Gail Peters is trying to be strong for her family. But being strong is difficult after losing your 24-year-old son.
In Bayville, St Michael, at the family home of the late Mario Peters, scores of family members and close friends gathered to lend support to his grieving parents, Junior and Gail Peters, who were forced to watch as their son’s life changed in a matter of seconds.

“It is not an easy thing for the family,” said the deceased man’s mother, who told Barbados TODAY, “This is the first incident like this that has ever occurred in the family and we are really trying to support one another . . .”
Mario’s head was severely injured when his motorcycle collided with a taxi on January 3 just outside the Harbour Lights Night Club while he and a friend were riding along Bay Street.
He was knocked unconscious but remained alive and unresponsive for the next 16 days, until he quietly passed away just after 11a.m. on Sunday following days of treatment in the surgical Intensive Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

“We are all trying to cope with this very tragic news. It’s not a situation like he was ill and passed away. It was sudden death,” said his mother, who throughout the interview remained very composed. The grieving woman however admitted that the days following the accident had been very “traumatic” for the family, “even watching him in the condition that he was in from then,” she said.
The “loving” man, a former student of Arthur Smith Primary and St Leonard’s Boys would battle for his life for more than two weeks as family and friends hoped and prayed that he would emerge from his comatose state.
Although he did not, his mother told Barbados TODAY that while her son’s death was unexpected, it happened while doing what he loved.
“His love was a motorcycle. At the time [of the accident] he was riding what they described as a Honda 80, a small motorcycle. But he always had a love for motorcycles,” she said.
In fact, she revealed that Mario, “who could ride a bicycle, from before he could walk properly,” had proven himself a very adventurous person from a young age.
“From as young as I can remember, Mario was always a person who was into activities. He always had a bicycle and by age five or six he was a member of DC Wheelers [a biker group based in the Pine, St Michael,” she said.
Mario, who worked at his father’s electrical business, was said to have been very good with his hands and “could pick down and put up things very easily.”
The 24-year-old father was described as having “a very strong but a loving personality,” especially for his family and his daughter, three-year-old Kamaria Peters.
“He loved his daughter and I know his greatest wish would be for us to take total care of his daughter until she reaches adulthood and we are going to make sure of that,” his mother promised.
Mario also leaves to mourn his three brothers – Dale, Denny, and Theo Peters along with his sister, Christiana Peters. (KS)

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Police are currently on the scene of an unnatural death of a woman at Northumberland, St Lucy.
More as it comes to hand.

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Police have released the name of the elderly woman who was found dead with "suspected stab wounds" at the Vauxhall Senior Citizens Village, Christ Church on Monday January 21.

She is 69-year-old Martha Agatha Doyle who was a resident of the aforementioned facility.

Last night police disclosed that "a person is in custody assisting us with the investigation."

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The Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs has launched an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of a female resident of the Vauxhall Senior Citizens Village, Vauxhall, Christ Church, yesterday evening.

Minister with responsibility for Elder Affairs, Cynthia Forde, today expressed regret for the incident which led to the death of 69-year-old Martha Doyle, who lived at Unit 3A at the facility.

Minister Forde said: “I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms Doyle and to the residents and staff of the Vauxhall Senior Citizens Village.  As we await the outcome of the investigations, both by the Royal Barbados Police Force and ourselves, we have taken immediate steps to provide counselling, facilitated by Network Services, for the residents and staff.”

The Minister said that she had been assured by the Royal Barbados Police Force that they had been pleased with the response of the security on site, adding: “I would wish to assure the families of residents at the Village, as well as the general public, that we give high priority to ensuring safety at all our facilities including this centre, and if necessary, even further steps will be taken to safeguard the continued welfare of residents.”

The Vauxhall Senior Citizens’ Village is home to 38 residents, 19 men and 19 women, aged 46 to 83 years old. It provides housing for independent living as well as persons who require assistance. (BGIS)

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Police are on the scene of an unnatural death at Edgehill, St Thomas.
Lawmen say the lifeless body of an unidentified man is lying on the road.
More information as it comes to hand.

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New rules, hefty fines, and a shift in some responsibilities are some of the new measures included in the new Planning and Development Bill 2018.

And today, members of Town and Country Planning Department, Government officials and other stakeholders got the opportunity to give their feedback on some of the sweeping changes to the five-decades-old Act, previously known as the Town and Country Planning Act.

The new piece of legislation, which was laid in Parliament last month and is to be debated in the coming weeks, makes provision for the creation of a tribunal as well as a planning and development board, that will be responsible for making some decisions.

Besides making the Chief Town Planner and the department answerable to the board for their handling of applications and decisions, the Bill requires members of the board and tribunal to declare any conflict of interest, and for those offering or receiving bribes to be fined.

Anyone found guilty of directly or indirectly soliciting or accepting financial or other award or those found guilty of offering such bribes are guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine of $250,000 or imprisonment for two years, or both. Members of the board or the tribunal who fail to disclose any conflict of interest could find themselves paying a fine of $100,000.

Addressing the gathering at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre earlier today, attorney-at-law and consultant Christine Toppin-Allahar said it was only fair that both those accepting a bribe and those offering it to be penalized.

[caption id="attachment_288056" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Marsha Caddle (right) looks on as Attorney-at-law Christine Toppin-Allahar makes a point. The legal consultant said it was only fair that both those accepting bribes and those offering be penalized.[/caption]

“I think most people would agree with that,” she said.

She explained that while the minister with responsibility for the department would continue to have some power, there would be a “multi-disciplinary” planning and development board that will consist of ex-officio members and representatives from the private sector.

“That board will be the primary mechanism for decision-making about the planning applications in Barbados although the power of the minister to deal with applications of strategic importance has been retained, as is the department. And the Chief Town Planner will be the person who would bring applications to the board and organize the meetings,” said Toppin-Allahar, who pointed out that the Bill also makes provision for an appeals tribunal.

She said in order to avoid delays there would be a pre-application process, and all applicants must be made aware of all the requirements for their applications up front.

“All information requirements must be asked for promptly upfront by the Chief Town Planner. There can be no shifting of the goal post. At present it is often a sequential process – you make your application and they ask you for that and then you bring it and they ask you for something else – that will no longer be allowed,” she explained.

The new legislation also makes provision for strict timelines for an application to be processed and for consultations to be carried out.

Those applications considered “uncomplicated” as defined in the legislation, should take up to six weeks for a decision to be made, while “complex” applications, which can only be decided on by the board, should take up to ten weeks for a decision. Those applications requiring an environmental impact assessment (EIA) should take up to 12 weeks.

“These deadlines can only be extended with the consent of the applicant,” said Toppin-Allahar, who indicated that the Bill also provides for all minutes of board meetings to be made a public document so it could be scrutinized.

Kim Penfold and Sandy Penfold, consultants with the housing, planning and regeneration company Penfold Associates, said as the necessary legislative changes were made it was critical that there was also be a change in mindset among the population.

They said there was also need for ongoing training of staff in both the public and private sector and greater employment of technology.

Stakeholders raised concerns about the lack of attention given to land used for agriculture, development along the coastline and the protection for some buildings while raising questions about who would make up the tribunal and the planning and development board.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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The mess that took place on the south coast cannot be allowed to float to Barbados’ platinum coast.

According to Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Kerrie Symmonds, the sewage crisis that severely affected the south coast would wreak havoc on Barbados’ bread and butter if it touches the west coast where the island’s upscale properties are located.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Department of Emergency Management St James Central Emergency Organization, held at Queen’s College School Hall, Sunday evening, Symmonds said that Government sees the south coast crisis as a disaster.

He said the crisis which affected the coast for three years resulted in Barbados’ major source markets issuing public health advisories to their citizens.

Pointing out that Barbados was experiencing financial difficulties, Symmonds said the country has had to rescue itself from the mess created by the south coast sewage disaster.

“The country also now had to turn its attention to Bridgetown because the Bridgetown situation was borderline, about to become as bad as the south coast. And the fact of the matter is that while you have wrestled those two we have to turn our attention eventually to the west coast and begin from scratch. It is the platinum coast because that is where the most expensive part of the tourism product is found.

“The properties that at this time of the year are being rented at the start at $2,000 United States dollars per night, at the lowest level and at the highest level can run into $30,000 or $40,000 United States dollars. But if you destroy that coast, then I need not tell you that you destroy the economy of Barbados,” he warned.

Symmonds also indicated that the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration intended to have all future Government bonds include a natural disaster clause.

He said such a necessary move would allow the state to put a two-year pause on the payment of interests and principal on those bonds, that gives Government the elbow room to finance rebuilding processes without having to incur debt to do so.

Symmonds explained that the clause would help Barbados which is already in a precarious and dangerous position of being the third most indebted country in the world, to be able to carry another generation of Barbadians forward, even if there was a national tragedy.

“In the event of a disaster taking place, for example, and heaven forbid, that Barbados was confronted with the tragedy that confronted Dominica, or the tragedy that confronted Barbuda, those kinds of tragedies would confront a Government with the requirement, to have to finance the rebuilding process by incurring debt. Remember, Government must continue.

“So when that tragedy happens and you lose 80 or 90 percent of your housing stock, Government can’t just sit down and do nothing. You have to go into the international market and you have to borrow money. And where it is still possible in the domestic economy, you’ve got to borrow more money, so you go to entities that still exist, even if only in law, like the National Insurance Scheme, to put yourself in a position to do the rebuilding,” he said.

Noting that the matter of ensuring Barbados is physically and financially ready to deal with the aftermath of a national disaster had not escaped Cabinet’s attention, Minister Symmonds said that even though the public’s purse does not have sufficient funds to correct it all at once, the time has come where the country must recognize that fundamental parts of the island’s utilities infrastructure needed to be repositioned.

“For example, the overhead wires which are used by the Barbados Light & Power (BL&P), which are used by the telephone company, we have to be very aware of the impact of a major hurricane on that infrastructure.

“I go back to the point of departure. We are not in a financial position now to do it all at once. But as we go forward, part of the corrective process, and certainly the thinking of the Government is that we must now use the opportunity where it arises, when it arises within reason, because it is a heavy financial commitment, to begin to place some of that overhead infrastructure underground,” he said.

Symmonds said that whenever a hurricane affects a country, as was clearly seen when major hurricanes devastated several Caribbean territories in 2017, power lines fall and meet flooded waters, putting residents at major safety risk.

“The telephone pole has fallen and the wires are on the ground, people do not know what is in a four-foot or three-foot flood zone of water so they walk through the water because they don’t know that there is livewire underneath there and then they get shocked and electrocuted. This has happened time after time across this region, and part of what we must do in terms of preparing ourselves in terms of disaster management, is to fix that situation,” Symmonds said.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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Government is on a mission to improve this country’s ranking on the Doing Business record in an effort to attract more investment.

Word of this has come from Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Marsha Caddle, who announced today that a Doing Business subcommittee is to be established in that regard.

Addressing the first Planning and Development Bill stakeholder review for 2019 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Caddle said once approved by Cabinet, this subcommittee would work closely with a Competitiveness Council to ensure Barbados climbed the Doing Business ranks and measure up more favourably among the best.

“This is not to have general discussions about productivity and ideological and philosophical discussions about competitiveness . . . but these committees are to get to the business of improving the doing business rankings, not just so they look good on paper, even though that is important to help drive investment to the country, but improving these indicators so that Barbados works for Barbadians and those who want to come and live and work here,” said Caddle.

“So we have made a commitment to get to the root and the heart and nuts and bolts of what is impeding business and investment in the country,” she said.

Caddle said she was not satisfied with how Barbados measured up against its Caribbean neighbours in the latest Ease of Doing Business Report.

Barbados was ranked 129th out of 190 countries in the 2018 Ease of Doing Business Report, a slight improvement over the 132nd position in 2017.

“We looked across the indicators that were measured . . . and in the rankings, dealing with construction permits for Barbados, it is ranked 154, so it is the second worse after Haiti. Now my colleagues from Town and Planning will say it is question of how the data is collected, how it is compiled and that may be so.

“That is one of the reasons we are establishing a Doing Business subcommittee of Cabinet. Once approved, that will be supported by a competitiveness council, which is a smaller subcommittee of our private sector and trade union colleagues and other parties that will make up that committee,” she said.

Caddle said the review and reform of the Town & Planning legislation formed a major part of that plan which is tied to the overall Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme, which she insisted was more than just fiscal adjustment.

“It is, at its base, about transformation. And we cannot adjust our way out of this crisis that has been a longstanding one in this country, we have to grow and transform our way out. So what it means is that the powers of government are not simply tax and spend, we have to use all the powers of government as legislator to bring about the kind of growth that we want to see,” she said.

Also high on the agenda for the first half of this year, she added, was the establishment of a corporate registry to better facilitate individuals and companies that wish to live and invest in Barbados.

Caddle also revealed that Prime Minister Mia Mottley would soon be giving details about planned developments for the island’s southwest corridor – from Oistins in Christ Church to Fitts Village in St James.

The details could come as early as Friday. She said Government has identified some areas including buildings and properties that “something must be done about”.

“This is not just about the action that government takes, it is also about how we can develop public/private partnerships and encourage the kind of investment that is needed in particular in the City,” said Caddle, adding that plans were in the pipeline to make Bridgetown into a “work and residential centre” again.

Last month Mottley announced that her plans for the miles of prime real estate, at least from the Savannah Beach Hotel to the former Four Seasons development would include the construction of about a dozen new hotels.

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The ghost of the controversial Cahill waste to energy project has apparently returned to haunt the new Mia Mottley Government.

This morning Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, expressed surprise that legal issues surrounding the $700 million plasma gasification project, which was dumped by the then Freundel Stuart administration, has resurfaced three years later.

“There has been some communication to Government from some new entity representing that agency. I can’t say if it is a lawsuit but it appears there is some element of Cahill in the business and politics of Barbados. The presence of Cahill and its agents is still very much here,” lamented Prescod.

It was last Tuesday that Prime Minister Mottley revealed in Parliament that Government received legal correspondence from a successor entity, seeking to assert legal rights in the abandoned project.

“Yesterday I received a letter from the successor entity to Cahill seeking to claim legal rights against the Government of Barbados,” Mottley said charging these were “contracts signed under the cover of night before the Cabinet of Barbados got to see them”.

This morning Prescod opted not to go into detail about the nature of the redress being sought nor any possible financial exposure to the taxpayers of Barbados.

While in Opposition the BLP had demanded clarity on the details of the agreement between Government and the Guernsey-based Cahill Energy in March 2014, which resulted in a huge outcry from the public.

According to then Minister of the Environment, Denis Lowe, the decision to halt the multimillion-dollar project, which was to be based at Vaucluse, St Thomas, had taken into consideration events in London and other places, which had revealed that waste-to-energy operations and plasma gasification projects had shown up significant flaws.

“So I assure the public today the Government ain’t going nowhere with that option. It can’t do it, not after the fact that so many Barbadians made their voices heard and told their Government ‘be cautious, hold back on this thing’. We don’t understand it enough. There are other options we can explore. The Government of Barbados would have to be absolutely collectively mad to move ahead on an option where there is global evidence that there are flaws with the technology,” Lowe said back then.

Minister of Energy Wilfred Abrahams, who was an Opposition Senator at the time and a lawyer for groups opposed to the construction of the waste-to-energy plant, cautioned that Government would have to fork out a “substantial sum” in penalties for breaching its agreement with the Guernsey-based energy firm. He claimed back then that there was a “done deal” in place, which called for Government to provide all of the garbage needed for plasma gasification.

Abrahams also said Government had ensured that the necessary legislation had been passed in both Houses of Parliament for the acquisition of lands at Vaucluse, St Thomas for the project, for which he contended the country could not meet the garbage requirement and would, therefore, have had to import waste.

“The minister needs to say what is the Government of Barbados’ exposure, and as a consequence, yours and my exposure as taxpayers, for breaching this Cahill contract,” Abrahams argued.

He had charged that the Stuart administration had previously denied entering into the agreement with Cahill and only admitted to it when they eventually announced that the project was dead.

“They [Government] went recklessly, irresponsibly, selfishly, under the cover of darkness and entered an agreement that they refused to accept, up to the time the minister said they were no longer going ahead with it,” argued Abrahams.

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One of Barbados’ leading political scientists believes the new political party which is soon to be introduced is being assembled for purely financial gain.

Head of the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) Peter Wickham has thrown cold water on the possibility of Opposition Leader Reverend Joseph Atherley forming a “legitimate” political party.

On Saturday at a press conference, Atherley, a former member of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) introduced a team of 14 persons, whom he said would speak on behalf of the Opposition on national issues.

And while he indicated that it was not the launch of a political party, he said that would occur in due course.

However, Wickham told Barbados TODAY he believed the party was only being formed to get the quarter million dollar subvention granted to political parties by government.

“I’m not impressed. It sounds to me like a party that is formed in pursuit of a cause, the cause of course being the fact that they can benefit from the $250 000 set aside for political parties. Frankly, I’m not understanding the philosophical relationship between the individual parties. It seems like a group that was just drawn together on the basis of convenience,” Wickham said.

“You have people for example like the senator, the economist, who has indicated that she is not political, but notwithstanding she is now a senator in a political party.

“I’ve never heard Caswell Franklyn speak of his political allegiance to any central philosophy that resolves around Reverend Atherley. And then we look at Reverend Atherley himself, who was a sworn member of the BLP up until a few months ago, who said he was leaving that party even though he identifies with a lot of the principles.

“An individual who won his seat largely on the coattails of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, having previously lost it on two occasions. It doesn’t appear as though the party has any legitimacy quite frankly, and I don’t know that if it were to face the polls it would receive any attention.”

Wickham said the manner in which the party was formed was questionable adding that he did not get the feeling that it was being established to serve the public’s interest.

“It just seems to be a party cobbled together in support of a financial cause. I wait to be persuaded that it is different, certainly if it is different I would be pleased, but quite frankly I’m not seeing anything in it that tells me this is a genuine, legitimate, political organisation that has been formed to pursue a cause that is central to a philosophy that is expressive like the BLP or the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). I’m not seeing it,” Wickham maintained.

He, however, said he believed those persons selected to speak would be given an ear by the media, similarly to members of Solution Barbados and the UPP [United Progressive Party].

While Wickham said he would love for Atherley to call a by-election to see if his constituents in St Michael West would return him to office on a different seat, he said it was not expected.

“I would love if he did, but I know he’s not going to. Reverend Atherley is no fool and he understands that if he goes back to the polls he would be obliterated because he knows his own weaknesses and vulnerability so he won’t do that.

“But I think on principle it would be a good thing for him to do, because if he did that it would clarify any misconceptions that persons like myself would have...but in the meantime, we are left to wonder about his legitimacy,” Wickham said.

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Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland has issued a warning to small business owners who have received government’s trust loans, but have no intention of repaying, that government will find them.

During his visit to some beneficiaries of the loan today, Sutherland revealed that he was already recognizing a trend where some recipients have shown an unwillingness to repay the up to $5000 loans and who, since receiving the loan could not be found. The loan scheme was launched last October.

“There are some people who are in the minority that we are having challenges with in terms of finding them,” he said, while also stressing that such persons were in the minority and “at least 99 per cent” of the persons who would have accessed the loan have repaid.

Nevertheless, Sutherland warned that the worrying trend needed to be stamped out.

“We [government] have ways and means of recovering our money and I as the minister and indeed the trust fund unit manager will put the necessary systems in place to ensure that we recover the money.

“We trust you and we want you to trust yourself . . . the persons who would have accessed the loan and would have benefited in terms of enhancing their business, we want you to do the right thing and repay the loan,” he said.

Sutherland acknowledged that in light of the “challenging times”, some business owners may encounter difficulty repaying, but cautioned against dodging government’s loan officers.

“At least call the trust loan officer, manager or whoever and say to them ‘we cannot pay this month or I can only pay a small portion of what I am supposed to pay.’ We will work with you,” he promised, “but do not come and take the money with the view that you are not going to repay. We don’t want to go that route. We are here to grow businesses,” he said.

Sutherland further stressed that not every successful applicant would be given a $5000 loan because the amount of money loaned would be based on need and on the ministry’s analysis of each business.

“If you need $3000 in your business and we analyze that you only need $3000, we are not going to give you $5000. It is based on need and not want, because we have other persons here who really would like to access the funding. We will assess your need and we will give you the funds accordingly,” he said.

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As Barbadians are called on by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to reflect on the life of Errol Barrow, the United Progressive Party (UPP) is arguing that Barbados is currently in a “mid-life crisis”.

In a short Errol Barrow Day message yesterday, president of the DLP Verla De Peiza called on Barbadians to reflect and apply the lessons of Barrow’s life “to ensure that what we are doing at this moment can impact just as significantly on the generations to come”.

She also called on citizens to come up with ideas that could be shared to improve in the development of the country.

“What we recognize though is that each one of us as a people and as a country, has a responsibility to this country. What can we do to make ourselves better as a collective? That will be the focus of what we wish to reflect on as we work through this week as we take our initiatives forward and bring them to the country,” said De Peiza.

However, in a letter to the ‘Father of Independence’, the UPP recalled his achievements including the implementation of free education, a national insurance and social security scheme, school meals, improvements in the health sector and his contribution to the island’s independence.

At the same time, the UPP, in its Facebook post, recalled that the DLP had lost every seat in the May 24 general election, as it questioned the direction in which the country was currently heading.

“With democracy so active you would believe that Barbados is heading into a future based on the foundation of education, pride and industry. Unfortunately, the story of modern Barbados has veered sharply away from your vision,” the UPP said in its letter to “the Dipper”.

“We are witnessing a culture which doesn’t value education and its potential benefits and the squandering of this opportunity by many who have achieved accreditation. The severe lack of critical thinking in the management of the country’s affairs at all levels has led to a downward trend in the rating and recognition of Barbados as a leader amongst developing nations. This seems to be as a direct result of greed and a lack of understanding of the principles established by the founding fathers,” the UPP said.

The party, which is led by Lynette Eastmond, a former Barbados Labour Party government minister, said despite the abolition of slavery and colonialism “at the legislative and societal levels”, it was still evident “at the psychological level”, even among our educated elected leaders.

The political party said it was evident that there was no intention by authorities to empower Barbadians through economic enfranchisement.

“Every election cycle sees a return and deepening of the relationship between parties and the class of wealthy whose contribution to national development must equate with contractual expectations. In the meantime, many of our people celebrate only in political tribalism and fleeting handouts.

“Furthermore, the foundation of our economy has been eroded to the point where the new norm is the celebration of the acquisition of foreign loans, disbursement of crown lands at an undervalue and the arrival of new garbage trucks. This economic enslavement keeps our nation in the doldrums of development and demonstrates the lack of visionary leadership once associated with regional leaders such as yourself. We are currently at 50 plus years of independence in a mid-life crisis as our national leadership has been contaminated by the influences of Neo-colonialism and blinded by post-independence partisan agendas,” the UPP added.

The UPP said in its letter to Barrow that Barbadians were more about politics than transparent good governance, adding that this defied the legacy he tried to create for the country.

“We must find the motivation to correct this downslide but with so many bought into the false narrative we fear for the future,” it said.

“We in the United Progressive Party believe that you would be pleased at the development of a party which sees true empowerment as the next big step in our democracy. Our leaders have a vision which is consistent with yours,” it added.

Former Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Member of Parliament and representative for Christ Church West, Dr. Maria Agard, who is now a member of the UPP, commented on the Facebook post, saying Barbadians have lost the notion of the “big idea, having been conditioned and bullied into celebrating mediocrity”.

“We now clap for shady governance once it has been packaged in the right PR narrative, seemingly unable to separate the sleight of hand from the outcomes. We must strive for progress where morality and ethics are fundamental planks of that progress,” said Agard.

“As for the Dipper’s vision. He must be weeping into his ashes to see that the free universal education that he fought for has been used to enrich a select few as we sell our brilliance, our skills, our services cheaply to moguls as their employees, while scorning the indigenous entrepreneurs who struggle to forge a legacy of wealth independent of the trappings of the plantation,” she added. 

The post DLP, UPP bemoan country’s direction appeared first on Barbados Today.

“A grouping of disgruntled former Barbados Labour Party (BLP) members.”

This is how the president of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Verla De Peiza, has described Opposition Leader Joseph Atherley’s recently-named shadow cabinet.

At face value, Atherley’s Opposition group appears to be a melting pot of candidates from several parties who contested the general elections last May. However, De Peiza charged that upon closer inspection she realised that many of the persons chosen were affiliated at some stage with the ruling BLP administration.

“Perusing the names, I see exclusively disgruntled past members
of the Barbados Labour Party. None of those persons are in line with the ideals that our party stands for,” said De Peiza, accounting for the fact that apart from the DLP, the new political group was able to attract defectors from most the parties that contested the last election.

Among the political parties represented are Solutions Barbados and the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the Barbados Integrity Movement. The DLP president told Barbados TODAY that her party was on the verge of launching its own shadow Cabinet.

She explained that this new group would consist of persons who have expressed an interest in representing the party, which failed to retain a single seat when it was ousted from power by the BLP.

“We have not named any candidates, so we definitely cannot say that this group will be future candidates. Right now, we have a mixture of persons who have indicated their interest . . . and there are several more besides them and we are presently going through our process but with regards to the shadow group, that is going to be announced very soon,” she said.

It was on Saturday that Atherley announced a team he said would speak on behalf of the Opposition on national issues. His two Opposition Senators, Crystal Drakes and Caswell Franklyn, are to be spokespersons for the Opposition on issues of national importance. He said three more people would be added to that group of senators at a later date.

The Opposition group also consists of former Solutions Barbados candidates Scott Weatherhead, Alan Springer, Irvin Belgrave, Rev. John Carter and Paul Gibson.

Sylvan Greenidge from the BIM, lecturer Dr Philip Corbin as well as Akil Daley, have also answered Atherley’s call. “This is, for me as Leader of the Opposition, a proud moment. I believe it is for our country a historic moment,” Atherley said on Saturday.

However, De Peiza made it clear that she has no intention to be dismissive of the new political grouping and she was adopting a wait-and-see approach before making any judgment on their relevance.

“We will never be dismissive of anyone’s attempts to represent the country, but I believe that time will speak to their effectiveness. We have to see what their plans are and how they treat to the issues facing the country,” she said.

The former DLP senator also did not rule out the possibility of collaborative efforts between the DLP shadow Cabinet and the Opposition group, providing that their concerns and objectives overlap.

“We will work with whomsoever meets our own philosophical objectives. At the end of the day it comes down to doing what is best for the country,” she explained.

The post ‘Just another group of Bees’ appeared first on Barbados Today.

Government’s election promise to assist hundreds of fledging business owners with trust loans, has resulted in success for some, but has also highlighted the tremendous difficulties faced by others struggling to make a profit in tough economic times.

Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland revealed that government has so far disbursed $1.6 million to almost 400 small business owners across the country, since the end of October when the program was launched.

While visiting five of the successful recipients on Tuesday, Minister Sutherland said another 800 applicants had not yet received money from the fund, but promised that the initiative was far from finished.

[caption id="attachment_288093" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce Dwight Sutherland speaking with Naquita Alexander, owner of La Flam’s Clothing Store today.[/caption]

“Annually we will be putting in $10 million so we know we are nowhere close to our threshold as yet, but we are getting there. It was a successful launch,” said Sutherland, who added that Tuesday’s visit was intended to send a strong signal to the country’s entrepreneurs.

“This government is indeed very serious about building out the capacity and the role they play in terms of adding to our Gross Domestic Product… and also to make sure that we don’t only provide the seed capital, but that we put the necessary infrastructure in place to make these businesses successful,” he said.

David Harewood, a vendor at the Constitution River Terminal and owner of Liz Catering has been lauded as a success story, after he managed to fully repay the $5000 trust loan given to him last November, while turning a profit.

With the money, Harewood invested in a new, health food product and invested the remainder in his pastries.

While showering praise on government for its new program, he encouraged “serious” entrepreneurs to get involved.

“You have to be serious about what you are doing,” said the longtime vendor.

Harewood said he was finalizing plans to get another $5000 trust loan from government to assist in the further expansion of his business.

“I plan to get a little warehouse and do the same thing, but my products will be different, my products will be way different,” said the determined businessman.

At Victoria Street in the heart of Bridgetown, Naquita Alexander, owner of clothing store La Flam’s, revealed that she was very impressed with the simple process for acquiring the trust loan.

She said the loan came in the nick of time and she was able to acquire new stock for the Hennessy Artistry show. Since then however, she said business had been extremely slow, while adding that much of the stock, which was bought with the money from the loan, is yet to be sold off.

Naquita further stressed that journey as a small business owner has not been easy and often required tremendous sacrifice.

“Coming to work from nine to five and getting no sales. That was really hard, especially when you have to pay the bills at the end of the month and everything keeps piling up because you’re trying to hold on to the business. I’ve been doing this for 11 years,” she said, while adding that, “going to work for someone else would not be an option, because you create debt when you have a business and the pay [as an employee] would not be substantial to pay off your debt.”

Minister Sutherland added that in addition to seed capital, many entrepreneurs needed training on how to get the most out of their investments.

He added that the much-needed assistance would come from the Financial Literacy Bureau as soon as Friday in the form of a workshop.

“It’s not just financial training but also marketing and customer service. We find one of the challenges in this country relates to customer service and we believe if you get repeat customers, it augurs well for your business.”

The minister added that the majority of applications for trust loans were coming from stakeholders in services, apparel, agriculture and sporting sectors, but called on members of other key industries to come forward as well.

“We would like to see those people in the renewable energy sector and the creative economy. Those are the ones that we will be pushing to come on board, because we need to build out the cultural industries as well,” he said.

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The discovery of the bodies of two females over the last 24 hours, about a mile away from each other in St Lucy, has left residents shaken up, shocked and police on the hunt for their killer(s).

Around 9:15 a.m. today, the lifeless body of an unidentified female was found lying on her back next to an abandoned car in a bushy area at Northumberland, St Lucy.

Police spent several hours combing the bushy area for clues, and investigating the wounds about the body.

[caption id="attachment_288099" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Murder scene at Northumberland, St Lucy. This white van from a funeral home removed the victim.[/caption]

Police spokesman Station Sergeant Michael Blackman told members of the media who gathered at the scene that wounds were found about the body of the woman who is believed to be in her 60s.

“The information that we got came from a resident in the area. The road is pretty lonesome but there are residents who traverse the area from time to time,” Station Sergeant Blackman said.

Meanwhile, police are also conducting investigations into the discovery of an unidentified adult female body at River Bay, St Lucy. The body of that woman who lived just a short distance away from where she was discovered around 5:40 p.m. wearing a blue shorts and a grey tube top. There were significant injuries to her head, according to sources.

Station Sergeant Blackman told members of the media that police were still in the process of identifying the woman found at River Bay. However residents told Barbados TODAY that the woman’s name was Joanne and that she lived with a partner and two young men.

Residents described the woman as a quiet, pleasant and polite individual whom they said did not deserve to die in such a “terrible” way.

They said she had been living in the area for about two years.

“If she needed anything she asked and I find that people were always willing to give her. She always walked and kept to herself, and never troubled anybody. Her death has left the community in shock and people wondering what could have gone wrong,” one resident said.

When contacted, an immediate family member of the deceased told Barbados TODAY that Joanne had not been in contact with relatives for a while, and indicated that they were unable to speak about the deceased. She was reportedly last seen on Friday.

The neighboring River Bay and Northumberland communities were quiet when Barbados TODAY visited the areas today. While the majority of residents had gone to work or school, those at home were trying to come to grips with the quickly unfolding developments.

A group of elderly women expressed outrage at what they described as an attempt “to paint a bad picture of St Lucy”.

“We don’t get these kind of things going on down here. All these people trying to do is to paint a bad picture of St Lucy. I really hope the police find whoever kill them two women.

“I don’t know what going on in Barbados, look at that woman get she throat cut at that old people home last night,” one of the elderly women commented, referring to the third murder at a nursing home in Christ Church.

Police are appealing to anyone with information on the two matters to contact them with information.

Lawmen are also continuing investigations into the death of Martha Doyle, who lived at Unit 2A at the Vauxhall Senior Citizens Village, Vauxhall, Christ Church. Doyle’s throat was said to have been slashed by a male resident on Monday evening while at the home.

The Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs has launched an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Doyle’s death. Minister Cynthia Forde, expressed regret at the demise of the 69-year-old and extended condolences to family of the deceased, and to the residents and staff of the Senior Citizens Village.

“As we await the outcome of the investigations, both by the Royal Barbados Police Force and ourselves, we have taken immediate steps to provide counselling, facilitated by Network Services, for the residents and staff.

“I would wish to assure the families of residents at the village, as well as the general public, that we give high priority to ensuring the safety at all our facilities including this centre, and if necessary, even further steps will be taken to safeguard the continued welfare of residents,” Forde said.

The Vauxhall Senior Citizens’ Village is home to 38 residents, 19 men and 19 women, aged 46 to 83 years old. It provides housing for independent living as well as persons who require assistance.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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Police were tonight investigating the murder of Barry Taylor of Shop Hill, St Thomas.

The 35-year-old was found beside the road at Cane Garden with stab wounds, not far from the Lester Vaughan Secondary School.

[caption id="attachment_288100" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Barry Taylor[/caption]

Taylor’s bloody and lifeless body was discovered at approximately 6.30 p.m.

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Members of the Royal Barbados Police Force Southern Division confiscated three guns and 18 rounds of ammunition among other items when they conducted an operation in the Montrose, Silver Hill, Christ Church area known as the Twelve Gauge Block on Sunday January 20.

Police spokesman Station Sergeant Michael Blackman revealed that the firearms were all revolvers carrying six rounds of ammunition each.

He said lawmen also found knives, scissors, lighters, wrappings, and containers containing vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis when they searched some 40 persons at the location.

Two men, 33-year-old Jerry Jamal Seifert, of Pasture Road, Haggatt Hall, St Michael and 29-year-old Shawn Ricardo Weekes, of Lot 120 Kingsland Terrace, Christ Church, were also arrested and charged.
Seifert is charged with possession, possession with intent to supply and possession with intent to traffic cannabis while Weekes is charged with possession of cannabis.

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Police continue their probe into the circumstances that led to the death of Barry Delonor Taylor, of Shop Hill, St Thomas.

The 35-year-old man was discovered on Tuesday January 22,2019 around 6:50p.m. lying on the road at Edgehill, St Thomas with “what appeared to be a laceration to the back of his neck”.

Anyone who can provide information relative to this investigation is asked to contact Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1 800 8477, District ‘D’ Police Station at 419-1726 or the nearest police station.

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The crowd at Kensington Oval today for the first Test match England vs West Indies.

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Coral Osaline Agard celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends at her No. 79 Appleby Gardens St James home today.

The island's newest centenarian also enjoyed the company of Governor General Dame Sandra Mason. (AH)

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