Effective February 4, 2019 the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) and the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA) will be one organisation.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., first announced last June during the mini-budget speech, that the two organisations will be moving to a public private partnership. The Cabinet of Barbados made the decision to transfer the functions of the BTPA – a body corporate which was established under the Barbados Tourism Product Authority Act, 2014-2 – to the BTMI.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sunil Chatrani, met with the staff of both organisations on Friday to outline the process for executing the Cabinet’s decision. He said that the changes will come by way of redundancies, reorganisation and transfer of the functions of the BTPA to the BTMI.

The regulatory arm of the BTPA, the Product Quality Unit, which is responsible for the registration, licensing, classification and regulation of tourist accommodations, restaurants and services, will remain in the BTPA until such a time as it can be fully transitioned to the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport.

“We are speaking with staff and the unions to ensure that all processes are followed so that we can properly execute the government’s mandate of moving towards one strong organisation overseeing the marketing and product development of destination Barbados,” Chatrani said.(PR)

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There is no dengue fever outbreak in Barbados.

However, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is cautioning householders and property owners to step up surveillance for the mosquito vector on their premises, particularly in light of an alert from the Caribbean Public Health Agency of the possibility of a regional dengue outbreak this year.

The outbreak reported in Jamaica last month has continued into this year. In December 2018, there were 123 suspected, presumed and confirmed cases in Jamaica, exceeding the epidemic threshold 96 for the month.

In Barbados, the Ministry has reported that up to the week ending November 18 last year, there were 64 suspected cases of dengue fever, with no laboratory confirmed cases and no deaths. This was down from the same period in 2017, when there were 77 confirmed and 576 suspected cases.

The last dengue fever outbreak in Barbados was in 2016, when monthly
confirmed cases exceeded the epidemic threshold for the majority of the year.

The Ministry reminds householders and property owners that they can do their part to reduce mosquito breeding by checking their premises weekly for possible breeding sites, covering or disposing of water containers such as buckets, plastic containers and drums, and scrubbing containers to remove eggs that may be attached to the inside.

For further information on how to handle vector control issues, persons should call the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Help Line at 536-4500, or the Environmental Health Department at the polyclinic closest to them. (BGIS)

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Public sector workers, particularly those in the Town & Country Development Planning, have come under heavy criticism from Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations Colin Jordan for a lack of professionalism and efficiency.

Minister Jordan was making his contribution to the debate on the Planning and Development Bill, 2019, when he argued that the process for securing approval by Town & Country Development Planning and for accessing critical services from other government departments remained simply too slow.

“People are trying to get into a government department and nobody is answering the phone. They are trying to get a response from a department and they are told that it is being considered. Decisions need to be made and deadlines need to be adhered to,” said Jordan.

“We believe that as a government that we have a responsibility to be effective, to be efficient and not to unduly delay the process that will help development to happen in the country. And so we are imposing timelines on ourselves and on the ministries and departments that we are responsible for,” he said.

Jordan added that government was often guilty of subjecting Barbadians to unreasonably cumbersome experiences to move forward with development projects.

“If you are building on the coast, you have to interact with about 17 government departments between idea and opening your doors. Your application is done in hard copy, placed in a file for each of those 17 departments to consider the application, they have to receive the file.

“Those persons who are waiting for those applications to be approved are stalled, because if somebody goes on holiday or sick leave, that can derail or stall the process through which the application has to follow,” he said, while adding that it was for this reason that government had prioritised the digitisation of its records.

“This is something that should have been done many years ago, but we have come to the point where we recognize that we must use technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the decision-making process. I think it is instructive and will help those potential developers and investors to know that there are timelines which we as a government are insisting are met in the planning and development process,” said the minister.

The labour minister lauded the provisions of the proposed planning and development bill, which he described as a turning point in the mindset of public servants in the department who traditionally would view town and country proposals with skepticism.

The new legislation contains provisions which allow for conditional acceptance or provisional refusal, giving applicants the opportunity to rectify any problems with their proposals.

“So that we do not see people as some of our predecessors have, that if somebody from civil society, the private sector or citizens in general, come to an office, send in an application, that our first thought should be that they want to rip off the government and do something shady.

“We should be thinking, ‘you have to follow the rules, and if you are not following the rules, how can we get you to the point where you are following the rules’,” he said while stressing that public servants needed to change their thinking. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley has refuted claims that Government has not formulated any plans to grow the country's economy.

In an apparent response to suggestions from former Prime Minister Owen Arthur that the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transition (BERT) programme was not a sure fix for the economy as it did not stimulate growth, Mottley contended that government’s first order of business had been to stabilize the economy.

She said now that had been accomplished, government had already begun to implement initiatives aimed at growing the economy.

Mottley pointed to initiatives such as the relocation of Ross University School of Medicine and the current cricket series between West Indies and England.

“Well let me for the record say that this Bill is one of the most important non-fiscal plans for triggering economic growth in this country. We have spent the last six months as a Government stabilizing the economy and stopping the bleeding. Our reserves which we inherited at $400 million are in excess of $1 billion. We have been able to restructure our domestic debt and our team was in Washington DC this week dealing with the restructuring of our foreign debt,” the Prime Minister said during debate in Parliament today on the Planning and Development Bill 2019.

“But we always understood that once you stablized the bleeding you needed a parallel path to trigger growth and that parallel path to trigger growth will come from a combination of policy intervention, legislative intervention which is non-fiscal; it will come from fiscal measures such as the capital works that we choose to do as a government; it will come from decisions as we have done to establish Barbados as a medical and educational hub; and if anyone does not believe that the inclusion of Ross University with 1,500 students and over a 100 faculty will not bring growth to this country, then I don’t know where they are living.

“One of the first decisions this Government took was to support the West Indies England tour in Barbados, being able to bring over 6500 tourists here this week and to have the benefit of that influx of tourists, not just for this week, but also for people who were here to watch them as they practiced and also for the people who will be coming back for the two One-Day Internationals. But yet they say we have no growth plan,” Mottley quipped.

The Prime Minister said while persons continued to question government’s decisions, they needed to stop making insubstantial claims.

“Words can frame anything, but at the end of the day there must be a substrata of fact and there must be evidence to support the contentions that we make, if not we become divorced from reality and people will then begin to wonder whether we have taken leave of, not only our senses but of, our memory and our capacity to reason,” Mottley said.

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Government is looking for an alternative waste disposal site to the overflowing Mangrove Landfill in Vaucluse, St Thomas.

Minister of Environment and National Beautification Trevor Prescod made the announcement while speaking to the media at the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) as two new garbage trucks hit the road this morning. He revealed that the landfill’s “working life” had another three to four years.

[caption id="attachment_288365" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Minister of Environment and National Beautification Trevor Prescod hops on one of the two new garbage trucks that will be servicing communities in St Michael.[/caption]

Prescod stated that Government was currently in the process of looking for alternatives. He disclosed that the
operation of the landfill was $2 million monthly and the Government has been working on reducing the sum by more than 50 per cent.

“We have plans for waste and energy approaches and we are talking to a number of private institutions about how we can use what we call waste in order to reduce energy costs and those operations,” the minister responsible for environment said at the press briefing.

Broaching the subject of recycling, Minister Prescod told Barbados TODAY that Government was attempting to gradually persuade and guide the public on proper separation of trash. Prescod acknowledged that it would be difficult for the SSA to lead the separation of garbage initiative considering the financial constraints the Government was experiencing and its limited fleet available for garbage collection.

“Although we recognize the importance of separating the garbage at source, we are not in a position to make that mandatory at this point but we will use some form of persuasion to cause the general public to prepare themselves for the general changes so that we will have more than one bin at each house,” said the minister.

“It is a bit burdensome to introduce at this specific time,” he admitted.

While noting that his ministry will continue the National Clean-up and Beautification Campaign which begun in July 2018, Prescod hinted that when the Government was in a better position the state might move towards mandatory recycling.

“If we require Barbadians to have even one bin at each household at this time it is going to be difficult. . . . When we are in a better position the state will contribute towards the transition. The state might contribute to making these bins available at a national level,” he commented.

General manager of the SSA, Janice Jones added that public education and changing the habits of locals were necessary for change to occur.

“We need to get each householder in Barbados to be aware that garbage is their responsibility to a point and to ensure that they do what is necessary to reduce what they put into the garbage bins,” she said.

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Before Barbados looks to formulate any planning and development policy it must first find a solution to its three crises.

That is the word from Opposition Leader Joseph Atherley, who has maintained that the island is dealing with water, garbage and sewage crises.

Speaking during debate in Parliament this afternoon on the Planning and Development Bill 2019, Atherley said these issues had to be dealt with hastily before any major initiatives could be considered.

“We have a water supply and access crisis in Barbados. When on Christmas people in the eastern parts of Barbados can’t get water for basic needs and when we have tanks which are crashing to the ground for whatever reason, whether it is sabotage or the age of the tanks itself and when we have companies coming to take up tanks which have been installed...we have a crisis,” the Opposition Leader maintained.

“And it is converging with a sanitation and sewage crisis. When you travel through urban Barbados there are some areas where sewage is escaping into the streets, into the atmosphere and it has to be attended to.

“This is big trouble and we can’t talk about planning policy when these things are happening. I say these things not because I sit down in here, but because I am a Barbadian and because they have implications for the national image, but even more importantly they have implications for the national health if the water supply, scarce as it is, is compromised by sewage or garbage because of our inadequacies in that regard,” he maintained.

While he admitted that the three issues were not Government’s fault, Atherley said the problems could not be ignored.

“There are threats to our physical development, threats to our environmental development. When the water resources are threatened, folks’ security is threatened,” Atherley said.

He said the recent decision by Minister of the Environment and National Beautification Trevor Prescod to invite the media to the Bridgetown Port to view the arrival of two garbage trucks pointed to a crisis.

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The Town & Country Development Planning Department is not simply to be a regulatory body, but should also act as a facilitator.

And according to Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the Planning and Development Bill 2019 will put the department in a position to do just that.

“What this Bill does is for the first time it introduces into our laws a government that recognizes the role of town planning is not simply to be regulatory, but to be also a facilitator of economic development and economic growth,” Mottley said.

In referencing the Bill, she said it would transform the way business was done in Barbados.

She revealed that because of outdated legislation, there were over 110 applications related to beachfront and agricultural subdivision planning awaiting approval, with some dating back to when the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) was last in Government.

“ . . . This will hopefully change the way in which planning and development in Barbados is done as we go forward, but more so than that, be one of the critical platforms for the unlocking of economic growth in this country,” she said.

Mottley said one of the most impressive features of the Bill was its ability to allow the Town Planning Department to operate in a more transparent manner.

“One of the key things that impress me about this Bill relates to the fundamental shift in how government functions, by introducing the concept of provisional refusal, such that if you apply to the department and the department is minded to refuse your application, we are saying in this legislation that they can't only tell you “no”, but they must also move to tell you what will trigger “yes” in your application,” the Prime Minister noted.

Mottley also revealed that changes were coming to the department including the introduction of a statutory board. She said the 12-member board would deal with complex applications only.

“The powers to be exercised by a planning and development board, particularly with respect to complex applications, because we do not expect that every application that comes into Town Planning must go to this board.

“Simple applications such as dwelling houses will continue to go to the chief town planner for determination, but more complex applications will go to the board for greater transparency” Mottley said.

The Prime Minister said the chief town planner by law would sit on the board as executive secretary, along with four ex officio members from other Government departments and seven other members who came from different parts of several professions. One of the members must be recommended by the Barbados National Trust, two would be chosen after consultation with the professional bodies that govern the area, while the other four members had to be drawn from non-governmental institutions with
knowledge and experience in land development.

They would be selected by the minister and a person could serve for up to three years at one time and the board would be required to meet at least once monthly.

However, she said the minister would retain the right to give directions requiring that certain classes of applications be directed to the minister for determination.

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It is good news for some returning students of the Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), even as others continue to complain about less than favourable living conditions.

Some returning students have reportedly got back their accommodation deposit, allowing them to now rent off-campus.

At the end of last year, Barbados TODAY first highlighted the plight of some returning students, who complained that besides paying between US$4,040 and US$4,840 per semester, they were disappointed at the apparent “mandatory” living arrangement, which gave them no opportunity to rent elsewhere.

Since then, some of the students have been informed via e-mail, that they had been reimbursed their accommodation deposit, and they could now live off-campus.

While that concern seemed to have been settled, some students who arrived in the island ahead of the opening of the university on January 5, were not pleased with the housing conditions and “last minute” changes.

Though they were generally pleased that Ross had a more permanent home and they were excited about being in Barbados, they complained to Barbados TODAY about the lack of readiness of the housing arrangement.

Prior to coming to Barbados the students had the option of choosing their roommates. However, a number of them told this newspaper that when they arrived they were “reassigned” while others were forced to stay at a hotel.

“It was chaotic,” said one student, who also grumbled about having “plastic furniture” and a “dusty house” that was “not tiled or carpeted”.

“These houses weren’t ready,” the student added.

Barbados TODAY understands that under the current lease arrangement, Coverley remains a landlord for the university, but the university is in turn the landlord for the students.

One official at the Villages at Coverley stated: “We delivered on everything that Ross asked us to deliver”, pointing out that any queries that students now have had to be dealt with by university officials.

Ross officials are adamant that students are generally happy with the living conditions, only telling Barbados TODAY that there were some minor external final touches that needed to be done to the housing units.

The university had promised that included in each unit would be a range of appliances including plates, glasses, cups, basic cooking utensil, pots and pans. However, some students complained bitterly about the lack of promised utensils adding that they had to also buy their own curtains. Some of the students visited the Popular supermarket in Kendall Hill, Christ Church last weekend where they compared prices and made some purchases.

“Even though we signed up to live with friends in a single housing unit, we were all split up,” said the student.

“The whole administration is a mess and it is obvious that everything was rushed. A lot of houses do not have working appliances or any of the amenities that we were promised. The worse part is that there is no transparency between the staff and the students,” said the student.

“If Ross did not force me to live in their complex, I could’ve had an entire house, which is identical to theirs, except there are actual tiles on the floor and the walls are sanded, in the same location, for less than what they are charging me for one month,” said one of the upset students.

This week, some students raised concern about the condition of the housing units, saying they were now having problems with “rabid bats”, that they said where entering through “cracks”.

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A Bridge Cot, St George father is desperately hoping to hear word about his 15-year-old son Lindy London who went missing after he reportedly got into difficulty while at the hot pot at Brighton Beach, on Sunday night.

Leroy London said he is afraid that he may not see his child again.

“To me the worst happen already because I ain’t seeing him. This got me can’t even concentrate properly because I just studying about he. I feel so devastated. It is even hard for me to work. Right now I just waiting on a phone call to hear at least something . . .” said the concerned father who admitted that he felt tired just worrying.

[caption id="attachment_288379" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Leroy London is missing his 15-year-old son, Lindy London, who dissapeared while at the hot pot on Sunday.[/caption]

London said he has had limited sleep since the disappearance, because his mind is busy wondering how the under-aged boy got to the beach when he left home around 3 p.m. on that same day to “go out”.

London said the teenager who he said cannot swim, did not tell him he would be going to the hot pot.

“He tell me he going out. He said he was going to a friend, but I hear he didn’t go there. He went somewhere else. He ain’t know anything about the hot pot. I never hear he mention anything about the hot pot. When I do get to the bottom of the story, a fella and another fella carry he to the hot pot. So I am here waiting on some answers,” the father said.

London recalled that hours later police took him to the area at the hot pot where Lindy was last seen.

Lindy’s mother Josephine Hughes was not at home when Barbados TODAY visited. However, London said she too was finding it difficult to cope with the disappearance of her son.

Last December, Lindy, a former St George Secondary School student returned home after spending almost five years at the Government Industrial School.

Showing signs that he wanted to walk a fresh path in life, the teenager was scheduled to start school at the New Horizon Academy, Brittons Hill, St Michael, on Tuesday.

London explained that Lindy, who has five siblings, was excited about attending the new institution and his books and uniforms had been purchased.

“He was really excited to go to school. He just wanted to go to school to further his education. He was looking forward to this new start. You know children hard ears, but still everybody in the area like him,” said the father.

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Warning that the recent upsurge of crime and violence could have a crippling effect on the economy and social services, the General Secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations (CTUSAB) Dennis De Peiza is calling for swift judicial action involving gun related crime.

De Peiza said CTUSAB, which is alarmed and concerned about the development, also wants a decisive and sustained plan of action to tackle both the escalating gun crime and the apparent gang activity.

“While the country may speculate on how it has reached this point, and may wish to point towards the illicit drug trade and gang-related activity, the frontal issue to be addressed is how to arrest the behaviour of criminal element, whose actions can impact negatively on an already ailing economy.

“CTUSAB supports the introduction of security measures at the ports of entry, which are intended to prevent the smuggling of illegal guns into the country,” he said.

The general secretary also urged the Royal Barbados Police Force to rekindle the spirit of community policing as a tool for use in the push back against the scourge of all forms of criminal activity.

He said in the fight against the rising tide of gun crimes, violence and trafficking of illegal drugs, it is absolutely necessary that an all-out effort be made at ensuring that the Royal Barbados Police Force is provided with all of the resources necessary, inclusive of human capital and relevant technology.

“The issues of gun-crime and violence need to be tackled head-on if Barbados’ image as a safe place to live, a safe destination to visit and place to work, is not to be tarnished. Barbadians must feel safe going about their daily lives, whether commuting to and from or while at work, and within the communities in which they live.

“As a nation there can be no divide on this issue. It is now imperative that all efforts are directed at curbing the entry of illegal firearms into the country. Members of the public are urged to show unswerving support for the work of the Royal Barbados Police Force as the law enforcement agency which is charged with the protection of the safe state. We must all play our part to bring an end to the acts of criminal activity and lawlessness,” he said.

CTUSAB also raised concerns about the trauma which these incidences can have on the psyche of the Barbadian worker and those who are witnesses to these senseless and acts.

“The Barbadian economy and social services will experience further stress in seeking to treat and care for the survivors of the action of the criminal element amongst us. Barbadians are urged to seriously consider the burden that our National Insurance Scheme, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Ambulance Service, families, the church and other institutions will bear in coping with these tragic circumstances and the fall-out,” De Peiza said. 

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The Mia Mottley Administration has still not paid some of its nurses who have been acting in various positions within the health service.

This is the latest word from Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic.

Nurses, particularly those at the state-owned Psychiatric Hospital have been complaining that they have had to work for months without pay.

But Minister Bostic, while noting that some nurses have received their monies, said Government remained indebted to others.

“The problem with the nurses . . . everything has been done certainly from my end; and I have had several meetings, including meetings with the Ministry of the Civil Service, Personnel Administration; I know that some people have received their monies,” he told Barbados TODAY.

However, he pointed out that the situation was a difficult one to resolve at once.

“The problem really is a little more complex than it seemed up front because we are looking at people in acting appointments in particular,” Bostic explained.

He said there is a domino effect particularly regarding persons at the “very” top.

“There are a whole set of things that have to happen in order for persons who are acting to receive their monies. There are some things that we had to do differently within the Ministry of Health in all of its manifestations - within all the departments; the HR (human relations) side of it; and also engaging and dealing with Personnel Administration,” the Minister added.

The matter of payment is currently receiving the attention of the two unions representing nurses - the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW).

General Secretary of the NUPW Roslyn Smith said the union was pressing for a speedy end to the “exploitation” of Psychiatric Hospital nurses who have not been paid for up to six months.

Smith said she sent the names of the nurses to the Personnel Administration Division and these were then put in the Government's electronic payroll system.

“But I understand that it has something to do with the appraisal of the workers in order that the information can be sent on for them to be paid,” she added.

The union leader said she will be pushing for the nurses to be paid especially considering that other public sector employees have been given their salaries complete with the five per cent increase while the psychiatric nurses have not even received their normal monthly pay.

President of the BNA) Joannah Waterman, who said she and her executive have met with Minister Bostic to discuss “sporadic” pay, appointments and other concerns of the profession told Barbados TODAY that based on assurances from Bostic she hopes the situation at the Psychiatric Hospital would soon be a thing of the past.

“He has actually assured us that he has put a mechanism in place to correct the problem. They are working feverishly right now to correct it . . . . They have actually been able to correct some of it, but there are a number of outstanding ones. That is what we have been told by the Minister and we are very happy with that,” the BNA leader said.

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The Ministry of Education is working to bring an end to the days when secondary school children graduate without any qualifications, says Senator Dr. Rommel Springer.

The Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Technology and Vocational Training, was making a case for those who graduate with skilled qualifications, which he believes are in some cases more valuable than the traditional academic qualifications.

Addressing the sixth graduation ceremony of the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture’s (IICA) Barbados Youth Farm summer program 2018 at the L.V. Harcourt auditorium of Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., Dr. Springer said even if students fail to satisfy the requirements of traditional subject areas, like the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)’s examinations, they must be placed in the best position to graduate with useful qualifications for the world of work.

During his feature address, he said, “It is the mission of the Ministry of Education to ensure that all students leave school well-trained with some form of certification. Whether that is Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), Caribbean Caribbbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ)
or Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), we are going to ensure that you have something to show when you leave school.

“In the past, this [technical qualification] was seen as a type of second chance area if you didn’t excel in academics, but those days are long gone. Now you, the persons with technical skills are the drivers of this economy. You are just as important as any other player in the economy,” he said.

In fact, Dr Springer told the graduates that given the need for greater food security, agriculture and farming were among the most important areas in need of development.

“A number of these students who have come through the program have chosen agriculture or farming as a career. If they continue on this path, you can be assured that agriculture would be in good hands and by extension our food security as a nation, would be in good hands,” said Springer.

“We need to eat and those are areas that we cannot get away from. You cannot continue to import when we have young, brilliant, intelligent persons like you, who can feed us. You are especially important,” he added.

Dr Springer further assured graduates that CVQs are swiftly gaining the confidence and acceptance of key players in the business world. He also stressed that they should not feel restricted to the local market, but should take advantage of the opportunities afforded them by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) skilled certificate.

“So you can move freely and work anywhere in the Caribbean as long as you have this certification. In fact, you can work anywhere in the world because what you have here is relevant anywhere,” he said. 

“Don’t limit yourself even though we would like to have you all stay here and build out our sector, which needs those types of human resources. We would still like to see you go out there and see you grow and help whoever you can out there in the Caribbean,” the senator urged. 

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Barbadians will not be held hostage to a few criminal elements involved in a turf war. This is Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s strong warning tonight as she announced that just under 100 soldiers will be joining their police counterparts in a major fightback effort which requires “all hands on deck”.

Referencing mostly the perpetrators of gun violence, PM Mottley said police have sacrificed two off days a month and additional vehicles offered by the Barbados Defence Force have been placed at the immediate disposal of all law and order forces all in an effort to wrestle the crime situation in Barbados which she declared was “nowhere as bad” as in other countries of the region.

“We are not prepared under any circumstances to admit that it is business as usual when eight people can lose their lives in this country in the month of January. We are not prepared under any circumstances for people to believe that they can use or walk around with guns as if they are toys, as if they are badges of honour,” said Mottley, who addressed the spate of shootings and deaths for the first time at a press conference convened at Parliament tonight.

[caption id="attachment_288389" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Prime Minister Mia Mottley (right) flanked by (from left) former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin, Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith and Attorney General Dale Marshall during tonight’s press conference.[/caption]

Noting that the crime situation was endemic to the region and not a peculiar problem to Barbados, Mottley acknowledged that since taking office last May, her efforts have primarily been focused on the repair of the Barbados economy. However, she assured Barbadians following a meeting of the Regional Security System (RSS) that later transitioned to a National Security Council meeting on Barbados, that the scourge of gun violence has now got her full attention and vowed that no effort would be spared to stamp it out.

“If people are so consumed and so much in love with guns, then they should ask me to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to find a war some part of the world that we can allow them to go and be part of. But they must not begin to believe that they can walk about Barbados with guns and walk about shooting people any part of this country.

“Not bout here,” the Prime Minister stressed.

Noting that one regret was not focussing on crime fully from the outset of her administration, Mottley said she placed her attention on stabilizing the economy which was in a critical state . . . .

“If it is one regret I have is perhaps that I should have taken control of it from day one, but I was focused on the economy fully and the debt,” she added.

Flanked by Attorney General Dale Marshall and Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson, Mottley warned the criminal element that if they persist with these acts “then they must understand that they are going to feel the full weight of the law because what is at stake is our way of life. Barbados is not going to be held hostage by people who want to terrorize ordinary people walking up and down the street,” she said, confirming reports that many of the shooting incidents stemmed from “a turf war between people living here and cross there”.

While not going into too much detail, Mottley revealed that Government will be fast-tracking several pieces of legislation over the next few weeks, while simultaneously increasing the resources of the police, border security and the court system.

“Our Government will establish an anti-corruption and terrorism entity within the Ministry of National Security to supplement the work of the police. It is not going to be a huge agency, but it’s critical that people come to work every day to fight corruption because that is part and parcel of the cancer.

“What we are fighting in this country [goes back] to matters that the Commissioner of Police raised as far back as three years ago, regarding difficulties that they have experienced with respect to the port and other areas where guns come in. We need to get on top of these issues institutionally,” she explained.

Also in attendance at the press briefing was former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin who Mottley said would be lending “his skills” to the crime fight. No details were revealed on the form his contribution would take. Dottin was sent on administrative leave during the previous Democratic Labour Party administration’s tenure amid allegations of illegal wiretapping being carried out by the Royal Barbados Police Force. Dottin has since retired.

Additionally, Mottley promised to fix issues of police promotion, which she suggested had the effect of eroding morale within the Royal Barbados Police Force.

“We are satisfied that the greatest cannibalization of the Royal Barbados Police Force took place in the last few years. It cannot be allowed to happen again. You cannot attack an institution and expect it to prosper...

“You cannot have successive Commissioners of Police making recommendations for promotions in the police force based on their perception of performance and merit and discipline, and then have a Police Service Commission completely ignoring those recommendations and choosing to promote who they want on criteria known only to them,” she lamented.

Also addressing the briefing were Marshall and Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith.

colvillemounsey@barbadostoday.bb

The post Not under my watch appeared first on Barbados Today.

Government’s decision to restructure some aspects of its debt has come in for scathing criticism from former Prime Minister Professor Owen Arthur.

Questioning Government’s choice to restructure the debt held by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Arthur, a former minister of finance, said this move was nothing but “reckless endangerment”.

Government’s debt restructuring forms a major plank of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) plan, which is aimed at breathing new life into the ailing economy.

“The debt relief to be afforded to the government by discounting government securities held by Central Bank, external creditors and the NIS, is intended to provide the government with financial relief amounting to 33 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) and $3 billion in relief during the first three years of the programme. And it is supposed to be done without impairing the viability of the entities concerned. That will be a very tall order,” said Arthur, as he gave a presentation at the SALISES Policy Forum on Wednesday night, under the theme Barbados and the First Phase of the IMF/BERT Plan: of Recovery and Precarity.

Pointing out that the NIS funds did not belong to Government or the National Insurance Board, Arthur said the money belonged to the people of Barbados and was only being managed by the fund “on the basis of a trustee relationship”.

He therefore expressed concern that the fund could take a major haircut of close to $1 billion as a result of the debt restructuring.

“I really do not understand the process in which a board of directors of the national insurance, with the government owing the national insurance $400 million in arrears, and they are going to write off another billion, just to make the government finances look good. And I think that somebody has to remind the national insurance directors that they are managing funds . . . on the basis of a trustee relationship, and that as a trustee you have a duty of care,” said Arthur.

“They are now going to write off another $1 billion to make the government books look good. I believe that is a case of reckless endangerment,” he said.

Government owed the NIS $460 million in arrears up to July last year. As at September last year the NIS held just over $3.2 billion in government paper, which means that the fund will bear the brunt of the debt restructuring.

The NIS will see write-offs of Government debt of about 17.5 per cent per annum for the next four years, while the Central Bank’s Government debt will be written off to the amount of around $1.6 billion or 16 per cent of GDP.

This is expected to give Government some short-term fiscal space, but pundits say both institutions would eventually need to be recapitalized.

When contacted, Chairman of the National Insurance Board Ian Gooding-Edghill declined to comment on the matter.

During his presentation, however, Arthur also took issue with the decision of the Mia Mottley-led administration to include Treasury Notes and the external debt in the restructuring, saying this was “highly unusual”. Treasury Notes are short-term investment instruments, usually issued for periods between one and ten years.

“Of particular interest is that Barbados’ debt restructuring programme provides for the restructuring of $4.3 billion of treasury bills, by their conversions, into 15-year bonds and a significant reduction of the interest payments of such treasury bills with a view to reducing government’s gross financing needs,” Arthur told his audience.

“It is not normal for countries restructuring their debt to restructure treasury bills . . . it is highly unusual for a country to restructure that financial instrument. Indeed, the only precedence that can be found for such development is in restructuring programmes in the government of Russia and Ukraine,” he added.

Accusing government of “trying to do too much too fast”, the economist argued that with the commercial banks also taking a major haircut, they have already started to “charge” customers to make up for that shortage.

Commercial banks have a total of $180.7 million in government debt.

Under the domestic debt restructuring bondholders will get reduced interest, longer maturities and in some cases, a reduction in principal.

Government is expecting external creditors to accept a similar plan by the end of March this year.

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Economist Jeremy Stephen is calling on Barbadians to change the way they view sovereignty and for policymakers to urgently undertake several reforms of some sectors if the country is to turn the economic tides and prosper.

He said the country seemed to be stuck in a cycle where “we run down reserves, go into some form of recession and we get bailout”, and it was time things were done differently.

“That is not a position we should be proud about. I am fine with the measures that are being taken but should have been done ever since. That is my view and I am unapologetic in that, but it cannot persist because as we consume more, and as owners of capital ensure the price of things continue to rise, we will be in this position again any time soon no matter what happens,” he told the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) annual Errol Barrow Lecture at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus on Friday night.

The event, which formed part of the party’s Errol Barrow week of celebration, was held under the theme Towards a New Political Economy.

Stating that Barbados lost its influence in the region over the years under successive administrations, Stephen said “we have to understand that as a priority our sovereignty will dictate our future”.

However, he insisted that the way Barbadians viewed sovereignty needed to be amended, adding that he was concerned that the country still had no way of measuring the prosperity of its people.

“Sovereignty is not 166 square miles. In this modern world . . . sovereignty is not the land mass on which you live, sovereignty is a changing ideology, one that promotes prosperity for its people economically and socially no matter where they are,” said Stephen.

“That same measure of sovereignty has prevented us from, even before the Democratic Labour Party took power, from taking advantage of large spots of land in Guyana . . . that could be effectively supplement the agricultural sector we do have here,” he added.

“There is nothing stopping the investment we could have had in Guyana, upgrading the [Bridgetown] Port and shipping food back home, [while] maintaining good relations [with Guyana]. That is solved by changing our view of sovereignty. We should have investments [in] land in Guyana we should have investments in the same [in] Haiti,” he added, as he commented briefly on the situation facing Haitians who are stranded in Barbados.

He believed “one of the best things that could have been done was the fact that we improve our relations with Haiti”.

“Everybody see Haitians coming here and being displaced. That is an issue, but nobody is seeing the opportunities [for us] to go out there . . . people don’t understand what is in our own backyards,” he stressed.

With Barbados struggling to carry out several reforms in vital sectors such as education, health, tourism and agriculture, Stephen insisted that authorities could learn from various models around the world including that of Georgia, New Zealand, Singapore, Israel and Japan.

He told the room of DLP supporters, which included former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and several of his former cabinet ministers, that the work and legacy of Errol Barrow, was no longer appealing to young Barbadians.

However, he quickly pointed out that “it does not mean it is not a legacy you can lift off on”.

Stephen said Barbados could use the Georgia model to reform its education system and improve the ease of doing business.

“What we lack, and I will say this unapologetically, is the willingness to call a spade a spade no matter who is in charge, and to ensure accountability on all ends".

“And I speak to the Barbados Democratic Labour Party at this moment to ask what threats makes you rise from the ashes once again to be relevant, the threats don’t have to be current."

Warning that some jobs were at risk of becoming extinct due to the proliferation of automation and continued advancements in technology, the blockchain technology enthusiast said he would not be surprised if some companies in Barbados started to use technology instead of cashiers, a job he said many thought would always be around.

“That is the reality. It will come upon us sooner rather than you think,” he said, stating that “we have come to that point where education is beginning to fail us and will continue to fail us".

He warned that the country faced losing critical foreign direct investment if individuals here did not become well equipped to develop technology, adding that Barbados also faced the possibility of having to import labour.

Stephen also expressed disappointment that Barbados was yet to take advantage of the widening of Panama Canal, citing Jamaica as one country that has already started to benefit greatly from that passage.

Pointing out that Barbados had an advantage because of its position between Panama City and the gateway into the Middle East, Stephen said “the thing that made Barbados a trans-shipment [point] of slaves and sugar, literally could be the life blood of the economy going forward”.

“We can integrate all the technology in the world, we can have all the coders in the world, but the 20-year low hanging fruit is [the Bridgetown] Port, that can effectively, by having 10 more crate loaders, replace about a third of economic activity in about 20 years. It is the lowest hanging fruit, it can also interact in terms of foreign direct investment with respect to ship registry. These are easy areas that can propel growth, the type that no party in Parliament is talking about,” he said, while calling for the retraining and retooling of foreign officers and more focus on “economic diplomacy”.

In relation to health care reform, Stephen said Barbados should focus more on preventative measures rather than reactive, as he pointed to Japan as one country that Barbados could emulate.

“Even if technology takes over tomorrow you still need your people. So this has to be a priority,” he said.

With respect to the tourism industry, Stephen said within the next two decades Barbados will “have to challenge what it sees as viable tourism”, adding that he was “a very big opposer of how we view tourism right now”.

Indicating that it was difficult to track tourist spend currently, Stephen said the time had come for that sector be to linked “to a concept of sovereignty”.

He explained that this could be achieved through a greater focus on the country’s gross national product, as opposed to just the gross domestic product.

The economist, who had previously thrown his support behind the 2014 David Estwick economic plan, which recommended that the then DLP administration negotiate a $5 billion sinking fund from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to wipe out the country’s debt, said attracting investment from the Middle Eastern nations was another “low hanging fruit for Barbados”.

“Since we love race cars it almost boggles my mind that nobody has made the invitation to have these guys come down with their vehicles and drive around. Something as simple as that can bring about all manner of festivals throughout the year – more racing events. These guys will even build another track for you. I am not saying we should go cap in hand, but I see opportunity first,” he stated.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – England, chasing 628 for victory, were 134 for two at lunch on the penultimate day of the opening Test against West Indies at Kensington Oval here Saturday.

Scores:

WEST INDIES 289 (Shimron Hetmyer 81, Shai Hope 57, Roston Chase 54, John Campbell 44, Kraigg Brathwaite 40; James Anderson 5-46, Ben Stokes 4-59) and 415 for six decl. (Jason Holder 202 not out, Shane Dowrich 116 not out, John Campbell 33, Shimron Hetmyer 31, Kraigg Brathwaite 24; Moeen Ali 3-78, Ben Stokes 2-81)

ENGLAND 77 (Kemar Roach 5-17, Jason Holder 2-15, Alzarri Joseph 2-20) and 134 for two (Rory Burns 84, Jonny Bairstow 29 not out)

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Barbados is no longer under threat of a negative listing by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Minister of International Business and Industry, Ronald Toppin, made this disclosure during an international tax conference with stakeholders in New York on Thursday.

Minister Toppin said his Ministry had received confirmation from the OECD that it supports legislative changes enacted by the Parliament of Barbados in December 2018 as a response to the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative.

A team comprising Director of International Business, Kevin Hunte; Principal Legal Officer, Amanda Osolo and Special Advisor to the Government on International Business, Ben Arrindell presented Barbados’ position to the Forum on Harmful Tax Practice (FHTP) in Paris, France, from January 9 to 11.

The OECD’s decision indicated that all representations made by Barbados at the FHTP were successful. This means that Barbados has complied with its obligation to remove all elements of its tax policies deemed to be harmful, in relation to the international business and financial services sector.

The OECD is the globally recognized authority charged with setting and monitoring the implementation of international taxation standards.

Minister Toppin said: “I am pleased that the hard work involved in making such sweeping changes to so many pieces of legislation paid off. Barbados’ decision to converge its international and domestic tax rates remains a viable and necessary catalyst for domestic business development and for maintaining Barbados’ competitiveness in its bid to become a global hub for business.”

Barbados was one of the first countries in the world to converge its local and international tax rates, making its tax system globally competitive. From January 1, 2019, domestic companies paid the same tax rates as international companies. The move brought the country in line with the BEPS initiative, while avoiding severe international sanctions. (BGIS)

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The value of Barbados’ coastal and marine resources and their potential for investment must be taken into consideration going forward.

Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), Dr. Leo Brewster, stated this on Friday, during a Cost Recovery Mechanisms workshop, under the theme Transitioning to a Blue Economy through Sustainable Financing at Hilton Barbados.

“Within the Ministry of the Blue Economy, we realize that one of the first priorities must be understanding the actual value of our coastal and marine resources so that there can then be careful assessment of the potential for investment to optimize the benefits that flow to everyone who interacts with these resources, whether hotel owner, jet-ski operator, coastal cruise operator, fisherman, dive shop owner, visitor or resident,” he said.

He explained that Barbados’ coastline suffered significant damage in the early years when the island transitioned to coastal tourism as a major revenue earner, and beachfront property became valuable.

However, he stated that Government, with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank, invested approximately US$40 million to correct the problems through shoreline stabilization and enhancement works.

“While we have all experienced the benefits of these works, there is an urgent need to quantify these benefits, clearly identify the beneficiaries, and develop a sustainable economic model to ensure that we are able to maintain and continue to expand the scope of these works for all Barbadians,” Dr. Brewster said.

The Director made reference to the Richard Haynes Boardwalk on the south coast, and pointed out that consideration had to be given to determining its true value and prioritizing future investment.

Cost Recovery Consultant, Dr. Peter Schumann, said Barbados had very valuable coastal and marine resources, which could be compatible with economic growth, if things were done correctly.

But, he said, it was a process that would require buy-in from society, and political will. “The movement to the Blue Economy is going to have to be a grand vision that everybody is going to have to grab hold of because it has to be immune to the political cycle,” the consultant said.

Dr. Schumann said one recommendation would be to establish a National Conservation Trust Fund to function as a non-governmental entity to collect revenue from various sources and distribute it to various conservation initiatives in the public and private sector.

“It will raise a significant and sustainable source of revenue for these initiatives and investments and coastal zone, and will generate economic returns,” he said. (BGIS)

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Jan 26, CMC – Off-spinner Roston Chase bowled opener Rory Burns on the stroke of lunch, as West Indies maintained the upper hand on the penultimate day of the opening Test against England here Saturday.

Left-hander Burns seemed to be taking the visitors safely to lunch with just one wicket down when Chase breached his bat and pad defensive stroke, to bowl him for 84 with the fifth ball of the final over before the interval.

At the break, England were 134 for two, with Jonny Bairstow comfortably unbeaten on 29 off 47 deliveries with six fours.

England trail by 494 runs, in pursuit of an improbable 628 for victory.

Resuming the day on 56 without loss, England kept West Indies without any success until fast bowler Alzarri Joseph got Keaton Jennings to drive at a full length delivery and edge a catch high to Jason Holder’s right at second slip, three quarters of an hour into the session.

Jennings made 14 from 84 balls and put on 85 for the first wicket with Burns.

For his part, Burns looked untroubled, and added another 49 for the second wicket with Bairstow in an innings lasting 133 balls in 205 minutes with 15 fours.

But he perished to Chase’s fifth ball of the day, playing down the wrong line.

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Over 800 young people gathered at the Deighton Griffith Secondary School this morning for the launch of the annual National Sports Rally.

The rally, which falls under the Community Sports Training Programme hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment, welcomed individuals ages 9 to 29 from the various teams and districts across the island to play sports such as cricket, netball, volleyball, road tennis and hockey.

Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Adrian Forde reminded the youth that Barbados was brimming with talent and their sporting capabilities could be used as a route to success.

“Sports in Barbados and around the world has always been used as a vehicle to put the country on the map. . . Sports has always been that one vessel to take Barbados across…the world and indeed above our hemisphere,” said the minister.

He encouraged the students to remain dedicated and disciplined and use the skills they acquired throughout the sports to carry them further in life.

“You must work at it in order to achieve not only your goals for the team but for Barbados.

“We need every single one of you to work together to ensure not only the success of your team as sportsmen and sportswomen but the success of this country,” he advised.

Forde also addressed the increasing rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the youth, and encouraged them to remain fit with exercise and eat healthy.

“Persons under the age of 21 are now suffering [from] high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes. . . [and] of the most important weapons to fight these is exercise and diet,” he said.

Youth Commissioner Shawn Burke shared agreed the minister’s sentiments, telling Barbados TODAY that Burke disclosed that many young athletes failed to take their diet seriously.

“Although we have a large number of persons involved in sports, a lot of them don’t take their diet seriously. Diet plays an important role,” said Burke.

“A lot of young people may not necessarily see or do not understand that sports too can be a job because the sports industry throughout the world is a thriving industry and you can make a living playing sports,” Burke said.

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