The full extent of Hurricane Beryl’s devastation on the fishing industry has been revealed, with a staggering 220 out of 312 active boats — or seven in ten boats – lost at the island’s largest landing site, the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex.

The revelation came during a high-level meeting on Monday between ministers, Social Partnership representatives and a visiting team of economists from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The ECLAC delegation is here until Thursday to conduct a damage and loss assessment mission, aiming to determine the financial fallout from the Category 4 hurricane that ravaged the island’s coastal areas.

Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Blue and Green Economy Adrian Forde painted a grim picture of the destruction at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex: “Of the 312 active boats, 220 were lost, 64 were destroyed, 26 sunk and six received minor damage.” He emphasised that the island was in need of financial assistance to rebuild” and called for more emphasis to be placed on environmental conservation.

The opening session at Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre saw ministers and officials outlining the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Beryl to the visiting economists.

Trisha Tannis, chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA), raised concerns about the island’s inland infrastructure. She urged for “a national assessment of the inland infrastructure to be done, noting that one was not done in as much as 50 years”. Tannis stressed the importance of such an assessment “to determine the integrity of the infrastructure in the event that a natural disaster impacted the island in the future”.

“Given the projections for not just the frequency of hurricanes, but the strength of the anticipated hurricanes is the issue of infrastructural resilience, both inland and on the coast.

And we may not find ourselves so fortunate and therefore, looking at our inland infrastructure is also a critical concern to the private sector.

“What is critical to us is a real evaluation of how sturdy all of our physical infrastructure is against Category 4 or Category 5s [hurricanes] and to do an actual assessment,” she said.

The lack of comprehensive insurance coverage for fisherfolk was also highlighted. Tannis noted that while “a few fisherfolk had boat insurance none had operation disruption insurance”, exposing a significant vulnerability in the industry.

Dennis De Peiza, general secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations (CTUSAB), also expressed serious concerns about the island’s road network.

“We have learnt from what has happened in the other Caribbean islands, the devastation, in which they were unable to reach part of the countries,” De Peiza told the meeting.

“We have challenges getting north and east of the island, in particular St Joseph, St Andrew and so forth. Our road network has been under challenge for a prolonged time and I don’t think we are paying attention to it. We don’t even have a helicopter that you can fly over and drop food supplies . . . So something seriously has to be done about our road network.”

The trade union leader cautioned that Barbadians needed to take climate change “more seriously” and warned that beachfront properties were a “hazard”. De Peiza also advocated for an insurance scheme to be considered for frontline workers who risk their lives working during national emergencies.

He said: “We need to address the welfare of the workers that we call frontline workers and emergency workers. We are calling on the government to look carefully at those persons and to protect their welfare interests. They respond in all types of emergencies and none of them have any personal accident insurance coverage. So they go at their own peril to serve the nation. We believe that the government must step up and protect the interest of those workers, by fully doing it [or] partly doing it.”

The meeting also heard from Senior Minister Dr William Duguid, the minister for infrastructure in the Mottley administration, who highlighted the severe coastal impact of Beryl, pointing to the beach erosion along the South Coast from the hurricane’s eight-foot-high storm surges.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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The American political landscape has again demonstrated that a day in politics can be a lifetime, as fortunes and predictions can turn very unexpectedly.

Such was the case over the weekend when President Joe Biden, under tremendous pressure from within his own political camp, decided it was time to abandon his plan to contest the presidency at the age of 81.

There was panic in the Democratic Party as Biden, despite all that he had achieved in the last four years, seemed incapable of leading the kind of vigorous campaign required over the next five months to stave off a return of Donald Trump to the White House.

No matter how it was explained or messaged since his abysmal debate performance against Trump, there was no denying that Biden was not as physically or mentally ready to challenge a wily candidate like Trump who has a long history of untruths.

Biden acknowledged what the polls and his party colleagues had been echoing; that the risk was too great to go into the presidential fight with such dismal numbers and lack of enthusiasm from the voter base.

Of course, Biden was not able to win over many young voters with his stand on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, where he leaned in hard with the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden’s condemnation of the International Criminal Court order for the arrests of Netanyahu and the Hamas leader for war crimes, also saw him on the wrong side of some donors to his party and progressive voters.

In fact, progressive groups and Arab Americans, a traditionally Democratic voting bloc, in the state of Michigan, vowed to withhold support for Biden over his strident stand with Israel and the provision of arms for that country which were used to kill thousands of Palestinian civilians.

It was argued that Biden could not win the electoral college without Michigan.

The Detroit Free Press quoted Osama Siblani, a longtime Arab American advocate and publisher saying: “Everybody in my community is very thrilled that Biden is out of the way . . . . We don’t have to worry about someone who is a partner to the genocide on the head of the ticket for the Democratic Party.”

The excitement over the likely choice of Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the next United States president is also creating fear; not that she is incapable of doing the job or that she is not fit for the office.

The United States is a highly divided country and much of that division has been fomented by the Republican party, the candidate Donald Trump and his acolytes. Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, and she is a woman.

As progressive as the US projects itself to be, it is among the few developed and developing countries in the world that has never elected a female head of state. The level of racism and misogyny that has already smeared her campaign is incredible.

In 2016 when another person of colour ran and won the presidency, the backlash to his elevation brought out the worst of white America. Racists in America have become even more emboldened since the Trump presidency, and so, there is an expectation that the attacks on Harris will be even more brutal.

What the latest developments in the Democratic Party have demonstrated is the need for politicians to constantly read the room and understand when it is time to hand over the reins of power. No matter how much good has been done and how many achievements are listed, the time will come, respectfully, when your shelf life has expired.

Trump, on the other hand, has managed to create a cult-like machinery in the Republican party, where he is seen as the be all and end all; the ultimate leader whose lead must be followed at all costs.

If the majority of Americans want to maintain and build on the democracy they have, then it will require most citizens there to coalesce behind the Dems and Harris. The democratic world is relying on them to vote the right way.

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A significant number of women are being turned away from joining The Barbados Police Service (TBPS) each year due to insufficient accommodation facilities, Attorney General Dale Marshall revealed on Monday.

Speaking at a signing ceremony to launch the partial renovation of the Regional Police Training Centre, Marshall admitted: “Every year we have to turn away a significant number of women simply because we can’t physically accommodate them.”

The attorney general highlighted ongoing challenges in police recruitment: “Recruitment of police officers is obviously a challenge. I’m happy to say we’ve done a little bit better in the last two cohorts than we had previously when I became AG.”

Marshall noted a concerning trend in recent years: “I think in my second year as AG we saw the recruitment class drop as low as 18. That tells a story when you only have 18 young men and women interested in joining the police service at any given time.”

But, he reported some improvement: “Our last graduating cohort, I think the number was just over 60.”

The attorney general acknowledged that the police service has struggled to attract young people for many years and has failed to meet the required enrolment established four or five decades ago. Currently, there are 1 251 police officers and 46 special constables in service.

In a move to address the accommodation shortage, Marshall announced a partnership with the United States to build two new dormitories at the Regional Police Training Centre. The project involves a $6 million investment from Barbados and $1.1 million from the US government.

“In addition to the existing capacity, we will have the ability to add an extra 60 recruits if we could reach that capacity,” Marshall explained. Each new dormitory will house 30 recruits.

US Ambassador to Barbados Roger Nyhus emphasised Washington’s commitment to improving regional security in the Caribbean.

“Regional security is one of the most important issues we work on on a daily basis,” he said. “From the RSS [Regional Security System] to CARICOM IMPACS [Implementation Agency for Crime and Security] to so many other organisations that are really designed to do one thing —make it safer for the people of Barbados and those who visit that they people should not be fearing violent crime, they should not be fearing any sort of crime in an ideal world.”

Ambassador Nyhus added: “I think having these enhanced facilities will make it easier for folks from throughout the region to come and get trained and it’s something that the US fully supports and hopefully we will continue to make investments in this area.”

The signing ceremony took place at the Attorney General’s Office in Webster’s Business Park, Wildey.

(SZB)

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A cognitively “slow” uncle was on Monday sentenced to eight years in prison for indecently assaulting his niece five years ago.

The paedophile had previously pleaded guilty to four separate counts of indecent assault against the minor under five years old. In sentencing him, Justice Pamela Beckles said “As the uncle of the complainant you were expected to protect her and not harm . . . . The offences took place in the home where she resided, a place where she should’ve felt safe and secure.”

A diagnostic report on the former Alma Parris student determined that he was suffering from a paedophilia disorder and that he would benefit from a confined space with no unsupervised access to preadolescent children and pharmacological treatment aimed at reducing sexual desires toward children.

Though a psychological assessment said that he had a cognitive ability of an extremely low range but reportedly was able to understand right and wrong and fit to plea.

The judge deemed the offence a very serious one against a child and said the fact that the offences occurred four times was “quite disturbing”.

The court heard how the man intimidated the minor by telling her if she told anyone it meant she didn’t love him. He, however, apologised for his crimes before the No 5 Supreme Court on Monday.

“Sorry for what I did, I know I can’t turn back from wuh I do. I should’ve told my mother everything that happened instead of keeping it to myself,” the now 31-year-old man told the judge.

State Counsel Eleazar Williams, the prosecutor, in reading the facts disclosed that the convict rubbed his privates against the child’s as well as on her buttocks. Those offences occurred between January 1 and June 22, 2019.

In a pre-sentencing report ordered, the man’s mother described him as “slow” and unable to retain information. As a result of these deficiencies, the mother said she was overprotective of him. The 31-year-old man was also assessed and diagnosed as a slow learner who performed below his chronological age and left school without any academic qualifications. However, he later acquired certificates in masonry and landscaping from the Barbados Vocational Board. Over the years he gained employment as a general worker. The report also stated that his relationship with family was ‘good’ except with his sister – the mother of the victim.

A victim impact statement also detailed that the complainant, who is now 10 years old, was seen by the relevant personnel at the Child Care Board. She was referred to counselling after experiencing nightmares, restlessness at night, a loss of interest in schoolwork and was preoccupied with the uncle’s abuse and was lashing out. The court later heard that the child’s trauma symptoms had abated, and her parents reported that she was more manageable. There was no recommendation for further treatment as the therapeutic goals had been accomplished.

The uncle was assessed and determined to be at average risk of being charged or convicted of another sexual offence. The court determined that the aggravating factors of the offence were the nature of the offence, the breach of trust, disparity in age, the relationship between the victim and the convicted man and the intimidation of the victim.

Mitigating in his favour were his guilty plea, clean record, acceptance of responsibility and personal history.

“However, your intellectual disability does not impair your ability to recall or understand the charges against you,” the judge said.

The starting point for sentencing was set at five years which is the maximum sentence for the offence of indecent assault. A discount of one year for mitigating factors was given for each count.

The court considered four years an appropriate sentence for each offence stating that if served concurrently the total length of time would not reflect the overall seriousness of the criminality.

“I also consider it necessary to ensure public confidence in the administration of justice by imposing sentences which do not suggest that multiple offences would be punished in the same way as one or two offences,” said Justice Beckles.

On the first and second counts, a four-year concurrent sentence was imposed. On the third and fourth counts, another four-year sentence was given. The sentence on the third and fourth will run consecutively to the first and second. Discounts were also given for time on remand and guilty plea.

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A man dressed in all black was caught on camera illegally entering a house where a woman suffering from dementia lived. He stole a hair trimmer and blender but left behind his clothing scattered on the floor of the house.

When he appeared before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Monday he was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Jean Troy Burnett, 43, of no fixed place of abode appeared before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes where he admitted to entering the home of Louis Webster as a trespasser and stealing a blender, hair trimmer and $150 on July 12. The value of the stolen property was $650.

Webster lives with her mother who has dementia. At around 11 a.m. on the date of the incident, Webster left home for work leaving his mother alone. The hair trimmer was left in the bathroom and the blender in the kitchen. On returning home in the evening, he noticed a white towel, a navy blue tee-shirt, a black and white vest, a blue short jeans pants and multi-coloured swimming goggles on the floor, which did not belong to him or his mother.

On viewing the CCTV footage, he saw Burnett, dressed in all black with a black haversack open his front door and enter the house. He also saw him leaving the house with the same haversack. Webster did not report the matter to police initially.

However, on July 18, Webster was travelling along Goddard’s Road, St Michael when he saw Burnett whom he recognised from the footage. He confronted him and he ran. Webster took chase, apprehending him in the St Stephen’s Hill Nursery’s car park. It was then that the matter was reported to police.

Burnett took police to St Stephen’s Hill where he showed them the hair trimmer and blender.

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A man who threatened to shoot a special constable was remanded to Dodds Prison on Monday.

Khalil Javaar Hurley, 25, of Scott’s Gap, Britton’s Hill, St Michael pleaded guilty to four charges including issuing threats, using insulting language and resisting and assaulting Special Constable 386 Alleyne.

Sergeant Randolph Boyce told the court that on July 19 the special constable was on duty along Richard Haynes Boardwalk in Christ Church and had reason to speak to Hurley regarding a report which was made.

He became boisterous and said to Alleyne “You is freak, go from around me. I will shoot you”. Despite being warned, Hurley continued “You is a *** idiot and a foolish ****”. As the constable attempted to arrest him, Hurley struggled violently, striking and scratching the constable on his hand and damaging his watch in the process.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court, Hurley admitted to the charges. He returns to court on August 19 for sentencing.

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The cornerstone for the government’s planned educational change will be built on students having access to modern, environmentally-friendly school buildings.

This was the point made by Minister of Education, Kay McConney, as she addressed attendees of Monday’s award ceremony for the recently-concluded Modern School Infrastructure Design Competition .

During the ceremony at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, the three finalists in the primary, secondary, nursery and special needs categories received awards for their contribution to the process of designing modern schools which will be used as a blueprint for future school plants.

McConney congratulated the finalists, noting that “environment influences outcomes”, and a shift to contemporary and innovative designs for schools are required to better serve the needs of children.

“As we shift from traditional approaches and instructional approaches towards more modern approaches that meet our children how they learn, and that greet our teachers with cutting-edge instructional methods, our entire system from infrastructure to curriculum must be made ready to empower 21st century education.”

She stressed that the designs from the finalists are “more than bricks and mortar”, adding “they are about transforming spaces into dynamic hubs of collaboration, of creativity and of innovation. Our redesigned spaces in Barbados will be flexible and adaptable, promoting teamwork and critical thinking. Classrooms will support different group configurations, learning styles and project-based learning.

“Collaborative areas will encourage students to brainstorm ideas, to solve problems together and to unleash their future potential as future leaders and innovators,” she said.

The education minister also stated that sustainability within future structures will also be key.

“Resilience and sustainability both underpin our vision for modern school infrastructure, keeping in mind that we as a country must face down challenges of the climate crisis which is very real. We must face down challenges of cleaner energy sources which will serve our best interest including that of our environment.

“Our modern school buildings will incorporate eco-friendly designs and renewable energy sources, teaching our students the importance of environmental stewardship. By embracing sustainable practices, we not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also instil values that will resonate throughout the lives of our children.”

Minister McConney also noted that better learning environments will also better prepare students for the new world of technology and innovation that they will be entering.

The three finalists in each category are: Corey Evelyn, Ruth Durant-Sobers and Christopher Barnett for nursery; Maurice Clarke, Alana Brooks and Ruth Durant-Sobers for primary; Kevin Browne, lan Best and Julia Kirton for secondary, and Julia Kirton, Frederick Johnson and Corey Evelyn for special needs.

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A local cleric believes there is an urgent need for spiritual and social transformation in Barbados in the face of rising gun violence and moral decay.

And though he supports the call to prayer he says: “It seems as though gun violence has disrupted our way of life,” said Rev Dr Eric Peters from Power in the Blood Assemblies. “That’s not what we’re accustomed to. We’ve always heard about it in Jamaica; we’ve heard about it in Trinidad, and we did say it would not happen here,” he remarked as he delivered the sermon at the Tudor Bridge church to launch of the 2024 National Summer Camps Programme of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment.

The summer programme will run for five weeks and is aimed at engaging and nurturing the island’s youth.

“If you are like me and you’re normal, you would like to see change in Barbados . . . . From my experience, I can tell you that crime is like a virus. It spreads. It doesn’t confine itself to particular borders or particular nationalities,” he told the congregation, which included Minister of Youth and Sports Charles Griffith, officials from his ministry, and members of the Barbados Youth Advance Corp.

Describing crime as a pervasive force and likening it to a virus that spreads beyond nationalities, Peters further called for a proactive approach to addressing the crisis.

“So it is said, if your neighbour’s house is on fire, wet yours. I don’t think we were wetting so we are here. But I’m comforted that when I read God’s Word, I believe that we can find the path to change. It has come to a place where we can’t ignore it anymore. You know, sometimes things can be happening and you can pretend they’re not happening.

“But I think it’s at the point where we can’t pretend that it’s not happening. It will not be solved by blaming one another. I’ve heard blame. It will not be solved by a knee-jerk reaction to prayer. It’s good. I applaud it. But it will not be solved by that. Because it goes much deeper,” he suggested. His sermon came on the weekend during which Prime Minister Mia Mottley called for national prayer for Barbados’ spiritual and social transformation in the face of rising gun violence and moral decay.

Addressing criticism directed at the church, the reverend defended its role amidst the challenges, noting that it remained a crucial part of the solution.

“I hear the calls of ‘where is the church’ by those who have ignored the church, accused the church and condemned the church. But we are saying today that we are here.

“There is no instant relief for this problem. We are all culpable for the current stalemate. We all are. If you want to wash your hands like Pilate and say it has nothing to do with you, you’re fooling yourself,” Dr Peter asserted.

He suggested the church had become “cold” and “internally focused,” abandoning its mandate to preach with the anointing, and called for a return to fervent prayer and a renewed commitment to spiritual responsibilities.

Parents and political leaders were also called out for their roles in the current state of affairs.

“Let’s look at the parents, because today we have parents who partake in the proceeds of prostituting acts by our young daughters, and they share in the proceeds of criminal acts by our young men. So tell me, we are not to blame,” Peters said.

He similarly criticised lawmakers for dismantling moral values in legislation.

“Our political class, you’re not escaping because, over the years, we’ve enacted laws that have removed the values and moral virtues that have erected a wall of defense for this nation for ages. Our judges and magistrates are a part of the problem as well. Because they see as their sole responsibility punitive measures and not restorative measures.”

Despite this, he remained optimistic about the potential for real and lasting change.

“But there is one path to real and lasting change,” the cleric emphasised, noting that such change was beyond the reach of political leaders or social influencers alone. “Let me say this here: regardless of the noble intent of the prime minister, national change is not within the ability of the best of political leaders. God didn’t give them that.”

While acknowledging the efforts of those working to address the crisis, Peters argued that these efforts alone were insufficient.

“In Barbados, we can see the efforts of the minister. We speak about the peace programme that has been working. They’ve been trying their best. We see the different truces that have been brokered. But with the best of intentions, eventually it’s going to break.”

Drawing on biblical teachings, he compared the situation in Barbados to historical instructions given to Israel. “As we look at our text today, Israel is being instructed by God as to what to do, not when He changes, but when you have abandoned Him and the consequences of your actions begin to bear fruit. He says these are the things that you need to do.”

Peters further called for personal responsibility in both spiritual and national life. “I want to say to us as the church, because we have to deal with ourselves first – the solemn assembly of every child of God is to live your life in such a way that the hand of God continues to bless and cover the nation as adverse situations have serious repercussions.

“The reality is that the victims of spiritual apathy are the very innocent citizens of our nation. Because we lack commitment to God, we leave them to become prey to every strategy of the enemy,” he noted.

He called for a shift from self-centered prayers to a focus on the nation’s well-being. “God will not intervene without prayer. I know we want God to intervene and we ask him, Lord, to help, but I want us to know that prayer for five minutes on Saturday is not going to do it,” he said insisting that a return to God was the answer.

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This Friday we will witness the Opening Ceremony of the prestigious 2024 Paris Olympics, where the world’s top athletes will go for gold. Barbados TODAY continues its coverage of the coveted sports event, through the eyes of one of Barbados’ outstanding sprinters, and a member of the first female squad to represent Barbados at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, Freida Nicholls.

BREAKTHROUGHS AT THE OLYMPICS

As I continue the journey of the Olympics through the years, a few breakthroughs which made a significant difference come to mind.

One of the first such major breakthroughs was the admission of women to compete in athletics at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. Women had been admitted in 1900, but as participants in disciplines that were considered to be compatible with their femininity and fragility, such as swimming and tennis.

In Amsterdam, female athletes competed for the first time in the 100 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, and high jump. Since then, the opportunities for women in sports have increased tremendously, and they bring their unique brand of sportsmanship to add variety to the ‘greatest show on earth’ – the Olympic Games.

The Olympic flame also made its inaugural appearance at the 1928 Games. Forty years later, Mexican hurdler Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotela became the first woman to have the honour of lighting the flame at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.

At the Paris Olympics in 1924, the first Olympic Village was erected to accommodate the athletes. (Women were housed in separate quarters.) Technology connected the world to Olympic competition for the first time at these Games, through live broadcasts via radio transmissions.

The 1960 Olympics in Rome heralded the emergence of black female competitors as a force to be reckoned with, when American sprinter Wilma Rudolph, nicknamed ‘Black Gazelle’ because of her graceful running style, won three gold medals – an impressive performance after being stricken with polio at age four, which rendered her unable to walk.

Television broadcasting of the Games also came on stream in 1960 in Rome, with worldwide coverage for the first time. The public forged a relationship with Olympic champions and athletes with stories of struggle and accomplishment. They became the ‘darlings’ of the Games as they were brought into living rooms via television. These Games also heralded the introduction of the Olympic Anthem.

The Tokyo Games in 1964 marked the first use of computers to keep results of the competition.

Since the Los Angeles Games in 1984, television coverage has changed the face of the Olympics significantly as professionalism, contractual arrangements, and multi-million dollar sponsorships impact on schedules, facilities, and organisational capabilities. The International Olympic Committee’s revenue from television rights now runs into billions of dollars.

HIGH COSTS OF STAGING THE GAMES

The hosts of Olympic Games over the years have faced the massive costs of providing facilities and upgrading infrastructure. Some countries have implemented successful strategies to ensure a return on their investment, while others have been burdened with the repayment of massive debts years afterwards.

The organisers of the Rome Olympics in 1960 mixed the traditional locations with modern architecture to provide competition venues. But it was at the Tokyo Games in 1964 that the standards of facilities were raised, with a massive investment in infrastructural upgrades in the city, and a construction blitz which provided the latest design in sports facilities.

The Munich Olympics in 1972 raised the bar even higher, and the space age design of the Olympic park and the Olympic tower stand out as examples.

But the reality of the escalating costs of hosting the Games came to the fore in Montreal at the 1976 Games, when building cranes were still dominating the skyline at the opening ceremony. A severe lack of funds made it impossible for the work to be completed on time, and the city of Montreal only completed repayment of the debt in 2006.

The commercialisation of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles gave future hosts the formula they needed to raise the necessary funding, and this strategy was used by the organisers of the Barcelona Games in 1992 to carry out the modernization and construction work on sports facilities and in other key areas of the city. LA also used existing stadia and infrastructure, rather than incur high cost by building extravagant new facilities.

Before the transformation to the impressive Olympic Park in Sydney in 2000, a large part of the venue was an industrial wasteland, after more than a century of industrial and military ventures on the site. Since the Games, there has been significant developmental work to support the conversion of the Olympic Park to a multi-purpose facility for residents there.

With great fanfare, the Olympics returned to its ancestral home in Athens in 2004, but preparation for the Games was plagued with controversy, labour disputes and work stoppages. Many felt that the facilities would not be ready in time, but the Greeks proved the doubters wrong, and Athens was ready for a spectacular Opening Ceremony.

Paris 2024 has decided to rely almost entirely on existing venues, such as Stade Roland-Garros, the home of the annual French Open in tennis, and the football stadia built or renovated for the 2016 European Championships. The Games will be spread out to facilities in other French cities, including Marseilles, Lyon, and Nice.

Even though Paris has taken the approach from Rome 1960 and Los Angeles 1984, who mixed the traditional locations with modern architecture to provide competition venues, the bill is still a whopping US$8.2 billion. The cost is split between new infrastructure (US$4.5 billion), and operating expenses – including stadium reconstruction, opening and closing ceremonies, and operational costs, like food service and labour force wages.

Hosting of the 2024 Paris Olympics is projected to significantly boost tourism for the host city, both in the short and long term. Visitors are expected to spend US$2.8 billion during the Games, and there is optimism that the tourism prospects and destination image will be enhanced among potential tourists over the next several years.

Freida V Nicholls, JP, OLY
freida.nicholls@olympian.org

HONOUR ROLL

BARBADOS OLYMPIANS

XV Olympiad – Helsinki 1952

XVII Olympiad – Rome 1960

XIX Olympiad – Mexico City 1968

XX Olympiad – Munich 1972

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The F2 driver remains optimistic despite securing no points at the Hungaroring.

Zane Maloney endured a challenging weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw engine failure forcing him to start from the back of Saturday’s Sprint Race, and a collision ending his much-anticipated feature race prematurely the following day.

Reflecting on those races, the 21-year-old Sauber Academy driver told Damian Hall, in an exclusive interview for Barbados TODAY, that despite the setbacks, he was grateful for the “incredible” support from Barbados.

“As always, the support from Barbados is incredible,” Maloney stressed. “I’d just like to say thank you again to everyone who wakes up to watch me, comments on my posts with encouragement, and just supports me through it all.”

The weekend started with high hopes at the Hungaroring, as Maloney prepared to start the Sprint Race on Saturday from third position. However, disaster struck before the warmup lap, when his engine failed on the grid, forcing him to start from the pit lane.

Despite this early setback, the Barbadian-born driver showcased his driving skills by recovering from last place up to 14th. Unfortunately, only the top eight drivers are rewarded with points in the sprint race, leaving him empty-handed.

Sunday’s feature race brought more challenges. Starting eighth, Maloney had an incredible start, gaining four positions by the time the field reached the first turn. He bravely positioned himself on the inside of Turn 1, which then became the outside of Turn 2. Facing a challenge for his position, he cleverly stayed on the outside, giving him the inside advantage for Turn 3 and cementing his position.

However, on the seventh lap, Hitech Pulse-Eight driver Paul Aron’s attempt to pass Red Bull Junior driver Dennis Hauger went awry. And Maloney paid the price. Aron went to the inside of Turn 2, and collided with the rear of Maloney’s car ahead, spinning The Boy From Barbados around, causing his car to stall, and ending his race prematurely.

“It was a frustrating weekend in Hungary, with a lot happening out of my control,” Maloney mused. “The pace was really good, and it was a weekend of what could have been.”

Maloney’s alternative tyre strategy, if not for the incident, had the potential to yield a strong result. He started the race on the prime (Hard) tyre, the same compound as the eventual race winner, Mercedes Junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Putting the weekend behind him, Maloney said his focus was firmly on future races. “Now we refocus towards Spa in Belgium,” he told Damian Hall for Barbados TODAY.

This incident leaves the Rodin Motorsport driver without points for the weekend, causing him to drop slightly to fourth in the championship standings with 101 points, 39 points behind the current championship leader, Red Bull Junior driver Isack Hadjar.

Formula 2 now moves on to The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from July 26-28.

(Damian Hall)

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Following his victory at last month’s BCIC Rally Barbados (RB24) Stuart Maloney leads the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Champion Drivers’ title chase after five out of eight rounds. More than 70 drivers have scored points as the 2024 BRC Drivers & Class Championships passed the halfway point. Close battles are brewing, with eight class-leaders and five former Champion Drivers currently in the overall top 10.

Maloney (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) leads the FIA R5 class with 88 points, beaten but once this year, in the opening round by his brother Mark (Fabia Rally2 evo). Neil Corbin is unbeaten in Modified 2 in his Toyota GT86 CS-R3. His class was not fully subscribed in the first two rounds, so reduced points were awarded. He trails by three points, lying joint second overall with Clubman 2 class leader Chris Hoad (BimmaCup), whose run of wins ended when he finished third behind Ryan Wood and Allan Kinch at RB24.

Despite missing the opening round, Kyle Gill (Mitsubishi Mirage RS Clone) is fourth overall, with four straight Clubman 1 victories giving him 75 points, adding another class leader into the overall mix, while Jamaica’s Jeffrey Panton (Fabia Rally2 evo) is fifth on 68, second to Maloney in the FIA R5 class and the 4wd Championship.

Joint sixth, another point behind, are Mark Maloney and the sole entry in Historic 2, Harold Morley (Porsche 911 RS), with Edward Corbin eighth after a mixed start to the season in his SuperModified 1 (SM1) Daihatsu Charmant on 66. Completing the top 10, tied on 65, are the leaders of Modified 4 (M4) and SM2, Kurt Thompson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) – in his first season of 4wd competition – and Rhett Watson (BMW M3), who also leads the 2wd Championship.

2021 Champion Driver Stuart Maloney is one of five former winners in the top 10, each hoping to add to his CV. All the others are two-time Champions: Edward Corbin (2019 & ’22); Neil Corbin (‘12 & ‘20); Panton (‘17 & ’18); and Rhett Watson (‘14 & ’15).

The title is decided on points scored against peers in 13 classes based on engine capacity and level of modification with points earned reduced if there are fewer than three starters.

While some class leaders have a comfortable cushion of points heading into the second half of the season, three lead by only narrow margins: in Group B, Chadane Holder (Toyota Starlet) leads Shareef Walcott (Toyota Corolla) by a single point. Mark Huggins (Daihatsu Charmant) is a further seven behind. Watson leads Barry Mayers (Ford Fiesta) by two points in SM2 and the 2wd Championship – the same margin separates Stuart Garcia and Jonathan Still in the battle of the BMW M3s in class M3.

With island rallying currently in rude health, the Championship is set to be hard-fought over the remaining three rounds, a Double-Header Sprint on August 25 and the Winter Rally on November 17. With the now-traditional enhanced scoring system applied to the season finale, there is still a total of 58 points on the table, so there remains huge scope for a shift in fortunes in the standings.

BRC Driver’s Championship

Positions after round 5:

• 1st Stuart Maloney: 88 points
• 2nd Neil Corbin: 85
• 2nd: Chris Hoad 85
• 4th: Kyle Gill 75
• 5th: Jeffrey Panton 68
• 6th Mark Maloney 67
• 6th: Harold Morley 67
• 8th: Edward Corbin 66
• 9th: Kurt Thompson 65

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This year’s National Summer Camp programme opened on Monday incorporating the instant messaging service WhatsApp as a central tool for youth engagement, according to Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith.

Speaking at a church service on Sunday marking the programme’s commencement at the Power in the Blood Assembly, Griffith revealed: “This year, we are running camps by WhatsApp. From [Monday], we will be hitting the settings, and we will be hitting reset in the lives of those 3 000 young persons.”

The minister emphasised the transformative potential of this approach: “It is our aim; it is our pledge to ensure that at the end of five weeks, that when we hit that reset, that that private screen that was dark, that we’re able to brighten.”

This shift towards a technology-driven method represents a significant departure from traditional camp activities. Griffith explained: “We believe that we have now moved from the lolly sticks and tie-dye within the camp system. It can no longer obtain for our young people.”

The summer camp programme is set to engage approximately 3 000 young people, with nearly 400 young volunteers taking on leadership roles. Griffith expressed his gratitude to these volunteers: “I want to extend gratitude to almost 400 youngsters who are embarking on guiding our youngsters in the camp system.”

He also acknowledged the efforts of his team and camp directors: “Gratitude to the members of my team who, year after year, put together the summer camps programme. I want to say gratitude to the directors of the summer camps, who you will not see, but they’re working to ensure that.”

Addressing broader societal issues, the minister for youth highlighted a leadership crisis among youth, drawing parallels with the national parenting crisis. “One of the things that is missing from our youth ranks is leadership. It is a problem,” he said. In response, the summer camps aim to embed leadership and life skills into their programmes.

The minister elaborated: “In our summer camps, in a small way, in five weeks, we’re trying to impart that leadership so life skills will be embedded in our summer camps programme, as in all of our programmes.”

Griffith also expressed concern over rising crime rates among young people: “As the Minister of Youth, I cringe every time that I see someone less than 19 years old fallen as a result of crime.” He said he hopes an innovative camp programme will guide young people towards positive futures and away from criminal behaviour.

He called for continued support from the community and the church: “I want you to continue as a church to lift up the ministry, to lift up those who are contributing time. Because 400 or so volunteers in an attempt to ensure that we have a structured environment where we’re instilling discipline.”

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Youth-based organisations and other extracurricular groups will need to deliver greater positive influences to help stem the growing epidemic of delinquent behaviour among young people.

This was the view shared by Minister of Home Affairs and  Information Wilfred Abrahams, as he delivered the opening remarks at this year’s Commandants of the Caribbean Cadet Association Annual Conference, being held at the Hilton Barbados Hotel.

He told participants that there is no mistaking the slowly growing crisis among young people who are committing more brazen and violent acts. He however stressed that this trend can be corrected if the necessary steps are taken to bring young persons into the fold of positive influences at an early stage.

“We do have a crisis, but I do believe the crisis is solvable. It has to be. If it is not solved then all of our jurisdictions and [our] countries are going to sink. It must start with the young people, before they get into the culture of bad habits.

“I am sure that a comprehensive review will demonstrate that membership of the Cadet Corps bears a direct correlation to the reduction in deviant behaviour among our youth. It stands to reason therefore, that greater numbers in our cadet forces have a positive impact on our security landscape and on our social and economic development. Furthermore, I believe that positive programmes that show our cadets engaging in positive activities should dominate our media spaces and counteract the negative images which otherwise attract too much attention,” he explained.

The annual conference brings together the heads of several cadet corps from across the region to discuss and adjust the cadet corps experience for both new and existing members.

Abrahams stressed that members of the corps had a great responsibility to help influence upcoming generations, and they should not take the responsibility lightly.

“We make that mark on youngsters, whether it’s positive or negative we make that mark, and it is up to us to decide what example we are going to set. You must never conduct yourself in a way, that one of your cadets has to look at you and be disappointed,” he said.

The minister also added that bringing changes to the corps should also be seen as a move in the right direction to help keep young recruits interested in the life lessons they are capable of learning.

“Cadeting can’t be the same as it was 30, 40 years ago. We have drone technology, we need to figure out how to incorporate things into cadets that capture the imagination of the young people. How do we make them come back? How do we make them do what we want them to do? How can we make life experiences and discipline relevant and fun, but still indoctrinate in them examples for life?”

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The Anglican Diocese in Barbados has been called upon to spearhead a ‘fundamental reset’ within both the church and broader community as it celebrates its bicentennial, according to retired Archbishop Drexel Gomez.

Speaking at a nearly four-hour service to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Diocese of Barbados at the Wildey Gymnasium, attended by President Dame Sandra Mason, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and other Cabinet members, Archibishop Gomez, the first Caribbean-born Bishop of Barbados from 1972 to 1992, emphasised the “urgent need for spiritual renewal and moral revival”.

He expressed concern over the erosion of core societal values: “So many of our precious core values, strengths of resilient survival and creative resistance, prudent emulation, compassionate concern, solidarity with the poor, mutual upliftment, personal decency, visions of better tomorrows, courageous sacrifices, and courage for wisdom. All of these seem to be diminishing.”

Archbishop Gomez attributed this decline to “the unchecked rise of individualistic and materialistic tendencies”, which he believes has led to the suppression of “the collective and creative human spirit”.

Central to his address was a call for the church to embody Christlike values and act as a vehicle for faith formation.

“Each diocese must therefore ensure that at every stage of personal development, from infancy to adulthood, adequate provision is to be made for the promotion of growth in the knowledge and understanding of Christian faith and practice,” Archbishop Gomez explained.

The retired archbishop of the eight-diocese Church of the Province of the West Indies (CPWI) advocated for a more intentional approach to Christian character formation, including “youth empowerment, lay ministry, and clergy refreshment”.

He said: “Christian teaching is for people to assist in faith formation and to provide adequate funding, inclusive of available technology.”

Archbishop Gomez emphasised the church’s responsibility to serve as the moral conscience of the nation, urging it to address what he termed “five major contemporary evils”: greed, sexual depravity, abuse of power, corrupt communication, and cultural decay.

On the subject of greed, he declared: “Greed involves a selfish insistence on having or acquiring more without regard for the welfare and impact on other members of society.” He referenced St Paul’s teaching, urging contentment and moderation: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have.”

Addressing sexual depravity, Archbishop Gomez argued that it “challenges the intrinsic dignity of humanity and disrupts family life”. He critiqued the modern sexual revolution: “The so-called modern sexual revolution emphasises the freedom of human beings to engage in sexual activity without restraint.”

The abuse of power, particularly in political arenas, was also a focus of his address.

“The Christian model is given in Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for men,” he said, denouncing the dehumanising effects of power abuse, including domestic violence and deteriorating family relationships.

The 11th Bishop of Barbados spoke out against corrupt communication: “Corrupt communication thrives on falsity, fakery, and malicious fiction.” He urged the church to combat falsehood and uphold truth in its teachings and communications.

Expressing gratitude for the church’s journey over the past 200 years, Archbishop Gomez called for a renewed commitment to spiritual and moral values.

“Today we give hearty thanks to the God who has brought us this far on our way for these 200 years as a diocese, still standing but not standing still,” he declared.

The retired archbishop concluded by urging the congregation to move forward with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, to “redouble every effort and every sinew of our collective will to teach the faith, to preach the word, and to heal the land we love”.

The Church of England was the official church from the island’s colonial settlement in 1627 until its disestablishment in 1969. William Hart Coleridge was the first Anglican bishop of Barbados when the see was created in 1824. Both Coleridge and his successor Thomas Parry, after whom the Coleridge and Parry secondary grammar schools were named between 1825 and 1852, oversaw the elaborate expansion of churches and schools throughout the years following emancipation.

For a half-century from 1877, Barbados was twinned with the Windward Islands. The first Barbados-born bishop, Gay Mandeville, was appointed in 1951. Three Barbadians have led the Anglican Diocese since Gomez’s departure from 1992 to the present time.

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A lawsuit challenging the suspension of DLP President Dr Ronnie Yearwood and General Secretary Steve Blackett was on Tuesday withdrawn when the disputing parties returned to the High Court.

The lawsuit was brought by veteran DLP member Ricky Williams back in May.

Williams’ attorney-at-law Shamar Bovell told reporters this morning, “The matter was withdrawn from the attention of the court, so going forward there will be no applications filed before the court within that particular matter. We would look to deal with the matter in another way.”

Meanwhile, Attorney-at-law Neil Marshall who represented the DLP’s interim President Andre Worrell suggested the matter would now be resolved internally.  “There are no winners or losers in this entire episode and if there are any winners, the winners we expect will be the people of Barbados who can now resign themselves to the party itself addressing and dealing with the issues that they are expected to deal with as a mature political party,” he told reporters.

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A flashflood watch is in effect for Barbados.

In a statement, the Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) says a tropical wave is currently affecting the island with light to moderate showers and occasional gusty winds. These conditions are expected to continue throughout the afternoon.

The BMS added: “Rainfall accumulations also totalled around half an inch throughout the morning period. Throughout the afternoon into evening, conditions remain favorable for further deterioration with more frequent and heavier showers, and hence a Flash-Flood Watch has been issued.”

The flash flood watch will be terminated at 6 p.m. or sooner if conditions warrant.

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Central Bank governor Dr Kevin Greenidge has issued a stark warning about the challenges facing Caribbean economies, highlighting climate change and de-globalisation as major threats to the region’s future prosperity.

Speaking at the opening of the bank’s 44th Annual Review Seminar, Dr Greenidge painted a sobering picture of the economic landscape confronting Barbados and its neighbours.

The governor did not mince words about the threat of climate change.

“We in Barbados and our regional neighbours are vulnerable to climate change because of the geographic and economic characteristics we have,” Dr Greenidge told attendees at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel. “Rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and more frequent and severe hurricanes threaten our infrastructure, our tourism products, and our culture. It threatens our food security, our lives, and our livelihoods.”

Citing recent natural disasters, Dr Greenidge highlighted their devastating economic impact: “Our neighbours in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica have experienced firsthand the impact that Hurricane Beryl had on them. The damage is almost north of half a billion dollars so far. These sorts of devastations push up our indebtedness as countries, constrain our fiscal space, and restrict how we can move forward.”

The central bank governor also focused on the rising tide of de-globalisation.

“De-globalisation, which is characterised by the threat of the retreat of international trade and the rise of protectionist policies, has a profound effect on Barbados and the Caribbean,” he said.

“Our regional economies heavily rely on international trade, tourism, and foreign investment.”

He warned that policy shifts by major trading partners like the United States and the European Union are already draining the region’s export revenues.

“We see it impacting our financial sector and our international business sector,” Dr Greenidge said. “The decline in global tourism due to political tensions can further strain our economies, especially those dependent on tourism.”

The governor further noted: “[Barbados], like most countries in the Caribbean, are highly import-dependent economies, particularly as it relates to goods, food, and services. This de-globalisation threatens to push up our costs, further reduce our availability of essential products, and impact both our consumers and businesses.”

Addressing strategic competition, he pointed out the difficulties small island nations face in competing with larger, more diversified economies.

“Small island nations like Barbados often struggle to compete with the larger, more diversified economies in terms of attracting foreign direct investment and in terms of trade opportunities,” he said.

To remain competitive, Greenidge stressed the need for significant investment in infrastructure, education, and technology.

“As the global supply chains evolve, our region must adapt quickly and remain relevant,” he emphasiaed. “This requires significant investment in infrastructure, in education, and in technology to improve our competitive economic resilience.”

To remain competitive, Dr Greenidge stressed the need for significant investment in key areas.

“As the global supply chains evolve, our region must adaptquickly and remain relevant,” he emphasised. “This requires significant investment in infrastructure, in education, and in technology to improve our competitive economic resilience.”

The seminar, themed Applying an Innovative Lens to Reshape Caribbean Economies, aims to address these critical economic issues confronting the region. Over the next five days, participants will cover topics ranging from the blue and green economy, trade, and climate financing to debt developments and financial and monetary sector modernisation.

Dr Greenidge highlighted the seminar’s legacy and educational role, particularly for young economists.

“This being the 44th seminar, the largest seminar in our region, is one of our many legacy programmes to promote public education, edification of current and important economic matters, and produce rich economic thought,” he said.

“For young economists here and also many interns I see around the table, these seminars help you to cut your teeth, as we say in Bajan parlance, or to hone your research skills. I remember not too long ago I was a young economist, sharing my work, benefiting from the rigorous critique of my peers, and contributing to intellectual discourse in training and participating in this machinery. This is where you get to hear good ideas and feedback on your work, and it’s a platform for us to learn and to build our Caribbean collective response to our unique challenges.”

The governor encouraged robust debate and active participation, urging attendees: “I want to encourage young economists and those presenting not to be shy or shy away from comments, and I want to encourage the senior and more seasoned economists and us not to put on the rubber gloves too much but to be firm. We are economists, so we all learn together.”

He noted that the seminar’s insights and discussions will play a crucial role in shaping the future economic policies of Barbados and the wider Caribbean region as they navigate an increasingly complex and challenging global landscape. (RG)

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley has called for a comprehensive reassessment of future building projects, citing the urgent need to adapt to the rapidly escalating climate crisis.

“Let us get accustomed to it; almost every building in this country that is not fit for purpose will at some point in the next decade or two be rebuilt either by choice or by force,” Mottley told an award ceremony for the Modern School Infrastructure Design Competition, held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Monday, that buildings capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions have become critically important.

Her remarks were framed against the backdrop of the damage wrought by Hurricane Beryl, which she cited as incontrovertible evidence of the climate crisis and its potential to inflict significant damage on structures ill-equipped to handle such severe weather events.

She went on to describe the particular threat posed by Hurricane Beryl: “What we saw with Hurricane Beryl was a Category 4 form to the east southeast of Barbados, presenting what the coastal engineers called one of the most perfect storms for storm surge because all of the heavy winds are in the northeastern quadrant [of a hurricane] typically. Therefore once you were southeast of Barbados, and gave the hurricane a run-up, then they had the capacity for the waves to do the horrific damage that was done to our coastal assets.”

The prime minister was unequivocal in her assertion that the challenge of climate-resilient construction is not solely a governmental concern, but one that affects all sectors of Barbadian society. She stressed the necessity of prioritising climate resilience in all future building projects: “Whether we like it or not, we are into a new era with respect to construction and adaptation. This is not something for the government alone, this is something for each and every Barbadian who has a relationship with a building.”

She continued: “I want us to get accustomed to being able to understand that every house, every building in this country must become climate resilient. If it isn’t there you are going to be forced to do it for the wrong reason because the building will not withstand what will come.” (SB)

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An electronic emergency hotline is among significant technological upgrades coming for The Barbados Police Service, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and other emergency first-responders, Minister of Science and Technology Marsha Caddle has announced.

The implementation of an e-911 system is among plans for a comprehensive modernisation programme, Caddle revealed on Monday at the opening of the ministry’s Science and Technology Summer Camp at The St Michael School.

The e-911 system will incorporate technology into how police, fire and ambulance services respond to emergencies.

One of the major projects which has the financial backing of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), she explained, was bringing the police service “into the 21st century when it comes to engaging with the community and solving crimes”.

Caddle said: “There are ways we are working with the [Police Service] to modernise how they work to free up a lot of their own capacity to make sure we are not using police capacity or resources to do things that technology can help us solve. We are investing considerable resources with the support of the IDB to modernise policing that will range from the use of tablets in the field and uploading the information directly, to how we equip police vehicles with the kinds of equipment that will allow us to gather information right there on the spot to deploy information to different places around the island, and make sure those within the service know what is happening and know how they need to respond.”

A Health Management Information System to integrate the QEH, polyclinics, and private care providers is also on the cards, said the minister for innovation.

“This will improve things, like how quickly people get test results”, she explained. “We can securely allow you to have access to your data and allow other healthcare providers toquickly respond.”

Caddle framed these technological advancements within the broader context of education and innovation.”

The purpose of this camp is to open our imagination to creation and problem-solving”, she said, “and that is indeed the basis for education transformation, to enhance the culture of curiosity.”

The minister also revealed plans to collaborate with the University of the West Indies to examine the information technology curriculum to create an Artificial Intelligence sector.

Highlighting the importance of education reform, Caddle declared: “It is not about just passing exams, like the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination, but it is about renewing the education system to teach children to create.”

The Science and Technology Camp, attended by approximately 120 students, runs until August 23 under the theme An Exciting Adventure with STEM. Caddle praised the parental involvement, saying she was “touched” by the number of parents who attended the camp’s opening to show their support. (BGIS/BT)

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Private-sector-led ferry service initiative Connect Caribe, set to launch by the end of November this year, has received strong backing from a key envoy and the island’s hotel industry spokesman, who suggested it could revolutionise regional trade and tourism.

The consortium behind the ferry, spearheaded by a subsidiary of Pleion Group Inc. Barbados, aims to address longstanding challenges in maritime transport, trade, and commerce between Caribbean nations.

Special Envoy to Guyana and Suriname Alphea Wiggins and Javon Griffith, chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), expressed strong support for the venture during a stakeholders’ consultation forum at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

Wiggins emphasised the service’s potential to bolster food security and regional integration.

“The effort by Connect Caribbean is very important,” Wiggins said. “It shows us that everything that we have been doing in CARICOM in terms of the bilateral agreements that we would have signed with Suriname and Guyana… We now have Connect Caribbean and the platform there that is being run now by Mr Ram from [consortium member] Ram Logistics, that is going to help us significantly.”

Highlighting the critical role such a service could play during crises, Wiggins added: “Many of you remember that during COVID, food sovereignty and food security were under serious threat. We are not talking vaccines. We are talking about the food that we were eating… This initiative by Connect Caribbean is going to change the direction of food security and food sovereignty in the region.”

The envoy also called for harmonisation of sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) across the Caribbean to facilitate smoother trade. “What we want to do is pass legislation to harmonise these standards within the region so that when goods leave Suriname to come to Barbados, we don’t get an issue at the port,” she explained. “These did not pass the test. Where is the SPS certificate? I’m saying that once we harmonise, standardise, and implement these issues within the region, it is going to help significantly.”

Griffith echoed Wiggins’ enthusiasm, eyeing a potential plus for intra-regional travel and tourism industry. “We see significant benefits that could be derived from this Connect Caribe ferry service. Of course, we do have an issue with regional airlift in terms of cost. Ferry service has proven itself over the years to be more cost-effective,” he noted.

The BHTA leader elaborated on the anticipated positive impacts: “We’re looking to see a significant drive towards increased visitor arrivals and increased leisure arrival spend. We’re also looking at seeing increased occupancy for our member properties. Because you now have a cheaper format for travel within the islands, we’re looking to see persons who may not necessarily have the means to travel be able to travel between the islands for the first time.”

While optimistic, Griffith acknowledged potential challenges: “At this stage, the only potential stumbling blocks that we could see for regional travellers would be those who may not necessarily have passports to travel… Once persons have the correct travel documents, which at this stage still remain a valid passport, there’s absolutely no reason why they couldn’t take advantage of this new service.”

Both Wiggins and Griffith stressed the importance of comprehensive marketing efforts to ensure the service’s success. Wiggins suggested: “A whole marketing plan has to be out there to let each territory know exactly what is going on so that Connect Caribbean will be a success for CARICOM and the region.” (RG)

(Please see page 24)

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