Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport Stephen Lashley has contended that the Economic Partnership Agreement is not a simple arrangement to implement.

Lashley voiced this concern yesterday in the House of Assembly while speaking on the Second Reading of the Economic Partnership Agreement (Agreement between the Caribbean Community, the Dominican Republic and the European Community and its Member States) Bill, 2013.

Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport Stephen Lashley

Lashley said: “At this juncture I want to compliment the EPA Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade for doing a splendid job. Many consultations were held in Barbados on this matter. This is not a matter that has been top secret. The Government Information Service has been used to promote the EPA. There have been consultations.

“If you say to me that we need to do more in relation to where we take this matter, that is fine. I believe I will be doing our people an injustice if we did not acknowledge the contribution they have made.

“The South Centre Research Paper dated August 2013 pointed out that a major reason for the slow implementation of EPA is that CARIFORUM countries are not receiving the financial and technical support for the implementation which was anticipated in 2008 when the agreement was signed. The paper went on to say that they are therefore facing debilitating financial and human resourse constraints to compound their already weak financial position. Certainly the point must be made that there have been difficulties,” Lashley added.

The Christ Church West Central MP noted that when the Cultural Industries Development Act is finally proclaimed it will provide funding for the sector.

“Financing has been one of the major areas which has actually militated against access and investment by the cultural industries sector in our distant markets and this did not begin yesterday. The reason why we are putting in place a Cultural Industries Development Fund is largely because there has been a tremendous failure in providing financing.

“As I speak, there are persons going into Europe and doing things, but the issue is building capacity to make what they are doing worthwhile in terms of generating returns on investment,” Lashley said.

The minister stressed that cultural practitioners have been going into Europe over the years, but noted that with the introduction of the EPA conditions have become more difficult for them to penetrate the market.

“The certifcation requirements that have been placed in the EPA make it more difficult for these practitioners to get into the European market. I believe that one of them has to do with having a degree. I am saying do not knock the Government. Point to the fact that the EPA has raised the bar, created some new arrangements and we have to ensure that we can go through the necessary requiremets to make sure our people can benefit from what has been negotiated,” Lashley said.

Young people in Barbados are facing a crisis!

That is the view of Roger Husbands, chairman and Director of Drug Education and Counseling Services (DECS), who told a press conference today that youth unemployment, involvement in gang and crime-related activities, teenage pregnancies and male prostitution were wreaking havoc on society.

Roger Husbands

“The issue is that we do have problems with our young people and I think it is time we take a stand. I am hoping that the Minister of Youth, Family, Sports and Culture [Stephen Lashley] would take the opportunity to sit down with key stakeholders and try to come up with some plans.

“I am tired of seeing young people unemployed, I am tired of seeing the young girls out there pregnant and the fathers leaving them and they can’t support themselves, I am tired of seeing young people committing crimes and killing each other. A few years ago I predicted that this would happen. The reality is that we are seeing more violence than we have seen before and we ain’t see nothing yet,” voiced Husbands.

The outspoken youth activist, who was been criticised for his position on a number of issues, said recent shootings point to an upsurge in gang-related activities and he is urging lawmen to increase street patrols.

“Unless we deal with this problem of gangs in Barbados we are going to continue to have problems. The reality is that there are neighborhood wars, there are even wars at schools as well . . . . We have too much young people dying through violence that could be prevented if a couple things happen.

“There are known drug lords and gang leaders who need to be under observation so that we can eliminate some of these gang wars in communities. Unfortunately, innocent bystanders will get hurt in the midst and that is what is happening. We are saying to the police force to give the gang and gun unit a little bit more manpower and resources to go out there. We need to get rid of some of these blocks . . . get the young people a little bit more excited about the communities as opposed to sitting down pun a block talking a bunch of foolishness and smoking a bunch of weed.”

The chairman, who works with scores of young people annually through his counseling programme, also called on parents to pay closer attention to the type of activities their charges are involved in.

It has come as no surprise to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados (ICAB) that the Central Bank of Barbados’ report has shown no real economic growth in the local economy during the first six months of 2014.

This observation is contained in a press release issued by ICAB earlier today.

The umbrella group said: “The performance is in line with the major objectives of the fiscal adjustment measures announced by the Government in 2013, aimed at reducing demand in the economy to match the reduced inflows of foreign exchange and to ease the pressure on foreign reserves.

“The continued slowdown in local business activity and the pressure being faced by local businesses is reflected in a reduction in VAT receipts and a decline in corporation tax revenue. Indeed it is noteworthy that there was an overall decline in government revenue for the first quarter of the new fiscal year (April- June 2014) not withstanding the imposition of additional taxes.”

The chartered accountants suggested that the usefulness of the Central Bank’s six month report could have been enhanced with the use of up-to-date unemployment figures and deemed it unfortunate that there will be no press conference related to the report on the economy. 

The grouping also expressed concern over the imposition of the Municipal Solid Waste Tax, saying it would be an additional burden to taxpayers. It also warned that the levy would further reduce disposable household income and increase the cost of doing business.

The umbrella group stressed that this additional cost would also impact negatively on the island’s competitiveness in the foreign exchange earning sectors, especially tourism where land values are high.

The chartered accountants noted that Government’s interest payments continued to rise as a result of borrowing to finance the deficit.

Expressing concern over Government’s arrears to the private sector, the press release said: “These arrears include payments for goods and services, as well as VAT refunds and are negatively impacting on the cash flow of both small and large businesses.

“Against this background, the Central Bank’s revelation that there is some $97 million in payments outstanding to major state-owned enterprises related to expenses incurred in the last fiscal year is worrisome. We urge urgent settlement of these arrears,” ICAB said.

A leading disaster official has chastised Caribbean governments for not doing all they can in the control of disaster risk management.

Executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Ronald Jackson, though declining to identify which governments, charged they were making “bad development decisions” by not practising sound land use planning, exercising development control, and enforcing policies and/or strategies. Jackson stated that these decisions would result in the continued level of devastation that impacted countries annually.

Speaking to the media this morning at the opening session of the 2014 Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Programming Consultation at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Jackson called on the policymakers of the respective islands to not just implement such development policies – for example, building codes – but, as was of the utmost importance, enforce them.

“. . . So that the structures that are going up are resilient against the hazards that we know are day to day, year to year things we will face. We live in a very hazard-prone part of the world; we have lived with it for a long time; but to ensure that we do not slip in terms of our economic growth targets, we have to address these issues related to development. There is bad development, and bad development is what is leading to the year-over-year losses that we have been seeing.

“We are destroying our coral reefs, which are natural buffers, from which we gain our livelihoods – whether it be fishing, tourism – and which also protect us against some of these hazardous situations.

“We won’t be able to prevent everything; but we can certainly reduce the level of impact. [And] we can get back to our growth projections much quicker than we have done in the past,” the disaster administrator said.

The goal of this year’s session is to instigate a safer, more resilient and sustainable-CDEMA participating states through comprehensive disaster management. Jackson was steadfast it would not be another talk shop, but rather an intense endorsement of the strategic planning identified in the blueprint set out for the next decade.

Disaster risk management consultant and former CERO director Clive Lorde (centre) and other participants in today’s CDM consultation having a good laugh during a break.

Additionally, he revealed that most governments had already indicated their full support for the strategy. So too had CARICOM. What was needed now, however, he said, was for this support to manifest itself, in terms of national level investment, in the form of the national disaster office, policies, approval of new legislation to support disaster reduction, and an overall greater risk management approach.

Jackson added: “I think that is the next stage in indicating the support that Government has planned from signing onto and signing off on this particular strategy. [Agriculture and tourism] are sectors that are central to all our development aspirations, tourism being one of the main sectors, and if we can’t feed ourselves then we are in trouble. So we really have to talk about continuing to fast-track the strategies, policies, practices that are necessary within these sectors to ensure we can make our countries resilient; and we can make these sectors resilient so we can continue to grow and sustain all of our various livelihoods in the Caribbean.”

Speaking to the region’s preparedness for natural disasters, Jackson stated that while Caribbean countries were well versed in dealing with hurricanes, other disasters, such as earthquakes, highlighted our ignorance. Therefore, a major feature in CDEMA’s  programming will be to instate a culture similar to that of Japan’s towards natural disasters.

“If you use Japan as a benchmark, in terms of the culture of the people, that’s what we are aspiring to. We are not there yet; we are getting there, and the signs are showing we will get there.

“But . . . the preparedness of the region does not lie simply with CDEMA, or the national disaster management organizations. It goes down to the level
of the individuals in your households, at the community levels. [If] people aren’t treating risk reduction as second nature, in terms of where we build, where we site, how we do things, then we will never be as prepared as we should be,” Jackson warned.

Onerous and unjust!

That’s how outspoken Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies Gerry Seale today rejected the controversial Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

In a strongly worded letter to Barbados TODAY, Seale also described the levy as “the desperation tax”.

While noting that many Barbadians had been voicing concern about the tax, he also warned that it was “pushing this government towards the increasing flood waters where it’s moral right to govern is being eroded”.

The well-known cleric also suggested the tax was unrighteous, pointing out that Jesus was challenged about the rightness of paying taxes imposed by the Romans.

“Jesus’ response was, ‘pay therefore to Caesar the things that are due to Caesar, and pay to God the things that are due to God’.

He also noted that early in Caesar Nero’s rule as Emperor, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, “Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them” .

“It would not be long before this same Nero launched a vicious and bloody persecution lasting years against the Christians and earned himself a place in infamy — justly or unjustly — as the Caesar who played his fiddle while the city of Rome burned,” Seale warned.

He also took the ruling the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government to task for promising Barbadians no layoffs during the last election and reneging on that promise on assuming office.

Seale said: “We all understood the DLP to have promised in last year’s election campaign that there would be no jobs lost should they be elected to office. To allow that impression to have been created then and say now that this was not promised is disingenuous at best.

“I have been unable to understand how sending home 3,000 people at the bottom of the economic ladder was going to save Government the kinds of multiplied millions of dollars that we were supposed to be saving through this exercise,” Seale added.

The cleric contended that if the Government wants him to take it seriously it needs “to shave four or five posts of one of the largest Cabinets this country has ever endured and send into early retirement some of the proliferation of senior civil servants”.

Seale charged that sending home people at the level of day labourers might satisfy the International Monetary Fund, but “it really fails to achieve what it is touted to accomplish and increases the hardship at the level which can least endure such hardship”.

Stressing that the Municipal Solid Waste tax was a burden, Seale said: “ Now we are struggling with the ‘desperation tax’ which others more knowledgeable than me have outlined the inequality of this tax. It has also been shown by others how this tax will increase the cost of living as landlords raise their rents and the merchants increase their prices on goods and services to cover this imposed cost.

“Telling people who cannot afford to pay that they must pay and then apply for a refund is nonsensical and I am inclined to believe that the media somehow misrepresented the Minister of Finance. He couldn’t really have said that,” Seale remarked.

He said persons have already called him with requests to help them pay the levy, but pointed out that the churches collectively had to find hundreds of thousands of dollars to “render to Caesar” before they can lift a finger to help senior citizens or financially challenged members.

The Bishop said he took no comfort in the promise that the tax will be reviewed in a year’s time, recalling that the increase in the Value Added Tax to 17.5 per cent was to be reviewed years ago.

The cleric said it hurts him to watch other economies in the region and beyond showing signs of recovery, but not Barbados. He said that the country could not go on like this.

nevilleclarke@barbadostoday.bb

A top official at one of the financial institutions that were hit by the island’s biggest Automated Teller Machine (ATM) breach in October last year has expressed satisfaction that the culprits have been dealt with.

Managing director and chief executive officer of Republic Bank (Barbados) Ltd Ian De Souza told a press conference today that he was “glad” to see reports that the Bulgarian nationals, who were charged with the offence, had been fined, and he warned that the bank had since ramped up its security.

De Souza was responding to questions from the media at the bank’s Independence Square location, as it launched a new product to help current and prospective Barbadian students to pay for their tertiary level education.

“The last most recent [fraudulent activity to affect the bank] was where you saw the Bulgarians, and I was very glad to see in the Press this week, you have two of them being escorted to jail . . . Of course in the business you always have people attempting to do this skimming thing. But we have not had anything as significant as that incident since,” he reported.

The two Bulgarian fraud convicts who had cleaned out the accounts of several customers across Barbados using ATMs and were caught attempting to leave the island last October with more than $340, 000, were fined $350, 000. They were scheduled to leave the island on Wednesday.

De Souza issued a warning to those who may be planning to carry out any similar fraudulent acts against the financial institution in the future.

“There are a lot of measures that we as banks put in place, including, and this should be a statement to the fraudsters, if they are trying to come to any of our ATMs they should smile because we have cameras on all of them. And we will catch you.

The technology that we use is very good, solid technology and invariably we are able to catch up with people who attempt to use our machines fraudulently,”                          warned De Souza.

In the face of a strong public outcry, Cabinet today agreed the full removal of the controversial Municipal Solid Waste Tax in the case of pensioners, whose land carries an improved value of $190,000 or less.

At the same time, Government has decided to slash the tax rate in half for the benefit of owners of agricultural land.

At today’s meeting, the Cabinet further agreed to extend the deadline for payment for all taxpayers until December 31 this year. This will mean that all penalties and interests on the tax, which was due by July 28, will be waived until then.

“This means that taxpayers can now pay at a more leisurely and affordable rate,” reported one senior official.

Other government officials, in confirming the move to Barbados TODAY, said the Freundel Stuart administration had heard and responded to the appeals of the public.

The news comes as head of the Anglican Church in Barbados, Bishop John Holder, expressed concern today about the impact of the tax on its properties scattered across the island. The Bishop said the church which has 52 congregations and dozens of properties, intended to send  correspondence to Government requesting an exemption from paying the tax.

Meanwhile, the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) reported today that it was satisfied with how Barbadians were paying in the tax.

BRA Communications Officer Erica Lazare told Barbados TODAY all five locations were reporting “a fantastic” response from both locals and residents              living overseas.

She however said the agency was anticipating “a rush” as the deadline drew closer.

“There might have been some complaints but by and large many people are paying the tax,” said Lazare.

“If you go to Oistins in the Southern Plaza [location] there are many people going there every day and when I spoke to the accountant there he said about 80 per cent of the people who are in the line are paying the Municipal Solid Waste Tax. And that situation has been going on for the past three weeks or so. So a lot of people are paying the tax,” Lazare stressed.

As it relates to residents living overseas , she said the response “has been fantastic”.

“We have been getting a lot of e-mails from people wishing to pay the tax and they have been sending us their information and trying to find out how to pay. They have been calling and giving either their credit card information or they have been sending their cheques by post, but I am getting a lot of people from overseas,” she said.

“We would expect a rush coming on to [the end], but people area already paying it. They have been paying it here at Weymouth Corporate Centre [St Michael and] they have been paying at the Treasury Building (in The City),” said Lazare, adding that the Treasury Building and Oistins locations were getting the most traffic.

The other locations for making payments are at Holetown Complex in Holetown, St James and Warrens Tower II in Warrens, St Michael.

Up to late this evening, estimates of how many Barbadians were due to pay the tax and how many had actually paid so far were unavailable, but Lazare maintained that “from seeing and from getting reports from the offices of the [five] locations” people were “definitely” making their payments.

“And I think the numbers are starting to rise as we get closer to [the deadline],” she added.

The BRA official also said: “Barbadians generally pay their taxes. They follow the laws . . . and they understand generally that taxes are a part of what you need to carry out certain functions in society. Most people [when] they get their bills and it is for a specific tax they are going to pay it whether it is VAT, the Municipal Solid Waste Tax or whatever. They will go and pay.”

kaymarjordan@barbadostoday.bb, marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley has spoken out about a move by the Personnel Administration Department to censure teacher and outspoken cleric Charles Morris for speaking during a Barbados Labour Party organised meeting.

Opposition Leader
Mia Mottley.

“This Government has over the course of the last year, through a number of its statements, sought to intimidate Barbadians into silence.

“We have spoken of it before but must now do so in even stronger terms given the actual steps taken to selectively charge Reverend Morris, for simply the expression of his opinion in a public forum.

“That [he] stated that this Government is the worst this country has ever seen, is his opinion. There is nothing subversive about his saying so. It has not incited anyone into action. What is more, the selective charging of Reverend Morris when others remain untouched for their participation as teachers on political platforms and even in political advertisements in the midst of elections, reinforces the Barbados Labour Party’s view that this is nothing else other than persecution,” she said in a statement this evening. Mottley further described the move as “yet another attack by this Government on Barbadians’ right to free speech and the state of our democracy”.

“ . . . Anyone who knows Reverend Morris, is well aware of his frank and outspoken nature – whether it was against a Barbados Labour Party administration or a Democratic Labour Party one or indeed against his own church.

“There are too many other serious problems facing our educational system and our young people – indeed our country – for energy and time to be spent by the Ministry of Education and the Personnel Administration Division on what is really viewed by most fair-minded Barbadians as the expression of an opinion, and some may even argue, a statement of fair comment,” she stated. 

The President of the Young Democrats, Curtis Cave, has expressed concern about the way in which money is being spent at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.

Cave voiced this concern today while speaking to members of the Press at the launch of this year’s Young Democrats Educational Grants Programme at the headquarters of the Democratic Labour Party, George Street, St Michael.

Questioning the use of scarce funds by officials at the Campus, the third year law student, said: “It is my humble and honest belief that in light of the current financial situation in this country, projects like the Mandela Memorial Park [which is currently under construction] should not be a priority, especially when the University is facing a possible loss of revenue.

“This money, in my opinion, should go to a possible grant fund for students; research such as alternative energy to help develop our country; or in publishing more books from the lecturers on campus,” the student said. “Moreover, I wish also to see the University providing a forum and leading discussions on current topics of concern.”

Turning his attention to the commercial banking sector at a time when several students are seeking loans to finance their tuition fees, the outspoken student said: “Do not use this current situation with tuition fees to make a huge profit by setting ridiculously high interest rates.”

Instead, he suggested that the banks should “offer loans which are reasonable and affordable to Barbadian families who have helped to build [their] businesses and institutions over the years.

“This too will be seen as giving back to society and contributing to the development of our country and its people,” he added.

In terms of the Educational Grant Programme, he said the aim was to assist students who are unable to pay their fees or afford the necessities for school.

Registration for the programme began today and ends on August 15, 2014.

The president noted that while in the past five grants were offered, the Young Democrats hope to double the number and increase the maximum grant from $500 to $1000.

Cave commended City of Bridgetown Credit Union, Jada Construction, Infra Inc., L&N Workshop and ICBL Insurance Company for their sponsorship and announced that a fund raising fete will be staged at the DLP headquarters on Saturday, July 19.

A second man appears in court today charged in connection with last month’s shooting death of Dereck Hunte of Lynches, St. Philip.

Scott Coby Richardson Harewood, 28, of Beque has been charged with murder, days after a similar charge was brought against his 30-year-old brother, Stuart.

The 28-year-old, who was wanted by police, received additional unrelated charges of theft and burglary.

Police have also charged Keven Jason Omar Gabriel, 30, of Kendall Hill B, Kendall Hill, Christ Church, with housing Harewood during the time he was wanted by lawmen.

Hunte was with other members of the community when a vehicle pulled up and and fired on the crowd. He died at the scene.

Principals need to stop suspending students unnecessarily, contends youth activist Roger Husbands.

He has warned that many of these students get involved in unproductive activity when they should be at school.

Roger Husbands

“I am urging principals in the new school term to please rethink the suspensions,” said Husbands, who is the director of the Drug Education and Counseling Services (DECS).

He is opposed to the “sending home children every now and then for little things that could be dealt with at the school level”.

“Too many of our children are being sent home and some of them are happy to be sent home because then they get a chance to watch television and play video games, run ‘bout under the tree, run outside and go to the beach and all of those kind of things.

“I am saying to principals, especially, to be very cautious of that sending home that we are accustomed too,” he said.

His comments came during a press conference yesterday at the Bay Street, St Michael headquarters of the DECS.

Husbands, who deals with many delinquent youths, referred to him from schools and the court system, said all secondary schools in Barbados should have
a suspension room for troubled students.

“There is one school that I know with a tremendously great programme where they have a suspension room and instead of sending you home, you are suspended to that room and in that room you get counselling, you have classes, you have all kind of things in that room – which means that your behaviour would have to change because you ain’t going home and sleep. So the trick ain’t going to work anymore.”

Husbands also voiced his concern about troubled students being ignored throughout their years at school and sent through the gates as soon as they reach 16, with little or no qualification or direction in life.

“We [are] just sending them through the door and saying, ‘thank you for coming’,” he said

“There needs to be a treatment plan; something to help that child so that when it leaves the school what is next. Some guidance counsellors refer them to places like [The Samuel Jackman Prescod] Polytechnic and skills training, but some of those places are full.

He suggested that the guidance counsellors should sit with the children  before they leave school at age 16 “and develop a treatment plan and an option, instead of just saying ‘goodbye, thanks for the time that you have been here’.”

It is time Small Island Developing States (SIDS) start seeing the fruits of their labour from discussions at SIDS meetings.

This assertion was made recently by Minister of the Environment and Drainage Dr Denis Lowe ahead of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States slated for Apia Samoa in September.

Minister of the Environment and Drainage Dr Denis Lowe

“The whole SIDS arrangement is becoming a symbolism in the context of the global conversation and, the progress that is to be made is not happening,” he charged, pointing to the fact that the same issues were discussed at every meeting.

Dr Lowe added: “We need to start preparing here and start lobbying developed countries once we can start the process. Canada, Great Britain, the European Union, all look to Barbados for support on their issues [and] we need to work with the big powers to get our issues pushed.”

He stressed that SIDS countries need to go to Samoa to have their issues articulated and placed on the agenda.

Environment Education Officer in the Ministry of the Environment and Drainage, Donna King-Brathwaite explained that sustainable development goals would be high on the agenda at the Samoa Conference and negotiations for that were expected to start later this year.

“The focus of the conference will be on meaningful and sustainable partnerships. For Barbados it will be food security, non-communicable diseases, sustainable economic development, including the green economy and climate change adaptation,” she said.

She added that there was a desire to advance the 1994 Barbados Programme of Action and focus on the implementation of policies outlined in that document. “We do not want to lose out on the SIDS agenda,” King-Brathwaite stressed.

A 25-year-old Jamaican woman has been charged with drug trafficking offences.

Tasha Gay Blake, 25, is accused of importing a pound of cannabis via the Grantley Adams International Airport.

She has been charged with possession, possession with intent to supply, trafficking and importation of the drug.

Police say Blake handed over a number of pellets of cannabis which were hidden about her body after being interviewed by personnel from the Drug Squad and Customs. She was then referred to the QEH where she passed an additional three packages containing pellets of cannabis which she had ingested.

President of the Small Business Association (SBA) Lynette Holder has expressed outrage at changes to the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

SBA president Lynette Holder

An upset Holder told Barbados TODAY that Cabinet’s decision to push back the payment deadline to year end was akin to extending the time of burial of the small business sector.

“The issue really isn’t when the tax will be paid. The issue, and the substantive issue, is how will the tax be paid? How, in the end, will persons be able to afford to pay an additional tax. That is the issue. So even if you extend it until next year the point remains that people just do not have the wherewithal to carry another tax. So all you are really doing is really delaying the coffin being placed in the grave,” said Holder.

Last week, the SBA president described the tax as “another nail in the coffin” of the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in Barbados. Today, she issued a fresh call for the tax to be fully revised.

“It needs to be reviewed within the context of the current burden being placed on the population of Barbados relative to taxation, relative to the imposition of additional burdens on people. I cannot say to my small hotels that receive a tax bill of $5,000 or $10,000 ‘well, the Government is now saying that you could pay it at the end of the year’ when they just do not have the wherewithal to carry any further taxes’. That is the issue,” said Holder.

“It is really burdensome to carry another tax with receipts down as they are. If people do not understand it in English, then I need to say it in Spanish, Es no
es cuando, es como, because this has gone now really beyond comprehension extending this deadline and they really think that that is the solution to the issue. Es no es cuando, es como,” lamented Holder.

Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler has confirmed that pensioners and owners of agricultural land would get a relief from the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

Speaking ahead of today’s meeting of the social partners at the Erskine Sandiford Conference Centre, Sinckler confirmed that specific exemptions have been approved as reported by Barbados TODAY yesterday.

Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler (File photo)

“Pensioners who have property valued at $190,000 on the improved property should be given a 100 per cent waiver of the imposition of the Municipal Solid Waste Tax. For the agriculturalists, Cabinet has agreed on a 50 per cent waiver.

“We just could not give them a blanket waiver because some of them who are engaged in animal husbandry and the poultry industry generate considerable waste,” he told journalists.

“Cabinet also agreed to make it a lot easier on people to pay the tax. We will extend the payment period without the incurrence of penalties and interests. You will now be able to use between now and the end of December to pay. So you can pay weekly or monthly whatever suits your particular budget. This goes for individual taxpayers or associations.”

Meantime, Sinckler took a swipe at some charities who continue to charge that they are burdened by taxation, pointing out that they get “practically everything tax free and duty free.”

“We go further for many charities and give them duty free and VAT free vehicles to auction, luxury vehicles too like Mercedes and BMWs so that they can bring in money. So just saying charity does not mean automatically that everything that is done by the way of taxation should be exempted. I do not think that is the type of society that you want to run,” he pointed out.

The minister stressed that a tax review exercise has already indicated that tax waivers, refunds and credits were gradually and dangerously eroding the tax base                      in Barbados.

“We have to understand that going forward, when we put taxes in place, we have to ensure that we maintain the structural integrity of the taxes otherwise we are going to have a problem,” Sinckler said.

Police and criminals beware!

Acting Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith today served notice of his intention to utilise “video patrols” on the streets of Barbados as a means of tracking down criminal elements, as well as ensuring that officers stay in line.

Noting that the Force has been dogged in the past by allegations of coerced confessions, Griffith also said he had plans to incorporate “video-enhanced” identification parades and in camera interrogation of suspects.

At the same time, the top cop issued a stern warning to his officers that they needed to either fully embrace the technology or move out.

He was addressing the closing ceremony of a four–day training development seminar for 15 gazetted officers at the Regional Security System (RSS) headquarters in Paragon, Christ Church.

Griffith said that officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), who were on the frontline of most criminal cases, would initially use the technology.

He noted that since he revealed his intention to implement some of these initiatives, particularly the screening and polygraphing of investigators assigned to the CID and its associated units, he had been met with some resistance internally, including threats of legal action against him.

However, the top cop is adamant that the plan must go forward.

”There are persons who will want to resist this, but we have to be strong and stick to our guns. In the long run, this will augur well for the department’s image,” he said.

“All these things can only help to build the image of the Force. Sometimes people say all kinds of adverse things about officers and you have nothing to support the officers or refute these claims unless you have some material piece of evidence that can show the contrary,” he later told Barbados TODAY.

While stressing the need for leaders and future leaders of the Force to be bold in their efforts, Griffith had earlier  warned participants in the seminar that “we have from time to time been faced with allegations of coerced confessions; accused persons can have a field day casting aspersions on officers’ reputations. “Investigators will have to step up to the plate and embrace the technology . . . those detectives who fail to so embrace will fall by the wayside,” he said.

“You will encounter those steeped in antiquity or fixed in their ways, you need to press on despite this. The Royal Barbados Police Force has its hands full, and, too, requires bold initiatives to deal with the same. It is for us as leaders to ensure that we do all we can to prevent them [officers] from so falling,” Griffith added.

With respect to video and audio recording interrogations of suspects, Griffith, himself a former top criminal investigator, noted that investigators had already begun to conduct electronically recorded interviews of suspects, adding that legislation to guide the process was “very advanced” and due to take effect by 2015.

Similarly, with the introduction of the PROMAT system of identification (video identification parades), which, he said, is not too far off, will greatly improve the cooperation of witnesses who were often afraid to confront the accused in persons. It will also eliminate the difficulty that officers encounter on finding suitable persons put on the parade.

“The advent of electronic interviewing over time will result in allegations of forced confessions fading away. This will be unpopular, but it needs one to be bold enough to do what is best for the organization. Whatever we do, we must always put the interest of the organization above all other considerations. This is critical to successfully manage change. It may be unpopular now but in some time down the road wisdom will be seen,” the Commissioner stressed. 

kimberleycummins@barbadostoday.bb

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has signaled his intention to convene a meeting with the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) after unions officials failed to show up for today’s meeting of the Social Partnership.

The prime minister said the BWU is a “valued player” in the grouping and he is very concerned about its apparent split with the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB).

“I want to find out how best that union thinks it can contribute to the national dialogue. It must be noted that the union played a critical role in bringing into existence the Social Partnership,” he told reporters after the conclusion of the four-hour long meeting held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

“Their absence from the meeting today was felt. It was a matter of regret that the cleavage developed, but I am satisfied that it can be mended because I think there are mature persons on both sides. I believe we can get a modus vivendi worked out between those two arms of the labour movement that can ensure there is no further fracture in the social partnership,” Stuart added.

As it relates to today’s meeting, Stuart described it as very good. He said the social partners have recommitted themselves to the partnership as a tool for reaching national consensus.

“The Government was able to hear what the concerns of labour and the private sector were and they were able to hear what the Government was doing in the areas of international business and agriculture at the economic level in terms of national policy and in the area of infrastructure,” he explained.

“I think that the Governor of the Central Bank’s update and the indications coming from various Government ministers suggest that there has to be sustainable growth in the foreign exchange earning sectors such as tourism, international business and agriculture. Based on what was said here today there should not be any doubt in anyone’s mind that plans are being laid for growth take-off.”

Meantime, representatives of the labour movement and the private sector welcomed this year’s first meeting.

Speaking ahead of the discussion, they said it was long overdue, especially at this time of economic uncertainty.

“In the minds of the congress, this meeting of the social partners is long overdue. This is something that should have taken place long ago given the state of the economy and the issues we are facing. We are hoping that today we will identify some serious strategies in terms of moving forward,” said Dennis DePeiza, general secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados, (CTUSAB).

Speaking on behalf of the Small Business Association, chief executive officer Lynette Holder said there were urgent issues that needed to be addressed.

“All of the financial indicators are on the decline and this group needs to identify the action plans that will address growth because all of the measures we have seen thus far are not addressing the area of growth and that is the major concern of the SBA,” she said.

Head of the Private Sector Association Alex McDonald said the meeting was necessary to “plan our next couple of steps forward.”

Private Sector Association chairman Alex McDonald (left) and Senator Harry Husbands.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Senator Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo expected the meeting to discuss the implementation of Government’s 19-month fiscal consolidation programme among other issues.

Dr DeLisle Worrell

“We have, in the protocol, committed to at least two meetings of the Social Partnership every year. This is the first one we are having for this year, so it is overdue, but that being said, there are sub-committee meetings which are held regularly. Outside of the Social Partnership there have been many opportunities for meetings with partners. Our doors have been open and there have been opportunities for discussion with our partners,” Byer-Suckoo added.

nevilleclarke@barbadostoday.bb

Economic growth for Barbados is possible by the end of next year, says chief executive officer and managing director of Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited Ian De Souza.

He said this is due to the fact that Barbados’ circumstances are very closely tied to the performance of the United Kingdom economy, which has shown signs of improvement.

De Souza’s comments comes days after Governor of the Central Bank Dr DeLisle Worrell projected 0.3 per cent growth for 2014, 1.2 per cent in 2015 and 2.5 per cent growth in 2016.

Responding to questions from members of the media yesterday during the launch of the Student Loan Help Desk at the bank’s Independence Square location, De Souza agreed that the economy would likely improve.

“Very interestingly what you see happening is that when the UK economy turns up, the Barbados economy also turns up with a one year lag . . . the UK economy has turned up as reflected in the housing market in London . . . So our view is, as a result of that, towards the end of 2015 or early 2016, thereabouts, you should start to see a turn around in the performance in GDP in Barbados,” said De Souza.

He quickly added that once more British investors felt more comfortable about investing in properties in Barbados “then you will see the performance of the construction sector improving and what will trail that is the improvement on  performance on the GDP end.”

“So if the historical performance of the GDP of Barbados relative to the UK were to hold true, and we see no reason why it should not, then the thinking is that all things being equal, there should be an improvement towards the end of 2015,” added the top banker.

The Central Bank also projected total Government financing needs for the remaining three quarters of the current fiscal year at about $300 million.

It said a part of that was to be financed by commercial banks’ surplus of funding over the credit needs of the private sector.

De Souza said the bank was willing to continue to work with Government to bring about the needed growth.

“Government is having its own difficulties and we have worked with Government and we will continue to work with Government. Of course there will be a need for specific types of structuring to ensure that all of the attendant risks are adequately mitigated . . . Republic Bank will continue to work with Government,” he pledged.

The Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) and the Barbados Association of Retired Persons are both giving kudos to Cabinet for granting relief to some members from the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

Yesterday, Cabinet agreed to ease pensioners, whose land carries an improved value of $190,000 or less and slash the tax rate in half for owners of agricultural land.

BAS CEO James Paul said the reduction would mean “great things for the productive sectors” and provide an incentive for new farmers.

BAS CEO James Paul

“A lot of farmers had expressed some concern in terms of the ability to pay such a tax. Now it has been cut in half I’ve been contacted by at least one farmer who has at least expressed pleasure with the fact that Cabinet has reached the decision,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“During this year we have seen a lot of people who have actually started up farming operations and I think it could only provide even greater encouragement to those persons who would have started up their farming operations and who would want to have some medium term plan to keep their costs as low as they could keep it.”

In a short statement, BARP CEO Edward Bushell described the Cabinet decision as a “first step in alleviating the burden placed on pensioners”.

He said BARP is looking “forward to a further consideration for those pensioners whose site value is over $190,000”.

“We trust that a rebate similar to that applied to pensioners under the Land Tax Act Section 6B will be granted to this group.We are also pleased to note that the deadline for payment has been extended to December 31, 2014 and that all interests will be waived until then,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley does not believe Cabinet changes to the Municipal Solid Waste Tax go far enough and has called for Government to repeal the measure in its entirety.

In a statement issued a day after Cabinet approved relief for some groups of residents, Mottley said the partial tax relief appears to be a knee-jerk reaction and warned that failure to have a clear, certain and consistent taxation policy could lead to confusion and despair.

She said the explanation given by Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler, particularly as it relates to pensioners, is also too vague.

“At what age do we define pensioners? Is it 65? Is it 67? What about the other members of BARP who are over 50 years old but on a reduced income or have started receiving their pensions? They must still pay this tax,” she insisted.

“What about people who have been laid off or are not working for whatever reason but who have inherited land or bought their properties? They still have to pay. In addition the burden remains heavily on churches and charities and we all know that they have no income and must rely on their congregations and donors. A tax on assets has no relationship to people’s or institutions’ capacity to pay.

“We welcome the ease for the farmers. But what about the hoteliers and other tourism providers? They must still pay this tax yet our economy’s return to growth largely depends on their ability to survive and thrive. Nine months after the Ministry of Finance gave Sandals concessions, hoteliers still await that level playing field but now have to pay this excessive tax.

Mottley was adamant that the administration had no legal authority to charge interest and penalties to people who could not pay by the initial deadline of July 28, insisting this is not a concession by the Fruendel Stuart administration.

“We know that the Government needs revenue but the burden must be shared fairly across the population. This tax does not do this and many Bajans simply cannot afford to pay after the many taxes and increases they now face. Better and fairer can be done,” the Opposition Leader said.