A total of 20 new COVID-19 cases, seven males and 13 females, were recorded from the 206 tests conducted on Sunday, September 25, by laboratories across the island.

The cases consisted of 12 persons under the age of 18, and eight who were 18 years and older.

There were 31 people in isolation facilities, while 241 were in home isolation.

As at September 26, there were 559 COVID-19 related deaths.

The laboratories conducted 764,358 tests since February 2020 and recorded 102,456 COVID-19 cases (46,347 males and 56,109 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 163,630 (71.6 per cent of the eligible population). The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 154,648 (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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Lawmen are carrying out investigations into a shooting incident which occurred at the Ivy, St Michael around 10a.m. on Monday, September 26.

Police say they received a report of gunshots being fired in the area of the four cross between Roger’s Road and Ivy Main Road, St Michael.

No one was injured. There were also no reports of damage to property.

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

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A known burglar’s 20th conviction today has landed him in Dodds prison for two years.

The sentence was handed down to Robert Omar Harris by Magistrate Manila Renee when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court at Cane Garden, St Thomas.

Harris, 45, of Block 1A, St Matthias, Christ Church, admitted to stealing a flash drive valued $60 belonging to Sheena Griffith between September 13 and 24, 2022, as well as entering Griffith’s residence as a trespasser and stealing a bathroom mat, a set of pots and pans, a dispenser set, a set of spoons and forks, two bags and one set of fabric on September 24, 2022. The items had a total value of $1 085.

In giving the facts, Sergeant Kenmore Phillips said the complainant paid Harris to clean her car on September 13.

When he was finished, he returned the keys to her. However, days later, the complainant realised that the flash drive that she kept in her car was missing and she reported the matter to police.

With respect to the burglary, the prosecutor said on the mentioned date, around 4 a.m., the complainant heard her dog barking but paid no attention.

Around 6 a.m., she left home to go exercise on the beach. However, on her way there, she was stopped by a neighbour who told her that a man had broken into her house and pointed out Harris who was in the area riding a bicycle.

The complainant identified him as the man who had washed her car on a previous occasion.

When asked by the Magistrate if he had anything to say, Harris told her that he had a drug problem.

“Right now, I using cocaine real heavy, I taking pills and I using needles. I need some help with this problem, even if I have to go to the Mental [Psychiatric Hospital],” he told the court.

When the Magistrate checked Harris’ conviction card, it showed he had 19 previous convictions, including for theft and burglary. He had also served prison terms for those offences.

“Based on your history, only a term of imprisonment will do,” Magistrate Renee told him, even as she lauded him for pleading guilty at the earliest occasion and not wasting the court’s time.

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Despite pleading guilty to three drug offences, Donnie Joshua Patrick Aymes will keep his criminal record clean if he manages to stay out of trouble for the next 18 months.

Magistrate Manila Renee placed the first-time offender on a bond to keep the peace when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The 24-year-old chef of Odessa McClean Drive, St Michael admitted to being in possession of cocaine as well as intending to supply, and trafficking the illegal drug on September 24, 2022.

Prosecutor Sergeant Kenmore Phillips told the court that police were conducting an operation in Bayville, St Michael, when they saw Aymes standing in the doorway of La’s Variety Shop with other men.

On seeing the police Aymes started to fidget which aroused the officers’ suspicion.

They approached him and he consented to a search but nothing was found on his person.

However, police searched the carpet where he was sitting and the contraband was discovered.

The illegal drugs weighed 2.7 grammes and had a street value of $135.

“A man give it to me and by the time I realise what was happening, two or three police jeeps pull up,” Aymes said.

Magistrate Renee warned him that having cocaine was a “serious matter”.

However, she told him that because he was not known to the court she would assist him in keeping his record clean.

The magistrate then placed him on a bond to keep the peace for the next 18 months.

It means that if Aymes stays out of trouble during that period, there will be no conviction recorded against him.

However, if he finds himself before the court, he will have to pay $1 000 in one month or spend one month in prison.

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The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) has issued a severe thunderstorm watch and flash flood watch for Barbados until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 27.

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

The BMS said convection associated with the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone diminished during the afternoon, but thunderstorm activity was possible throughout the night.

It stated that the public should expect “some lightning activity” and “increased likelihood of power outages if lightning strikes power utility infrastructure”.

Meanwhile a flash flood watch is issued when heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time – generally less than 6 hours – could result in flash flooding within the watch area.

“It does not mean that flooding will occur, but it is possible. As the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone affected the island throughout the day, rainfall accumulations near 80 mm (about 3 inches) were recorded across the island.

“Although shower activity waned during the afternoon, a further 25 mm to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) is possible throughout the night during moderate to heavy shower activity. Due to the saturated nature of the soils, there is the possibility for flooding across some districts tonight”.

The BMS said residents and visitors should be prepared for the following possibilities: significant runoff from higher elevations; significant soil erosion is likely on exposed or scarred land surfaces; large water settlements on roads and fields; significant adjustments to water levels of existing water bodies (ponds etc.); significant delays on traffic routes with some roads possibly becoming impassable; large objects or debris from higher elevations may become embedded within fast moving water flows and; significant flooding at the foot of hillsides and coastal roads.

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The stories of the heroic efforts by Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) staff during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic need to be shared with the entire country, and even beyond, Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw has declared.

And she has challenged employees at the island’s sole public hospital to find ways to let others know about the good work they did to keep the nation safe, rising above all odds at a dark time.

Speaking at the QEH Gold Awards ceremony, themed The Journey, at Sandals Royal Ballroom, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church on Saturday, Bradshaw spoke highly of workers from each department, saying their work was commendable, appreciated, and invaluable.

She said that without their dedication and endurance as frontline workers, Barbados would not have been as resilient as it was during the pandemic.

Bradshaw noted that the fight against COVID-19 was not an easy one and she encouraged the workers and management to blow the QEH’s trumpet and let the world know what they did for the nation.

“I want to challenge you to devise tangible mechanisms for making your work better known, valued, and appreciated in wider society. These stories need to be told so people appreciate the journey,” Bradshaw said.

“I strongly believe that greater effort needs to be paid, no lip service; we need to tell the story and let the public of Barbados understand the contribution that you made in this fight against COVID-19.

“I want to challenge management and staff alike to embark on a comprehensive and intensive public education campaign to highlight the work of healthcare professionals . . . . Tell the story of who you are and what you do, because sometimes we spend so much time on the negatives . . . that we forget to focus on the positives,” she added.

Bradshaw’s remarks followed a video presentation of workers in various departments speaking about their experiences over the past two years, which included seeing loved ones and colleagues dying as a result of COVID-19 and how they had to overcome their fears to complete their duties.

During the ceremony, the QEH’s executive chairman Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland also sang the workers’ praises, noting that the talent at the hospital was among Barbados’ best.

She added that despite the immense financial challenge of retrofitting the Harrison Point Isolation Facility, she was more than pleased with the successes achieved there.

Among the Exemplary Service Award winners on Saturday were former director of medical services Dr Clyde Cave, for national leadership; Rossana Lewis, for the role she played in setting up and managing various facilities; Ian Weithers, for creating the SHAPE app that was used to nationally record personal data; Chaynie Williams, for demonstrating great efforts in policy development; and Paula Agbowu, for outstanding equipment procurement. (SZB)

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Environmental concerns and breaking and entering disrupted classes at two schools on Monday.

While classes continued at St Giles Primary following police investigations into the building breaking, Grantley Adams Memorial School was closed for the remainder of the day.

Barbados TODAY’s efforts to reach Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw proved futile, however President of the Barbados Union of Teachers Rudy Lovell confirmed reports regarding the issues at the two institutions.

Lovell said that at Grantley Adams, investigations are being carried out to determine the source of a strong odour emanating from the second form block.

“As soon as that information is provided you will be updated,” Lovell said.

The president added that teachers at St Giles Primary indicated that when they turned up for school, they discovered that there had been a break-in sometime between Friday evening and Monday morning.

Lovell said that as police continue the investigations, the BUT is concerned about the safety and security of the students and staff at that institution. He said that a clear message should be sent that breaking into and vandalising schools will not be accepted or tolerated.

“We would hope that these issues become a thing of the past where persons believe that schools are places, they can break in and garner property. There is nothing at a school to be stolen apart from books, papers, pens and desks. We would hope that this is the last occurrence of this nature happening in our schools,” Lovell said. (AH)

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Why are some people surprised that there is an absence of condemnation and general outrage at the level of abuse being meted out to the elderly in this country?

We must concede that there are far too many examples of a general lack of care, consideration and respect for those who have paved the way for generations after them to thrive and elevate themselves.

The statistics show that persons over 50 years comprise a significant segment of our population and the numbers are growing.

In fact, the current debate over the planned restructuring of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), its pensions programme and other benefits, are all embodied in the changing demographic profile of our country.

There is an imbalance in the profile of our population that would ensure the continued viability of the NIS with the current level of benefits to citizens.

This week is Senior Citizens Week, and the matter of elder abuse was spotlighted by George Griffith, the coordinator of the Elder Care Companion Programme of the National Assistance Board.

Griffith, who has worked in the health and social services sector of Barbados for decades, compared the widespread public outrage and indignation over the reported drowning of a dog, to the relatively muted reactions to consistent reports of senior citizens battling verbal and physical violence.

The money and assets they have acquired through years of hard work are often pilfered by those who are supposed to care for them, including children and other relatives.

He went on to pose this missive. “A question keeps reoccurring in my mind. What about persons who are abused day-in, day-out, in this civilised society?”

“I continue to wonder if we will ever see the day when the reaction to an incident of elder abuse will be as strident as the response to the abuse of this animal.”

Griffith drew attention to the fact that elderly women were at greater risk of various types of abuse and called for equally strident condemnation and outrage against abuse of our older citizens.

“Who should see to it that nutritious meals should be prepared and fed to the elderly when necessary or as recommended by the health authorities? Whose job is it to ensure that our seniors are protected from physical, emotional, financial, sexual, or neglect?” Griffith questioned.

Our seniors are not disappearing, they are increasing in number, and we fear that unless authorities craft a comprehensive policy that addresses the range of issues  – both economic and social – that are affecting this segment of the population, we will live to regret it.

Creating a policy for the proper care of our senior citizens is not as elusive as some may want to project. Yes, it requires hard work and direct financing, but it is not an impossibility.

Norway is generally accepted as the country offering the best care of its elderly, while Japan has the reputation for treating its seniors with respect, honouring their contribution to Japanese society.

Norway is cited for the support it provides to elderly citizens through the government-funded care system, several social opportunities, and a high-quality public health system.

The country is also highly ranked for its strong sense of community, where there is 100 per cent pension coverage, adding to the financial security of elderly citizens of Norway. It also boasts the highest income and employment rates for elderly workers.

It may be overly ambitious to seek to replicate the targets that Norway has reached but taking care of the needs of our seniors should not be seen as an unattainable goal.

The country’s approach to the welfare of older Barbadians played out during the COVID-19 pandemic. For even though older Barbadians were paying the highest price with their lives, we experienced many cases where family members refused to allow them to be vaccinated against the disease.

A simple jab could have meant the difference between life and death for many older folks. Then there is the abhorrent practice of abandoning old people in health care institutions even though they have been discharged and are perfectly well to return to their homes.

The uncaring treatment of many older Barbadians is a contradiction to the celebration of our centenarians.

Our elders ought to be revered and respected for their sacrifices and contributions, not treated as retired assets to be disposed of because their value has been spent.

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By Kimberley Cummins

Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw is peeved with some public sector workers shirking their responsibilities and not giving the government an “honest day’s work”.

At the same time, she warns that if these people don’t pull up their socks they might very well find themselves out of a job. Addressing constituents at the annual general meeting of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) St. Michael South East branch at the Parkinson Memorial Secondary School Sunday evening, the Parliamentary representative issued a call to workers who love their country “to do better”.

Bradshaw contended that Barbadians are not getting the best out of workers and the public is well aware. As a result, she wants workers to reflect upon the “considerable amounts of money” the government is spending to make sure that it has created programmes in order to keep them employed. For this, she believes that they owe it not only to themselves but to their communities and country, in general, to give an honest day’s work as well.

“Things may be hard but at the end of the day if we are not getting the returns on a number of programmes we got to cut the programmes. Then you out of work, then you gine be cussing us all over again. So, we are in this together. This is not about drawing a salary without being able to give 100 per cent but rather being able to give of your all to make sure that there is a benefit to the country and indeed to you as well,” she maintained.

Specifically referencing people employed in the national clean-up programme, otherwise known at the ash project, and workers at the National Conservation Commission (NCC), Bradshaw commended some for beautifying the roads. However, she was equally intolerant of the others whom she said were satisfied with giving a mere three out of the eight hours per day they are employed. Or those that finished cleaning and then they leave bags filled with debris in the streets waiting for somebody to coordinate the collection of them but then the rain comes and washes the same collected debris back into the drains.

These are the types of complaints Bradshaw said she received as Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources and that was why she warned that she had made the decision rather than sit in meetings and be told “what people think I want to hear” she would be going into the communities to get a truer reflection on the productivity of workers. In so doing, she hopes to find the solutions to the existing problems sooner rather than later.

The minister also lamented that one of the challenges facing the public sector is proper supervision and she took some supervisors to task for not fulfilling the duties of their jobs properly. She believed that Barbadians need to get to the point where they take responsibility for what tasks they have been given because in the end, “Barbados belong to all uh we”.

Using the chronic late reopening of some schools at the start of each term as an example, the former Minister of Education insisted that sometimes the problem for delayed openings was the availability of finances but she charged that more often than not, it was due to somebody dropping the ball in terms of supervision.

“I talking it straight this evening because I can no longer sit down and be complicit in the behaviour of people when I love my country. When I get to see a bus stop, I want to see all the bush around the bus stop cleared. I don’t want that you just clear an area around it but you left the whole area leading to it, both in front and behind, and you gone long ‘bout you business and you drawing a salary. It cannot work! We have to start to pay attention to these things and we have to take pride in our country because this is all we got. We can’t go nowhere else; this is what we have. We have to make sure that the people who are coming to work and drawing a salary, who all of us are contributing to, that they are giving an honest day’s work. We cannot ask for anything else but that people give an honest day’s work,” Bradshaw noted, adding that government must also make sure that the workers are supplied with the tools to do their job and must make sure that the people get paid.

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An appeal has been made to all Barbadians who cannot afford even a single penny increase on their electricity bills, to “stand in solidarity” and show support for intervenors attorney-at-law Tricia Watson and David Simpson tomorrow.

The cry is coming from social activist Kevin “Sluggy Dan” Watson who urged all citizens to oppose the Barbados Light and Power’s (BL&P) proposed rate increase in electricity and the Fair Trading Commission’s (FTC) decision to grant the utility company an interim 50 per cent increase. Watson encouraged the public to let the BL&P and the FTC know “we are not playing”.

The hearing continues at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa, Rockley, Christ Church, and Watson invited Barbadians to turn out tomorrow from 8.30 a.m. to show support to “those fighting for us”.

“If people have the money and their money is nothing to them and they agree with Light and Power charging more, well I am an open-minded person and I don’t have no qualms with anyone feeling differently. If Barbadians feel, ‘Sluggy you are talking nonsense, I could afford a few dollars more’, then I have no problems with you. But what I am saying, I am looking into the mirror and I honestly cannot pay more. So, if people can pay more then don’t come out. If you honestly like me, can’t afford to pay anything more, then you would come out,” he encouraged.

“I don’t even know if I care to call it a protest, I just say let us come out and let these people see we are supporting them for fighting on our behalf and let the people see we are not pleased,” Watson added.

His comments came after the Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) criticised the move as “unconscionable” and “unacceptable” especially “at a time when many Barbadians are facing hardship and all manner of dire economic and financial circumstances”.

The consumer advocacy group which is headed by interim Executive Director Maureen Holder also called for Barbadians to show their disapproval of a rate and “agitate to see more affordable and sustainable electricity rates in Barbados”.

Watson reiterated the seriousness to fight against the EMERA-owned BL&P company’s proposal.

“[I am] 1000 per cent serious. We just went through some of the worse times in the history of mankind, besides slavery and apartheid. . . As we speak, persons are still struggling to pay off debts that dead family members left, whether it is from funerals, mortgages, or whatever bills they inherit. Persons still struggling with those things and then the loss of jobs and then persons still trying to find employment as we speak. There are so many reasons why it is obvious that you couldn’t come after two years of pure horror and ask people to pay more. So how can we not be serious about this? I for sure can’t pay more, I can’t afford to pay anything more on my light bill even if it is 50 cents,” he added.

To the Barbadians too conservative to be vocal, he encouraged that before they prepare to struggle in silence, they should first probe whether the island’s lone electricity company was operating at a loss. He argued that while an individual can logically say they were making a significant amount of money per week and were now making half or none, he enquired about any statistics that can trace any operational losses the BL&P might have acquired.

Equally, Watson also took previous administrations to task for not doing more to incentivise and champion affordable renewable energy programmes that all householders could benefit. It was his view that if the government had started the ball rolling over the past 20 years, by now, the majority of Barbadians would have access to renewable energy and people would have found better and more efficient and cost-effective ways to have small renewable energy panels on their houses.

Watson said: “Even if we ain’t 100 per cent operating the house off it, it would be operating 40 per cent or so. The government could have done that long ago and that would have put severe pressure on Light and Power even more. The government didn’t do that, the government allowed them to do as they feel like.” (KC)

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The Barbados Light and Power Company (BLPC) told the utility regulator hearing its request for a rate hike that it was prudent to pay some $100 million in dividends to the Canadian owner of the business seven years ago.

That was the testimony of the sole witness of the BLPC, Managing Director Roger Blackman who gave evidence today before the Fair Trading Commission (FTC).

Blackman said transferring the money from the company’s self-insurance fund – which had too much money – to new owner Emera Caribbean was to allow BLPC to better manage its capital structure.

However, intervenor David Simpson, who has teamed up with attorney Tricia Watson who specialises in utility regulation, asked Blackman if consideration had been given to the operational needs and capacity of the company prior to paying out that sum as a refund or a return to the single shareholder.

In his cross-examination, Simpson further questioned whether a smaller amount could not have been paid to make it easier for BLPC to meet obligations to upgrades during that period.

“I believe those considerations would have been made at that time,” Blackman replied. “In fact, that was seven years ago and so you are here seven years later, so that speaks for itself…. Business was able to be managed over the last seven years since that transaction.”

He also testified that in 2021, the company paid out $25 million in dividends at a time when $70 million should have been granted.

The BLPC boss also said while the company does not have a formal dividend policy, there are some criteria that govern dividends and decisions surrounding how they are paid.

“Those are three-fold. One is insolvency of the business, the ability to pay; and another is the prevailing economic conditions at the time; and the third would be seeking to manage our capital structure as a business,” Blackman stated.

He said while the returns that are approved dictated a certain level of dividends to the shareholder, none was paid that year.

“So, the level of uncertainty that existed at that time as a result of COVID and the circumstances – the prevailing economic circumstances – would have influenced the decision to not pay a dividend, even though not paying a dividend at that time resulted in the business moving further away from the approved capital structure that was approved at the last rate case of 65-35 per cent equity,” he declared in response to a question by Simpson.

Earlier, the commission dismissed two motions brought before it by the Watson-Simpson team.

One motion called on the FTC to suspend the hearing for the BLPC to adjust its depreciation policy and rates used in the application for a rate review, to reflect the commission’s decisions and orders issued on February 25, 2009.

That motion also sought to have the company file an amended depreciation schedule and adjust other calculated values that depend on the said policy and rates.

The two intervenors also wanted those aspects of the depreciation application denied by the FTC to be deleted and that no reference be made to them during the hearing by the company.

They had also asked the Commission to order the company to remove any reference to the draft operational licences which had already been deemed irrelevant to the hearing.

The hearing continues on Tuesday at 9 a.m. when Blackman will be further cross-examined.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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Barbados may not be on track to achieving all of the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 but the country is  partnering with its CARICOM neighbours to improve the region’s food security and ensure its citizens have access to nutritious food.

This assurance was delivered by Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir in his address to a 2022 United Nations Science Summit General Assembly activity held via Zoom on  Monday.

Weir spoke about CARICOM’s commitment to reducing the Caribbean’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 and other initiatives Barbados was pursuing with neighbouring islands to boost agriculture production.

He said the aim of these programmes was “to achieve a sustainable development goal to make sure that no person is without food within the region but, at the same time, provide an opportunity for farmers within this region to be enfranchised”.

“This goal we are working towards with a number of projects taking place right across the CARICOM region. We have signed the St Barnabas Accord where Barbados and Guayana would be supplying food to a food terminal that would be established in Barbados to be able to give us an opportunity to do storage to capacity that is required for us to be able to feed the CARICOM region and export beyond the region,” he said

“We are also looking at contemporary processing machinery that would allow us to package, dice and prepare in commercial quantities and also for home domestic consumption from that food terminal that would be distributed to supermarkets, restaurants and the tourism sector.

“The food terminal in Barbados would also allow us to be able to take produce from Guyana and other CARICOM countries. We would also leverage or close relationship with Roraima, which is north Brazil close to the border at Guyana, for us to be able to import all of the carcasses we need to produce beef; establish a state-of-the-art abattoir in Barbados to be able to train butchers in cutting specialty cuts for consumption, thus allowing us to be able to produce them within the region, and then package and ship throughout CARICOM and beyond CARICOM – giving us a fair chance at reducing the food import bill for meat, beef, pork and lamb.”

The 17 SDGs speak to the reduction of poverty, hunger, inequalities and improving health, education, gender equality and work conditions. They also focus on innovation, infrastructure, climate change, peace and justice and responsible consumption and production.

The summit, which started September 13 and goes until September 30, features several activities in which global leaders, experts and ministerial officials discuss the sustainability of their country’s sectors and what progress they are making towards attaining the SDGs.

The minister was speaking during a session on Food Self-Sufficiency for Resilient Development and Economic Growth in Small Island Developing States.

Weir added that millions of dollars were spent regionally to import New Zealand lamb with Barbados alone spending $14 million annually on the meat.

He stated that Barbados and Guyana were collaborating on an initiative to increase the Barbados indigenos Blackbelly sheep population which included crossing with another breed.

The minister said the carcasses would be packaged at the food terminal and sold within the tourism sector in Barbados and other CARICOM countries. This would provide employment opportunities in butchery, farming and processing.

He added that Barbados was also looking to import corn and soya from Guyana and Brazil and establish a processing plant in Barbados to provide grain throughout the region at cheaper price than what is now available on the international market.

He told the session that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine had placed a lot of strain on regional livestock industries as the cost of primary inputs of feed had substantially increased.

He suggested that another feed mill in Barbados would increase competitiveness which would drive feed prices down.

During his presentation, the agriculture minister also said the region was affected by climatic conditions such as prolonged drought and flooding during excessive rainfall which both had a negative impact on crop production.

He also noted the importance of making agriculture more technologically-driven, embracing hydroponics and aquaculture systems. (SZB)

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If its efforts are successful, local conglomerate Goddard Enterprises Limited (GEL) will be expanding its footprint in Central America through a massive $80 million acquisition bid.

GEL has informed shareholders and regulators that it wants to take over a meals company that operates in the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama.

GEL, which is celebrating its centenary in business, has proposed a US$40 million deal to acquire the Panamanian company called IMC Caribbean Holdings Corporation which is the sole shareholder of International Meal Company Panama (IMC Panama).

GEL is seeking to close the acquisition through its subsidiary Goddard Catering Group Inc, and if successful, the Barbados-headquartered conglomerate will expand its dominance in the airline catering business for which it has a strong footprint.

In a recently published notice of the planned transaction, GEL’s chief executive officer Anthony Ali noted: “GEL is looking forward to the acceptance of our bid to acquire the International Meal Company in Panama, as it would connect us with a vital hub in Central America and it would be a major focal point for trade.

“The company has much experience, and we are looking forward to working with the team there and to building on our successes to date.”

Tocumen International Airport is the primary international airport serving Panama’s capital city. It also serves as the homebase for Copa Airlines and is a regional hub to and from The Caribbean, South, North and Central America. Additionally, it is a gateway for routes to some European and Asian cities.

In 2019 the airport completed phase one of construction of its second terminal. The 85,000 square feet facility comprises four levels and was completed in response to a significant increase in passenger growth at the airport. (IMC1)

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Authorities in Barbados and other Caribbean states need to give more youth a seat at the table of decision-making and rely more on local talent when addressing issues such as climate change.

This call has come from climate change specialist Dr Masaō Ashtine, who insisted the region could also benefit from a reform of the education system if leaders were serious about tackling the climate crisis.

“I think there is a large disparity especially in climate change [and] renewable energy education. Having been a lecturer at Mona (University of the West Indies) in Jamaica, I have seen first-hand that the opportunity does not exist in many capacities, and it is not any one person’s or organisation’s fault, it is a collection, a legacy of things,” said Ashtine.

“I think there needs to be more opportunity at a very early stage in integrating the youth into policy decisions and policy-making. We can’t just say that because the youth aren’t fully educated or degreed in certain things means that they can’t be at the boardroom table . . . I mean, this is their future and we are making a lot of decisions on their behalf. At least ask them the question,” he insisted.

Ashtine, who is the Co-Founder and Managing Director for the Journal of Caribbean Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy (CESaRE), said he believed capacity building “at a very young age”, inclusion and internship opportunities could help spur innovation.

“On the other hand, the education system needs a massive make-over in terms of preparing our youth for a different world,” he said, adding that while there was more inclusion of environmental science studies in recent years, it still did not prepare the region for the world that is coming.

“This needs more of a ground-up approach in revamping our curriculum to make sure that it is one for the world coming ahead,” he added.

Ashtine’s comments came as he responded to a question during the official opening of the Virtual Island Summit 2022, which is being hosted by Island Innovation, a social and full-service agency that brings together private sector, government, utilities and non-governmental organisations and universities to advance innovation for sustainability.

He also condemned the practice of the region looking outside for experts instead of using local knowledge and skills in certain areas.

“One of the biggest issues is that we [do not] celebrate the brilliant minds we have in the Caribbean . . . I found that sort of deplorable that we are not taking pride in our own minds. I am not saying ignore away; work with away and recognise at home,” he said.

During a pre-recorded message, Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the opening of the summit that a unified approach among governments and the private sector was critical to address the myriad of challenges facing developing states.

“The truth is that the government cannot do it alone. We recognise the private sector has a critical role to play in helping us to find and achieve these solutions, and it is for that reason that we have fast-tracked policies that will encourage social enterprises that can solve local problems and then be scaled to the regional and international level,” said Mottley. She pointed to several steps being taken by Barbados in the area of renewable energy and marine protection and management.

“The climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic or indeed the slow motion and silent pandemic that is antimicrobial resistance, the effects of the war in Ukraine, the disruption of the supply chain, these are not just issues for Governments, these are issues for all of us, for everyone,” she insisted.

“Let us treat the solutions likewise . . . I believe that all of us are ready to work hand-in-hand with each other to find collective solutions to those things we all confront as island nations. I truly believe that this conference can be one of the catalysts for making the change we so often speak about [become] a reality,” said Mottley. (MM)

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Government has again promised that the long-awaited opening of the Wyndham Grand Hotel, at the site of the historic Sam Lord’s Castle Hotel, will finally take place “by the year-end”.

Additionally, Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins said that when the St. Philip facility does open, it will be a personification of what was presently being done in tourism. That is, incorporating a little bit of the old and a whole lot of the new, to take the sector forward.

Speaking at a service of thanksgiving at the Sanctuary Empowerment Centre, Country Road, St. Michael on Sunday to launch the Tourism Week of activities, Cummins also said that the 450-room hotel will be a major site for the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) market. At the same time, making up the seating capacity lost at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre with the emergence and expansion of Ross University at the Two Mile Hill, St. Michael facility.

“With 700 seating capacity at the Wyndham on the east coast and investment attraction for the development of a brand-new convention facility also in the centre of the island, we expect that Barbados is going to be in a position to attract more meetings, more international conferences and more conventions. One of the key things I do want to say here is for us in tourism ‘Spiritual tourism’ is also a big push and we’ve got many people who are coming for conventions and coming for conferences,” she said.

This is but one of the government’s initiatives as it seeks to recover from the considerable impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the sector. Others include incorporating the youth more and youth innovations, boosting entrepreneurship as well as seeking out investment attractions and bringing new products to the country.

With regard to “Rethinking Tourism” as this year’s theme suggests, the minister also indicated the need for some changes in the way things have always been done in tourism if it is to progress.

“There is so much that we have done historically, there is so much institutional knowledge in our sector and that is important. But some of that stuff now needs to change and certainly what we have all seen, the way we do church isn’t the same as it always was before. The way we do tourism is certainly not the way we do tourism anymore and the way we approach every single sector and the way we engage with each other has also transformed. What that means for all of us is that over the course of the coming week and the weeks ahead, you are going to see some newness and some traditional stuff, we are bringing that balance,” Cummins said.

Tourism Week continues with the public being encouraged to wear yellow in celebration of World Tourism Day on Tuesday, this followed the Tourism Future Leaders forum and a special Bus Yuh Brain tourism forward edition today. An exciting T15 celebrity cricket match is scheduled at the 3Ws Oval and a career showcase is planned at the Grantley Adams International Airport, both on Wednesday. The week concludes with a rural community shout-out, ending at the food truck mash-up.
(KC)

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Efforts are afoot to ensure that the job description of firefighters of the Barbados Fire Service is in accordance with international firefighting requirements.

In this regard, as part of the training of new fire officers, they will now be required to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Chief Fire officer, Errol Maynard made that revelation yesterday after a service at the Bethel Methodist Church, Bay Street, The City to mark Fire Service Week.

“Every firefighter internationally, as a matter of fact, the requirements for firefighting in the industry is that all firefighters should actually be EMTs and we are building out that making sure that we can function at the international level. So, we are now making sure we bridge that gap,” Maynard said.

The introduction of EMT courses, which commenced several years ago, is an ongoing initiative designed to increase emergency response capabilities. This is in addition to a search and rescue and water rescue that all recruits undertake as part of their initial programme. Maynard’s comments were supported by Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams, who while speaking at the same event, noted that as a major tourist destination it was important to ensure that the highest level of fire and lifesaving service, similar to what is expected in the homeland of the tourists, is present in Barbados.

The current path of training, Abrahams noted, would also serve to mediate the need for the spiralling demand for pre-hospital care on the island.

He continued: “What this means is if you have an emergency and the ambulance can’t get to you and the Fire Service can, a number of our fire officers . . . the aim is for all, can actually render the same service that the ambulance personnel render to stabilize you, to ensure that you get to the hospital in as good shape as you can and possibly to save your life. All of this is facilitated through the recruiting programme, which in a few months will see an additional 20 recruits passing out with that level of certification.

“As best practices evolve worldwide, it is my view that the service has to keep up-to-date, whether it be emergency medical technician or another area of activity, opportunities for continuous professional development must continue to be made available to all members of the Barbados Fire Service if the organisation is to become and to remain world-class. I challenge you to seek to develop some of the best practices for other countries to emulate, let us be the premier fire service not only in the Caribbean but in this hemisphere,” Abrahams maintained.

Fire Service Week is this year recognised under the theme: “Resilience, Renewal, Reconnecting and Retooling” and will be celebrated with a series of scaled-down events including a medal presentation to 84 officers on Friday, visits throughout the community during the week and climaxes with a resilience fair in Bush Hall, St. Michael.

Referencing the theme, the Minister reiterated the service’s focus on improved infrastructure, human resources and professional development, complemented by a similar focus on physical resources. He also gave an update on the work that has started on the ultramodern complex which will house the Barbados fire station, the fire service and emergency ambulance service headquarters, it will also be the home of the state-of-the-art dispatch centre and the fire prevention and code enforcement unit of the Barbados Fire Service. Additionally, he noted the Service had embarked on a fleet replacement programme to ensure that the current ageing fleet of vehicles were systematically and strategically replaced and they were currently pursuing phase 3 of the construction of a modern mechanical workshop to service and maintain the fleet of vehicles to a state of readiness.

On top of that, work was ongoing at the Barbados Port to complete housing for the port side station. This will allow the fire service to more effectively manage and respond to the impact of the diverse hazards and risks associated with the port activities either onshore or onboard vessels. Furthermore, Abrahams underscored the importance of having such a facility as Barbados’ port currently handles cargo and cruise passengers. And he revealed that it was in the pipeline to increase the use of the port for home porting activities which would mean increased traffic. He contended that having a station at the port will also provide the opportunity to monitor the safety of patrons in the nearby swimming areas.

“In order to ensure successful operations, enhanced stakeholder engagements, building of relationships, fostering cooperation and cross-agency training, these things will be necessary,” Abrahams added.
(KC)

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Monday paid tribute to Robert ‘Bobby’ Clarke, for standing out in Barbadian society as an “ardent and fearless fighter” for the underdog.

The key figure in the local Pan-Africanist movement during the 1970s and 80s, attorney-at-law and social activist died at the age of 90 after recent illness.

Prime Minister Mottley said: “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.”

Also paying his tribute, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Álvaro Sánchez Cordero, called Clarke a ‘revolutionary man’.

“Bobby was always there to provide us with valuable lessons about Caribbean history, politics, economics, culture and society. His wide experience in Grenada, Barbados and many other Caribbean countries was paramount, especially in connection to the Cuban Revolution and in the context of the Cold War. Indeed, above all, as a revolutionary man, as a progressive thinker of the left, as a true socialist, Bobby was an internationalist who kept the humane integrity of all down-trodden people first and foremost in his mind.”

Clarke, who has spearheaded many of the of the social movements on the island, was described by President of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration David Denny, as one of the bigger defenders of the rights for the working class, particularly in the area of education where he was integral in creating a scholarship programme between Cuba and the rest of the region.

“Bobby was the person who would have created the conditions for Caribbean people to study in Cuba. For me that is a major part of his legacy because immediately after the Cuban Revolution, Boddy travelled from England to Cuba while studying, and he was the person who started to discuss with the Ministry of Education in Cuba the whole question about the academic scholarship programme for Caribbean countries.

“Under his supervision, the academic scholarship programme would have trained over 100 medical doctors in Barbados,” Denny added.

“Bobby has left a serious mark on my life. I have a lot of respect for Bobby Clarke, and I know he has done alot to help the progressive movement in Barbados,” Denny said.
(SB)

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By Morissa Lindsay

The crown of junior basketball champions belongs to Burger King Clapham Bulls as they swept the Under-16 and Under-19 titles in the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association Summer Jam Championship finals at the Barbados Community College over the weekend.

A star performance by Under-19 Most Valuable Player Simeon Maynard with a game high 31 points in the final steered the Clapham Bulls side to a 59-54 (15-12, 31-23, 47-39) victory over the Barbados Lumber Company Lakers.

It was a fantastic night for Clapham Bulls as both of their A and B teams also reached the Under-16 final and after a keenly contested battle, it was the B side who celebrated success by one point 45-44. They led 12-9, 29-20, 36-31 in the first three quarters.

Credit to coach of the Bulls junior teams, Tehron King, for doing a great job and he thanked the parents and supporters and explained that the players had picked him as coach and he was honoured and lucky to have such a talented group of players.

King, who also had fellow coach Kelan Phillips working with him, acknowledged that his training times and hours may have been tough, but the parents fully bought into doing what was necessary to produce results and the hard work paid off with two more championships titles under his tenure as coach.

He also commended the Lakers team for being such a tough opponent, contending that there was a definite rivalry developing between the two programs. He also made special mention and thanked the Lakers coach, Derek Browne, for always getting his team prepared to do battle and because of that King felt that the Bulls were always pushed by Lakers to be better and to perform at a higher level.

In the Under-19 final, Clapham Bulls point guard Maynard led from the front with some impressive shooting and was clearly in a league above the rest as he attacked the basket strongly and played a fearless game. While the Under-19 show belonged to Maynard with his 31 points, the next best showing was ten compliments Rory Taylor.

Lakers head coach from the inception strategized to put his top scorer Khaleel Wilkinson, with 19 points, to mark Maynard. It was an exciting battle between the two as Wilkinson played adhesive defence and did not give Maynard much breathing room.

Scott Wharton accounted for 11 points for the Lakers as they fought well but had lots of defensive work to do given that Maynard by himself was a handful.

However, as the game progressed Wilkinson got tired and instead of one it turned into two and three players marking the dangerous Maynard at a time. But that did not make a difference because Maynard who plays basketball in Spain, showed his calibre as a player at this level.

Maynard, a product of Harrison College was happy with his performance in this year’s Summer Jam. “The last Summer Jam Under-16, the Caw Caws, we won with almost the same group, under a different name with the same coach, Tehron King, but I was injured so I am glad that we could come back and repeat the same thing. Every single Summer Jam I have played, I have won and I am happy for it.

“I definitely want to commend my team. As much hard work as I put in, they put in as well. I may come down on them sometimes but they did what they were supposed to do. Especially Rory Taylor, Rodston Best and Nick Thorne.”

It came down to a three-point game in the fourth quarter and while Maynard got a little scared he remained confident that the Bulls could pull it off. “At one point I got a little scared in the third. We were up something like 16 or 17 points and it came down to 10 and at one point it went to 3 points in the fourth. I told myself we aren’t losing this game, we were here to win and let’s get back in it, and we got back in it and secured the game, we did what we had to do,” he said.

A future national player in the making, Maynard credited his overseas exposure in Spain for his improvement and specially thanked his parents Owen and Petra Maynard for their continuous support.

“It (overseas) definitely helped me a lot, when I came back, I was a lot quicker and I developed a lot and my shots were far better. My defence improved and I was really grateful for the overseas exposure because it helped me a lot. My father and my mother have helped me to go on the court and shoot and go to the beach to run and to go to the gym. For the last two weeks my father has been taking me at 5 am, some crazy hours to shoot, even though he has school and I am really, really grateful for that; he even gets to work late but he says it’s ok. This is my thanks to him,” Maynard said. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb

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The dream run of Joshua Burke and Chelsea Tuach ended on Friday in Huntington Beach at the International Surfing Association’s World Surfing Games with the island’s top male and top female surfers finishing a creditable equal 11th place out of the 137 men and 109 women who competed from 50 countries.

The pair amassed 950 of the 1570 points achieved by the team with Caleb Rapson, Che Allan and Chelsea Roett all progressing to Repechage Round 3 and earning the remaining 620 points. Barbados ended with a country ranking of 16 out of the 50 countries at the Games and this without a full team.

Burke advanced through eight rounds of competition dropping big scores along the way with his explosive surfing and smart heat strategy defeating top surfers like Joel Vaughn from Australia, Federico Morais from Portugal, Leonardo Fioravanti from Italy and Mihimana Braye from Team France. His best heats were his Round 2 heat when he had a heat total of 15.76 and his Repechage Round 6 heat with a total of 16.40, two of the highest heat totals of the event.

Tuach advanced through seven rounds of competition and also dropped scores in the good to excellent range. She won both her Round 1 and Round 2 heats with impressive heat totals of 13.17 and 14.40 respectively, relegating stand-out surfer Zoe McDougall from Team USA to the Repechage rounds and getting the better of top surfers from Australia, the UK,  Brazil and Peru.

She  failed to advance out of her Round 3 heat in a very tight affair but came back strong to win her Repechage 4, 5 and 7 heats, taking second place to German surfer, Rachel Presti, in Repechage Roond 6, but eliminating the Olympic bronze medalist Amuro Tsuzuki from the event.

“This has been a great event for Team Barbados with Chelsea [Tuach] getting her best result since she won the copper medal in Nicaragua in 2015 and Joshua getting the best result ever of a male surfer since the inaugural ISA WSG as a separate event from the Juniors in 2003. I am very proud of the performances of all the team members.  This has given Barbados a good country ranking for next year’s edition of the ISA World Surfing Games, in El Salvador which will run from May 30 to June 7,” team manager Margot Tuach said after the event.

Burke and Tuach will now be packing their suitcases for a trip across the Atlantic, to compete in the fifth Challenger Series event, the EDP Vissla Pro in Ericeira, Portugal slated to run from October 1 – 9. (PR)

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