Barbados and the rest of the region are running out of time to build more resilient economies “for the sake of current and future generations”. The effort will require a multisectoral approach with major inputs from the business community.

This assessment has come from President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Dr Gene Leon, who called for a revisit of the “fundamental roles and responsibilities in economic development” in light of the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Simply put, we need a new deal,” Leon told the gathering at the launch of the Business and Management Research Think Tank (BMRTT) and the Business Roundtable Forum at the Cave Hill School of Business and Management (CHSBM) on Friday.

“Time is against us, and we cannot foresee or predict the next big upheaval. However, we can prepare for it by building resilient businesses, institutions, social systems, and economies. The private sector has perhaps the most pivotal role to play in that process. For the sake of current and future generations, let’s forge a new deal,” he insisted.

The BMRTT is an agreement between the CHSBM and the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) and the Business Roundtable Forum is an agreement between the CHSBM and the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

The deals between the learning institution and the business community are designed to guide research and innovation that can influence the business environment and lead to the reform of industries.

Welcoming the new agreements, the CDB head said private enterprises had a major role to play in the delivery of sustainable development outcomes.

“Sustainable development is really about improving the quality of life and capabilities of the Caribbean people by utilising our resources in a manner that achieves current objectives without compromising the prospects of future generations,” said Leon.

“Sustainable Development is not ‘my business’, you may argue. I am therefore calling on you to re-engineer your mindsets about who is responsible for what. The basis of my appeal is simple – sustainable development is too important for it to be the exclusive purview of our governments,” he told the audience, which included some of the island’s key private sector players.

“Profitability and development are not incompatible. On the contrary, private enterprise should apply the ingenuity, innovation, entrepreneurial drive and goal-oriented approach employed in commercial pursuits to national and regional development,” said Leon.

He noted that in order to achieve sustainable development the building of a “resilient ecosystem” was needed – “one that encompasses all dimensions of resilience including social, financial, environmental, institutional, and productive capacity resilience.

“In doing so, our areas of focus and facilitation include food and nutrition security, energy security, climate security, education and skills development, social protection, digital transformation and economic diversification,” he said.

“Development has to be a shared responsibility, one where individual stakeholder egos are subordinated through the notion that development of the whole will always imply development for all,” he added.

The economist called for a re-imagining of how private-public partnerships were viewed in the region, stating that “the public-private partnership or PPP as we know it, will remain constrained in raising its effectiveness”.

“That was a mechanism for yesterday. We need solutions for tomorrow. Let me invite you to re-imagine PPP. What prevents us from reframing PPPs as partnerships for prosperity and profits?

“When you drill down on the areas of focus and anticipated impacts of the sustainable development agenda, they speak to the very heart of your business objectives. Programmes that enhance education and improve skills development will create a knowledge-oriented workforce with the extensive skills base necessary for industries of the future. That’s sustainability,” he said. (MM)

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Tourism Week 2022 will be celebrated in Barbados from Sunday, September 25, to Saturday, October 1, under the theme “Rethinking Tourism”.

Outlining plans for the Week, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Chief Product Development Officer, Marsha Alleyne explained that since 1980, on September 27, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day, and instead of one day, an entire week of activities is held to celebrate tourism workers and to shine a spotlight on the industry.

The Week begins with a service of thanksgiving on Sunday, September 25, at Sanctuary Empowerment Centre, at 10 a.m.

Monday, September 26, from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m., the BTMI will host a Tourism Future Leaders Forum at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.  Also on Monday, September 26, CBC TV 8, at 8:30 p.m., will televise the Bus Ya Brain Tourism Forward edition.

On Tuesday, September 27, which is World Tourism Day, the public is asked to wear yellow to support those who work in the industry.

The next day, Wednesday, September 28, the Grantley Adams International Airport, will host a career showcase from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.  Then from 6 p.m. at the 3Ws Oval, there will be a T15 Celebrity Cricket Match.

“Experience The Very Best of Your Community” takes place on Friday, September 30, this activity involves several events at Oistins, Christ Church; Six Men’s, St Peter; Pelican Village, Bridgetown and Belleplaine, St Andrew.

The week of activities culminates on Saturday, October 1 with a Rural Community Shout-Out from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the Food and Rum Festival “Food Truck Mash Up” beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Pelican Village.

Alleyne explained that during the week, various hotels, restaurants and attractions would be offering discounts to the public. (BGIS)

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The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) is warning that an increase in electricity rates could threaten the jobs of workers and even lead to layoffs.

CTUSAB general secretary Dennis De Peiza issued the caution as he expressed concern that if the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) grants the Barbados Light and Power Company (BLPC) the rate increase it is seeking, that will put more pressure on workers and businesses already grappling with the high cost of living.

“We have a spiraling cost of living and any rate increase of any tremendous proportions, or any proportions, will create even greater hardship . . . . When this happens . . . we could see the social fabric of society being threatened from the point of view of people’s livelihoods – employers not able to sustain employment because the spiraling costs of operations will mean that we might eventuate to more layoffs,” he said at a press conference at the Barbados Union of Teachers headquarters in Welches, St Michael on Friday.

“ . . . . I don’t think the suppliers and the business people are going to absorb these tremendous costs that will be incurred to them.”

Last Saturday, ahead of the start of the rate hearing which began this week, the FTC granted BLPC an interim increase but only allowed them up to 50 per cent of what they requested in their application. The increase takes effect from September 16 until a decision is delivered on the substantive application.

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

De Peiza said despite the efforts of the intervenors at the ongoing rate hearing, he believes Barbadians should brace for that rate hike.

As far as the CTUSAB general secretary is concerned, the Social Partnership should meet to discuss the implications of the rate increase and its potential negative impacts on Barbadians.

“I believe that we have to take a serious look at what is happening and look to bring some control and mitigating measures to bear. This is where the Social Partnership is important . . . to sit and have discussions on this . . . . The possibility remains that this will always contribute to a level of market exploitation,” the trade union leader said as he suggested there should be more competition in the electricity sector.

He added that with Barbados’ renewable energy 2030 goal, the BLPC rate increase was questionable.

“We should not be seeing a demand for an increase in the electricity rate if we are introducing an alternative that makes life easier for all people,” the CTUSAB official said.

Adding, however, that solar energy systems were expensive, he contended: “You have another issue to deal with – the issue of affordability because if you are going to tell me to put solar panels on my house and I don’t have the income and the wherewithal to do so, I still am at a serious disadvantage.”

De Peiza also said wages should be keeping up with the high cost of living, adding that he was concerned that commodity prices had not come down as expected following the implementation of the compact agreement signed with the private sector in July this year. (SZB)

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The Ministry of Tourism and International Transport has embarked on a venture to expand the number of businesses that supply the cruise industry with goods and services.

This initiative saw tourism ministry officials meeting with the local business community, both large businesses and a number of small operators, yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) to discuss the way forward.

Explaining that the island’s approach to the cruise industry was now far more commercial and business oriented to ensure that there was a great impact on the domestic economy than was the historical norm, Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins emphasised: “There is more to the business of cruise than cruise passengers walking through the city and cruise ships in the Port.”

She further added: “We have looked at all the commercial opportunities that constitute the cruise industry and designed our interventions accordingly so that Barbados benefits from the cruise industry in meaningful ways.”

Senator Cummins explained to attendees that this was the basis on which the BTMI’s cruise operations were shifted to Miami, Florida, earlier this year, because “that’s where the actual business is transacted long before ships arrive in Port here in Barbados”.

“Among the things they are charged with is the responsibility for increasing the number of ships’ calls to Barbados, sell our shore excursions, create opportunities for employment for Barbadians, as well as ensuring that there are greater opportunities for provisioning of ships,” Minister Cummins stated.

The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) working together with the Bridgetown Port identified the items and quantities that were historically imported into Barbados and then provisioned to the cruise lines, in order to establish a local market place for these items.

During the meeting, the group of over 30 businesses sought to agree on what among those items could be serviced from Barbados to the cruise lines, as well as highlighted their concerns including duties, VAT, sanitary and phytosanitary measures/standards, certifications accepted and price fluctuation of inputs.

The minister with responsibility for the Bridgetown Port disclosed that once the process of determining what items and quantities could be serviced that, In the first week of October, officials from cruise lines including Carnival Cruise and Royal Caribbean would come to Barbados to begin the process of contracting.   “We will host a market place of sorts with the cruise lines here in Barbados so they can go into the season with a clear provisioning market from Barbadian companies,” she said.

Minister Cummins stressed that this push to increase the provisioning of goods and services to cruise ships, once achieved, would benefit not only local businesses but ultimately Barbados.

Bridgetown Port Inc., Divisional Manager, Operations, Ian Stewart, noted that Barbados was already servicing cruise ship, on a small-scale, in the areas of cargo handling, bunkering, provisioning, ship chandlery services, fresh water delivery and waste management services; however, this venture was aimed at broadening those services.

Stewart informed those present that for the upcoming cruise season 2022-2023, that 78 different vessels were expected to dock, 359 vessel calls were booked and Barbados would be the homeporting port for 21 vessels. “There’s lots of business to be had and surely during our discussions here this afternoon, we want to ensure that everybody can take part in this”, he said.

Also present at the meeting were BTMI’s, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jens Thraenhart, Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA), Executive Director, Ms. Shardae Boyce, Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society, Mr. James Paul and officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and National Security.  (BGIS)

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A total of 29 new COVID-19 cases, 21 males and 8 females, were recorded from the 306 tests carried out on Friday, September 23, by laboratories across the island.

Of the positive cases, six persons were under the age of 18, and 23 were 18 years and older.

There were 32 people in isolation facilities, while 266 were in home isolation.

As at September 23, there were 559 COVID-19 related deaths.

The laboratories have conducted 763,896 tests since February 2020, and recorded 102,412 COVID-19 cases (46,331 males and 56,081 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 163,620 (71.6 per cent of the eligible population).

The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 154,642 (57.1 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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Since the start of the Clean and Green initiative, about 400 000 trees have been planted across Barbados and environmental officials are pressing to ensure more than twice that number is eventually planted, National Tree Planting Coordinator Darwin Philips said on Friday.

Speaking at the launch of the latest Clean and Green exercise in Pavilion Terrace, Deacons Farm, St Michael, he said that despite some setbacks, the island remained on track to plant one million trees, as Government seeks to maintain green spaces across the country to help mitigate the effects of climate change,

“We have thus far planted just around 400 000 trees across this island . . . . We have a mandate that this country has signed on to with the Paris Agreement . . . which states [focus on] reducing or mitigating the climate effects with respect to global warming. We are on our way in doing that, in getting our one million trees. It may be slow, but we will get there,” Philips said.

Member of Parliament for St Michael North West Neil Rowe was pleased to have a new recreational site in his constituency, but used the opportunity to express disappointment with the amount of illegal dumping around the country, including in Deacons Farm.

“Please desist from taking it upon yourself to just find an open area to just dump what you don’t want…. I am begging you, those of you who know who you are, to just stop doing the illegal dumping in certain areas of the Farm. It then gives my team more work, especially the Clean and Green team that I have, when it comes to cleaning the area.

“I am begging you to just work with us, work with the Government, work with me, with the Minister to help make things a little easier,” Rowe pleaded. (SB)

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Some Barbados Community College (BCC) students struggled to cope in the online learning environment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to seek help for mental health issues.

That disclosure came from principal Annette Alleyne who said that when most classes were conducted online due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, the BCC management had received increased reports from the institution’s Counselling and Placement Centre about students with mental health challenges.

She said it was also noted in BCC Registrar Roger Worrell’s report that the number of students requesting extended studies had doubled between 2020 and 2021.

“It was unusual. A large number of students were asking for extended studies – another year and another semester – because some of them chose to defer from various programmes. In some instances where we had students doing clinicals, they couldn’t get into the sites to do their clinicals. But in a number of cases, the students had chosen to defer some of their programmes,” Alleyne said at BCC’s Convocation Ceremony.

“And then when students did their portfolio for the visual arts and so on, a number of . . . their pieces showed the struggle some of them had with anxiety, with loneliness, depression, etc. So we knew that it was a concern for the students during the online period and that is why we have made such a great push to have students come back face-to-face.”

She added that the Students Guild had also hosted a Mental Health Week focused on issues affecting the student body.

“[They] had various initiatives and activities that could help to alleviate some of the stressors that they were experiencing,” Alleyne explained.

The principal highlighted research conducted in the United States which indicated that students who experienced mental health challenges during the pandemic appeared to be ‘quiet quitting’ – that is, doing just enough to complete their studies and not going the extra mile.

However, Alleyne cautioned the new students that the “just enough and no more” attitude had serious repercussions in an extremely competitive world, as she told them that those who gave more were the ones who excelled and succeeded.

“If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, loneliness, there is help, ask for help. Join a club, form a study group, reach out to our Counselling and Placement Centre; there is help. If you are struggling with mental health challenges, do not be one of the one-third of college students who are quiet quitting,” she said.

The BCC principal also put the newcomers on notice that the excitement and euphoria they felt at the start of their college journey would eventually fade and they might begin to feel exhausted and even question why they were there.

“And it is at these times when you need your community, a friend, a study group, someone to be able to give a word of encouragement. And our theme for this year, One Community, Working Together, Achieving Together, becomes even more appropriate.

“Life will throw things at you – a pandemic, an ashfall, a hurricane, some weird weather patterns where roofs get blown off and so on, the unexpected loss of a friend or loved one, betrayal, these things happen in life. But what it is that will keep you going and keep you firm in the face of any of these adversaries will be your sense of purpose and what it is that you want to achieve,” Alleyne said. (AH)

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Police destroyed more than 400 kilograms of illegal drugs on Saturday at Portvale Sugar Factory, Blowers, St James.

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The Ministry of Education is reporting a successful first week of school.

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Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing boy.

Kaleb Burke, 13, of Eversley Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael, was reported missing by his mother Lasaunta Cenac who last saw him about 6 pm on Friday when he left home.

Burke is 5 feet tall, slim, brown complexion, small ears, small nose and speaks with a Barbadian accent.

Any person who may know his whereabouts is asked to contact the Hastings/Worthing Police Station at telephone number 430-7608, Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS (8477), or the nearest police station.

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Barbados recorded 24 new COVID-19 cases, nine males and 15 females, from the 256 tests conducted at laboratories across the island on Saturday, September 24.

Of the positive cases, seven persons were under the age of 18, and 17 were 18 years and older.

There were 32 people in isolation facilities, while 254 were in home isolation. No deaths were recorded yesterday, so the number of COVID-19-related deaths remains at 559.

The health laboratories have conducted 764,152 tests since February 2020 and recorded 102,436 COVID-19 cases (46,340 males and 56,096 females). Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 163,621 (71.6 per cent of the eligible population).

The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 154,642 (67,820 males and 86,822 females), which represents 57.1 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.

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Nedira Jones, 15, of 2nd Avenue, Vauxhall Gardens, Christ Church and Kaleb Burke, 13, of Eversley Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael, who were reported missing on Sunday, have been traced and are safe.

The police service thanks everyone for their assistance in this matter and looks forward to your continued cooperation in the future.

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Police are investigating a shooting incident, which occurred just after 4:30 Sunday afternoon at Sol Banyan Court, Bay Street, St Michael.

Police say a group of young men were in the car park of a local business when they were approached by two men who open fire.  One of the young men received an injury to his left foot. He was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

Police are appealing to anyone with information regarding this incident to call 211, Crime Stoppers at 1800-TIPS (8477), or the nearest Police Station.

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Severe thunderstorm and flash-flood warnings are currently in effect for Barbados.

The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) said both alerts are valid from 6 a.m. today and will be updated at noon 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).

Occasional lightning activity associated with widespread thunderstorms were occurring during the early hours of this morning.

There is still the possibility of some further occasional thunderstorm activity during the early morning period.

Some lightning activity is possible in the near future or near your location. Increase likelihood of power outages if lightning strikes power utility infrastructure.

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.

“Current rainfall accumulations of 1 to 2 inches have already been recorded across the island. Further rainfall accumulations of 1 to 2 inches in heavy to violent showers are expected as the inter-tropical convergence zone continues to affect the island,” the BMS stated.

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Reports are that the Grantley Adams Memorial School has been closed with immediate effect due to an “environmental issue”.

Sources tell Barbados TODAY there was a “strong smell” at the Blackman’s, St Joseph educational plant and investigations are expected to begin shortly to find out its source.

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Investigations are ongoing into a shooting incident which occurred at Bottom Close, Wildey, St Michael around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 25.

Police say they responded to a report of the shooting along an alleyway in the area. On arrival at the location, they were informed that a young man had sustained a gunshot wound to the neck and was transported to a medical facility via private motor vehicle for medical attention.

Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact the District ‘A’ Station at 430 7242 or 7246, Police Emergency 211, Crime Stoppers at 1800-TIPS (8477) or the nearest Police Station.

Lawmen assure the public “all information received will be strictly confidential”.

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The Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration (CMPI) is mourning the loss of Pan-Africanist and attorney-at-law Robert “Bobby” Clarke.

The 90-year-old passed away on Saturday.

The CMPI in a post on its social media page announced that it would spend the next seven days in mourning and call on others to do the same.

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Police were this morning at the scene of a reported breaking and entering at the St Giles Primary School.

More information as they come to hand.

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley remembers Charles Tibbits as a respected tax consultant “whose expertise has been valued by several administrations over the years, was always the gentleman, no matter how strongly his opinion or perspective differed from yours”.

Below is the PM’s full tribute:

Sadly, it falls on me once again to say goodbye, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, to a true treasure in our midst — quiet and unassuming though he was.

Charles Tibbits, the long-standing partner at PriceWaterhouseCooper, key member of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry and respected tax consultant, passed away last Thursday, leaving a void that will not easily be filled.

Charles, whose expertise has been valued by several administrations over the years, was always the gentleman, no matter how strongly his opinion or perspective differed from yours.

That was certainly one reason why his quiet, authoritative voice was constantly sought after by the news media to make sense of some of the complex national and international tax measures, which our nation has had to deal with, in recent years, for the benefit of ordinary Barbadians, as well as members of the business community.

In fact, for many years, Charles’ post-Budget analyses and commentary proved to be critical components in helping Barbadians to understand not only the implications of measures Government would have employed, but why they would have been enacted. His was an approach that encouraged mature, sensible national discussion.

We shall miss him.

On behalf of the Government, I extend sincere condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley remembers attorney-at-law and Pan-Africanist Robert “Bobby” Clarke as a “fearless fighter for the underdog; the one who would not hesitate to champion the cause of the poor or unrepresented, whether it meant a battle with the titans of business, the Government of Barbados or powerful interest elsewhere”.

The 90-year-old passed away on Saturday.

Below is the PM’s full tribute:

This afternoon, if I had been asked to describe Robert “Bobby” Clarke in just a few words, I would have to say he was “a man apart”. In any grouping, Bobby stood out — not by accident or chance, but by design. In all the years I have known him, his aim was never to just fit in.

And that is how I will always remember him — the fearless fighter for the underdog; the one who would not hesitate to champion the cause of the poor or unrepresented, whether it meant a battle with the titans of business, the Government of Barbados or powerful interest elsewhere.

Once Bobby took on a noble cause there was no doubt that he was prepared for a battle, his aim always being to make the lives of ordinary people better. In fact, it would not be inaccurate to describe his life as one of constant battles. He battled the establishment as an avowed Pan Africanist. He battled big business and Government as a tenacious trade unionist. He also took on just about everyone as a politician.

Without doubt though, anyone who had the honour of spending time with him soon came to understand that he was imbued with a commitment and passion for fairness and justice, with the protection of the dignity of the working class at the core.

When there was political turmoil in Grenada in the 1970s and 80s, Bobby was there. When he felt his voice could make a difference in the politics of Trinidad and Guyana, he made sure the world heard him. He was the consummate fighter.

While I watched in recent years as the aging process slowed him considerably, compelling him even to use a cane to assist in walking, what remained absolutely clear was that time did not dull his intellect or his tongue. The roar of Bobby Clarke’s voice, as well as his laughter, until the end, was as commanding as I recall it as a young lawyer seeing him in the magistrate’s court so many years ago.

We will miss Bobby, not just as an individual, but the ideals for which he stood — the principles by which he lived, and the fearlessness that characterised his personality.

On behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, as well as my entire family, I extend sincere condolences to all his children and the rest of the Clarke family.

May his soul rest in peace.

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