An international economic consultant is warning that Barbados and other Caribbean countries are at the tipping point of a serious debt crisis.

“There is now a growing sense that the world needs another new global initiative on debt,” said Jwala Rambarran, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago.

His sobering declaration was made yesterday during the virtual launch of a report entitled: Caribbean Emancipation 2030: A Sovereign Debt and Climate Justice Initiative for Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Rambarran, who authored the study on behalf of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) contended that there’s now a need for a fresh solution to address this state of affairs.

One chart in the findings of the study placed Barbados in a red zone as the Caribbean country with the highest gross public debt of 157 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020.

“The six countries that are in red, if more economic or climate shocks persist, it’s quite likely that those could go further into the red zone. The issue now is if those countries that are in the orange zone, if those shocks continue, they are likely to migrate of course into the red, and we would now have the makings of an imminent debt crisis in the Caribbean,” he predicted.

Rambarran suggested that Barbados’ high debt situation has resulted in monies being diverted to service debt causing the physical and social infrastructure to suffer.

“That is where the real issue is, that there is just not enough…even if the revenue is there, the revenue is earmarked to service debt and not for developmental needs. That is where the big impact is,” he contended.

“Over the last decade, you have seen it in Barbados where the infrastructure has deteriorated. You look at Bridgetown. Bridgetown does not look as clean and serene as I knew it to be when I used to come there in the younger days. It just doesn’t look like that. The gloss and sheen that were there are no longer there.

“You drive through you also see a number of properties for sale, you also have properties…sitting really dilapidated. I was in Barbados Hilton over the weekend gone and you could see the infrastructure has suffered. You are seeing rotten wood on the ground floor, which is unheard of in that Hilton,” the economic analyst observed.

He suggested that should Barbados fall into another debt crisis, the first thing it would have to do is to cancel all of its debts, something he thought was unlikely to happen.              

Rambarran also said that with Barbados’ total debt standing at US$6.908 billion – US$2.2 billion in external debt and US$4.7 billion in domestic debt – the island may have to undergo another restructuring through the International Monetary Fund (IMF).                                                                       

The former advisor on the IMF’s executive board further suggested that as the country prepares to return to the fund, the new Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) which it set up in May, would be an important facility for Barbados at this time because it offers concessional lending. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mia Mottley told a press conference that Barbados would be going back to the IMF for a total of US$340 million to assist the island over the next three years.

As a major step toward implementing solutions to the debt problem, Rambarran recommended a strong advocacy campaign that would attract buy-in from global financial institutions and influencers.                                                             

“The advocacy framework talks about a number of the lessons that would come from Jubilee 2000 [a global campaign that led ultimately, to the cancellation of more than $100 billion of debt owed by 35 of the poorest countries],” the top economist pointed out. (EJ)                                                         

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A Government minister has asserted that despite the administration’s compact with the private sector that was aimed at reducing the high cost of living, the measure has not produced the expected relief since some companies have refused to hold up their end of the bargain.

Minister of Elder Affairs and People Empowerment Kirk Humphrey on Wednesday appealed to the guilty parties to do the right thing.

“I’ve seen in some of the bigger stores, prices that have not reflected the commitment that they made to the Government. I’ve seen it in smaller places as well.

“I am making a plea for the sake of the country for people to reduce that profit margin so that the poor, the needy, the vulnerable, the elderly, the disabled, and the disenfranchised could eat. I am very concerned and very serious about it,” he told the media following a presentation of food supplies to his ministry and the Kiwanis Club of Barbados North by Carigro and Multinational Wholesalers, at the company’s headquarters in Six Roads, St Philip.

Humphrey acknowledged that some establishments were doing their best to reduce prices and make food more affordable for the poor, elderly, people with disabilities, and the most vulnerable.

However, he said he was concerned about the general cost of food in Barbados.

“I understand that a lot of it is due to the disruptions in the supply chain. I know that the base cost of items has also gone up. But I feel, especially in cases where Government has made arrangements for prices to come down, we have not seen that reduction in the prices that we expected to see and something cannot be right,” he said.

“I feel prices could be lower. I have seen cases where, when you look at all the costs considered, the prices should not be as high as they are.”

In July, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced a Social Partners Food Prices Compact that would result in a reduction of prices on 47 items for a six-month period. In addition to the expected overall drop in the cost of food governed by the compact, Value Added Tax (VAT) was taken off a number of items and duty removed from some citrus items.

Signatories to the agreement promised their markups would be no higher than between 12 and 15 per cent.

However, Minister Humphrey said markups remained high and were putting vulnerable groups at more of a disadvantage.

He urged businesses to think about the greater good and not just profits.

“At the end of the day, we live in a Barbados where everybody has to be able to eat and I am very concerned that if these prices remain at the level that they are at, the poor in Barbados will not be able to continue to survive,” Humphrey said.

“So we are making another plea to the business community, the persons in Barbados who control the prices, to put prices in such a way that yes, they reduce your profit margin but all of us have to take a hit. They take a hit so that other people can survive the hit they are facing.

“Barbados must remain a principle-driven country that you have to take a little bit so that people can eat too,” he added. (SZB) 

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By Morissa Lindsay

Barbados needs to up its game if it is to remain in the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group ll. National captain Damien Applewhaite has described the island’s latest 3-2 defeat to Ireland as a wake-up call.

The home side was left feeling disappointed after losing to Ireland this past weekend in the first round World Group ll Davis Cup tie played at the National Tennis Centre in Wildey. Now, the Bajans are faced with a must-win situation against Pacific Oceania.

Yesterday, the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group l and ll playoff draws were decided by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Barbados seeded at number five will take on Pacific Oceania who were promoted to World Group ll.

“We did not get the result we wanted. We knew that the tie would have been keenly contested, but we lost the crucial doubles, so I think that they really gave us a wake-up call. That was our first ever group two loss since we entered the group two phase. So, it really shows us that the other teams are getting better and we should continue to up our game and not to become complacent,” Applewhaite said.

While the dates of February 3-4 and 4-5, 2023, have been decided by the ITF for the playoff draws to be played, it has not yet been confirmed exactly what dates Barbados will play but they do have the option to either host Pacific Oceania or travel and compete. More than likely the Barbados Tennis Association will go with the opportunity to play at home.

Barbados’ recent performance against Ireland is not for a lack of trying but the time has come to face reality that national top ace Darian King cannot continuously do it by himself. Therefore, the younger members of the team Xavier Lawrence, Kaipo Marshall and Matthew Foster-Estwick need to start getting the right levels of exposure to improve their tennis and become more competitive.

Pacific Oceania is made up of 14 countries – Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

On paper with those lists of countries it may appear that Pacific Oceania will be a force to reckon with but ability-wise, they are on par with each other because Oceania’s highest ranked player Colin Sinclair has a world singles ranking of 619 and 585 in doubles.

Whereas the other players, Clement Mainguy, Matthew Stubbings, Gillian Osmont and Brett Baudinet, have yet to acquire singles points which is the case with Barbados because Lawrence, Marshall and Foster-Estwick do not have singles rankings.

King has shown time and time again his quality and capabilities and he did so brilliantly against Ireland even after not competing for a couple months. He won his first single match against Ireland number two Osgar O’Hoisin to even the tie at 1-1 for Barbados after Foster-Estwick lost his singles to their number one seed Simon Carr.

On the second and final day of the tie, King and longstanding doubles partner Haydn Lewis needed to win and they did brilliantly to come from 4-1 down in the first set to equalize 6-6 and forced the match into a tiebreak situation.

Both countries knew the importance of winning the doubles, King and Lewis held the upper hand during the tiebreak 5-2 but Simon Carr and Davis O’Hare equalized 6-6 and went on to win the tiebreak 8-6 and claimed the match 7-6 in what was a superb battle between the players.

The Irish went on to win 6-3 in the second set and they took advantage of the fact that Lewis was not having a good doubles match – he struggled with his serves and returns which was evident as his frustrations showed.

That once again put King in a must-win situation because Barbados were down 2-1 in the tie and yet again he delivered with an emphatic singles victory over Ireland’s top ranked Carr. However, it was not enough to stop the visitors as they went on to successfully claim the tie 3-2 when Osgar O’Hoisin defeated Kaipo Marshall in the fifth and decisive encounter of the tie.

During the interview with Barbados TODAY, Applewhaite also acknowledged that the players need more match experience and said from now until February before they meet Pacific Oceania that would be the focus.

“Kaipo is still very young, he is in school right now and he has been doing a lot of collegiate matches. Before the year is out we will try to identify one or two professional tournaments like in Trinidad for example for those guys to play so that they get the necessary match experience that Darian has at such a high level,” captain Applewhaite explained. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb

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A total of 45 people, 27 males and 18 females, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, September 21, from the 388 tests conducted by laboratories across the island.

The cases consisted of 10 persons under the age of 18, and 35 who were 18 years and older.

The number of people in isolation facilities was 33, while 298 were in home isolation.

As at September 21, there were 559 COVID-19 related deaths.

The laboratories conducted 763,308 tests since February 2020, and recorded 102,366 COVID-19 cases (46,303 males and 56,063 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 163,611 (71.6 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 154,630 (57 per cent of the total population or 67.7 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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Ben Norris and Kirk Watkins celebrated their first off-road navigational victory since 2019 when they won last Sunday’s fourth round of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship. The ‘Donks’ September Safari, titled for the affectionate nickname by which club stalwart Philip McConney was known, also marked a return to more challenging conditions, following heavy rain the night before.

Amassing a total of only 70 penalties over the 100-kilometre event in their Jeep Rubicon, Norris and Watkins’s winning margin was 130 points. Christopher King and Warrick Eastmond (Suzuki Jimny) won a tight battle for second place by just six points, beating Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal (POD Store/Maxxis Jimny), who had won all three previous events for the year.

The successful crews received plaques and trophies sponsored by Realtors Ltd and Serenity Pest Control at Tuesday evening’s prizegiving at Ocean Park, Christ Church, where MudDogs chairman Ricky Holder thanked the sponsors, route-setters Jason Downey and Kristina Pinto and the volunteer marshals.

Norris said: “It was our first win in the Jeep and its first real test in some proper muddy conditions, which it handled even better than expected. More than four inches of rain the night before certainly put the Mud back into the MudDogs! An enjoyable event on many levels from the conditions to the route itself and, not least, it’s a special honour to take the top spot in the first memorial event for our dear friend Donks, who meant so much to the MudDogs family and who would have had a blast!”

‘Donks’, whose sudden passing in July was a shock to the whole community, had been a competitor, marshal and official for more than 30 years and there was rarely a motor sport event from which he was absent. Most recently, he had been the Start and Service Park Co-ordinator for Sol Rally Barbados 2022 before participating in the 65th Anniversary running of the June Rally, an event he had won twice.

“It was also great to see some new faces competing which we hope will bode well for the last event of the season in November,” added Norris. Five new names on Sunday’s entry list brought the total number of drivers or navigators who have competed this year to nearly 50 and Holder is also pleased with the steady growth: “It was a great event, the newcomers said that they enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next.”

With just eight penalties incurred on the first route from Oughterson in St Philip to the Armag Vegetable Depot in the same parish, Norris and Watkins shared the lead with Gary Mendes and Jonathan King (G&G Sales and Service Daihatsu Rocky). Third were Class B leaders Joseph Tseu and Samantha Williams in a Suzuki Samurai eight penalty points behind. While a Driver Challenge had been planned close to Foursquare just before the lunch halt, it was abandoned on safety grounds.

Norris and Watkins won route two, which finished back at Oughterson, with Alleyne and O’Neal second, King and Eastmond third. Alleyne and O’Neal had done well to move up the Leader Board from 10th place after a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes in route one where there was no margin for error, but they were to lose out on second place by just six points, as these three crews emerged as the class of the field.

Adam Hunte and Samantha Gibbs finished fourth in their Doverwood Projects Nissan Patrol, their best overall result together, and won Class B for the third time this season, reinforcing their lead in the standings. On route 1, they finished second in class to Tseu and Williams, but the new pairing dropped out on the second route leaving Hunte and Gibbs a clear run to victory. Father and son duo Stephen and Ben Moore finished second in Class B, enjoying their first event together in the family Isuzu D-Max, although Ben and Luke Cozier had won the class in ‘The June’, with Joel Smith and Simon Parravicino third in their Jeep Wrangler.(RB)

‘Donks’ September Safari – September 18

Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship, round 4

1st Ben Norris/Kirk Watkins (Jeep Rubicon), 70 penalties

2nd Christopher King/Warrick Eastmond (Suzuki Jimny), 200pens

3rd Leslie Alleyne/Chris O’Neal (POD Store/Maxxis Suzuki Jimny), 206pens

4th Adam Hunte/Samantha Gibbs (Doverwood Projects Nissan Patrol), 258pens

5th George Mendes/Leslie Evanson (Suzuki Vitara), 278pens

6th Gary Mendes/Jonathan King (G&G Sales and Service Daihatsu Rocky), 314pens

7th Dean Springer/Bridget Garity (Eastern Veterinary Clinic Ford Ranger), 328pens

8th Stephen Moore/Ben Moore (Moore & Moore Services Isuzu D-Max), 345pens

9th Stephen Mayers/David Reece (Toyota Hilux), 402pens

10th Joel Smith/Simon Parravicino (Jeep Wrangler), 492pens

Class B

1st Hunte/Gibbs, 258pens

2nd S Moore/B Moore, 345pens

3rd Smith/Parravicino, 492pens

4th Winston Drakes/David Boyce (Mitsubishi L200), 584pens

5th Tseu/Williams, 1110pens

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Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw has disclosed that the Cabinet of Barbados met today and approved a number of fundamental changes to the COVID-19 directives that have governed the management of the pandemic since early 2021.

She said effective Friday, September 23, 2022 the following would obtain:

“The wearing of masks generally will now be optional. However, mask-wearing remains mandatory for persons in nursing homes, private hospitals and senior citizens homes; persons in healthcare institutions including staff, visitors, clients and patients. All institutions where medical and dental services are provided. Persons in prison including staff, prisoners and visitors. Staff and students at all educational institutions. All nurseries and daycare facilities for both children and adults and of course persons who have COVID-19 as well as persons who are travelling on public transportation.

“Conscious of the direction in which the rest of the world is going, effective tomorrow (Friday, September 23, 2022), we will also discontinue all COVID-19 related travel protocols for Barbados. This means that we will be joining 95 per cent of the countries in the Western Hemisphere [that] preceded Barbados in going in that direction. There will therefore be no testing requirements for entering Barbados whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated.”

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It was not me!

That was the impassioned statement of Kemal Mario Straker who today maintained his innocence and suggested that police were trying to frame him.

Straker, of #15 Clapham Park, St Michael, is charged with possession of a .45 ACP firearm and nine rounds of ammunition on February 9, 2020.

When his trial continued in the No. 3 Supreme Court this morning before Justice Carlisle Greaves, Straker opted to give an unsworn statement from the dock.

“I was not the person in Reed Street on February 9, 2020. I don’t go to Reed Street. I don’t be in Reed Street at all. I don’t have no friends or any associates in that area. It is a lie that they tell on me,” an emotional Straker stated.

“The police that arrest me that say they know me for two years are telling lies because I was in prison for three years prior. The police always coming to me about things that I don’t know anything about. For my birthday in August the police come and knock out my teeth. They just keep looking back at my old life from 2015.

“I just want to prove my innocence because I did not have a firearm on me. The police are just trying to set me up for something that I don’t know anything about,” he added.

Straker told the court it was also telling that none of the police officers who testified in the case identified him by his tattoos.

He said both his right and left arm were completely covered with tattoos.

Straker, who is slimly built, also contended that he would not have been able to escape the grasps of police officers due to his build.

The prosecution, led by Senior State Counsel Neville Watson, closed its case against Straker today.

Watson and defense counsel Bryan Weekes were scheduled to deliver their closing addresses to the jury today.

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A police officer on Thursday recounted that murder accused Raheim Ricardo O’Neil Hinds claimed he threw a stone at Michael Yearwood in self-defense.

That was the evidence of Station Sergeant Ainsley Gittens when Hinds’ trial continued in the No. 5A Supreme Court.

Hinds, of Phillip’s Road, Pinelands, St Michael, is charged with murdering Yearwood on March 26, 2015.

He is alleged to have struck Yearwood with a stone on March 11, 2015, which eventually caused his death.

Gittens recalled that on March 25, 2015, in the presence of Sergeant Trevor Reece, Hinds was arrested and charged with committing serious bodily harm to Yearwood.

He said at that time Yearwood was still alive.

The police officer said they told the accused they had been informed that Yearwood was struck in the head and back with stones and injured and they suspected he was the person who inflicted the injuries.

Gittens said Hinds replied, “I only hit he with one rock.”

The witness said Hinds was subsequently taken to the Psychiatric Hospital for an assessment.

However, the police officer said on April 24, 2015, Hinds, who at the time was on remand at Dodds, was brought to Central Police Station and subsequently charged with murder following Yearwood’s death.

The police officer said when Hinds was asked if he had anything to say he responded, “The man attack me and my little brother with a sword.”

The officer said Hinds told them he did not know where the stone was, as after throwing it at Yearwood he ran off, not knowing if Yearwood had been hit.

Under questioning from Acting Director of Public Prosecution Alliston Seale, Gittens told the court that Reece, the lead investigator in the matter, had retired medically unfit and was now unable to speak.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Arthur Holder, Gittens admitted that he was just the “back-up” officer in the matter and he could not recall if he had interviewed any other witnesses.

Justice Christopher Birch adjourned the matter until September 28.

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It was not so long ago, a year to be exact, that the country engaged in a raging debate over the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some were strongly for taking the vaccine while others were vehemently against it.

In many instances, those against were made to feel like Public Enemy #1. This was so not only in Barbados but the world over. The marginalisation and discrimination towards those who refused to take the jab was evident through loss of rights, loss of jobs, loss of friends and in some cases loss of family. Entry to many countries were denied to the unvaccinated.

Life as we knew it was turned upside down when Government, like the rest of the world, embarked on a national drive to get people vaccinated.

On realising that further engagement was needed a series of townhall meetings “to inform and educate the public” started but this exercise proved to be bloodier than the social media battles which were already in tow.

At the meetings those against the vaccine were sometimes heckled and made to feel insignificant while those for it were perceived as “informed and enlightened”. The unvaccinated were labelled as an “uncaring and selfish” bunch who had no regard for life.

The first town hall meetings took place on Monday, August 9, 2021, at the Alexandra School in St. Peter, on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at the Princess Margaret Secondary School in St. Philip, on Monday, August 16, 2021, at the Deighton Griffith Secondary School in Christ Church, and on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at Combermere School in St. Michael.

Of these, the most dramatic lead to a viral video with a vaccinated individual spouting negativity towards the unvaccinated at the meeting at Deighton Griffith. It was there that a woman issued a stern warning to all who were unvaccinated not to come anywhere near her. And that was the beginning of the end.

Her words in part: “If wunna ain’t vaccinated, don’t come and talk to me because obviously, if wunna got Delta, I gine catch it. I gine fight it but wunna gine dead. . .  Stop the ignorance, stop it! and let us be grateful for what we as a small island have achieved.”

But prior to these meetings, on Saturday, August 7, 2021, the Barbados Concerned Citizens Group, with social activist Winston Clarke at the helm, led hundreds of Barbadians in protest against the vaccine. Hundreds, mostly dressed in white, marched from Pelican Village to Independence Square with some chanting: “Mia must go!” It was a mixed group representative of varying races, religions and ages.

The group had petitions signed against the vaccine, spoke out against workplace discrimination and tactics they deemed as “bullying” to encourage people to take the jab.

The debate raged on from social media to work places to shops and supermarkets. If you coughed or sneezed you were frowned upon. If you didn’t wear a mask there was a look of disdain.

There was a great divide on this 166 square mile land mass. So much so that by the end of the townhall meetings Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley came to the nation and stated categorically that the Government did not support the idea of a vaccine mandate because she would not allow the country to be further divided at a time she needed it to be united. These were words of wisdom from our Prime Minister.

But her words meant little to some hotels, restaurants, stores, retailers, telecom companies, et al, who all went ahead an enforced a vaccine mandate on their staff. Some did so overtly, others used subliminal tactics.

Then came the Omicron variant which proved to be the mighty leveller. We then started to record thousands of cases and some deaths, among the vaccinated.

Then it was later reported that many Bajans did not come forward for the second shot or boosters, a sign that many did not see the utility in taking the jab after Omicron’s onslaught.

Fast forward to today when Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw told the nation that we had made great strides. She then reported that the mask mandate is “generally optional”.

“The wearing of masks generally will now be optional. However, mask-wearing remains mandatory for persons in nursing homes, private hospitals and senior citizens homes; persons in healthcare institutions including staff, visitors, clients and patients. All institutions where medical and dental services are provided. Persons in prison including staff, prisoners and visitors. Staff and students at all educational institutions. All nurseries and daycare facilities for both children and adults and of course persons who have COVID-19 as well as persons who are travelling on public transportation,” the acting PM said.

Hours before the briefing, AP News reported that Canada was set to lift its vaccine travel mandate at all borders from next Friday, September 30. And while the debate will rage on about the pros and cons of the vaccine, one thing is clear, those who stood their ground, those who held true to their convictions, those who did not waver or cower no matter the pressure of job loss, travel restrictions or else must feel vindicated. The unvaccinated who were once made to feel as though they were less than human, must now feel an immense sense of liberation.

Prime Minister Mottley was right. Rabid division has no real place in this country, even in a pandemic.

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By Marlon Madden

Officials of the Small Business Association (SBA) are calling on Government to remove the two per cent foreign exchange tax on online transactions and review the policy for payment of national insurance contributions for self-employed individuals.

These are among a range of short- and medium-term policy intervention measures proposed by the association to help drive down operating costs for micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (MSMEs) and incentivise entrepreneurs to pay into the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), which has come under scrutiny in recent times.

“Remove the two per cent foreign exchange tax on online transactions and the sewage levy for specific sectors (agriculture and manufacturing) to assist with reducing the high cost of doing business,” said Chairman of the SBA Neil Corbin, who presented the Board report 2021-2022 on behalf of the board of directors during the association’s 29th annual general meeting today.

According to the board of directors, another short-term relief could include a review and amendment of the policy framework for the payment of national insurance contributions by self-employed individuals.

“A benefits regime is required to incentivise business owners to be more compliant in paying into the insurance scheme,” it said.

However, with these and other policy intervention proposals and request for stimulus support submitted in 2020 yielding very little results to date, Chief Executive Officer of the SBA Dr Lynette Holder told Barbados TODAY she was somewhat disappointed at the slow pace at which Government was moving given that the issues raised were critical to the survival of the MSME sector.

Singling out the proposal for the NIS review for self-employed individuals, Holder said while the SBA was encouraging members to pay because there were long-term benefits, they were concerned that “there is no immediate benefit”.

Close to half of the association’s nearly 1,000 membership is made up of self-employed individuals.

“If I am a female-owned business and it is just me and I take sick, there is no health benefit for me as for an employee in a firm. A self-employed female can’t access maternity benefits. So those kinds of things. There are no immediate benefits . . . We need to have a discussion on this because this is one of the issues that came up and we saw it glaringly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit,” she argued.

“We felt we could have had some discussion on them but I am a bit concerned, a little disappointed even, that we have not seen the progress towards some of these. I am not naive to think that all of these could be operationalised but I think there are some that definitely we could have engaged conversations around to see how we can improve the enabling environment for the sector,” said Holder.

In the report, the SBA Board noted that while it had lobbied the government on a number of policy intervention measures
during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and there were some initiatives that
were done, albeit with “varying outcomes and degree of success”, more intervention was required.

Among the short-term policy proposals is for the extension of the cap on loans provided by the Barbados Trust Fund Ltd. from $10,000 to $15,000, which they argued would “incentivise more entrepreneurs to enter the market.

The SBA Board also called for the introduction of regulation to incentivise the digital transformation in business, noting that in addition to smart cities, online payment platforms should be facilitated, and electronic commerce enabled through regulation of the commercial banking sector.

“Additionally, public/private partnership should be incentivised to provide training to business owners in the use of technology to support the development of mobile apps and/or other digital footprint, for SMEs to better interface with government departments in the payment of bills, provision of data, and the promotion of products online,” it added.

Over the medium term, the SBA said Government could introduce legislation to provide for number portability to enable SME owners to have greater flexibility in the use of their telephone numbers for business.

The SBA is also calling for resources to assist micro and small firms to conduct audits and retrofit their operations with viable renewable energy options, as well as the establishment of an Innovation & Growth Fund for firms to access grant funding and/or low interest loans between one and two per cent, for operational requirements.

The board has also called for the introduction of “relevant” procurement regulations to set aside a percentage of Government’s goods and services to SMEs using technology as a platform for procurement, measurement and evaluation of the procurement regime.

It also recommended the introduction of legislation to provide for a tax incentive for firms that invest in research and development that led to new products for the domestic market and/or the internationalisation of existing product offerings.

“Amend the Cooperative Societies Act to allow for corporate membership within credit unions and the relevant regulations for the provision of business lending for corporate members,” the SBA board added.

The report also outlined that it had concluded its Strategic Plan for the period 2022 – 2025 called VISION 2025. This will provide a roadmap for the recovery period post-COVID-19, and focus on four thematic areas – research and advocacy, capacity building, resource mobilisation and membership support services.

“It is now not a case of if, but when, for the survival and transformation of the MSME sector,” said the SBA.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Legislation to allow more categories of people to attain Barbadian citizenship is to go before Parliament soon, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams disclosed on Thursday as he called for discussion on a regional migration policy.

He said the new laws will also seek to streamline processes associated with immigration policies.

“The new Immigration and Citizenship Acts, which are both advanced in preparation, will regularise the status of persons already in the island while expanding the net of persons who qualify for status and citizenship. These Acts will also address irregularities and perceived barriers which have been identified and seek to make the application process a lot simpler,” he announced.

“Along with citizenship, we will be taking the opportunity to examine the policies and measures relating to immigrant status, permanent residence, student visas, payment modalities, all with a view of simplifying processes and reducing processing times…. Through these improvements, Barbados is frontally recognising the intrinsic link between migration and economic policy.”

Abrahams was speaking at the opening of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) workshop, Towards the Development of a Regional Migration Strategy and Policy, at Radisson Aquatica Resort on Thursday.

Delivering her Budget in March this year, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that a major overhaul of the country’s immigration policy would be coming in a matter of months, as she said that Barbados needed to fix its “population issues”.

She said then that a recent study had indicated that unless the situation was addressed, the island’s workforce would be smaller in 12 years than it is now.

Speaking at Thursday’s workshop, Minister Abrahams contended that issues surrounding migration were of regional concern.

He contended that migration policies within the region were not fit for purpose, and have inevitably led to some underdeveloped economies within select nations.

“We have a reality in CARICOM that we must face. We have a number of underpopulated and therefore under-resourced countries. In 2021, the Republic of Suriname, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Belize, Bahamas, and Dominica were recorded as being the least densely populated countries in this region. Conversely, Barbados has been identified as the most densely populated country in the region,” Abrahams said.

“So, any discussion on managed migration must attend to the matter of supporting each other’s developmental priorities and realising the full potential of CSME [CARICOM Single Market and Economy]. A frank discussion on how managed migration can support those economies whose growth rate is exponential must be held in this region. No one should be left behind.”

Director of CARICOM IMPACS, Tonya Ayow, acknowledged that creating a new regional migration strategy and policy would not be an easy task.

However, he said, it was a necessary step for improving economic development and security strategy on this side of the hemisphere.

“It will require a multisectoral approach – one in which we may sometimes clash and we will have friction, but at the end of the day recognising that the goal is to strengthen our regional efforts to create policies for safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration.” (SB)

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The island’s sole electricity supplier told a rate hearing today that it proposes to cap the bills of 41 000 low-income consumers at $6 per month provided they don’t go over 150 kilowatts per hour of usage.

This position was put to the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) panel in the rate adjustment hearing, by the lead attorney for the applicant, the Barbados Light & Power Company (BLPC).

In his opening presentation on Thursday, Ramon Alleyne, King’s Counsel (KC), said the number of domestic customers who stand to benefit from this cap has increased by close to 10,000 since the last rate hike in 2010.

“The customer charge increase on lower usage blocks will be kept below full cost of service to reduce bill impacts on lower usage customers, many of whom may have low incomes; while the customer charge on the higher usage blocks will be at the cost of service,” the senior attorney submitted.

He told the hearing, “Relative to the base energy charge, the inclining block rate structure and usage blocks will also be retained. The increase on the first block will be limited to an additional two cents per kWh to lessen the impact on the low-usage customers. The energy charges at the higher usage bands will vary from an additional four cents per kWh for the second usage block to an additional six cents/kWh for the higher block.”

The attorney told the commission chaired by Dr Donley Carrington, that in the other customer classes, the inclining block structure has also been used and there have also been limits to the increase on either the customer charge, base energy charge or both.

“The BLPC acknowledges, however, that rate design is an art and a science as various objectives, some of which are competing, must be balanced and tailored to the circumstances of the environment in which the utility operates. The BLPC has undertaken this delicate balancing exercise in a manner that is fair, based on the rate design objectives and cognizant of the need for rate stability,” declared the power company’s senior legal advisor.

Alleyne also announced that the company proposes to disaggregate the recovery of fuel costs from consumers in light of the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and the decline in the use of fossil fuels.

“The fossil fuel costs will continue to be recovered via the Fuel Adjustment Clause which was previously approved by the commission,” counsel submitted. However, he added, the non-fossil fuel costs which are presently recovered under the Fuel Clause Adjustment will be transferred to the Renewable Purchased Power Adjustment (RPPA).

“The RPPA is being proposed to recover the costs of energy purchased from renewable energy sources. The rationale for this disaggregation is to facilitate the better tracking of the progress toward the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy,” Alleyne informed the hearing held at the Accra Beach Hotel.

“Further, there will be increased transparency as consumers will also be able to recognise the true cost of RE as compared to fossil fuels. There will be no increase in bills as a result of the implementation of the RPPA,” the BLPC’s legal counsel assured the panel.

Putting the case for a boost to the company’s revenue requirement, Alleyne explained that the requirement is the total amount which must be billed and collected in rates from utility customers for the BLPC to recover its costs and earn a fair and reasonable return.

“The formula applied to determine the company’s revenue requirement is the same formula that was applied in the 2010

decision. Consistent with the last rate review, the company’s revenue requirement has been developed with the intent to provide an opportunity to recover its prudently-incurred costs for providing utility services and to earn an appropriate return on invested capital, including a fair return on equity,” he argued. Alleyne underscored that if the company was not granted the increase, its viability would be at risk and it would not be able to meet its expenses involved in supplying a service that is safe, adequate and reasonable. He also contended that the company would not be able to continue to deliver a secure and reliable supply of electricity to all customers in an environment where the cost of inputs to the BLPC’s operations had risen substantially.

As a result, Alleyne told the commission that while the test year revenue requirement on existing rates is $393.7 million, based on a proposed base rate of $825.8 million, a revenue requirement of $440.2 million is necessary.

“Therefore, the applicant’s revenue requirement has increased by $46,4 million,” he argued.

The BLPC is seeking increases ranging from $2 to $6 more per month for domestic customers and between $4 and $10 more for general service users.

The hearing continues tomorrow at 9 a.m at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The mask mandate has been lifted.

From Friday, the wearing of masks will be optional except in schools, in healthcare facilities, in penal institutions, and on public transportation where they will still be required.

Additionally, all COVID-19 travel restrictions have been removed.

Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw made the announcement during a COVID-19 update press conference at Ilaro Court on Thursday, following a meeting of Cabinet at which the decision was made.

“The wearing of masks generally will now be optional. However, mask wearing remains mandatory for persons in nursing homes, private hospitals, and senior citizens’ homes; persons in healthcare institutions including staff, visitors, clients, and patients; all institutions where medical and dental services are provided; persons in prison including staff, prisoners and visitors; staff and students at all educational institutions; all nurseries and daycare facilities for both children and adults and, of course, persons who have COVID-19 as well as persons who are travelling on public transportation,” Bradshaw said.

She added that COVID-19 travel protocols will also be removed.

“Conscious of the direction in which the rest of the world is going, effective tomorrow, [Friday], we will also discontinue all COVID-19-related travel protocols for Barbados. This means that we will be joining 95 per cent of the countries in the Western Hemisphere [that] preceded Barbados in going in that direction. There will, therefore, be no testing requirements for entering Barbados whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated,” the Acting Prime Minister said.

Despite the lifting of these COVID restrictions, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Dale Marshall stressed that the island was still under a State of Emergency, and the Government could therefore reintroduce the protocols if needed.

“The State of Emergency still continues. Parliament, when it last met earlier this month, agreed to extend the State of Emergency until the 21st of December….

“That gives us a legal and regulatory framework to make adjustments. We have been adjusting downwards in terms of the level of restrictions on Barbadians but if necessary, all of the legal powers that were here from March of 2020, those are still available to us,” Marshall said. (SB)

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley is seeking support for a Bridgetown Agenda that Barbados has created to encourage reform of the Bretton Woods system, as she urged world leaders to remove the barriers to accessing financial assistance from multilateral development banks.

She also issued a stern warning to world leaders to honour their climate agreements, as she addressed the General Debate of the 77th United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.

Mottley, who has been very vocal over the years in calling for a revamp of multilateral institutions, spoke extensively about the need to reform the aging global financial architecture to better reflect today’s realities, including making it easier for climate-stricken countries to access capital.

She contended that the Bretton Woods Agreement that gave rise to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) “no longer serve the purpose in the 21st century that they served in the 20th century”.

Against that background, the Prime Minister said she will be asking other nations to sign on to the Bridgetown Agenda as she continues to push for change.

“We had the good fortune of collecting, in Barbados, a large number of persons from civil society and academia at the beginning of August/end of July and we settled on what we have come to call the Bridgetown Agenda because we believe it to be a Bridgetown agenda for peace, a Bridgetown agenda for prosperity, a Bridgetown agenda inspired by love of humanity, and it is that agenda that speaks to the reform of the Bretton Woods architecture,” Mottley said.

“We’ve asked and will ask countries and people to join it because we believe that unless we take responsibility for ourselves, unless we accept that we are the world, we are not going to see a change.”

The Barbadian leader also urged countries to keep their promise to limit global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius and net zero by 2050.

During last year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Paris, the G77 grouping – a bloc of 134 developing countries – pushed for the establishment of a loss and damage facility to support victims of climate-related disasters specifically for loss and damage.

Mottley congratulated Denmark for being the first country to pledge support to the loss and damage fund to the tune of US$13 million earlier this week, as she urged developed countries to play their part.

“The commitments of loss and damage are absolutely critical if we are to make serious progress in saving our world… the trust that is needed to propel us to fight the great causes of our time will not be won by breaching promises,” she said.

Painting a picture of the destruction associated with the climate crisis and pointing to the far-reaching effects, Mottley drew on the recent experience of Puerto Rico, which suffered catastrophic flooding and widespread damages from Hurricane Fiona earlier this week.

“The developing world, and in particular the small island developing states, came to Paris and agreed for a global compact. One of the key aspects of it that allowed us to do so was a promise of loss and damage. Today, the people of Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico, and yesterday [Wednesday] Turks and Caicos – and little do we know what will happen with Bermuda – face the difficulty of disruption by Hurricane Fiona,” she said.

She noted that the disruption was coming at a time when access to natural gas has already been affected by the war in Ukraine and the decision by Russia to cease supply to Europe.

“When we match this with the reality that we have not planned in granular form how we will have the capacity to meet the commitments that we have made for net zero – and I am a big defender of net zero, as you know – then I see trouble ahead of us and we must pause and get it right,” Mottley warned.

The Prime Minister also highlighted that while small states like Barbados have made net zero commitments, the current state of global affairs, including Atlantic hurricanes, the war in Ukraine, and the absence of financing, does not allow them to stop accessing their natural gas resources right now.

“….Natural gas has been viewed as a bridge to clean energy, but when the access to natural gas itself is also affected, you better understand why emerging markets in the Caribbean, including my own, and in Africa have determined that we cannot abandon access to our own natural gas resources until we are assured that we have the capacity to sustain our populations. This is where the rubber meets the ground,” contended Mottley.

Meanwhile, the Barbados leader supported a reform of the Security Council but said it had to be more than the composition of that UN body.

“We believe that a Security Council that retains the power of veto in the hands of a few will still lead us to war as we have seen this year, and therefore the reform cannot simply be in its composition but also [must include] the removal of that veto,” she said.

Among those also addressing today’s session was US President Joe Biden.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) on Thursday ruled that the hearing into a proposed basic rate hike for the Barbados Light and Power Company (BLPC) will not be suspended unless it gets an order from the High Court to do so.

The judgment was handed down by FTC chairman Dr Donley Carrington after Acting Public Counsel Sharon Dean returned on day two of the hearing and again moved a motion – which was first denied on Wednesday – that the proceedings be adjourned for two months to give her time to properly represent some 200 000 consumers in Barbados, since she had only taken up the post on Monday.

The motion was dismissed again.

However, Dr Carrington granted Dean an extension of time to file certain documents related to her case, and also permitted intervenor and utility attorney Tricia Watson the required time to present her motion after she persistently pressed the FTC to do so.

The Commission also dealt with a number of BLPC motions on Thursday, including requests for two of its expert witnesses to testify virtually and be cross-examined, and to extend the hearing dates for the application by one day, to October 7.

“The Commission will allow other witnesses to give evidence and be cross-examined virtually, by notice by the intervenors,” Dr Carrington ruled.

He also granted the company’s request to allow two of its witnesses to testify jointly and to extend the time to file evidence in the matter. There was no objection to that application.

BLPC was also permitted to have its witnesses use a laptop computer for the purposes of expeditiously searching for and locating documents that would be displayed on a screen for all to see. This was also extended to all other witnesses.

However, the FTC turned down the power company’s motion to remove from the list of issues, a clawback accountability clause.

BLPC complained that the clause is unclear with respect to its relevance, design and implementation.

However, Dr Carrington disagreed and denied the utility company’s request.

The hearing resumes on Friday at 9 a.m. at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa. (EJ)

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By Morissa Lindsay

A former longstanding referee and administrator, Caveton ‘Food Franklyn’ Greenidge is calling on the football community of Barbados for financial assistance having lost both of his legs and is seeking to raise BDS$20, 000 for prostheses.

During a press conference organized today by former Barbados Football Association (BFA) President, George LasCaris, he said that Greenidge has been associated with football for 30-years and in his time of need is calling on all persons within the local fraternity to assist.

“We are trying to make the public aware of an unfortunate rise in circumstances which caused Caveton Greenidge to lose both of his legs. They were amputated below the knee and we are trying to raise funds to purchase prostheses and the total cost is BDS$20, 000. Mr Greenidge has had a long association with football and with sports in general. He has served in several capacities in the football association and within the community.

“His relationship not only with football but sports in general within the community is long. Now in his time of need we are hoping that footballers and sports people would come forward and try to assist him. As you can see he has lost both of his legs already and we hope to raise this money in short order so that he can resume as normal a life as possible,” LasCaris told the media.

Greenidge met his life-changing misfortunes in January of this year when he lost his first leg followed by the second in March and has since tried to cope as best as he can. A former national football selector, the 68-year-old Greenidge served under three BFA presidents – LasCaris, Ronald Jones and Randy Harris – now at the helm. He also sat on the Executive Council of the BFA for 15 years and is a member of the disciplinary committee.

He also wore several other hats in the capacity as president of Wotton Football Club which was formerly known as Franklyn Landscaping Wotton. He was also part of Clarke’s Hill Football Club and organized an out-of-season football competition which was geared towards St. Phillip teams contested at the Hilda Skeene Primary playing field.

A man of few words, Greenidge expressed sincerest gratitude to persons like LasCaris and others who have come together and assisted in his time of need.

“I appreciate LasCaris and Santa (Edley Malcolm) very much for helping me and I hope many more people come on board,” Greenidge said.

Malcolm, a former Barbados Football Referees Association colleague and friend of Greenidge, was present during the conference and said he was happy to help a man who was like a father figure when he started refereeing.

While they have reached out to several businesses for help, LasCaris said he is disappointed that the BFA has not jumped on board and hopes they will at some point, given the importance and urgency of the matter.

“I am a little disappointed that the BFA has not jumped on board because they have been the main beneficiaries of Mr Franklyn’s expertise and service. Maybe after Qatar they will come on board fully because after Qatar I think we are due to receive three million dollars out of profits from FIFA. So, we will have quite a lot of money that they can share,” LasCaris added.

A special event called the Food Franklyn Football Day is in the works and will comprise a football match to be played between the masters and the referees. There will also be a fish fry and according to LasCaris the proceeds will go towards Greenidge once the date has been confirmed.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb

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Heads of two schools that won 2022 national scholarships and exhibitions are pleased with the performance of their students.

Harrison College’s principal Juanita Wade said the 15 scholars, including the nine exhibition winners, were able to rise against the odds, despite facing the challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both Wade and principal of The St Michael School Tanya Harding praised the efforts of the students and their teachers especially given the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.,

In addition to having to adapt to learning online, Wade said the award winners and their peers were also facing lockdowns and being isolated in their homes.

“When we had the opportunity to come into school they took full advantage of it so they got the rewards for all of that diligence. I am really happy for them and for their families. And I am not just happy for our students, but I am really happy for all of the students because it really shows resilience and being able to manage, and not just manage, but to manage extremely well even in adversity. It really says alot about who they are,” she said.

The proud principal said that she was extremely proud that the winners of the national awards have indicated that they intend to give back to Barbados when they complete their studies in their respective fields. She said staff at Harrison always stressed the importance of giving back to the society that has given much to them.

“Of course the teachers would have worked tirelessly with them. We knew we had to do some extra work because it was not the same being at home and being in the face-to-face environment where the teacher has access to you.

“And therefore when we came back to the face-to-face environment we asked the teachers to go a little harder, to do a bit more, and they did. I am really glad to see that the staff pulled out all the stops and all around it was a whole family effort,” Wade said.

Meanwhile, SMS Principal Harding was happy with the institution’s one scholarship and two exhibition winners this year. She said the school has always produced good students, but quite often they would attend sixth form at other schools where they would achieve their awards.

“Now that we have a sixth form, we now could show Barbados we are capable of producing the scholarship winners as well. But like I said, we are all very proud and I do credit the hard work of the staff and the students themselves, especially in the last two years with all the challenges that we would have had with the COVID pandemic,” Harding said.

Barbados TODAY’s efforts to reach the principal of Queen’s College for a comment on the school’s performance, attaining five scholarships and eight exhibitions, were unsuccessful.

Christ Church Foundation and the Barbados Community College (BCC) each had one scholarship winner while a student from the college also won an Award of Excellence. (AH)

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If all goes according to plan, the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) could soon have satellite sites in strategic locations across the island and offer its services online to young people across the Caribbean.

This disclosure was made on Wednesday by Minister of Youth, Sport and Community Development Charles Griffith as Chief Executive Officer of the Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) Sophia Greaves-Broome called for a “healthy entrepreneurship ecosystem” through which young entrepreneurs can drive social and economic development.

They were speaking during the Youth Symposium at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre as the Small Business Association (SBA) continued its celebrations for Small Business Week 2022 under the theme Exploring the Digital Frontier – The Next Business Revolution.

Griffith said in addition to setting up sites across Barbados to ensure ease of access to YES, they were exploring the possibility of having the programme available across the Caribbean by January 2023.

“I have asked that we decentralise the programme where we can take our training programme through satellite locations across the country because it is required, it is necessary. The fact that persons are unemployed and to ask them to pay four bus fares to come to Sky Mall [Ministry headquarters] to engage in training is really, in a sense, not on,” he said.

“If we can have these satellite locations across the country, then I think it is something that is good for our young people because they get to be at that particular location to hear what it is that we have to offer.”

The Youth Minister added: “Hopefully, next year we will be having the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme programme going through the region where we will allow those young persons from within the Caribbean who are looking to get involved in entrepreneurship, in starting their business, to be able to access our training programme online . . . . There is scope for us to offer our programme within the region and maybe beyond.”

Pointing out that training is critical to the development of skills for operating a business, Griffith said he has already requested that every training programme being offered through his ministry be certified.

He said officials of YES were “in active discussions with the University of the West Indies to ensure that that particular training programme is now certified as well”.

YES, which was introduced in 2015, is aimed at promoting youth empowerment and development through the establishment of viable and sustainable micro and small businesses.

Griffith said while the Government would continue to provide the necessary environment for businesses to thrive, it was up to entrepreneurs to make connections, form partnerships with each other, and penetrate new markets.

Addressing the audience of young people drawn from the SBA membership and the PCW, he noted that there are about 55 000 young people in Barbados and they had identified one of their main concerns as unemployment.

“At my ministry, the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme is providing opportunities for young persons who are interested in becoming self-employed, for those young persons who see entrepreneurship as a viable option. Government cannot find employment for half of those 55 000 people. While it is true that a chunk of them will be going into studies, the reality is, entrepreneurship is one of the paths that we are pushing,” Minister Griffith said.

According to the latest unemployment data for the period April to June 2022, the overall unemployment rate was 9.3 per cent, which meant that some 13 000 people were out of work and actively looking. It was estimated that just over 10 000 people between the ages of 15 and 44 were jobless during the period.

During her presentation, Greaves-Broome said there were still several environmental and societal pressures hindering youth entrepreneurship in Barbados. She said there was a need for both a top-down and bottom-up approach to building out the sector.

“If we truly believe that youth entrepreneurs are vital to social and economic development and that they are at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution, and that youth will be driving the advancement in innovation and technology, then it is imperative that a healthy entrepreneur ecosystem be created,” she said.

“One that encourages individuals to take the step and provides the necessary support, provides the necessary incentives to encourage persons to want to become entrepreneurs – not only financial but a mixed approach which can include recognition of the prestige, the opportunity to be part of something bigger such as tackling a social or environmental issue.

“A healthy entrepreneurship ecosystem has to be created and created through a supportive culture where there is access to training to build their capacity, education, infrastructure, sources of finance, and the relevant policies and regulations to allow for tangible real-time assistance,” Greaves-Broome added.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbadian centenarian Kenneth Weithers has lived a fulfilled life, having lived and worked in Britain for almost three decades as part of the Windrush generation before returning home to enjoy his retirement.

And he was all smiles on Wednesday as family and friends gathered at his 8th Avenue West Terrace, St James residence to celebrate his 100th birthday with him. Weithers, who appeared to be in good spirits, also received a virtual visit from Acting President The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey Gibson.

His relatives shared some of his life story with Dr Gibson, telling him that Weithers, the only surviving child of his parents’ five offspring, was born and raised in Rectory Hill, St Peter.

After completing his education at the now defunct Speightstown Boys’ School, he worked as a gardener at a private residence before moving on to Haymans Sugar Factory.

Weither moved to England in 1961 and his wife Carmen-Pearl, now deceased, joined him a year later. They returned to Barbados in the 1990s.

Their union produced six children, three of whom Weithers has outlived. He has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The centenarian was described by one of his daughters, Marilyn Alleyne, as a happy, contented individual who enjoyed playing card games, taking walks, reading, and solving mathematical problems.

She said while her father has a touch of dementia, his doctor was satisfied that he was generally in good health.

Alleyne explained that before the COVID-19 pandemic, Weithers looked forward to attending a daycare facility where he participated in activities and interacted with other senior citizens and staff.

“He loves horse racing because when he lived in England he would occasionally drive for miles just to see those horses racing. We have taken him to the Garrison Savannah a good couple of times. And when we are out driving we point out landmarks so he knows when he is at Kensington Oval, he knows when he is at the Garrison. He could have directed you, pre-COVID, to the daycare,” she said.

“If you are going out he has to check that you have petrol, that you shut the doors. When we had the ashfall, he said it was like war time, he said it was dark and you couldn’t go out and to him war time was dark and rainy. So, when we couldn’t open the windows and things that we are accustomed to doing, to him it was like war times, it was hard.” (AH)

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