Barbadian police have made some headway in controlling firearms, but concern remains about the use of these weapons in crimes.

Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin, who was speaking this morning after receiving new equipment to aid the Royal Barbados Police Force in this regard, said it was part of a plan to ensure guns did not get into the hands of criminals.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean presented police with new hydraulic shears to destroy firearms at Central Police Station this morning, making Barbados the 12th island to receive the machinery.

It was part of an agreement between the UN and Government relating to the management of stock piles of small arms and weapons.

Lawmen told the media 275 firearms out of 1,343 identified for destruction were destroyed, in addition to 2,700 pounds of ammunition and some CS gas and fireworks.

Dottin said Barbados was “fortunate to have a relatively low crime rate”, but also pointed out that two per cent of all crime reported was firearm enabled.

“In respect of our murders we have a very low murder rate; however 50 per cent of our murders is firearm enabled,” he stated.

Dottin also said there were measures in place to track the movement of firearms, including a system called IBIS which is yet to be shared with other Caribbean countries.

The official added that the “very robust” firearms licensing system also assisted with the problem of illegal guns. Dottin said criminals gained access to firearms stockpiles, but said UNLIREC’s help they Barbados Defence Force were trying to solve the problem.

The commissioner also said there were several reports about the high level of violence and criminal use of firearms in the region, noting that there were regional countries where more than 80 per cent of all the murders were committed with firearms. (MR)

by Emmanuel Joseph

So far, 200 families have taken up residence in the massive community, where the designers aim to create a one-stop-shop for householders.

The more than 1,000 houses at the Villages at Coverley in Christ Church are in great demand.

But General Manager of Housing Concepts SRL, Anna Clarke, told Barbados TODAY this afternoon that the pace at which prospective home owners were buying them, was being constrained by individual financial challenges and the economic downturn in the country as a whole.

“The interest is there, the demand is there, but people are losing their jobs, or are facing financial issues. We have our own mortgage department and have been able to help some people, but things are not as good as they used to be years ago,” pointed out Clarke, whose company manages the massive public/private sector community lifestyle housing project.

Clarke revealed that of the 1,026 built, only 200 had so far been sold and occupied.

“We get about 15 tours per day and have been selling an average 10 houses per month,” she disclosed.

The general manager said the multi-million-dollar residential housing venture, which got off the ground in July 2009, sold the first home in January 2011.

“Despite the challenging times, we are holding our own. We are selling the first six villages and working on putting the finishing touches on the others,” explained the management official.

She listed the six villages as Tamarind, comprising 70 units, Sea Grape, 46; Avacado, 64; Mango, 77; Cherry North, 76; and Ackee East, 43.

“People have embraced Mango and Ackee. They are the busiest villages. In fact, the residents there have got together and nicknamed themselves the Mangolians,” informed Clarke.

The executive also reported that activity at the sprawling residential facility had been intensifying.

“The town centre is busy at night with karaoke every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. We also have movie nights,” she announced.

Clarke said residents also come out to lime on the benches by a pond, adding that the playing field also provided an outlet for recreation.

“Next week Wednesday, we will start Zumba exercises in the town centre. A recreational centre will also be coming soon, as well as a supermarket and gym. The supermarket and gym will be priority,” declared the spokesperson for the Villages at Coverley.

She listed the other amenities of the housing community as an emergency medical centre and pharmacy, a commercial bank, restaurants, retail shops and pre-school facility.

Clarke revealed too that mail carriers do not have to ride around to each house to deliver mail.

“We have postal sites in central areas of the village, where the postman would drop in the mail in these boxes that have the numbers of all the homes.

Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, presenting a copy of Barbados in Bloom, to IICA representative Ms. Jean Lowrey during a recent courtesy call at his Reef Road office.

A stronger linkage between agriculture and business is needed!

This view was expressed by Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, who said that a more businesslike approach was needed to boost the local agricultural sector.

He made these comments when representative for the Inter American Institute for Agriculture, Jean Lowrey, paid a recent visit to his Reef Road headquarters.

Along with voicing concern over the state of Barbados’ agro processing industry, the minister also pointed to the challenges faced by farmers with regards to accessing viable “market places” to ply their trade in a consistent and sustainable manner as cause for worry.

The minister told the IICA representative that there were those who had been involved in farming because it was a family tradition and they inherited land. However, he noted that farming also called for a certain level of business acumen since there were technical and productive aspects.

Family tradition

“They are those who are involved in farming because it’s a family tradition. They have inherited the land whether it be the whites or the plantocracy or Barbadian blacks who happen chance upon it. However, farming is not the cheapest and easiest thing to do particularly when you look at the risk element such as praedial larceny…

“You still have to find ways to maximise productivity from every acre… A guy who may love farming still has to know the fundamentals of irrigation, pesticides and that type of stuff…”

Pointing out that a far more aggressive and sustained programme of education was needed, Inniss noted that having such a programme in place would ensure that Barbadians had a greater appreciation for consuming what was locally produced, as well as preserving items.

In response, Lowrey stressed that education was a priority in order to make persons aware of the importance of the sector, as it had so much to offer.

In addition, the Minister also hinted that his Ministry was keen through the Barbados National Standards Institution to look at standards and agricultural products, including the preserves and agro-processed items, and labelling issues.

Bridgetown Market is staying put.

The NCF’s Cranston Browne addresses the press.

In fact, CEO of the National Cultural Foundation Cranston Browne says it was the idea of the vendors to remain on Spring Garden, but this year the village would be facing the streets to attract more patrons.

Acknowledging that there have been complaints in the past, mainly from vendors who suggested that perhaps Bridgetown Market could be returned to City at Pelican Village on Harbour Road, Browne said that the alternative location was not feasible.

“We’ve looked at that over the years. We’ve heard the cries from some of the vendors. I think the call for change came from the craft vendors moreso. We looked returning aspects of the Bridgetown Market to Harbour Road but the logistics are difficult to work out in terms of traffic, closure of the roads and that kind of thing and I think there are large drains along the Harbour Road.

“So there are things that would make it difficult to put Bridgetown Market back into the City. In terms of the craft vendors and the location, we thought of shifting them this year and I think there was a site meeting and the vendors actually asked to return to where they are located [Courts pasture].

“They like the village aspect. There will be some changes to how the kiosks are set up this year. I think they will face the highway, but there will be some minor changes,” he reported during a Crop-Over media briefing this morning.

Pleased with progress

Additionally, the CEO noted that he was nevertheless pleased thus far with the progress of the festival. He said the cavalcades were well received and they were happy with the numbers that came out to the three events and were looking forward to the preview launch on Friday night.

At the event, Browne said they would also be launching the e-ticket platform by which locals and visitors could this year purchase tickets online to the events. Initially on Friday, tickets to the Heritage Walk will be made available online, while all other box offices will officially open on Monday. Both he and the Barbados Tourism Authority expressed pleasure at having that outlet this year to enable particularly those overseas to secure tickets ahead of events, while BTA Acting Senior Vice President Avril Byer said it would also allow agents overseas to create packages where tickets to events were included through online purchasing.

Additionally, Browne said it was the sponsors that were enabling the festival to continue in the way it has.

He countered the belief that the King and Queen of the Crop were being sidelined in the festival, stating: “We’ve kept and actually raised the profile of our King and Queen of the Crop and they are at all of our events, they are given prominence at all the events and I think they are representative of the sugar industry and the prominence we attach to the sugar industry.

“They are actually awarded, and I want to thank the companies that provide them with a number of gifts… they actually get a number of gifts, so we do a lot to highlight the sugar industry through the King and Queen of the Crop.” (LB)

Officials roll out the Crop-Over 2013 banner.

While acknowledging that the recession has been a challenge, CEO of the National Cultural Foundation Cranston Browne says the impact on Crop-Over has not been overly negative.

Beyond those events that are free, including the Cavalcades, the Opening Gala, Pan Pon De Sand, Pan in De City, and Bridgetown Market, he confirmed that ticket prices for all paid events this year would match last year’s.

“I think it has had an impact in our sponsorship. As you know … the first action companies take is to cut the advertising and marketing budgets. So I would say yes it has impacted on the levels of sponsorship and that is why it is so important for us to say a big thank you to our partners…,” he said, noting that in addition to the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation and the Barbados Tourism Authority, the Sanitation Service Authority and Liat were also among platinum sponsors.

Browne said he would not be able to put a dollar figure to the impact on sponsorship, but added that they were nevertheless running the festival with a large schedule of events in large part due to platinum and other corporate sponsors.

Where the impact would have been most seen, he countered, was in the cavalcades, of which there were only three this year. “[There has not been impact] … in terms of standards and quality of the events. I think we’ve had to limit the number of cavalcades for instance. With more sponsorship we could have had more and there has been a public call for more cavalcades, but we are unable to do more directly because of sponsorship.

“We haven’t increased any of the prices for paid events, those are all the same. So although we have suffered some impact in terms of sponsorship, no I don’t think it has had any negative impact on the number of events or quality of the events upcoming,” he stated.

Browne said from November last year, a special committee had been meeting weekly to plan the events of the festival, which he underscored would have been impossible without the sponsors.

“It’s value to a production of this magnitude with over 30 events on the calendar each year is immeasurable. As patrons of the festival, you stand on the periphery of all the excitement and merriment of this well-oiled machine we call Crop-Over oblivious to its many moving parts and to the cost of its delivery.

There are several free components …; these are no less costly to produce than our paid events, but the fact that the wheels continue to churn so smoothly from year to year is testament to the importance of the contribution of our corporate partners,” he noted. (LB)

Barbadian film lovers will get the opportunity to view the work of other Caribbean film producers during the International Forum and Caribbean Film Market in Cuba.

The event, slated for June 13 to 15, in the Convention Place of Havana, is being organised by the Travelling Caribbean Film Festival, to give greater visibility to the films produced by Caribbean film makers.

The forum, which is a parallel event to the fifth edition of the Travelling Caribbean Film Festival, provides a unique opportunity for dialogue, knowledge exchange between film makers in the region and distribution, exhibition and film programming professionals from various countries around the world.

It will also provide the platform for distributors, broadcasters, television executives and film festival directors, to access and purchase film productions, feature films, documentaries and animation films created by Caribbean film makers from 2000 to 2012.

The Travelling Caribbean Film Festival is recognised by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation as “an initiative of immense value in the fortification of the Caribbean cultural diversity”. Similarly, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has praised the Festival for its contribution to the formation of ethical values and identity formation in childhood and adolescents.

The sixth edition of the Travelling Caribbean Film Festival will be held next year.

Barbados is open for business!

And, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, has emphatically stated that he wants to continue to let the world know that Barbados remains “a first rate country” to conduct business and our track record “speaks for itself”.

Speaking to media after the opening of a family business workshop at the Cave Hill School of Business, Inniss made reference to Barbados being a low tax treaty based jurisdiction.

He added that the island’s stable economy and willingness to work with its partners to ensure that the country continued to benefit from this sector, as primary reasons why we should consider ourselves a force to be reckoned with when it comes to conducting international business.

“In respect to the international business sector, yes we go out there and we work hard to attract new businesses to Barbados. At the same time, we must place greater emphasis on helping to maintain those that are here. There are several international business companies that are actually starting to expand [and] while they may not be hiring in large numbers here, they are certainly getting into new markets — they are increasing their revenues and doing well,” he noted.

The minister explained that over the next couple of months, his ministry along with a team of officers and other agencies from within the public sector would be working a lot closer with those businesses that were already here.

“Once you are here and you are settled you are likely to expand from Barbados. You are likely to go out there and preach the good news about Barbados and you are less likely to pack up and move,” Inniss added.

“There are other jurisdictions that may offer a lower tax rate but they do not offer the quality of life and the stability that Barbados offers and that is why we are not seeing any mass exodus of international companies from Barbados to other jurisdictions. I think there has been a lot of stability here…”

Stating that every week new entities made requests to be licensed under the various pieces of legislation that his ministry, the Central Bank of Barbados and the Financial Services Commission administers, Inniss said that Barbados remains buoyant despite the current economic challenges.

“It is quite evident that the challenges continue. There is undoubtedly more and more pressure being applied every month by various stakeholders primarily in developed countries, but our approach to that is to continue to engage in constructive dialogue to ensure that Barbados continues to benefit from this sector,” he charged.

The local burden of chronic non-communicable diseases has shifted from the elderly to children and young adults who are in the productive years of their lives.

Senior Medical Officer of Health with responsibility for CNCDs, Dr. Kenneth George, said that nutrition-related CNCDs such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and cancer had now become major public health challenges for these non-traditional groups.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the National Nutrition Centre’s Food and Nutrition Fair today at the Vashti Inniss Empowerment Centre, George pointed out that dietary trends in Barbados showed three major areas of concern.

They are: a shift from diets based in indigenous staples, local fruits, vegetables and legumes to energy dense diets comprising more processed foods that were high in salt, sugars, saturated fats and cholesterol; changing food consumption patterns linked to an increased dependence on food imports which have resulted in rising levels of dietary related illnesses and diseases; and an upward trend of obesity levels from 50 per cent in the 1980s to 60 per cent in the 1990s and current figures of almost 70 per cent.

The senior medical official said women were mostly affected by obesity and evidence suggested that childhood obesity was on the rise.

“Against this backdrop, the National Nutrition Centre has developed programmes to ensure the availability of nutritious foods, the adoption of healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes. The astronomical burden of chronic non-communicable diseases on our economy continues to be significant including loss of productive time, loss of employment opportunities, decreased quality of life and increased money spent on health care.

“Today, the [centre], through the Ministry of Health, continues to have a paramount role in creating an enabling and supportive environment to reduce the incidence of [CNCDs] to make people more food secure. This is made possible through its various public health initiatives, education and training programmes and clinical nutrition interventions.

“The centre has produced and distributed Food Based Dietary Guidelines for Barbados with a view to encourage healthy eating habits and active lifestyles in order to prevent chronic disease and other nutrition-related illnesses,” George explained.

He added that guidelines had also been developed for schools. Training was provided for canteen operators within schools, he noted, and a move had been made to remove dispensing machines with unhealthy snacks and replace them with those offering more healthy options.

The doctor also emphasised the need for individuals to take responsibility for their own health, adding that improving nutritional well-being was no longer the “exclusive right” of nutritionists and dieticians.

“We have witnessed the spiralling costs of treatment of persons afflicted with CNCDs. We have embraced new ways of intervening where lifestyle change can have verifiable and lasting impacts. Our own micro manageable projects in addition to traditional home grown strategies can certainly redound to our benefit. Let us leave no stone unturned in our quest to ensure that nutrition, its safety and security are assured,” the Senior Medical Officer emphasised.

The Crop-Over Festival still has huge potential to expose tourists to local culture in a first-hand experience that cannot be had anywhere else, and the Barbados Tourism Authority is trying to market it as such in major markets.

Acting Senior Vice President of the BTA, Avril Byer, made this assertion as she pointed out that while the figures of arrivals for the festival might have been slightly down in 2012, compared to 2011, they were still above the 2010 numbers. She pointed out though, that for Crop-Over 2011, there was the added incentive of Rihanna’s performance in Barbados that twinned nicely with the culmination of the festival, which would also have led to the boost in numbers for that year.

While not providing precise figures, Byer told a media briefing this morning at the National Cultural Foundation, that the number alone would not give an adequate picture and perspective of some of the issues of the time in question.

The acting BTA executive had said early that marketing the festival in overseas markets provided an opportunity to increase the numbers of visitors, especially as the trend was for more people to be coming in during the summer festival months of July and August than any other months, even December.

“Our role is one mainly of marketing the festival overseas and I must say over the years the festival has created an opportunity for us to grow our numbers during that period of the year.

“No longer is December, the month of Christmas, where we have the majority of people coming to Barbados. In actual fact we have more people coming in July/August than any other month and that speaks to the value of the festival in terms of our visitor arrivals,” she noted.

She said they had found as well, particularly with the large events, that those spread out through July into the final weekend of August were also big draws for tourists.

“What we have been able to do is promote some of the semi-large events like Pan Pon De Sand, and they are happening on weekends. So particularly in the Caribbean, for those persons who might not be able to come on the big weekend but might still be able to come on that weekend … that is somehow working for us because it is giving us yet another story to tell…

“The festival has tremendous benefits for opportunities. It is really a platform for us to tell the Barbados story and expose our culture in many ways, in a way we are not able to do generally on an ongoing basis in terms of getting that first-hand anecdotal type of authentic exposure,” she said.

Byer said all the major markets, namely US, Europe, Canada, Brazil, and here in the region, especially Trinidad, were engaged in marketing for the festival, with about 60 journalists scheduled to visit for the events.

“The Internet has really changed the way that business is done, certainly in tourism, but certainly it has created more platforms for us to spread the word about Crop-Over. We have the use of social media which is far more prevalent in our overseas markets in terms of the journalists being able to tell their stories when they go back,” she said, adding that they were also attempts underway to have the foreign media jump for Kadooment to gain a more intimate experience.

In June, she noted too that about 300 travel agents were due in for MegaFam, which incorporates aspects of Crop-Over, including a mini-carnival, as part of that experience. The NCF’s decision to include an e-ticket sales option this year, she said, was also another positive for the growth of the festival.

“In terms of packaging, I am really delighted that we have the software now in terms of how the tickets are being sold this year and that technology will allow overseas operators, small and big ones, to be able to put tickets in the packaging of the air and hotels.

“I think it also creates a great opportunity for the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association in packaging as well for direct sales on their website, being able to sell tickets directly as a vendor,” she said. (LB)

by Shawn Cumberbatch

Efforts are on to salvage a $150 million luxury golf, residential and hotel project which has been waiting in the wings for more than three years.

Barbados TODAY has learnt that high-level talks involving senior members of the Freundel Stuart Administration and Royal Westmoreland are underway in an attempt to get that St. James luxury development’s expansion onto the nearby Lancaster Plantation property it owns underway.

Discussions have already been held with Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Darcy Boyce is chairing a working group on the matter.

The major sticking point continues to be the granting of approval for the construction of a $4.4 million reservoir Royal Westmoreland officials said was necessary for the 18 hole championship golf course, hotel and other residences.

These developments were confirmed today by the Royal Westmoreland Construction Director, Ian Putley, who was cautiously optimistic about the likelihood a positive outcome within the coming months.

“We are currently in discussion with a working group led by Senator Darcy Boyce who is trying to get the confirmation of compliance with Town & Country Development Planning conditions letter,” the official told Barbados TODAY.

“We had received the approval from Town & Country Development Planning on September 30, 2011, but it came with some conditions that required us to submit further information to the Barbados Water Authority.

“We did this, met with Dr. John Mwansa and his [BWA] team in February 2012 and have had email and verbal confirmation that they are happy and that the file has been returned to Town & Country Development Planning to allow them to write to us stating that we have complied with the requirements. Senator Boyce is trying to obtain this confirmation,” he added.

While Putley was hopeful of a positive outcome in the not too distant future, he said: “The overall logic remains the same though: no reservoir, no golf course, no development, no hotel.”

His cautious optimism was based, however, on the fact that the BWA appeared to have been satisfied with how Royal Westmoreland intended to approach the construction of the reservoir needed for the golf course. Putley said his company and its engineers from Stantec were able to give assurances about dams and water overflow issues.

“We are not in a position yet where we can start work but we are all fairly hopeful. I feel we are closer; we are certainly several steps closer and we have had some fairly good meetings with Minister Sinckler. It is a turnaround from where we were two years ago and I am quietly confident that something will come in the next few months,” he said.

The overall Lancaster project will cost between $120 million and $150 million, including a budgeted $46.5 million to construct the golf course and pay for other costs, including roads, design fees, and related services.

The major reason this venture took so long to be built was because Town Planning and BWA officials were concerned that the island’s water supply could be contaminated if the reservoir was constructed.

In addition to the golf course and hotel, the development will have 135 luxury residential units. shawncumberbatch@barbadostoday.bb

With the devastating impact of natural disasters on countries and their effect on economies well documented, a government official is urging Barbadians “not to be caught napping”.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Irene Sandiford-Garner made this observation today while addressing the Ministry of Tourism and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association sponsored Multi Hazard Disaster Management Symposium. It was held at Hilton Barbados.

She cited examples of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Ivan, Tropical Storm Tomas, the tsunami in Indonesia and the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti and more recently, off Antigua and Trinidad as reasons why people should take heed to the damage and fall-out caused.

“I urge you to take heed… Are you prepared? Think about if our small island states and by extension, your business was impacted by such devastating events. What about your families and employees? These events, therefore, should not be taken lightly,” Sandiford-Garner advised.

The Parliamentary Secretary also alluded to the impact of viruses on the industry and added that the new strain of bird flu H7N9 in China which has infected over 100 people so far and claimed the lives of 35. She said this development must be closely monitored as it related to travel and tourism.

“We can never forget how the H1N1 virus caused a worldwide pandemic in 2009 which started in China and reached many countries. Here in Barbados, we also had to put significant resources in place and we spent much time being in a state of readiness. There was a reduction in international tourist arrivals as persons feared being infected during travel. Any such recurrence of this would further hurt our economies as we seek to overcome this current recession,” she added.

Sandiford-Garner also spoke about the importance of the Safety and Health at Work Act and the Employment Rights Act.

She said the new Acts were very important to Barbados as the island sought to improve its competitiveness as a destination and to provide a safe environment for employees, locals and visitors.

“I cannot over emphasise the importance of safety and health. We all know that Barbados, like many Caribbean territories, depends heavily on tourism and one of its grand elements is safety…,” Sandiford-Garner added.

She urged Barbadians to avoid complacency and take each watch and warning seriously.

“By now you should have refamiliarised yourself with your organisation’s hurricane plans as well as your respective family plans which is also important. Ensure that you have adequate non-perishable food supplies and water, because no one is sure when the unexpected will strike and how long we might be affected.”

Teacher Anthony Alleyne giving words of wisdom on Internet safety.

Keep safe, keep away and keep telling.

That advice was reiterated at the Progressive Optimist Club’s Internet safety seminar, held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre this morning, with several neighbouring primary schools, including Charles F. Broome Memorial, Grantley Prescod, St. Giles, Belmont and Wilkie Cumberbatch.

Teacher of the Deighton Griffith Secondary School, Anthony Alleyne, conducted an interactive session with the various highlighting the do’s and don’ts of modern day Internet activity.

Alleyne said that in Barbados approximately 170,000 used the internet out of a population of 250,000, compared to 11 million in the entire Caribbean region.

“It is up to us adults to keep promoting the good things about the Internet while avoiding the bad,” Alleyne stated.

Students identified some of the dangers associated with the Internet as cyber bullying, online sexual activity among the under-aged and sending photos to strangers.

Alleyne also pointed out that when young people were chatting on the Internet they had no idea whom they were talking to most of the time and he cautioned them not to believe everything they saw on the worldwide web.

He also pointed out particular Internet dangers such as identity theft, fraud, and stalkers or predators on young people.

The teacher also advised the students to never share their personal information over the Internet.

Additionally, he told them that real names should not be used on some sites and people should not give out the passwords to their e-mail addresses to strangers they met online or elsewhere.

President of the Progressive Optimist Club, Simeon Ellis, said the mandate of the club was to bring out the best in children as well as their activities. He said it was necessary to conduct the seminar, given the pervasive use of communications technology. (MR)

The University of the West Indies has been called on to create research clusters and advance those that could be considered critical to national development.

Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Christopher Sinckler, made the call while underscoring the importance of research as he delivered the feature address at the University of the West Indies’ Benefactors Awards Ceremony, last evening, at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination.

Sinckler told his audience: “What we put into the university and eventually put out into the community must reflect the fundamental needs of those societies. The $120 million to $150 million invested in the university campus by the Government of Barbados will mean absolutely nothing if it cannot provide individuals, professionals [and] graduates who can drive the new developmental agenda in Barbados in areas of agribusiness, renewable energy, climate change, the Blue economy and so on. These are the new areas to which we are looking for a plethora of skills to advance in.”

He proffered the view that if some of these opportunities are to be secured, Cave Hill Campus must continue to initiate more Memoranda of Understanding with other universities, governments and international organisations, among others.

He said: “As Minister of Finance, I am eager to state that such partnerships will be at the centre of the Ministry’s attention, both for financial and technical support, as we move towards building out new pathways for development, not only with the campus and university, but of course for Barbados.”

Acknowledging that access to education at all levels had been a key factor in the success of Barbados as a society and an economy, the minister reaffirmed Government’s commitment to support the continued growth and development of the UWI and increase access to tertiary education for all Barbadians. He pointed out that Government has had to manage the economy during a recessionary period, when there were major increases in the cost of tertiary education.

by Shawn Cumberbatch

Trade unionist Caswell Franklyn.

A statutory corporation’s imminent separation of a temporary worker employed for five years has stoked new concerns about public sector layoffs, simultaneously raising legal implications for the government agency.

While Rural Development Commission Director, Randolph Outram, today said the decision to end the tenure of the field officer in question was singular and not part of a retrenchment programme, outspoken trade unionist Caswell Franklyn said the development should prove to Barbadians that he was not lying about a government plan to layoff workers.

The RDC employee, who has asked Franklyn for advice and is contemplating his legal options, yesterday received a letter signed by Outram.

It stated: “We write to advise that unfortunately your temporary appointment as field officer with the Commission cannot be renewed after June 30, 2013. This letter is to give you one month’s notice of this decision and to advise you that during the month of June we shall be discussing with you the best option.

“We acknowledge that you have provided five years of temporary service to the commission and we wish to thank you for that service. It is also our intention as outlined above to work with you during the month of June so that we can do all that we can to mitigate the effects of this decision,” the correspondence concluded.

But when Barbados TODAY contacted the RDC boss this afternoon he said “it is untrue that there are layoffs”, while acknowledging the issue involving the field officer.

“I know that we had a situation with one employee and he is still our employee and since he has indicated to me that he is seeking legal advice I would not want to discuss this matter,” Outram said.

Franklyn, who said recently that Government had met and was preparing to send home a number of civil servants, comments dismissed this week by Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Chris Sinckler, believes there were more questions than answers about the whole issue.

“Government should not say one thing and do the other. People take them at their word that there will be no job losses. They (Barbadians) voted on that basis,” he said in relation to the RDC matter and the overall question of public sector workers.

“The Government knows that they made certain plans to dismiss these people, I was a bit fast in getting the information out and they denied it… I was vilified.”

Franklyn said he would see what could be done about the RDC worker’s plight, including within the provisions of the new Employment Rights Act, which is applicable to such statutory bodies. He was also concerned about the fact that Government had workers on their payroll for as much as five years without permanent appointment.

“The only place you can be a temporary officer for five years is the Government service. Anybody else would be considered a permanent employee after all this time. I will see what can be done on his behalf because this man has financial commitments,” Franklyn said.

While addressing the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry luncheon on Wednesday, Sinckler dismissed reports Government had discussions as a precursor to retrenching thousands of public servants.

“It is an insidious and unsubstantiated untruth. No such meeting took place. No file has been sent to me, contrary to what has been said, with any such recommendation and certainly no such discussion has taken place in my Ministry. I want to make that abundantly clear,” he said. shawncumberbatch@barbadostoday.bb

A Barbarees Gardens home was thrown into mourning this morning following the stabbing death of 40-year-old John Baptiste at Loni’s Bar on Nelson Street, the City.

But perhaps the saddest member of the household this morning was seven-year-old student of Westbury Primary School, Shonte Mayers-Alleyne, who recognised him as daddy and did not attend school today.

Baptiste’s girlfriend, 28-year-old Shantel Mayers, told a team from Barbados TODAY that her late boyfriend saw Shonte as his daughter even though she is not the product of her relationship with Baptiste.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Mayers said the last time she spoke with Baptiste was around 11:10 last night. Mayers said Baptiste, who was self-employed, used to hang out in Nelson Street on Thursday nights.

She explained that Baptiste was one of the residents from Chapman Lane who was re-located by the Government to Barbarees Hill. Mayers’ sister, Bernadette Mayers, who resides at Nelson Street but was visiting her sister when a team from Barbados TODAY turned up, was visibly shaken at the tragic passing of Baptiste.

Bernadette said: “Simple so a man lost his life. The man did not do anyone anything.”

Mayers remembered her boyfriend of three years as “a very caring, fun-loving and jovial person”.

Baptiste was the father of two girls and the grandfather of one.

The University of the West Indies’ financial problems in Barbados and the island’s wider economic challenges have left a financial institution closely associated with UWI largely unscathed.

But the UWI (Cave Hill) Cooperative Credit Union Limited, which rents offices at the local campus and whose membership include university employees, has highlighted increased demand from these individuals for credit in the form of loans.

The board of the directors of the cooperative, which recently held its annual general meeting, happily reported that when their financial year ended on December 31 last year the institution had recorded a good performance, including growth in profits, assets, members deposits and shares savings.

At year-end 2012 the credit union’s assets were $37.4 million ($34 million in 2011), members deposits were $6.6 million ($6.3 million in 2011), and members share savings $26.2 million ($23.5 million in 2011.

Profits before tax also increased by 6.62 per cent, moving from $2.3 million in 2011 to $2.5 million last year.

“In a period of continued economic challenges and uncertainty both in the local and international markets, our credit union recorded another very positive year of growth. Once again this was the result of the strong and unwavering support of our members coupled with disciplined and principled management,” the board reported.

Treasurer David Myles also pointed to the “difficult economic climate” the credit union operated in and “the consequent threat of increased delinquency on the part of borrowers”.

The organisation’s most recently publicised records showed that members increased their demand for loans, including a growing number who utilised its line of credit facility.

“The loan portfolio of our credit union for 2012 which reflected the members’ demand for loan funds is indicating an increase in the overall activity for the period under review. Members’ demand for loans and access to the line of credit facility showed a total disbursement of $5.57 million for the financial year ending December 31, 2012, when compared with $4.99 million disbursed in year 2011, an increase of $567,000,” the directors noted.

“We can report that the Line of Credit facility out-performed all other categories with total disbursements of $1.105 million for the year 2012 as compared with $574, 000 for the year 2011, and is mainly responsible for our improved performance.”

The Treasurer said the credit union’s board, committees and staff members had worked diligently to reduce the risk of loan delinquency and had been largely successful.

“It is a tribute to their efforts, but, above all, to the responsibility and commitment of our membership that the UWI Credit Union continues to have one of the lowest delinquency rates in the movement in Barbados,” he said.

“Management continues to follow the policy of keeping minimum amounts of cash in non- interest bearing accounts, with the goal of maximising investment income. At the same time, however, we have tried to keep investment maturities short so that we can promptly satisfy members’ loan requirements.

“The Credit Union continues to meet its commitments and stands ready and available to provide financial and other services to members to help them in the financing of their homes, business, education or other requirements,” the official added. (SC)

Control must be maintained on Barbados’ appetite for goods and services to ensure the island doesn’t development a foreign exchange problem.

Central Bank of Barbados Governor Dr. DeLisle Worrell said this consumer desire, known as aggregate demand in the economics fraternity, was the best option for a small very open economy like Barbados, and he also ruled out the International Monetary Fund-prescribed currency devaluation as a viable alternative.

The economist made the assertions in a new working paper on the topic Exchange Rate Targetting Through Aggregate Demand Management.

He asserted that since most of the island’s consumption was of imported items, and domestic production also used imported inputs “very heavily” the impact of such purchases on the country’s foreign reserves was something which needed to be controlled at all times, but especially during periods of economic difficulty.

“The tool that remains to the authorities for aggregate demand management is the size of the fiscal deficit and the extent of money creation to finance it. Small very open economies should therefore target the exchange rate, using fiscal policy to manage aggregate expenditure and the consequent spending on imports,” Worrell said.

He added that “the over-arching policy concern is to maintain an underlying balance between the fundamental demand and supply of foreign exchange over time”.

“In the short run that implies aggregate demand management, keyed on the expected availability of foreign exchange, to ensure that the import requirement is not in excess of that availability,” the Central Bank boss stated.

“In order to grow the economy, there must be investment and productivity increases in the sectors that earn and save foreign exchange, to satisfy the need for the additional imports which the growing economy will require.

“Focusing on the exchange rate anchor, and ensuring that the central bank maintains adequate reserves by managing aggregate demand, keeps the (small very open economy) on a sustainable growth path over time.”

Worrell said the effectiveness of such a policy to preserve and protect foreign exchange needed to ensure that “the underlying demand for foreign exchange in the economy must not exceed the available supply, so macroeconomic policy must be directed to ensure this balance”.

“This has to be achieved through the management of aggregate demand and supply, because foreign exchange rationing and changes in the relative price of foreign exchange will not produce the changes in volumes needed to equilibrate the external market,” he said.

“It is now generally accepted that the demand for foreign exchange may not be contained by controls or rationing on the current account, and I have argued elsewhere that the same is true of the capital and financial account.

“The elasticity conditions are not satisfied for a devaluation to bring about an equilibrium of foreign exchange demand and supply, and the current account responses to devaluation are invariably overwhelmed by capital flight. It follows that the demand for foreign exchange in the (small very open economy) can be brought into equilibrium with the supply only by way of aggregate demand management,” he added. (SC)

by Shawn Cumberbatch

Goddard Enterprises Limited, Barbados’ single largest group of locally-owned companies, has suffered a drop in profits. And while the island continues to have a difficult business climate, the conglomerate said the near $3 million decline in net income during the six month period ended March 31, 2013 was due in a significant way to events in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Reporting on GEL’s most recent financial performance, Chairman Charles Herbert, and Acting Managing Director, John Taylor, said over that time final profit decreased by 13.4 per cent, dropping from $22 million during the same time last year to $19.1 million this year.

The officials also noted that with there being no immediate sign of economic recovery in the Caribbean the company would have to review its costs.

“During the period under review the group recorded a six per cent decline in revenues compared to prior year. This decline occurred in our Import, Distribution and Marketing Division, where sales of our St. Lucia subsidiaries were adversely affected by depressed market conditions exacerbated by the implementation of VAT there on October 1, 2012,” they noted.

One bit of good news for GEL was the “improvement in gross profit margin from 34.5 per cent in the prior year to 36.7 per cent during the period”, something Herbert and Taylor attributed to “improved efficiencies across all divisions as well as ongoing improvements in procurement strategy”.

As with the difficulties in St. Lucia, this positive outcome was stymied, however, by challenges in Venezuela and Latin America business markets.

“Our selling, marketing and administrative expenses … as a percentage of revenues were 31.4 per cent compared to 28.9 per cent in the prior year. This is due mainly to mandated increases in payroll costs in some of our Latin American countries as well as difficulties reducing costs quickly enough to compensate for declining sales,” the officials said.

“Across the Caribbean, economies continue to be depressed and are showing few signs of recovery; as a result, our cost base will need a thorough review.”

They also pointed to an increase in inflation expenses recorded by two subsidiaries in Venezuela as an area of concerned. “This is required by International Financial Reporting Standards as Venezuela is considered a hyper-inflationary economy. Profit from operations fell by 17.5 per cent to $25.7 million Group Finance costs were 6.9 per cent below the prior year,” the directors stated.

“After deducting non-controlling interests, net income attributable to equity holders of the company was $11.8 million with a basic earnings per share of 19.7 cents, a decline of 22.1 per cent. Turning to our balance sheet, our cash flow continues to be adequate and our debt to equity ratio remains healthy at 37:63,” they added. (SC)

Women within the Anglican Church could soon be eligible for some of the higher offices within the Diocese.

Barbados TODAY understands that there is currently a draft proposal before the Diocese to allow women to serve as bishops within the denomination.

The draft, it is also understood, came out of the recent Annual General Meeting of the Synod held at the Christ Church Parish Church.

The proposal pointed out the “longstanding and invaluable” contribution of women within “the Province of the West Indies”, noting that “the 38th Session of the Provincial Synod 2012 saw no theological objection to the ordination of women as bishops”.

It concluded that the General Synod of the Diocese of Barbados was in agreement with the Provincial Synod 2012 and therefore saw no theological objection to the ordination of women as bishops.

The draft therefore resolved that, “the General Synod of the Diocese of Barbados agrees to the ordination of females to the office of bishop in the Diocese of Barbados subject to the authorization of the Provincial Synod”.

It was one of the major recommendations coming out of the highest annual meeting of the local Diocese, though other issues, it was shared, ranged from matters pertaining to education, buildings, property development, use of technology, HIV/AIDS, among other areas.

Speaking to the issue of the use of modern technology, the church noted its continued efforts to reduce paper, thereby saving trees and protecting the planet. It was also noted that in at least one parish, electronic devices were slowly replacing books, a matter that is being discussed at a higher level.

Similarly, while clergy circulars were said to be now electronically sent, it was suggested that efforts be made to do the same with the Synod journal, thereby reducing the number of paper copies as well as cost.

The church was also continuing its drive to battle and educate about HIV/AIDS and other health issues.

On the former, the Synod stated that it was continuing with the HIV/AIDS ministry, which was launched in late 2012, and that courses in counselling and education were also ongoing.

To date, it noted that 167 persons had graduated from the course and the Diocese would continue to make resources available to those who wanted to do so.

The Diocese was also committed to combating non-communicable diseases, and a resolution committing the body to a response to this challenge was passed.

“We have formed a committee headed by Dr. Henrick Ellis to carry out the mandate of the resolution.

“The committee held a seminar on diabetes in March dealing with the theory of the disease. On June 29 there will be another seminar on practical responses to diabetes, e.g. diet, exercise, etc. In October there will be a seminar on hypertension.”

The Trustees Strategic Plan was said to be addressing the matter of a property development officer, while a committee had been formed to work towards the restart and completion of Mandeville building which was originally planned as the Youth Centre.

“The plan is to have the Diocesan Office housed in this building. The plan/proposal for the new building will be presented to Synod,” stated a document out of the meeting. (LB)

Weather beaten and neglected CLICO-financed NHC homes at Constant, St. George.

Five years after construction started on a $12 million joint housing project between CLICO Holdings and the state-owned National Housing Corporation at Constant in St. George, the units, some of which have been vandalised, remain in an abandoned state and overrun by thick bush.

When then Chairman of CLICO Leroy Parris addressed the ground-breaking ceremony in December 2008, he announced that the venture, which was being financed by his company, would result in the building of 64 homes.

A visit to the site this afternoon by a team from Barbados TODAY, revealed what appeared to completed homes — more than 20 of concrete and eight wooden — showing evidence of flaking paint, broken windows and weather beaten structures.

The single-storey two-bedroom dwellings also seemed not to have had any kind of maintenance work done on them in a very long time — or at all. The team from this newspaper also observed signs of foundations having been dug and partially covered by grass, while in other instances, only the columns and steel of built foundations, project just above ground level.

Three years ago when he was Minister of Housing and Lands, Michael Lashley, disclosed that while the project was to be completed by February 2009, the NHC had encountered a few snags, particularly in relation to the construction of a sewage treatment plant.

Two years later, the then CLICO chairman assured Barbadians that the project was still on stream. The venture was not without controversy otherwise. The former Chairman of the NHC, Marilyn Rice-Bowen, had claimed that there was no contract between CLICO and the corporation.

But speaking in Parliament on a resolution to vest the land at Constant in the NHC, Lashley said a finance contract had been signed by her and agreed to by the general manager, with CLICO Property Development Incorporated.

Twenty of the housing units measure 644 square feet; 22 measure 476 square feet; and another 23 were to be 758 square feet. The targeted income group, Lashley had

announced, would be those who could buy a house for between $100,000 and $150,000.

He said a recommendation was also made that some of the houses be looked at for the Government’s rent-to-own programme. That programme was being undertaken in two phases and involved 20 two-bedroom houses on 644 square feet of land.

Lashley had also stated that the NHC had not made any financial input so far into the venture. When the Barbados

TODAY team visited the St. George location today, the only sign of any work on the project was what seemed to be a relatively small area at the entrance to the site, which was recently cleaned

of grass. emmanueljoseph@ barbadostoday.bb