow-Byer was economical with 4-0-9-2. Barbados batted well and reached 69-2 off 12.3 overs, after the target was adjusted due to 68 off 13 overs after a rain interruption. Shem Sargeant led the way with a steady knock of 24.

(CWI)

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Retired actuary Charles Herbert has raised an alarm over the major decline in the number of people contributing to the National Insurance (NIS), as he questioned Government’s rationale for continuing to pay non-contributory pensions.

“I don’t really understand the room for non-contributory pension. That doesn’t seem to be accountable to the public,” he said on Tuesday night during an Institute of Chartered Account of Barbados (ICAB) webinar on Our NIS – The Way Forward.

The latest review of the NIS showed that the number of employees plus self-employed contributors to the scheme had fallen from 126 802 in 2007 to 105 585 last year, and could decline further this year to 104 384.

The number of employers contributing also declined from 8 272 in 2007 to 5 909 in 2021. That figure is expected to remain the same this year.

Herbert insisted that while Government could not avoid making adjustments to the structure of the NIS, he believed a “huge” part of the solution for the scheme was capturing self-employed individuals.

“A big part of the discussion has to be how do we get the self-employed people on board,” he said, as he expressed alarm at the decline in the number of self-employed contributors in the last 15 years.

“Where have these people dropped out? I don’t know what information National Insurance keeps, but where have these 20 000 people disappeared from? Is it one particular industry that has suddenly stopped employing people and instead employing some on contract where they are self-employed? We need to bring to bear on this problem more than has been brought to bear so far, and I believe that information is there,” he said.

Describing the current situation facing the pay-as-you-go scheme as “a very slow tsunami”, Herbert said “there are many of us who have been raising these concerns for multiple years.”

With Barbados’ ageing population, he said, it was critical for the number of contributors to remain high. However, he questioned if adjusting the retirement age to maintain the ratio between pensioners and contributors would be acceptable.

“The question is, are we moving into a world where less people are working and more people are retired? If so, how are we going to fund society?

“One of the key issues is that our contributors have fallen from over 130 000 to 110 000 in rough numbers. Personally, I don’t believe our workforce has dropped by that amount and what seems to have happened is that a large number of people are either transferring from the employee/employer workforce to the self-employed workforce and in the self-employed workforce they . . . are not contributing,” said Herbert.

It was against that background that he questioned the purpose of keeping non-contributory pensions in place.

“I suspect that an attractive non-contributory pension perhaps gives the false impression to many self-employed that if they don’t contribute to National Insurance they will get a non-contributory pension. [They think] ‘you know what, it is not a bad pension so let me sit on the side lines and pretend that I don’t have a job and I will still get a pension’.

“If this is not true and there are rules that stop this from happening, then now is the time for the Government to speak up very clearly and explain that the non-contributory pension will not be given, no matter how many votes it attracts, to people who could have and should have contributed. So we can’t divorce these things, it has an impact on the National Insurance,” Herbert declared.

He added that while authorities could escape having to adjust benefits and contributions, there was also a need to rebuild the population’s confidence in the NIS.

During the discussions, NIS actuary Derek Osborne highlighted the need for economic growth buttressed by growth in employment numbers and contributions, but also indicated that a change in the structure and design of the NIS was critical to its continued survival.

He also cited the need for better systems that are linked with other government departments to ensure timely and complete collections and to better meet the needs of self-employed people. Additionally, Osborne said, there was need to improve the scheme’s governance, as he also agreed that contributors’ confidence had to be improved.

Stating that the time has come for some “tough decisions”, the Bahamian actuary said Barbadians should “come together collectively and find a Barbados solution for this Barbados problem”.

He noted that the public discussions on the NIS would continue a while longer and surveys would also be conducted.

Osborne said so far, there have been several “good ideas” coming from Barbadians who have identified maintaining the current retirement age and contribution rates as important.

“We also know that Barbadians value their NIS and that the minimum pension right now seems to be adequate. So the goal now is to take that feedback, look at the priorities and then we see how we can fine-tune the system, whether it be a tweak of the current structure or whether it be a whole overhaul or half overhaul and do something different,” he said.

He reminded that among several reform options on the table was changing the formula used to calculate the benefits.

“There are other systems where some countries have a flat benefit just because you are old. So regardless of your contribution history, just because you are [at the retirement age] you get a flat benefit,” he explained, adding that this could be means-tested so that those who do not need the benefit do not receive it.

“So there are several things we can look at, and as we have heard in the last few weeks, everything is generally on the table and there have been no decisions made yet. So the consultations are still open to ideas from the public. The priority is that the way Barbadians feel about the NIS will help drive the solution,” Osborne assured.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbados must explore a more progressive National Insurance Scheme (NIS) that could include higher contributions from the wealthy with no increased benefits for those individuals, economist Marsha Caddle has proposed.

“I stand by it. I don’t know if it is a recommendation that the Government will take but I think that the NIS contribution system has to start to more closely align with our progressive tax system,” she said as she presented wide-ranging proposals for the fund which experts warn could be depleted in 12 to 20 years if urgent action is not taken to bolster it.

Addressing the annual general meeting of the League of Young Socialists at Barbados Labour Party headquarters last Saturday, the Government backbencher cautioned that the country must be very cautious about determining which category of citizens can afford to pay more.

“Because when we set these thresholds for higher contributions too low, then we have an issue with a middle class that is vulnerable and that is about to become poor,” she said.

The former Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment advised that while Barbados has long based its social protection policies on protecting the vulnerable, this group is not static and the policy should therefore be set based on a person’s life cycle.

“We also have to understand that when we talk about this middle class, that increasingly we are talking about people who have complex vulnerabilities and our policy has to be very fluid and very nimble. It is not just a question of taking care of a set number of families because tomorrow that number could change,” she added.

Caddle, who praised the Government for attempting to face and fix a complex issue that has been ignored for too long, made clear that the challenges facing the scheme have nothing to do with investment but fall in line with the problems facing broken social insurance models all over the world.

“The returns on NIS investment have been high and the rate of return versus the risk of investment is sound. The problem that the NIS has today is the problem that every social insurance scheme that is set up in this way has all over the world, which is that we have increased life expectancy and a declining population,” he noted.

The Michael South MP proceeded to recommend a slew of reforms, suggesting that the scheme should start with compliance by companies.

“When I talk about compliance, I think that we know that there are large companies and companies that do well that either collect National Insurance contributions and don’t pay them in or don’t collect them, and I think we have to start there with this compliance issue,” Caddle said.

Additionally, she said, “I think that if we are going to have a reform of the NIS system there has to be an alignment between what we would call standard employee benefits and self-employed benefits”.

Caddle further suggested that NIS should give self-employed people the flexibility to make their contributions based on how they receive their income, in a manner that does not destabilise the certainty of the scheme.

She advised that a restructured NIS should take a robust investment policy that is more varied and buttressed by all necessary controls and high levels of accountability.

The economist also urged Government to right-size the disability benefit to allow those who retire medically unfit from a particular field to still contribute while provisions are made for those who cannot work as well as their caregivers and family.

Caddle made clear that a reformed NIS must create value and increase the speed at which it delivers benefits, provide access to client information, and stay current on its audits.

“This is a whole part of the question of building trust. But I don’t think that we can look at the whole question of NIS reform if we are not talking about a scheme that creates value,” she said.

“There are countries in the Eastern Caribbean that pay out benefits in 48 hours. Our National Insurance Scheme has to get there because I do not think that we can propose to the people of Barbados some of the reforms that are on the table if we are not increasing efficiency, [and] cutting the time of benefit payments. People need benefits today.

“I think the NIS has to commit to improving these times and creating value for people if we are to take forward these reforms because you can’t ask people to sacrifice more for nothing or for the same sub-optimal value that they are getting today,” Caddle added.

sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb

On Monday, August 22, Barbados TODAY published the article, ‘DLP at Fault’ that incorrectly stated that St Michael South MP Marsha Caddle placed the disaster facing the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) at the feet of the Democratic Labour Party. The Barbados TODAY Inc apologies for its error.

Above is a true reflection of Caddle’s comments on the NIS expressed at Saturday’s meeting of League of Young Socialists.

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Two glaring issues highlighted in the 2021 Auditor General’s Report have still not been addressed by Government, the local watchdog group Integrity Group Barbados (IGB) has noted.

Chairman Andy Armstrong said neither the Auditor General’s request for more staff nor his concern about the absence of a functioning Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was mentioned in the Government’s response which was laid in Parliament last Thursday.

In a telephone interview with Barbados TODAY, Armstrong pointed to Auditor General Leigh Trotman’s complaint about a lack of staff in his department, which was affecting their ability to execute their duties effectively and efficiently.

However, the IGB head highlighted that Government’s 64-page response, which was prepared by Director of Finance and Economic Affairs Ian Carrington and gave detailed answers to several other issues, failed to deal with that particular concern.

“We still don’t seem to have, as a country, a solution as to how we are going to get more qualified persons in the Auditor General’s department,” Armstrong said.

“He did allude to the fact that it was particularly difficult to get people in management positions, so it is something that we really need to figure out – how we are going to properly resource this department.”

In his report, Trotman highlighted that since there is no Leader of the Opposition to serve as PAC chairman, uncertainty remains about how the committee can function.

Stressing that the PAC performs an important oversight role which should not be stymied because of the current situation, he suggested as a solution, an amendment to the PAC Act to allow one of the Independent Senators to chair meetings in the absence of a Leader of the Opposition.

Armstrong, who in a previous interview had supported the recommendation in principle, lamented that no solutions were put forward by the Government.

“I . . . know independent Senators are not particularly well remunerated so you might be asking a lot for an independent Senator to take on that burden. But we do agree that we need to have a functioning PAC and, unfortunately, how it is set up over many years and over many administrations, that PAC is rarely functioning very well.

“So I think there needs to be a very major rethink of how we respond to the Auditor General’s Report,” he said.

Although not addressing the PAC issue, the Mia Mottley administration’s response to Trotman’s report spoke to the planned establishment of an Internal Audit Department (IAD).

It said the IAD, which should be in place within the next fiscal year 2023/2024, will increase public confidence in the management of the country’s financial affairs.

While Armstrong said he was not opposed to that move, he expressed hope that it should not be set up to undermine the Office of the Auditor General.

“I think that needs to be thought through more . . . I’m not saying it is reality but there is a perception that by setting up your own Internal Audit Department you might be seeking to weaken the power of the Auditor General.

“Of course, if it’s your own department then you have a better control over them and you may be able to keep a lot of the problems or issues private. I hope that it is not the intention to hide things from the public. So we would really have to have a little more discussion about whether that really is the best solution,” Armstrong asserted.

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey is giving the assurance that a situation where people are reportedly living on the street in the Rendezvous Hill, Christ Church area, is under control.

The minister spoke to the press during the open day for Camp Reach at the National Disabilities Unit about the report which was carried on CBC earlier this week. Humphrey said though there was some push-back initially, headway is being made in having the situation corrected.

“Homelessness is a very complicated thing, and in this particular scenario there was one person we spoke to who told me his situation was in relation to a [failed] relationship, and now having to find an accommodation

“The National Assistance Board is working with him. He already received support from the Welfare Department and we have advised that if he is able to find a place to rent we would be able to pay the rent.”

The minister added: “Kemar Saffrey [Founder of the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness] was also there at the site visit with us, and they have made their facilities available to house the persons who may need housing temporarily, and to do an assessment to make sure the persons are in the right mental state.”

Humphrey also stressed that at some point soon, a policy aimed at targeting homelessness on the island must be drafted in order to better assist persons in great need.

“We need, as there is in other countries, to have a policy that addresses homelessness, because in some cases there is going to be a case where we can have that conversation and we can come to a conclusion where everybody agrees to be helped. But there are some people who need help and are not willing to receive that help. Perhaps there needs to be some policy that allows us to intervene, [and] help people help themselves.” (SB)

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley wants to see Speightstown become the centre of arts and heritage in the region.

She made her intentions known at the official reopening of Archer’s Hall Design Centre Inc. in Speightstown, St Peter on Wednesday evening, almost two years after the establishment was extensively damaged by a fire at a neighbouring business.

Mottley said Government had embarked on several projects aimed at enhancing “this small quaint town that really ought to be the centre of arts and heritage not just in Barbados but, I’d like to suggest, in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean area”.

“For me, the passion is there for the preservation of Speightstown as that key heritage town for Barbados,” she added.

Noting that her administration had worked to make the northern town an ideal location to do business, including by restoring the nearby jetty and completing the Salt Pond project to mitigate flooding in the area, the Prime Minister added: “We want it to be that place where people can find their creativity but people can also find the distribution for the products which they are creating and to be able to earn a living.”

Mottley said she was pleased to see that the owners of Archer’s Hall Design Centre Inc., sisters-in-law Monique and Terri Archer, with the aid of the former’s father, Bjorn Bjerkhamn, had expressed confidence in the area by rebuilding after the September 3, 2020 fire.

Mottley promised that additional projects would be coming to Speightstown to help enhance the reputation of the northern town.

“What you see today is simply the private sector version of what the Government has been doing in Speightstown, placing our confidence in the future of this town to be able to provide jobs, to be able to earn for our people, but above all else to be that place for the people of the north to gather and to be able to find their place not just for entertainment but for food, for business and for all that you need,” she maintained.

“Rural societies need towns in order for business to flourish and this is what Speightstown had been for nigh 400 years…. This investment as quickly as it was made represents confidence, not only confidence in your business but confidence in the town and the country to provide the opportunities for you to get a return on the investments which you have made here, and that’s what this is about.

“Our country needs growth now and I’m satisfied that we can do it…. The pipeline of investments, not only just in the north but across the entire country, is looking very good. The projects will come and will be completed and this is an example of it,” the Prime Minister added.

The post Mottley has vision for Speightstown as regional arts centre appeared first on Barbados Today.

The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is much more stable than it was a year ago.

That is the view of president of the country’s largest public sector union Kimberley Agard, who said providing its members with a safe and healthy environment is one of her biggest achievements to date.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY to reflect on her first year in the post, Agard said prior to her being elected, both the NUPW’s Executive and membership were in turmoil.

The 39-year old became the third woman to serve in the position when she defeated Fabian Jones on August 19, 2021.

That election was overshadowed by controversy as former president Akanni McDowall staged an unsuccessful attempt to become the NUPW’s general secretary and then after being disallowed from seeking re-election he filed an injunction in the High Court to stop the elections from taking place.

However, Agard said she was proud to see that the NUPW had since settled down.

She revealed that within the past few months the union had seen a boost in its membership.

“One of the things that we would have promised that the team ‘new guard’ would have promised under my leadership would have been to bring about stability, to stabilize the union and to redirect the union in a way where persons once again trusted the union and looked to the union for that representation, support and comfort that it once was known for.

“Over the years we would have lost quite a number of members for particular reasons, be it not supporting certain decisions made by the union or for some reason or another we would have lost some membership over the years. But what we have noticed over the last nine months or so, we have seen a steady inflow of members,” Agard noted.

“The union is now in a better position. I don’t think the members were engaged in the way that they should have been as it related to the business of the union. Persons were not feeling like they were part of the decisions that were being made. Plenty people were not in agreement with the way in which these decisions or utterances were made and that created a high level of mistrust among the members.”

The president said even though the year had been challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NUPW continued to be at the forefront of representing its members.

She said through its hard work the union had prevented disruptions both in the private and public sector.

“The NUPW does not market itself in terms of some of the achievements that we get on behalf of our members and it is sad that the negativity is what would have been bandied about more than the positive things that we would have achieved.

“But over the last year and especially having the expertise at the top in general secretary Richard Green and deputy general secretary Wayne Walrond, we have been able to negotiate successfully on behalf of the Arawak Cement Plant. We would also have averted some disruptions within the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in relation to security officers there,” Agard said.

“There’s plenty more work to do. The work has begun and we are willing and up to the task of doing it.”

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

The post No turmoil appeared first on Barbados Today.

Parliament should soon be considering legislation aimed at bringing much needed assistance to people with disabilities.

This promise was made by Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, during an open day for Camp Reach at the National Disabilities Unit on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media at the camp, where 25 disabled children are being hosted during the summer break, the minister said that the advisory board tasked with outlining ways to improve the lives of disabled persons on the island was at an advanced stage with its work.

“As you know we would have launched an advisory committee on disabilities to advise the minister in relation to improving the lives of persons with disabilities. That committee is at an advanced stage in its work, and we anticipate that we would have that report within the next few weeks.

“The meetings of the disabilities groups are all but finished except one, and then we are going to be having, over the course of the next month, public meetings for persons to weigh in on what they think the disabilities policy will look like,” he explained.

The minister also revealed that draft legislation targeted at improving the lives of the disabled has also been received by the ministry and should be brought to Parliament before the end of this year.

Humphrey welcomed the much-needed legislation, saying that people with disabilities are still highly disadvantaged on the island.

“In my mind persons with disabilities remain one of the most disadvantaged groups in Barbados. Given the number of persons we have with disabilities, given the importance that they play, in my mind, to society, the fact that we are able to bring this legislation is important.”

Humphrey also renewed calls for the private sector to get on board and help support more initiatives geared toward the disabled, including assisting them in securing employment. (SB)

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A man who raped his girlfriend’s seven-year-old daughter and committed an act of serious indecency on her should be given a jail sentence in the region of 20 years in prison, says Acting Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Krystal Delaney.

But the convicted man’s attorney Lalu Hanuman has urged the High Court not to go over the threshold of 15 years in jail in sentencing his client.

The prosecutor and defense lawyer were addressing Madam Justice Pamela Beckles on Wednesday in the case of the step-father who was recently convicted of the offences by a jury in the No. 5 Supreme Court.

The offences were committed between May 1 and June 30, 2013 when he was in his late 30s.

Delaney submitted to the court that the custodial sentence for such offences had been exceeded as she pointed out the aggravating features of the stepfather’s crimes.

She said the convict had breached the position of trust that had been placed in him as he was the boyfriend of the child’s mother.

The impact that the man’s action has had on the child, the acting DPP said, was also aggravating as the complainant stated in the victim impact statement that since that time she had experienced among other things panic attacks, nightmares, engaged in self-harming behaviour, missed school and was still seeing a psychologist.

“The difference in age between the virtual complainant and the convicted man – the virtual complainant was a mere seven years old and the convicted man would have been in his 30s at the time,” Delaney stated as she continued to point to the aggravating nature of the offences.

“The starting point in this case should be in the region of 20 years.

“This court  . . . would know that these sorts of offences against children are very prevalent in this jurisdiction. It is my submission that a starting point in this region . . . would reflect the need for both specific and general deterrence. It would also reflect the public’s abhorrence of this sort of offence. A sentence in that region would maintain public confidence in the judicial system,” Delaney submitted.

But in his submissions Hanuman urged the court “not to go beyond 15 years . . . given the threshold I don’t think there is grounds for that”.

He however made it clear that the case was a “very serious” one as the “rape of a child is . . . horrendous, unacceptable and despicable”.

“I in no way seek to defend or mitigate such actions Ma’am.”

Hanuman added: “The jury has made their decision and they found the accused guilty. So in law he is guilty but as an aside I wish to add we have already filed an appeal against the conviction [on the grounds that] it is unsafe and unsatisfactory, so there is an appeal pending on that.”

“But as it stands I make no attempts to mitigate the findings of the jury in terms of the sentencing aspect . . .”

The defense attorney however requested that a psychological report be compiled on his client to which the judge agreed.

The convicted man, who is on remand, is to appear before the court on November 9 and 16. He is expected to be sentenced on the latter date.

The post Prosecutor’s plea appeared first on Barbados Today.

The leadership of the local credit union movement must certainly be wondering why such an extensive section of the Barbadian public remains exposed and unprotected from the vagaries of operating in the local financial system.

Credit unions in this country hold the deposits of more than 200 000 Barbadians. That represents an enormous portion of our population, across all demographics and economic stations.

For the  most part, however, the near $3 billion held by credit unions in this country are the hard-earned savings of ordinary men and women from working class homes. They are confident that credit unions are operating in their interest more so than other financial institutions and they place their savings there.

Credit unions had their genesis here in the 1940s as savings societies and cooperatives, built on the philosophy of self-help.

In fact, it was a group of low-income earners and members of the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church who formed a savings union in 1947, which was known as the Shamrock Savings Union. It would go on to become the island’s first registered credit union – the Shamrock Credit Union.

Commercial banks have been around long before credit unions, but for the majority of working class citizens, banks were exclusionary. Many remained unbanked and relied on their own ingenuity and family support to acquire homes and other necessities.

Given this background and the tremendous growth that has taken place in the movement, it is baffling that in 2022, credit union members are still without the benefit of deposit insurance, a government-backed safety net that savers with commercial banks and several other deposit-taking institutions enjoy.

Deposit insurance is a measure which was introduced under the Barbados Deposit Insurance Act, 2006 and managed by Barbados Deposit Insurance Corporation (BDIC).

Its main function is to provide protection for depositors’ savings up to a maximum of $25, 000 per depositor, per bank or financial institution.

Presently, the savings of BDIC’s  11 member institutions are protected. These are Republic Bank, Scotiabank, First Citizens Bank, CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, RBC Royal Bank, ANSA Merchant Bank, SigniaGlobe Financial Group, Capital Financial Services Inc, RF Merchant Bank & Trust, and Ascendancy Finance (Barbados) Ltd.

There are approximately 30 active credit unions in Barbados, with the largest by assets and membership being the Barbados Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union, City of Bridgetown Credit Union, and the Barbados Workers’ Union  Credit Union.

The nagging question is the unequal treatment of depositors with credit unions, who will be left unsheltered, should there be an unfortunate event that results in a collapse of the institution.

We must not believe that such an occurrence is impossible. In the financial sphere, the collapse of Trade Confirmers and even the more recent collapse of the CL Financial Group which led to contagion in the Barbados subsidiaries of CLICO, are a reminder of the havoc that occurs in people’s lives when their nest eggs are suddenly ripped from under them.

Even within the credit union movement, despite the aggressive regulation of the sector by the Financial Services Commission (FSC), members of the Barbados Secondary Teachers Credit Union had their credit union placed under strict management instruction by the regulator in an effort to protect their deposits.

At the last annual general meeting of the Barbados Cooperative and Credit Union League, president Hally Haynes disclosed that the island’s largest credit union was now under enhanced watch by the Central Bank of Barbados because of this credit union’s importance to the overall stability of the local financial system.

Government and the financial sector’s regulators concede the critical role of credit unions to the island’s financial architecture. They know the level of exposure to which so many poor and middle-class citizens would be subjected if an event occurred that threatened the stability of credit unions.

Why in these circumstances are credit union members not given the same level of protection as depositors in commercial banks and certain other deposit-taking institutions?

It is now left to credit unions to exercise their strength in numbers and speak more assertively to this issue. Credit union members  should not allow themselves to be treated as second class citizens.

They need to demand that promises by government to address this unequal treatment be addressed as a matter of urgency.

The post #BTEditorial – Protect credit union members also appeared first on Barbados Today.

This alert message is valid from 6 AM Thursday 25th August 2022 and will be UPDATED at 9 AM Thursday 25th August 2022 or sooner if conditions warrant.

A severe-thunderstorm watch is issued when significant lightning activity is possible within the watch area (generally within 6 hours).

Over the last hour, moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorm activity has been observed as a tropical wave affects Barbados.

Scattered thunderstorm activity is possible to persist within the coming hours.

Key Message:
•Expect some lightning activity in the near future or near your location
•Increase likelihood of power outages if lightning strikes power utility infrastructure. (BMS)

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This alert message is valid from 6 AM Thursday 25th August 2022 and will be UPDATED at 9AM Thursday 25th August, 2022 or sooner if conditions warrant.

A flash-flood warning is issued when rapid flooding due to heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time (generally less than 6
hours) is occurring or is imminent in the warning area.

Over the last hour, moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorm activity have been observed as a tropical wave affects Barbados.

Further accumulations of 15mm to 50mm in moderate to heavy rainfall are possible within the coming hours.

Key Message: Residents and visitors should be prepared for the following possibilities if this alert level elevates to red:-
•Significant runoff from higher elevations. Significant soil erosion is likely on exposed or scarred land surfaces
•Large water settlements on roads
and fields
•Significant adjustments to water levels of existing water bodies (ponds etc.). •Significant delays on traffic routes with some roads possibly impassable. Large objects or debris from higher elevations may also become embedded within fast moving water flows
•Significant flooding at the foot of hillsides and coastal roads is possible. (BMS)

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