Former West Indies cricketer Thelston Payne passed away on Wednesday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after battling pancreatic cancer.
The wicketkeeper/batsman, a long-standing servant of the St Catherine’s club died at age 66.
He played seven one day internationals for the West Indies and scored 126 runs at an average of 31.50 and while taking six catches.
For Barbados, he played 68 matches and scored 3391 runs at an average of 36.85 smashing six hundreds and 25 half centuries.
Tributes flowed today with news of his passing emerging. The Barbados Cricket Association said “ his invaluable contribution to the cricketing landscape in different capacities over many years will be always appreciated on this island and also in the wider cricketing world.”
Cricket West Indies President Dr Kishore Shallow said Payne’s contributions to West Indies Cricket will always be appreciated and remembered.
“On behalf of CWI, I offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Thelston Payne. He is one of those unsung heroes of West Indies cricket who served the game at all levels for over four decades. During his playing career, he was a dynamic keeper and stylish batsman and was part of the great era of West Indies cricket when we dominated world cricket, under Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards.,” Dr Shallow said.
“After his playing days were over, he made a meaningful contribution as a coach and mentor in Barbados at the grassroots level. He also played a key role in the development of many players. His contribution will be remembered and we will remain grateful to this stalwart of cricket,” he said.

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Police and Emergency personnel are on the scene of an accident involving a Transport Board Bus and a four-wheel drive vehicle at Searles, Christ Church.

(more details as they come to hand.)

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Former West Indies and Barbados cricketer Thelston Rodney O’Neale Payne was an “unsung hero, a consummate employee and a great human being.”

Those were but a few of the words used to describe the 66-year-old former wicketkeeper-batsman, who passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital this morning following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Payne was one of Barbados’ most loved and respected cricketers and cricket coaches and once news of his death broke, sadness enveloped the entire cricketing community, especially the close-knit St Catherine, St Phillip community where he was revered.

Payne played a solitary Test match against England in 1986 and seven One Day Internationals for the West Indies.

He also played 68 first-class matches and scored 3391 runs at an average of 36.85.

Director of Sport at the National Sports Council (NSC) Neil Murrell, where Payne worked for over three decades, had nothing but praise for a man he said had made a significant contribution to cricket in Barbados.

“Thelston Payne worked at the NSC for 33 years from 1984 until his retirement in 2017. He was the cricket coach and he worked mainly in the primary schools all over Barbados but he was generally assigned to schools in St Philip.

“He really was instrumental in the development of primary cricketers as well as secondary school cricketers throughout Barbados, because he also helped in development squads and on more than one occasion he traveled to Trinidad, St Kitts and the UK with these squads to help further their development,” Murrell said.

“He was a consummate employee because he was not only a very good coach, but he was also jovial and friendly with all staff. He also was a livewire at events and loved by all at the NSC. His contribution to cricket development goes beyond the primary and secondary schools and he was very much the heart and soul of the St Catherine’s Club.”

Mario Rampersaud, who was coached by Payne and went on to represent Barbados, credited Payne for his cricketing achievements.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Rampersaud, who spent five years at St Catherine’s and is currently in the US playing for The Philadelphians in Major League Cricket, described Payne as a great human being.

“Me and coach Payne shared fond memories. He was basically a role model to me, an idol to me. Coming from St Patrick’s Primary School, he was my first coach and he went on to coach me at the Lodge School and at St Catherine’s.

“I remember when I made my debut in the Elite Division at the age of 15 against Maple and we won that Cup and it was a real ecstatic and elated feeling to share that moment with him. I remember when we won the Elite Cup and he was a part of that too,” Rampersaud recalled.

“Me and Coach Payne shared a lot of similarities in that we were left-handed batters and we were wicketkeepers together and under his coaching I also went on to play for Barbados. He taught me so much not only as a player, but he helped to harness my skills and he was a great human being.”

Rampersaud also credited Payne for the development of St Catherine wicketkeeper batsmen, Patrick Browne and Tevy Walcott, who went on to represent Barbados, with Browne also playing for the West Indies.

In subsequent press releases, both Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) expressed condolences at Payne’s passing.

Newly elected CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow described him as an “unsung hero” who “served the game at all levels for over four decades.”

“During his playing career, he was a dynamic keeper and stylish batsman and was part of the great era of West Indies cricket when we dominated world cricket, under Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards.”

“After his playing days were over, he made a meaningful contribution as a coach and mentor in Barbados at the grassroots level. He also played a key role in the development of many players. His contribution will be remembered and we will remain grateful to this stalwart of cricket,” Dr Shallow said in a press release.

Meanwhile, in a press release the BCA said, “His invaluable contribution to the cricketing landscape in different capacities over many years will be always appreciated on this island and also in the wider cricketing world.”

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The current row that erupted over the arrest in Barbados of Trinidadian arms and ammunition dealer Brent Thomas has resulted in many legal debates over how our law enforcement and the Trinidad and Tobago cops acted in apprehending and charging the businessman on October 5, 2022.

The political leadership of both Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have asserted their hands are clear of any involvement in the matter and delegated reviews of the issue to the hierarchy of the Police Service of the two countries.

Attorney General Dale Marshall, who is not known for making rushed statements on controversial issues, deferred comment, indicating he would await the findings of a detailed investigation of the circumstances.

In a ruling against the Trinidad and Tobago Government, Justice Devindra Rampersad stirred a hornet’s nest last week when he ruled that the detention and transporting of Thomas from Barbados to Trinidad and Tobago where he was charged with firearm offences including those related to grenades, constituted an “abduction”.

Justice Rampersad found the actions of law enforcement officials of the two countries to be so outrageous and unconstitutional, that he ruled the charges Thomas faced surrounding the possession of rifles, ammunition and grenades should be dismissed.

The Trinidad government is appealing the judge’s decision and we await the outcome of that process.

In his role as CARICOM ambassador, David  Comissiong asserted there were mechanisms in place to facilitate the arrest of wanted persons within CARICOM that bypassed the traditional extradition arrangements.

But that was not enough to quell the outrage on both sides of the Trinidad and Barbados borders over the whole affair.

The Trinidad Express Newspaper, in its editorial of April 29, described the situation as “a shameful blot”. The editorial was quite inflammatory in its language, slamming the action against the arms dealer as “persecution” and the “hounding of a citizen”.

It went on: “The brazen harassment of the victim and disrespect even for court orders would be outrage enough, but it rises to a whole different level when police officers can leave this country on a Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force aircraft to participate in what the judge called the “international abduction” of Thomas with the co-operation of the Barbados Police Service to bring him back to Trinidad and Tobago to be charged.”

Attorney General Marshall formally responded to the controversy in a Ministerial Statement from the floor of Parliament. The government’s lead legal advisor rejected the idea that Mr Thomas was abducted by Barbados police.

Though not completely absolving local law enforcement from accusations they did not adhere to all the rules for undertaking such processes, Marshall made it clear there was no abduction or kidnapping of the Trinidadian.

“From the reports that I have received, I am satisfied that the actions of the Barbados Police Service have fallen somewhat short of applicable legal norms, such as acting under an extradition request. I, however, cannot associate myself with the description of the actions of the Barbados police officers as an abduction or as has elsewhere been described as a kidnapping,” he stated in the House of Assembly.

Based on reports from the Commissioner of Police, the Ministry of National Security, the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS), and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), local police simply “sought to assist a sister police service in a matter which appeared to them to be of a grave and important nature, and especially so, given the scourge of firearm violence that is a feature in Barbados and across the Caribbean”.

The Judge’s ruling came just days after the region gathered for a historic meeting in Port-of-Spain to address the growing crime wave and the debilitating impact of gun smuggling and gun crimes across the Caribbean. We can thus understand the urgency with which Barbados’ police responded to the request.

In the United States, they too are struggling with the impact of mass gun killings and pervasive access to firearms.

Were there a Barbadian being sought for arrest in relation to grenades, rifles, and ammunition charges in a neighbouring country, we would expect an expeditious and lawful response to our request also.

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Consultant pathologist Dr Corinthia Dupuis said on Wednesday that Kadeem Joseph died from blood loss and respiratory failure after being shot seven years ago.

The doctor who is attached to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital gave that evidence as the trial of Dwayne Omar Chase continued in the No. 2 Supreme Court.

Chase is accused of murdering Joseph on June 10, 2016, at Valarie, Brittons Hill, St Michael.

Dr Dupuis told Justice Randall Worrell and the 12-member jury hearing the case that she conducted a postmortem on Joseph’s body six days after his death.

She found several injuries to his right mid back, the back of his knee, his right arm, on the right side of his chest just below the collar bone, and in the upper abdomen.

“In my opinion, death was caused by respiratory failure and haemorrhage from multiple gunshot wounds. It would be the one that entered the back that caused the most injury and caused haemorrhage around the lungs, causing the right lung to collapse. So, it’s a combination of the blood loss and the respiratory failure,” Dr Dupuis testified.

There was no cross-examination of the witness by Chase’s attorney Safiya Moore.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale, State

Counsel Paul Prescod and State Counsel Anastasia McMeo are the prosecutors in the case.

Also giving evidence was Dr Andrew Murray who pronounced Joseph dead when he visited the scene.

He said he saw the body of a young male lying supine in the road next to a curb.

The trial continues on Monday, May 15.

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ECONOMIST BELIEVES THE LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INDICATIVE OF FEWER PERSONS BEING AVAILABLE FOR WORK

By Emmanuel Joseph

A senior economic consultant says the record 7.2 per cent unemployment rate recently reported by the local Central Bank for last year, is misleading.
And Carlos Forte, a Senior Consultant and Project Manager, for Research, Valuation and Advisory with the Altus Group in Canada, has chided local authorities, saying their suspicion should have been piqued at the figure.
He says the 7.2 per cent unemployment figure is a clear indication, not that more Barbadians are employed, but that the local labour market is shrinking.
Forte said on Wednesday that while the 7.2 per cent is correct, it does not tell the true story of the unemployment situation in Barbados.
Sharing his perspective on an ongoing public debate about the data for the fourth quarter of 2022, Forte said:
“I would like to assure the public that the reported unemployment rate is correct and the integrity of the Barbados Statistical Service and its staff should not be called into question,” he told Barbados TODAY.
“However,” he added, “those whose instincts or observations of what’s happening in the society, led them to believe that unemployment could not be that low in actuality, are also correct, especially when you compare it to 2019 or 2007.”
He was adamant that the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank should know better and that an unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent in the current economic climate in Barbados should have been subjected to greater analysis.
“Any economist, economic analyst or statistician worth his salt, should have been prompted to look below the hood and kick the tires. For us professionals, that’s basic. Those who have viewed the recently reported unemployment rate with scorn or derision are justified in doing so. The 7.2 per cent unemployment rate, on its own, does not paint the true picture of the local labour market. The triumphalism of the Central Bank Governor and the government’s spokespersons is misplaced,” he argued.
The consultant economist said that in the fourth quarter of 2022, the number of people reported as unemployed in Barbados was 9 400. This is compared with the 12 300 and 9 500 people reported as unemployed for the same period of 2019 and 2007 respectively.
“Nevertheless, in Q4 2022, just 121 700 people were employed in Barbados, compared with 126 000 in Q4 2019 and 131 800 persons in Q4 2007. The numbers suggest that in Q4 2022 there were 4 300 fewer people employed in Barbados than in Q4 2019 and 10,100 fewer people employed than in Q4 2007,” Forte pointed out.
“It is not due to higher employment than before the pandemic. Rather, it’s due to a shrinkage of the labour force. Barbados’ labour force in Q4 2022 was 7 000 people fewer than in Q4 2019, and 10 200 people fewer than in Q4 2007. A smaller labour force could be the result of more people retiring than entering the labour force, such as new school, college and university graduates,” the Canada-based Barbadian economist explained.
He added: “A smaller labour force could also be the result of people who were classified as unemployed dropping out of the labour force on account of giving up on seeking employment during the household labour force survey period.”
Forte suggested that some of those may be Barbadians who have immigrated to other countries in search of work.
“The bottom-line is that it’s misleading for policymakers and the Central Bank Governor to boast about the 7.2 per cent unemployment rate as if it means that post pandemic employment is back and Barbadians’ prospects for employment opportunities are better than in 2019 and on par with 2007. That simply isn’t true! The numbers don’t support that,” Forte declared.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The attorneys for Trinidadian firearms dealer Brent Thomas have started the process of taking legal action against the Barbados Police Service for the manner in which he was arrested and handed over to lawmen from his country last October.
“Brent’s attorneys are currently in the active process of engaging with Bajan legal representatives. This is the focus at this particular point in time,” lawyer Jose Young told Barbados TODAY on Wednesday.
Young, who represented Thomas in the early stages of his firearms case, declined to elaborate. However, other reliable sources in Trinidad and Tobago disclosed that the attorneys will be filing a constitutional motion in the courts here.
On Tuesday, in a ministerial statement to Parliament, Attorney General Dale Marshall admitted that local police “fell short of applicable legal norms” by handing over Thomas, who was in Barbados, to police from Trinidad and Tobago without an extradition request.
“To the extent that there may be any legal liability attaching to the actions of the Barbados Police Service officers, I can assure you that the Government of Barbados will abide by the law and fully respect any decisions of the law courts,” he said although rejecting a Trinidad judge’s classification of the police officers’ actions as an “abduction”.
Justice Devindra Rampersad gave that description in his April 25, 2023 ruling in a constitutional review motion filed by Thomas.
The 61-year-old was staying at a hotel here on October 5, 2023, when officers from the Barbados Police Service arrested him. They later took him to the Grantley Adams International Airport where he was met by Trinidad police who escorted him on a plane back to the twin-island republic. He was subsequently charged with illegal possession of weapons, including grenades and rifles.
Justice Rampersad stayed those charges, saying that Thomas’ detention involved serious breaches of his constitutional rights.
Marshall agreed with the judge that Barbados failed to follow the rule of law and due process when it did not comply with the Extradition Act.
“Barbados has an Extradition Act…which applies to a large number of criminal offences, including the firearm and other offences for which the warrants of arrest for Mr Thomas were issued. I can confirm that no request was made for the extradition of Mr Thomas,” he said in his ministerial statement.
“It is evident that the Barbados Police Service sought to assist a sister police service in a matter which appeared to them to be of a grave and important nature, and especially so, given the scourge of firearm violence that is a feature in Barbados and across the Caribbean. It is my view that they rendered that assistance without any mental element of criminality that would be associated with an abduction,” the Attorney General added.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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SENATOR SUGGESTS PSVS BE ALLOWED TO PLY MULTIPLE ROUTES

By Shamar Blunt

A Government Senator has recommended issuing flexible route permits to public service vehicles (PSVs) operators and creating hubs for passengers to do free transfers as initiatives to improve service to the public and clamp down on delinquent behaviour in the sector.
Gregory Nicholls made the suggestions as he contended that the current process of assigning routes to privately-owned PSVs needed to be revamped.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday during debate on the Transport Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, he said that despite the large number of PSVs on the road, some routes were poorly serviced because they were not lucrative enough for owners.
“The time for issuing a permit in the way in which we issue these permits has to change. I don’t believe that we are doing a good thing to the owners and holders of these permits to issue them [only] one route. Some people might get a very lucrative route but the truth is there are people in parts of Barbados that cannot get proper transport service,” Nicholls said.
“The Transport Authority has to be able to run a transport service where the owners of these vehicles can put them into a system where they are allocated on the basis of need and the revenue shared in a proportionate way to the vehicles being able to ply the routes.”
Nicholls added that if permits issued allowed drivers to be flexible to operate several routes, depending on the demand, it would significantly shorten the waiting times for commuters in areas that are currently poorly serviced.
“It cannot be that a vehicle is sitting down in a bus stand and waiting for people to board it in town in order for that bus to get somewhere close to me for an hour or 45 minutes. It must be that we are almost able to make a call and routes are allocated simultaneously based on an algorithm that determines how people want to move at any given point in time,” he said.
“When I speak about transport being conceptualised as a public utility, I am serious because it then means that we can have flexibility in order to respond to where people are.”
The attorney-at-law contended that if the sector was revamped in that way, transport exchange hubs could be created.
He said that, in turn, could correct some lawlessness in the PSV sector.
“We have to look at an area where we can get people to come from the east to the west, from the north to south, and vice versa, through an exchange point where you get on a bus and transfer without having to pay an additional new fare,” Senator Nicholls said.
“Offer the services where all the operators of the vehicles are paid a flat salary, where they don’t have to break the law, create inconveniences for people on the road, drive slowly during the periods, [and] keep back traffic.”
shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb

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By Sheria Brathwaite

Local manufacturers are supporting the recent implementation of the National School Nutrition Policy.
However, some believe a robust public education campaign is required to help Barbadians understand the benefits of eating healthy and staying active.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA) said its members would use the policy as a stepping stone for future product development.
“Our food and beverage members are already offering healthy options and will be further diversifying in the future. In addition, we have members producing bottled water and so on,” it said.
“While we will comply, we still believe that there is an important conversation that needs to occur between Government and manufacturers in regards to education and health – education from the standpoint of providing information to the public in regards to eating healthy and staying active. We also need to note that what may be healthy for one person may not be healthy for the other, so some type of balance should be achieved within the entire conversation.”
The National School Nutrition Policy was introduced at the start of the current term by the Ministry of Education in an effort to address the unhealthy lifestyles of students, many of whom have been found to be overweight.
Some canteen concessionaires and vendors who operate near schools complained that the policy was rushed and that the ministry should have implemented it in phases. Some also expressed concern that the policy would have a negative impact on sales.
Meanwhile, beverage manufacturer Banks Holdings Limited (BHL) said it was willing to partner with other players in the industry to introduce healthier products.
“We agree that the health of our nation is of utmost importance. This is one of the reasons BHL partnered with other industry players in launching the 2022 Balanced Calorie Initiative. Through that initiative, BHL has committed to employ a set of strategies to promote a healthier lifestyle through product innovation and a national public awareness campaign to encourage balancing caloric intake with wellness activities,” it said in a statement.
The company pointed out that it already had unsweetened options on the market such as apple, pineapple and orange-flavoured juices with no added sugar.
“Continuous product innovation is also key to our company’s strategy and we anticipate the launch of other new and exciting low- and no-sugar products very soon,” BHL said.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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A new study of the negotiated wage increases between 2017 and 2022 has revealed that while public servants went without a pay hike for four consecutive years, their private sector counterparts enjoyed small, annual raises over the same period.
The review released on Monday by the Barbados Employers Confederation (BEC) revealed that apart from a five per cent hike in 2018, government workers have not had a raise during the six years under review.
The BEC’s analysis showed that in the private sector, the average wage increase including moratoriums for the years 2017 to 2022 ranged from 1.44 per cent in 2020 to 2.18 per cent in 2022.
The confederation said that the detailed analysis provided valuable insights into the complex relationship between salary settlements, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and inflation in the country and is based on collective agreements negotiated by the BEC or reported to it by its members.
“The analysis reveals that there has been a small but steady increase in the average salary increase granted each year [in the private sector] with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the most frequently agreed increase has remained at two per cent,” the representative union for employers stated in the report.
The study found that that two per cent was agreed upon most years, except for 2020 when a “zero” per cent was most frequently concluded.
In 2021, a hike of 2.5 per cent was the order of the day.
“The average increase granted by employers from 2017 to 2022 ranges from 2.05 per cent to 2.48 per cent. The highest increase was seen in 2022 with an average of 2.48 per cent, while the lowest was in 2017 with an average of 2.05 per cent,” the review revealed.
The review also noted that inflation ranged from 2.88 per cent to 12.3 per cent, with the highest rate experienced in 2021 of 12.3 per cent.
“Over the years inflation had an impact on the purchasing power of wages. GDP had a range of $9,343.60 in 2020, to $10,656.36 in 2022. The highest GDP was seen in 2022, which may have been a contributing factor to the higher wages increase that year, as employers responded positively to workers, considering the level of inflation and prior wage freezes,” according to the assessment.
The BEC said that with this industry information, members can easily compare and evaluate their companies’ performance by searching the website via business size or by trade group.
The representative body is urging business owners in Barbados to review the findings of the report and leverage the insights to make strategic decisions that benefit their organisations and employees.
In March this year, Government and trade unions reached a deal that saw public sector workers getting a one-off payment of $1 500, a six per cent salary increase over the next two years and a 16 per cent hike in allowances up to 2025.
Under the agreement, there was also to be a regrading and job evaluation exercise across the public service this year and a committee was to be set up to address employee grievances.
(EJ)

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Chairman of the Parliamentary Reform Commission (PRC), Sir Richard Cheltenham says Barbadians will have to decide if the country should continue with the bicameral system with the two Houses of Parliament.
He said while the country inherited the bicameral system, Barbadians should consider whether they wanted the unicameral system with a single Chamber in the House of Assembly.
Speaking to the media at State House following the swearing in ceremony for the two heads of the PRC, Sir Richard said dialogue on whether Barbados should also maintain the first-past-the-post electoral system was also on the Commission’s agenda.
“Questions relating to whether a mixture of first-past-the-post and proportional representation – all of those questions will be on the agenda and have to be carefully considered. There are a lot of groups in Barbados that need to be represented at the level of Parliament,” said Sir Richard. He said it was necessary that minority groups be represented in the Senate.
Sir Richard, who along with Deputy Chairman, Sir Roy Trotman, was sworn in by Acting President His Excellency The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey Gibson, said the mandate of the PRC was a challenging and exciting responsibility.
“We are anxiously looking forward to getting started not in an informal way but in a formal manner,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sir Roy said he was honoured to have been asked by Prime Minister Mia Mottley and the Government to serve as Deputy Chairman of the commission.
Sir Roy said often when persons retire, they are “retired into a corner”.
“I am pleased that the Government believes that I have a contribution I can make and I hope to be able to examine with the illustrious team that we have the very important question of what is meant by having a voice and to what extent can we look again at what is democracy and what is representation.
“We don’t have limits on what we are supposed to do, but we have to be concerned about how we extend the mandate and how we are able to represent all the interests that have to be spoken for in the country. I am proud to be part of that. I am grateful to be given the opportunity,” Sir Roy added.
The commission has been asked to review the current structure and function of Parliament. Its mandate is to provide recommendations on how the governing body could be transformed to better suit a modern Barbados.
(AH)

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BARBADOS TO OPEN NEW OFFICE IN PANAMA CITY

By Jenique Belgrave

Barbados will be opening a new office in Panama City and expanding air service out of that market as the country seeks to increase visitor arrivals from the Latin America region.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill says the new Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc office will be opened within three months and will seek to capitalize on the significant potential of the growing Latin America travel market. He made the announcement while speaking at a press conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Wednesday morning as Caribbean Marketplace 2023 got underway.
“The office will be fully staffed. We will have a marketing director, we will also have individuals who work out of Brazil, and who will also serve a greater part of Latin America. We will have a fully-staffed office in Panama, with reach into Latin America. Then we will also tactically have some person on the ground in Sao Paulo, Brazil to help us build that out,” he added.
The minister also hinted that Copa Airlines will be providing additional airlift out of Panama in the coming months. While not going into detail, he stated that discussions are ongoing with the airline and an announcement would be made in July.
At present, Copa operates two weekly flights between the two destinations on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Gooding-Edghill said Barbados is on a tourism recovery path having seen 313 820 tourist arrivals between the November 2022 and April 2023 winter season, a significant increase over the 211 228 seen in the 2021/2022 season.
He said that by the end of the summer, Barbados will have recovered 90 per cent of the seats it had in 2019.
The just ended winter season saw a cruise industry recovery of 86 per cent when compared to pre-pandemic levels. There were 360 cruise ship calls and a total of 615 445 passengers.
jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb

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The European Union (EU) has launched a €35 million climate action programme in the Caribbean to help the region accelerate climate-smart projects.
During the launch of Euroclima, at Walker’s Reserve, St Andrew on Wednesday, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight said the initiative was crucial in helping Barbados and other Caribbean countries achieve their green developmental goals.
Standing in on behalf of Minister of Environment Adrian Forde who could not attend the event, Munro-Knight said: “This partnership with the European Union, in the context of this programme, comes at a particularly important moment for us. This project is about taking practical action in order for us as a region to deal with some of the fundamental threats to our climate.
“Some of those fundamental threats not only impact us in the context of the environment, but we also understand that climate impacts have social and economic implications. Therefore, addressing those challenges means that we address the totality of our development,” she said.
Munro-Knight added that this new partnership also complemented the recently established Declaration of Mission Barbados, which aims to position Barbados as an environmentally-sustainable island.
On a regional level, she said this was a win for the Caribbean as it fostered a shared agenda and gave regional partners access to much-needed resources.
During the ceremony, the European Union Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, CARICOM and CARIFORUM Malgorzata Wasilewska said that this programme was a demonstration that the EU was “walking the talk”.
“Climate change is one issue where European and Caribbean leaders share the same ambition and sense of urgency. Over the past years we have been together in ensuring that the fight for climate action remains on the front burner in our countries, in our regions, and globally. . .
“We also share the appreciation that we need more, better, and faster finance to address global challenges such as climate change to allow us to better
support the most vulnerable countries. In this regard, the next few months will present important stepping-stones towards a reform of the global financial
system,” she said.
Euroclima is an EU flagship initiative for green action in countries across Latin America. It has now been extended to the Caribbean.
The programme addresses biodiversity loss, aims at increasing resilience to climate change of ecosystems and vulnerable communities, including women, youth, and indigenous populations through the implementation of demand-driven actions.
(SZB)

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The lack of options for intra-regional travel remains a hindrance to pushing multi-destination packages, tourism stakeholders lamented on Wednesday.
Several industry players attending the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2023 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre told Barbados TODAY this was a challenge facing the Caribbean as a tourism destination.
Citing high airfare costs and a lack of direct flights as major headaches, they insisted these issues should not be a part of the Caribbean travel experience in 2023.
Tours Manager with SunTours Caribbean in St Lucia, Lyndon Thomas said that Caribbean countries have failed to work together to make travelling between the islands easy, even though it would be an economic booster.
“It is very difficult in terms of cost to move from one island to another when you think of sports and other activities…. If travel is easy, if persons can move from any of the islands to the next destination where within a day persons can fly out, watch the game, and return to the country, we should be doing this,” he said.
Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Hotel and Tourism Association and Regional Commercial Director of Blue Diamond Resorts in Antigua, Craig Marshall said the fact there are limited travel options is “the biggest challenge” for the industry.
“There is a huge amount of demand for intra-regional travel, not just in the Eastern Caribbean but the Northern Caribbean, and connecting these islands is so important,” he said, adding that ferries could also be used to connect the islands.
Opal Gibson, Director of Sales and Marketing at Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay spoke about the difficulties her team experienced in travelling from Jamaica to Barbados for the three-day Caribbean Travel Marketplace.
“We can all tell you that experience was challenging. I think there is an opportunity for some company to make airlift to the Caribbean a lot easier – increase load factors, increase flights, increase charters, increase interconnectivity between each island. That is the biggest thing right there. It would make it so much easier not only to help inter-island business and e-commerce but also tourism towards the region as a whole,” she suggested.
During the opening session of the Caribbean Travel Forum on Tuesday, CHTA president Nicola Madden-Greig highlighted that intra-regional arrivals continued to be low, even as international arrivals rebound.
Noting that visitors were not travelling to the islands due to the lack of interconnectivity, she suggested partnering with international carriers to offer packages as one way to address the problem.
(JB)

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Senator Lisa Cummins has called on Barbadians to be more responsible on the island’s roads as much of the indiscipline on the streets is reflected, not just in the PSV sector, but among private vehicle owners as well.
Her comments were made in the Upper House on Wednesday during debate on the Transport Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023. She said that despite the poor reputation of PSVs operators, private vehicle owners are not without fault.
“A PSV will drive and stop in the middle of the road because it doesn’t want the PSV coming behind to overtake it and get the passengers in front, but don’t let us be hypocrites. We have a culture evolving in this country where people no longer feel to pull over to the side when they stop and they are not driving a PSV, they are driving their own private cars,” Cummins said.
Regarding motorists using mobile phones while operating vehicles, Senator Cummins said: “I am seeing more and more people driving with their cellphones to their ear. Last I checked, in this very Chamber we passed legislation on what was to be done with cell phones – handsfree. You either have your carphone on, or your phone is on speaker but it cannot be in your hands. But you have Barbadians who would be shouting up and down from the mountaintop about PSVs, which may be wrong, but focus on if you are wrong too in what you are doing.”
The amendment, which was first introduced in the Lower House two weeks ago, makes provision for the Transport Authority to have responsibility for issuing, suspending and cancelling the licences, permits and badges of drivers and conductors of PSVs, motor omnibuses, minibuses and route taxis.
Senator Cummins said that the increased cases of private road users stopping their vehicles without warning and not using indicators continue to be an area of concern for officials.
“You have people who don’t feel the need to use their indicators any more, so the courtesy of saying to a person I am turning left or I am turning right, doesn’t exist any more. The indicator is not a decorative thing in your car, it is not there just for so… use them. Let other road users know where you are going. Stop coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the road without indicating to other road users what you are doing,” she stressed.
The Government senator stressed there was a need to change the public narrative about “us versus them” and that all road users, no matter who they are, need to be more responsible.
“There has to be a conversation in this country where we are not pointing fingers at others when four fingers are pointed back at us… We have to do better on the roads of this country.
“We have to stop practising this exceptionalism in this country, where we can see everything that is wrong with everybody else… We also have to be responsible for what is also wrong with us. I am making a call to Barbadians to exercise greater responsibility and respect for others on the road.”
(SB)

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MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT TO IMPROVE PELICAN VILLAGE

By Anesta Henry

Daycare facilities, an activities centre, and a medical clinic will open within a year at Pelican Village, as part of a multi-million-dollar redevelopment project aimed at turning around the industrial estate’s fortunes.
Chief Executive Officer of Export Barbados, Mark Hill disclosed on Wednesday that the approximately $6 million project is scheduled to begin on June 1 and be completed by the end of the current financial year.
Hill said that under the redevelopment, the strategy is to get locals back into the space.
“Using the Oistins experience, we can have nice fish fries happening at night, kind of meeting that Baxter’s Road need where you need proper seating, proper lighting, proper security. We anticipate that people attract people and, therefore, this redesign and redevelopment should boost better business and not just focus on cruise tourism,” he said at a press conference at Bagnall’s Point Gallery in Pelican Craft Centre.
“For example, what happens between the end of April until the cruise season starts back in October? The last ship left the island last month. We are not going to see the next one not until October, but [businesses at Pelican] still have to operate. So where is the money coming from? Where is the business coming from? Those are the things you have to address when you are redesigning a business model.”
The head of the agency responsible for government industrial estates across the island, said Pelican Village, which consists of 19 structures on 270 000 square feet of land, will be divided into three zones based on the nature of the businesses there.
He told members of the media who toured the location that Zone 1 will be a food and entertainment centre; Zone 2 will be redesigned as a space for craft makers, designers and artisans to create and sell their work; and Zone 3 will be a lifestyle hub featuring daycare facilities for the elderly and children, an activities centre and a medical clinic.
Hill said the 40 existing tenants have already been notified of the proposed changes and he gave the assurance that there was enough space in Zone 2 to accommodate all of those who are in good standing.
“So don’t see a scenario of necessary displacement; all we are saying is that we are adjusting our business model. Not only here, but we are also doing redevelopment across all of the estates, creating new models and new ways of doing business and being innovative.
“Therefore, it is not a matter of displacement, it is a matter of innovation and how do we reposition ourselves with a better business model that works for everybody,” he said.
So far, Hill said, there has been good feedback from most tenants.
“But, naturally, with any change we anticipate that with displacement, human beings are human beings. People get uncomfortable since the change impacts on people but we are helping them to work through it and helping them to navigate the change,” the Export Barbados CEO assured.
In Zone 1, which will be referred to as Pretty Pelican, 27 quaint, colourful shops will become a food and entertainment centre leased to a single operator who will sublet to other businesses. The tender for the operation of Pretty Pelican will be issued in the coming weeks, Hill said.
Zone 2, Pink Pelican, will include Buildings 1, 2 and 3, will be a space for artisans to practise their craft and a multi-use commercial space for them to sell their products.
Blue Ribbon, which is Zone 3, will include Buildings 6 and 7 that will become the lifestyle hub. The daycare facilities there will cater to 96 children and 15 staff members.
Hill added that the two parking lots accessible from the Princess Alice Highway will be closed and redesigned to provide seating for patrons. Consequently, the two roundabouts located by the Pink Pelican buildings will be removed to allow for expanded parking for tenants and patrons.
“Increasing the parking capacity is building capacity for what we want to focus on by attracting more locals into the space,” he explained.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The 18-year-old daughter of popular soca artiste Omar Marzville McQuilkin is in stable but serious condition at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) after being involved in a hit-and-run incident on Monday, and her relatives are appealing for the public’s help to find the perpetrator.

Akia John-McQuilkin was asleep in the front seat of the car driven by her partner when it was hit by another vehicle at the Brighton junction in St George around 10:30 p.m. 

Her stepmother Carisia-Ann Francois, who spoke to Barbados TODAY on behalf of Marzville, said the teenager got the brunt of the blow, sustaining four fractured vertebrae in her neck.

The driver of the car had soft tissue injury and cuts to his face and was discharged from hospital on Tuesday night.

According to Francois, Akia is conscious and able to communicate with relatives and her medical team, and her family and friends are hoping for the best outcome.

The teenager has started to regain movement in her fingers but is unable to lift her left hand.

“She is moving her legs and everything; her right hand is fine but she has pain in her shoulder and . . . she is not able to lift her left hand,” Francois said.

“The neurosurgeon is monitoring her and he will let us know if surgery is going to be necessary to help correct the injury, but he hasn’t given an official word as yet. She is conscious and alert. The past couple days have been extremely difficult for her because she has been in an immense amount of pain.

“Yesterday was the better day out of all of them because she was able to see her family. The doctors and nurses are working really well with her. She is trying, but we are waiting on the neurosurgeon. Everything has to be done for her,” she added.

The car Akia was in was travelling to St Philip when there was a collision with another vehicle, described only as a blue 4×4 truck, heading towards the City.

“The truck hit her side…. The person turned off the lights and continued driving. They didn’t stop and slow down or anything. They just hit them and kept driving. Because of the injury, she couldn’t be pulled out through the window or anything. We had to have the Fire Service come and free her with the jaws of life,” Francois said.

Hours after the accident, Marzville appealed on social media for the public’s help to find the hit-and-run driver.

Francois said although the driver of a vehicle behind the car Akia was in got a glimpse of the truck, they did not see the licence plate.

“So we are appealing to anybody who knows anybody that has a truck that got hit or anything or the sort, we just want some kind of information because it is not fair to Akia that she is in the hospital trying to fight this pain and this person doesn’t have a care for human life,” she said.

“I mean, she could have died. We thank God that she is alive, but it could have been worse. But he just decided he didn’t care so he went along. We want anybody who can give us information on this person to come forward and say something. It would assist the police in their investigations and at least it would give us some sort of comfort,” Francois added.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hailed first responders as heroes, and rightly so. The pace of the world slowed as we battled against the deadly virus. We had time to reflect on the careers that were essential to our livelihood. We then thought about a friend, family member or neighbour who had to get up each day we were on lockdown to ensure the country was still in operation.

Now the worst of the pandemic is behind us, some appear to have forgotten the critical role played by these heroes. The Barbados Ambulance Service, the Barbados Fire Service and the Barbados Police Service must be allowed to conduct their duties unhindered.

It was concerning when Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams, Chief Fire Officer Errol Maynard and Head of Emergency Ambulance Service Dr David Byer lamented the fact that some Bajans are not acknowledging emergency vehicles’ sirens by pulling over as stipulated by law.

The issue became a public talking point when four fire officers and two other motorists were involved in a major accident at a busy intersection, as the emergency vehicle was heading to a house fire in the City last Friday.

Two fire officers complained of pain in the chest and legs and were transported by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, while the other two sought medical evaluation at the private Sandy Crest Medical Centre in St James.

Minister Abrahams, who was on the scene, pointed out that the siren is sometimes ignored.

“Generally, I’ve observed recently that the beacon and the siren don’t get the respect they require and there are a lot of near misses responding to emergencies,” he said.

The fire chief reminded motorists of the need to pull over.

“Generally, once the sirens are sounding and the lights are burning we encourage all Barbadians to pay caution when they hear the siren and pull over to the left or an appropriate side where possible to allow any emergency vehicles safe passage,” Maynard said.

Days later, at a fire in The City, he was forced to issue another warning. This time, he pleaded with residents and businesses to clean up their surroundings. He was prompted to do so because of a bond, which contained various chemicals, oils, grease, abandoned vehicles and wood, next to the site of a house fire.

“These items, as they deteriorate with the old wood, card boxes and bird dung can cause a fire. Therefore, I want to encourage all Barbadians to clean up your place whether Government owned or privately owned,” he said.

Such challenges that impede the ability to perform emergency duties are not isolated to the Fire Service.

Dr Byer said the ambulance service also faces the challenge of motorists refusing to pull over, daily.

He also reported that in some cases, motorists would tailgate the ambulance to get ahead of traffic.

“We still get instances of tailgating and motorists who try to get into the spaces created by those who pull over. Sometimes they’ll take a risk because they may see a free space, but that is dangerous for them and the persons in the ambulance,” Dr Byer said.

Motorists need to be more attentive and mindful when traversing. When these services are deployed and the siren is on, that is a clear indication that there is an emergency. It means that someone or multiple people are in distress – whether medical distress or the distress of losing property. Therefore, complying with the law and pulling over does not only help the emergency personnel but the motorists may be helping a friend, family member or a neighbour.

The full weight of the law should be brought to bear on anyone who hears a siren and does not pull over or decides to tailgate, instead of making way for the emergency vehicle.

The clarion call to adhere to the law and acknowledge the siren must be heard by all motorists. And while some have posited that the siren volume is too low, this does not negate that motorists should practise driving with due care and attention at all times. If this is done, it would be much easier to brace for any eventuality should an emergency vehicle need clear access.

We must help first responders so they can help us.

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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are stunting economic growth across the region, potentially robbing the region of more than 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a respected health economist.

Professor Emeritus Karl Theodore, Senior Consultant Advisor to the HEU, Centre for Health Economics in Trinidad said on Wednesday that while the NCD situation in the region is often seen as a healthcare crisis, it is also weakening economic output.

And that impact, he asserted, has been underestimated despite the large number of studies done over the years.

“The minimum figure we are seeing in all these studies [on] what the NCDs are costing our economies is five per cent of our GDP per year. What is interesting about this is that not a single one of these studies has looked at the full range of these NCDs. Each of these studies only looked at cardiovascular disease and hypertension, or diabetes and something else. They look at two or three of the NCDs and came up with these figures.

“What I am saying is that if you look at a small set and you get a five per cent figure, if you look at the full range of NCDs and you include in that mental health, the figure we are talking about for this region is that [NCDs] are costing us more than 10 per cent of our GDP every single year,” Professor Theodore said.

“If people want to understand how much 10 per cent of GDP is, the money we spend on healthcare in our countries [on] average is six per cent and below of our GDP. We are letting these NCDs rob us as nations of more than 10 per cent.”

Professor Theodore made the comments during a discussion entitled Managing the Costs of and Economic Fallout from Non-Communicable Diseases in the Caribbean at the May 2023 edition of the Central Bank of Barbados’ Caribbean Economic Forum.

He pointed out that these diseases are also greatly impacting the workforce.

“The NCDs are causing problems with our labour force because of the morbidity and the high mortality levels, and they are damaging our capital pillar because with the spending we have to do [on] the NCDs, we have less to invest into things that make our economies more product,” Professor Theodore said.

“It’s not simply that it is shrinking us but it is really weakening us. It’s not just so much [about] health but NCDs are destroying us as nations.”   

Dr Kenneth Connell, Vice President of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of West Indies Cave Hill Campus, lamented the hesitance of manufacturers of unhealthy food products to offer healthier options.

“We cannot allow the commercial determinants to sidestream and delay [change]. It’s almost like you are on a railway track and you are trying to move forward and people are holding back and saying ‘let’s wait a little longer’. . . . We cannot wait, we cannot afford to wait,” Dr Connell said.

“The same profits that industries may be trying to grab at are the same results in the future that are going to work out to their detriment. They will not have the labour force, and at that point, if they then decide ‘well, we can no longer do this’, then it will be too late.”     

Director of the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), Professor Simon Anderson said that despite the important lessons learned at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when countries used stringent policies to tackle the health emergency, authorities have lost focus.

“Post-pandemic, it seems as if we have gone back into the old days of doing very little. We cannot afford that; we have to ensure that post-pandemic, if there is required funding that needs to be given to the matter, we need to do it. We need to talk across stakeholders to make sure that there is a whole of community approach to dealing with the problem.

“We really need to sit down with the policymakers and stakeholders to say what are the problems, what are the priorities and how do we encourage our society to change their mindset,” Professor Anderson said.

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb

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Trinidad and Tobago’s Attorney General Reginald Armour has apologised to Barbados police for the negative light cast on the assistance they gave to lawmen in the twin-island republic in apprehending a wanted firearms dealer.

In a statement to Parliament on Wednesday, he said that while the manner in which Brent Thomas was returned was unlawful, the Barbadian officers had only been trying to help their Trinidadian counterparts.

Armour’s apology came a day after Attorney General Dale Marshall said that while police had fallen short, they had rendered the requested assistance to their T&T colleagues “without any mental element of criminality that would be associated with an abduction”.

“I offer to the government and the . . . Barbados Police Force, my apologies for the slur which has been cast on the action of the . .  . Barbados Police Service who, consistent with the law and their oaths of office, were assisting the T&T Police Service (TTPS) to the best of their ability in the investigation of alleged crimes, in seeking to bring an alleged fugitive to justice,” Armour said.

He also disclosed that while Trinidad’s Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions George Busby had advised TTPS officers involved to communicate the existence of warrants to Barbados authorities, no advice was given as to how the rest was to be done in Barbados or how, if arrested, Thomas was to be returned.

In his ruling on a constitutional review motion filed by Thomas last month, Justice Devindra Rampersad accused Barbados police of “abducting” the 61-year-old businessman from his hotel on October 5 last year and handing him over to Trinidad and Tobago police who came here for him.

Thomas was taken back to Trinidad to face charges of illegal possession of weapons, including grenades and rifles but the judge stayed the charges, contending that the Trinidadian’s constitutional rights were seriously breached. The T&T government has since appealed that decision.

Justice Rampersad’s characterisation of the Barbados police’s involvement as an abduction had been rejected by Marshall.

“From the reports that I have received, I am satisfied that the actions of the Barbados Police Service have fallen short of applicable legal norms, such as acting under an extradition request. I, however, cannot associate myself with the description of the actions of the Barbados Police officers as an abduction or as has been elsewhere been described as a kidnapping,” the AG said.

“It is evident . . . that the Barbados Police Service sought to assist a sister Police service in a matter which appeared to them to be of a grave and important nature, and especially so, given the scourge of firearm violence that is a feature in Barbados and across the Caribbean.”

Addressing Justice Rampersad’s use of the word “abduction” in his ruling, Armour said there was no evidence that the TTPS acted with criminal intent in pursuing Thomas to Barbados and bringing him back to Trinidad.

“There can be no criminal offence of abduction, involving criminal intent, unless such criminal intent was shown, beyond reasonable doubt to have been present in the minds of the officers of the TT Police Service,” he said.

Attorneys for Thomas have indicated they intend to file legal action against the Barbados Police Service.
(BT/CMC)

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