Ambassador to CARICOM Robert “Bobby” Morris believes that nurses must do more to document their history, ensure the information is used in schools, and attract more young people to the profession.

Delivering the 2014 Eunice Gibson Memorial Lecture, Morris noted that in his life at school he knew only of the exploits of foreign caregivers and nothing about those closer to home, who had helped give birth and had ensured the good health of the population.

“The fact that I learnt about Florence Nightingale when I was a boy, and she became an idol for me; but I have only learned about our nursing heroes as a man, that is significant!” he said in the lecture auditorium of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital last night.

At the function, Bernard Beckles was named the Eunice Gibson Awardee for 2014-2015, succeeding Marlo St Hill. The award is handed out to an outstanding nurse under 40 years old for exemplary work and dedication to the profession.

Nurse Bernard Beckles (centre) receiving the Eunice Gibson Award for the 2014-2015 year from the past year’s award recipient Marlo St Hill. At left is Barbados Registered Nurses Association president Blondelle Mullin.

While noting that the Barbados Registered Nurses Association was in the midst of documenting aspects of nurses who had served, he urged that there be produced a comprehensive history of nursing in Barbados.

“We have the skills to do the research and put together this compendium that would be used in schools, so that primary schoolchildren –– whoever else, people
who are studying nursing –– should be able to learn about these persons.”

Morris conceded that he had learned much about nursing in Barbados and the work of the founder of the Registered Nurses Association during recent research in preparation for the lecture. Based on those reasons he described founder Nurse Eunice Gibson as “a paragon of the nursing profession and a phenomenal woman”.

He spoke of an absence in the association’s constitution of any mention of the organization projecting the image of members.

“I believe that you have to set out purposely to project your identity, your image, and your brand. That’s a fundamental issue today in terms of institutions.

“Lest you be forgotten, and lest you find yourself with a membership that is my age, it is very important that you continue the growth of your membership to include the young people,” Morris advised.

Two Christ Church residents appear in the District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court  today to answer multiple charges.

Keven Jason Omar Gabriel, 30, of Kendall Hill B, Kendall Hill, who has already been charged with assisting an offender, has received an additional charge of theft of a motor car.

Jointly charged with the latter offence is Dwayne Omar Thornhill, 31, of the same community. Thornhill is also facing three counts of burglary and one count of criminal damage.

Government is again being warned against decriminalising marijuana.

The advice was issued last night by well-known drug counsellor Roger Husbands, who insists this will not drive down crime or reduce the number of people smoking the drug.

He told a drug awareness activity at the Restoration Ministries, Brittons Hill, that the disadvantages far outweigh any benefits as touted by proponents of decriminalisation.

“It’s not going to help the economy because you will still have more people at the psychiatric hospital, you’ll have some people sick from respiratory problems and cancer and heart disease. [It would] create more problems,” he contended.

Husbands said putting in place restrictions on the amount of drug that can be purchased by one individual is also not the answer since some residents have shown a propensity to do what is wrong.

On another issue, the counsellor said the decision to ban corporal punishment in schools has not worked.

He said many students are still very aggressive, and continue to tease and torment teachers.

“Total disrespect” is how Husbands described the situation.

Shardae Boyce, trade consultant for the Barbados Private Sector Trade Team.

The challenges in accessing international markets are not insurmountable for Barbados.

That assertion is being made by trade consultant for the Barbados Private Sector Trade Team Shardae Boyce as concerns continue to mount about the inability of local businesses to reap the anticipated benefits of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed with Europe six years ago.

While revealing that her team has been helping to educate the private sector on how to use the EPA, Boyce today called for greater use of the funding opportunities originating from the agreement.

At the same time, she noted, there have been a few success stories.

“. . . At least one company [is] setting up in the European market through the provisions afforded by the agreement. Many other companies are trying to follow,” she said in as statement.

However, Boyce further stated, “The reality is, in some instances it is not easy to enter the European market due to a number of non-tariff barriers. Moreover, because Barbados lacks a modern agricultural health and food control system dairy and poultry products are barred from accessing Europe and other international markets.”

Speaking specifically to another external market arrangement being pursued by CARICOM, the CARICOM-Canada Agreement, the trade consultant noted, “Although CARICOM may not be able to agree to all of the logistics of the trade agreement with Canada it should seek to achieve a balance within the negotiations and move forward in an effort to capture the opportunity to increase its market share internationally.”

First there were two routes, then it was changed to three. Now it has reverted to the original two.

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has announced that the proposed Weymouth to Spring Garden route would no longer be used for the Foreday Morning Jam.

Chief executive officer Cranton Browne said the decision was taken after consultation with stakeholders.

“The band leaders who had previously requested to use Weymouth as a starting point have now asked to return to their original location and we have acquiesced. This means that all bands will now be starting at two points, the BIDC Car Park and the BTI Car Park on Bay Street, so we would no longer be using the [route] from Weymouth to Spring Garden as required by the bands,” Browne said, disclosing that only about three bands had requested the new route.

Speaking at yesterday’s launch of Roberts and Barbados Light and Power Foreday Morning Jam, the CEO noted that in the region of 60 bands have registered to be on the road this year, up from last year’s 44.

Meantime, Browne continues to insist that despite the consistent growth of Foreday Morning Jam, the intention is not to cannibalise Grand Kadooment.

“The NCF has no intention to allowing Foreday Morning to become Grand Kadooment at night. Without stifling the creativity of the designers, we will ensure through specified rules and guidelines that this event would not compete with the pretty mas of Crop Over characterised by feathers, beads and sometimes intricately detailed costumes,” he said.

“The guidelines created are designed to safeguard against this . . .,” the NCF boss added.

Senator Wilfred Abrahams speaking at last night’s BLP meeting.

The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is claiming first round victory in the fight against the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

At the same time, it is accusing Government of using divide and rule tactics to silence some who’re opposed to the tax

Speaking at a BLP meeting last night in Cane Gardens, St Thomas, Senator Wilfred Abrahams said despite the parytial victory, the battle is not over.

“We are not stopping short of the complete repeal of this unfair, disgusting, discriminatory piece of legislation,” he said.

Yesterday, Minister of Finance Minister Chris Sinckler confirmed a waiver on the tax for pensioners with property valued at $190,000 or below, a 50 per cent reduction on the levy on agricultural lands, and the extension of the first payment deadline from July 28 to December 31.

Abrahams said the changes were “based on the pressure being brought to bear on the Government by a couple of people bold enough to speak out…Based on the fact that we supplied people with letters, templates, to help them to write in and ask for exemptions”.

“The voice of the Barbados Labour Party and the voice of the people of Barbados have forced the Government to look at it; forced the Government to make adjustments in relation to pensioners and their property,” he asserted.

“If they can look at that with the voices of a few then they can repeal it with the voices of thousands”.

He described as ‘devious’ the administration’s singling out of certain groups for concessions.

“One of the largest sections, and the one that was generating the most sympathy was the pensioners so the Government sought to ease the burden on the pensioners in the hope that the pensioners would shut up and not join with the rest of Barbados.”

The Opposition senator added, “It [Government] sought to ease the burden on those with agricultural land because it hopes that conglomerate would shut up and not join in the protest about this tax and against the Government.

“This is typically the old standard of divide and rule but we’re not going to be fooled and anybody who was protesting last week, and now got an ease and not protesting anymore, then you are not your brother’s keeper”.

To pensioners who received waivers and farmers, Abrahams said, “People spoke out for you, and you got an ease. It is now time, having that ease, to join with the voices of Barbados Labour Party and the other people protesting to ensure that an ease is given for all”.

In addition to the St George meeting, the BLP held a roadside gathering in St George as the party seeks to whip up support for a rally tomorrow.

“It is coming a point in time very soon when we are going to call on the people of Barbados to walk with us,” Abrahams declared.

An unidentified man in 60′s has been hospitalised in serious condition following an accident at Brittons New Road, Brittons Hill, St. Michael last night.

Police say the man, a pedestrian, was involved in an accident with a motor vehicle at about 9 p.m.

The man is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, has a slim built and dark complexion. He has black and grey hair and a beard. He was wearing a mustard colored cotton shirt and long blue jeans at the time of the accident.

Anyone who may know the identity of this man is asked to telephone the Hastings Police Station at telephone number 430-7608 or Police Emergency at 211.

An early morning fire has destroyed a wooden shop and damaged an attached wall house at Bullens Avenue, Dalkeith Road, St. Michael.

The home was owned by 81-year-old Winifred Howard; two other persons were residing there at the time.

Ten members of the Barbados Fire Service and two tenders responded to the blaze.

Lawmen believe the fire, which began at about 2:15 am, may have been caused by an electrical fault.

The property was uninsured.  

Sophia Yearwood was presented with her award by Kwame Connell, a member of the board of directors.

Twenty people, who collectively gave 380 years of service to the privately-operated Bayview Hospital, were last night honoured for their dedication to the institution.

Of the number of people recognised during the 25^th anniversary dinner and awards, six worked with the hospital for 25 years, four for 20 years and 10 for 15 years.

Wendy Gibbons, Andrea Craham, Lynda Lewis, Jean McCarthy, Mariam Rouse and Beverly Thompson were all employed for 25 years, while Sheila Alleyne, Jeannette Gittens, Andrea Taylor and Sophia Yearwood have been with the company 20 years.

“The Bayview Hospital has been a partner with the Ministry of Health in the provision of excellent healthcare to Barbadians and others in the region,” noted Minister of Health John Boyce, the feature speaker at the event held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

“Excellence is not denoted by a single act but is characterised by people consistently doing what is right. This means that they must be highly motivated, competent, selfless and ultimately willing to put organisational goals ahead of personal pursuits.”

Cannabis plants allegedly found at the residence of Clint Hurley.

St Michael resident Clint Hurley has been ordered to pay $55,000 forthwith or he will spend 18 months behind bars following the discovery of 104 cannabis plants under cultivation in his yard.

The drug was found yesterday by members of the Drug Squad, who’d executed a search warrant at Hurley’s residence at Mission Gap, Brittons Cross Road.

The 38-year-old was charged with possession of cannabis, possession with intent to supply, trafficking and cultivation.

He appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Cannabis found in the Ridge, St Joseph.

Meantime, some 3000 cannabis plants were discovered under cultivation in a wooded area in the Ridge, St Joseph area yesterday.

Lawmen carried out the operation in the Ridge, St Joseph yesterday.

The operation, conducted between 10 am and 2.05 pm, was led by the Anti Gun Unit and assisted by the Marine and Special Services Units and members of the Barbados Defence Force.

Police say there were 1500 ‘well maintained’ seedlings, and 1500 trees ranging from 2 feet to 5 feet in height.

An illegal connection to the water supply of the Barbados Water Authority was also discovered, however no arrests were made.

And in another operation, members of the Drug Squad today arrested 40-year-old Trevor Best of Pine Plantation Road, St. Michael after nine cannabis plants were allegedly discovered under cultivation in his enclosed yard.

Police say a loose quantity of cannabis was also discovered in his home, weighing an overall four pounds.

Best has been charged with possession of cannabis, possession with intent to supply, trafficking and cultivation.

Police are seeking your assistance to locate Carl Dacosta Mascoll, 66, of Kingsland Park, Christ Church, who was last seen on Monday.

Mascoll is five feet, eleven inches in height, has a slim build, and a light brown complexion. He has an oval face, a flat forehead, large ears, pointed nose, a short neck and grey hair in an afro style.

He has tattoos of an anchor and mermaid on his inside right arm.

According to police, the 66-year-old suffers from low blood pressure and takes medication for his condition.

Anyone with information relative to his whereabouts should contact the Emergency number 211, or the nearest Police Station.

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley will head a march from Bridgetown to Government Headquarters and deliver a note to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart protesting the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

“I shall walk on Thursday, the 24th of July. I shall walk at midday . . . . If you cannot join me, wear something white,” she said to applause from the crowd at Carlisle Car Park last night.

“I shall walk from Parliament where I sit to Government Headquarters where this Government’s Cabinet sits, and I shall walk as your Leader of the Opposition to deliver to the Prime Minister a letter, setting out what we have heard from you in the last three weeks as we moved across the country, as we held town hall meetings, as we held spot meetings, and we will tell him in unison the country is speaking. They want the tax repealed.”

Mottley’s declaration at 10:50 p.m. climaxed an almost four-hour rally in which six of her Barbados Labour Party colleagues detailed the number of what they saw as wrongs committed by this Democratic Labour Party Government in its six years in office, culminating with introduction of the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

In an address of just over 50 minutes, Mottley went within seconds of the 11 p.m. cut-off point as mandated by the Public Order Act for such meetings.

“And if the spirit moves you, you can join me at any point along the way. You may join me in Independence Square . . . by Bethel Church after you pray . . . at the Catholic Cathedral in Jemmott’s Lane after you pray, or . . . meet me there if the knees can’t hold you up. Let the Government know that this is the first walk in a long journey.

“Wear something white if you cannot join us,” she said to jubilant supporters and other Barbadians who spread across the car park and on to the boardwalk.

“Whether you home and you cooking for your father or mother who sick, wear something white that day; if you on the road, white bandana, white handkerchief, white shoes.
This Government must understand that the voice of the people is louder than their role and place in Government.”

Consistent with the theme of the previous speakers that the protest against the tax is a national issue as both Labour Party and Dems supporters are affected, she invited Barbadians to dress in their political colours along with white.

“If you want to wear white with your red, wear it. If you want to wear white with your blue, wear it . . . with your black, wear it. But understand, I want the Labour Party people to hear me, as well as the Dems: this is not about red or blue. This is about Barbados.

“It is now time for us to be good to the country that has been good to us . . . . Stand up for yourselves. Stand up for your children, and your godchildren and your grandchildren, and your grandmothers and your grandfathers.

“Stand and be counted. Walk with me in peace and in love . . . out of duty to yourselves and to this country’s future. Walk with me for love of country.”

An investigation is to be carried out into complaints that the nearly 200 retrenched National Conservation Commission (NCC) workers have not been paid unemployment benefits, more than a month after applying to the National Insurance Department.

The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is expressing grave concern about the situation, even as it continues to wait for the Employment Rights Tribunal to name a date for the start of hearings on the matter.

NUPW senior industrial relations officer, Wayne Walrond told Barbados TODAY this afternoon the union will have to carry out a probe into the “many” complaints it’s been receiving from workers, especially considering the hardship they are already experiencing.

“Based on complaints we continue to receive from workers that they have not received their unemployment benefits, we would have to further investigate this situation with a view to ascertaining what the position [is] with National Insurance and the paying of unemployment benefits to these workers,” he added.

He noted that the 187 workers received their retrenchment letters on April 30 and most of their applications had been submitted by the end of May.

“Obviously, some [workers] would have waited a week or two to be assured whether they should really pursue the terminal benefits, but let us say by the middle of May [or] end of May most workers could have put in their applications for the benefits. So by now, there should have been some processing for payment. We are very concerned,” Walrond stated.

Last week, Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler told Barbados TODAY that he was happy some of the 3,000 retrenched public workers had started receiving their unemployment money, though it was not happening as swiftly as he would have liked.

The NUPW senior industrial relations officer also expressed some anxiety over the long wait in having hearings started before the Employment Rights Tribunal.

“The workers would have complied with all of the requirements requested by the tribunal in respect of the dispute with the National Conservation Commission regarding the termination of employees. We would have sent the claimant forms as a group claim and all of the names would have been attached,” he pointed out.

“We also would have submitted the affidavit with the required evidence and through our attorney at law, we would have complied with all of the provisions requested by the tribunal,” he said.

“At this stage we are waiting [for] a date from the tribunal. We sincerely hope it would be as soon as possible because one would appreciate that workers are still on the breadline and we would want this process to be as expeditious as possible. Even though we are going the legal route we would like it to be handled as quickly as possible so that the discomfort [the] workers are feeling, would be minimised based on the length of time,” Walrond told this newspaper.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

Citing examples of miscalculations, a misleading report to the IMF and incorrect billing surrounding the Municipal Solid Waste Tax, Opposition Leader Mia Mottley said they pointed to incompetence in Government.

“What you had from the beginning of this tax was a comedy of errors. If it wasn’t so tragic it would be funny,” she told a mass rally at Carlisle Car Park last night.

Crowd in Carlisle Car Park last night.

She spoke of Government being hard-pressed for the tax revenue because representatives misled the IMF on its enactment date, because of embarrassment caused by applying it to diplomatic missions, and a jumble of figures relating to levy percentage and projected revenue.

She recalled initial confusion on the level of assessment and how much money it would bring in.

“Chris [Sinckler] tell you first .7 per cent tax will raise $49 million. Donville [Inniss] come out a week later . . . and he told you that the rate was a mistake.

“Would you believe that Chris come a week later and say there was no mistake? Only to come back six months later, and on the 17th of March to bring into Parliament a new bill with a rate of .3 per cent, less than half of .7 per cent.”

Referring to statements by the Minister of Finance on the expected revenue from this tax, she said: “He wants you to believe that if .7 per cent was going to raise $49 million, less than half would raise $51 million.”

“I tell you this boy can’t add.”

Mottley said Government’s representatives to the IMF informed that organization of the tax being in effect at a date earlier than the true starting time.

“This Government sent their executive directors at the International Monetary Fund . . . and told them to tell the IMF, as they did in a letter on the 10th of February, that the Municipal Solid Waste Act had become effective and that money would be collected in June.”

According to the IMF document, “statement by Mr Hockin, executive director for Barbados and Mr Dalrymple, advisor to executive director, February 10, 2014 . . . . The Municipal Solid Waste Tax became effective in January, 2014, with the first payment due in June, 2014”.

But Mottley pointed out: “The bill got introduced in Parliament on the 17th of March.

“Five Weeks before they introduced a bill, they told the IMF that it was already the law of the land . . . . They have told the IMF that it was law even before the Governor General signed it as law . . . on the 14th of April.

“. . . And that is why they cannot back off and listen to the cry of the Chamber of Commerce, the Private Sector Association, the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, the Dairy & Beef Producers, the churches, the Boy Scouts, the charities.”

According to the Opposition Leader, Solid Waste Tax notices were sent to those excluded from taxes, and where it does not apply.

“. . . The jokers I talking about send out bills to all the embassies and high commissions, when anybody who know about Government know embassies don’t pay taxes.

“And Barbados that was once punching above its weight now had to deal with the indignity of embassies coming to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and say, ‘I think you send the wrong bill to the wrong person’.”

Further, she said: “There are people in this crowd who received tax bills for land without buildings, and the law does allow them to tax you unless there is a building on the land.

“It is the wild wild west at BRA [Barbados Revenue Authority].”

Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley has dismissed suggestions that the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is trying to keep a lid on the status of Cohobblopot 2014.

And he says Barbadians will hear more on the matter from the NCF and the Ministry of Culture before the end of the week. The event, considered one of the major fetes of the Crop Over season was cast into doubt earlier this month after the private sector organizer, Premier Events, pulled out.

Minister Lashley said, “We are fully aware that we need to get to the public and explain to them what will happen, but that will happen later this week.”

Meantime, he said figures obtained from the Central Bank of Barbados show that Crop Over contributes more than $100 million to the economy annually.

“Our estimate about three or four years ago was about $80 million so we are talking about growth that is about $20 million in a very short space of time. I think we can very strategically position Crop Over within the context of what we want to achieve in terms of the cultural industries sector . . . you want to place [it] within the context of economic diversification [and] the contribution that the cultural industry can play,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“We recognise that even in terms of our Government statistics, through the Statistical Department, we have to have a line in there that tells us what is the contribution of the cultural sector and we have started to work very closely with the Inter-American Development Bank as well as the OAS to start looking at how we can actually get those systems in place. Those are the ways that we will be able to measure the contribution of the sector,” the minister stated.

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley is facing fresh dissent from within her own ranks.

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley

But the man who openly challenged her in public this weekend, St James Central MP Kerrie Symmonds, could be facing internal censure by the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) over his public statements.

Opposition MP Kerrie Symmonds

BLP General Secretary Jerome Walcott was very adamant today that a radio programme was not the place for raising  party concerns. He has therefore indicated that the party would have to deal with Symmonds’ conduct at the parliamentary group level.

“I am very concerned about the public statements made by Symmonds. If you are not going to speak at a political meeting, it is not a matter for discussion on a radio programme,” Walcott said today following Symmonds’ appearance on Sunday’s Down To Brass Tacks radio show in which he came out strongly against his leader’s stance that there must be a repeal of the controversial Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

Symmonds had indicated that he would have no part in last night’s BLP meeting at Carlisle car park in The City called to press the Government on the matter.

But even with the threat of censure hanging over his head, a defiant Symmonds made it clear today that he was not Mottley’s “clone” and that it was “not a one person show” within the BLP.

He described himself as an Opposition MP with “a valid view”, which was that the party’s opposition to the municipal levy was too narrow an issue to merit a call for Barbadians “to hit” the streets at this time.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, the St James Central MP, who is also the Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly, further indicated that he was mulling over his participation in Thursday’s planned march on Government Headquarters to be led by Mottley in a show of Opposition disgust over the measure.

“I have not yet decided what I am going to do with respect to the march on Thursday.

“I have to rationalise that in my mind. I have already said publicly that I feel that the Barbados Labour Party has to be very clear about the point it is making to country, and in my view we have to be very cautious about heightening people’s level of expectation beyond where we are able to reach,” he said.

“I appreciate fully the enthusiasm about the lack of confidence with the Government. I share that competely because people are suffering.

“On this particular issue, however, there are some realities,” he stressed.

In explaining his position on the solid waste tax, he noted that the country now has a $1.5 billion deficit that had to be filled.

“Resources have to be found from somewhere. This tax was a bad tax, it has been adjusted. We do not yet even know the extent to which the adjustments are going to take. We have not yet seen the full extent of the ajustments that the Minister [of Finance] proposes. There are still some doubts about how far he is actually going. So I think it is wise that we reflect and pause a little bit so that we understand what it is we are up against,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“However, beyond that we also know that we are going to have to pass on to the consuming public, householders, the people out there, the tourism people, the industrial people and the agricultural sector, an element of the cost associated with the disposal of waste in this country,” Symmonds added.

The Opposition MP maintained that he did not want the people to begin to believe that the BLP could wave a magic wand and they would not have to pay anything.

“My real concern is that I would want to temper enthusiasm with a degree of caution and measured judgment. I am very worried about actions that are premature, actions that are overly hasty. I think that sometimes you can bring too heavy a hand down on something when really and truly you are not yourself in a position to do a lot better. My concern is that if we were in government two months from now, what would our solution be,” Symmonds said.

“I want the BLP to be very clear about its cause to the country. It cannot send mixed messages. If we are marching in protest of a bad administration that has run down and destroyed Barbados, then I am all for it. If we are marching along very narrow lines of a Municipal Solid Waste Tax that has been adjusted, and the extent of the adjusments we are not sure about then I have to say then there is wisdom in pausing and doing a little bit of reflection and analysis of not only where the government is at, but where we would likely be if we were in the government’s shoes in short order,” he added.

The development with Symmonds comes on the back of recent public disagreement between Mottley and her former leader Owen Arthur, who had stated back in December that he had lost all confidence in her leadership.

Political scientist Dr Tennyson Joseph is on record as saying that Mottley should step aside as a means of settling the internal power struggle while his former University of the West Indies colleague Dr George Belle said today Mottley’s ongoing problems were an indication of Arthur’s continuing appeal.

“Once that continues you will have the divide in the party and it weakens the party in relation to focus and unity. This is something that has been going on for some time,” Dr Belle said.

nevilleclarke@barbadostoday.bb

Minister of Industry and Commerce Donville Inniss says Government will not bow to pressure from all interest groups seeking relief from the Municipal Solid               Waste Tax.

And he is sending a message that while Government continues to listen to residents, they should not expect any across-the-board tax ease.

Minister Inniss made the comments last evening at his St James South branch meeting where head of the Barbados Economic Society Jeremy Stephen was the guest speaker.

The outspoken minister said though some pensioners had requested, and received, an ease, a number of them could afford to pay the tax.

As an example, he cited the monthly pension of a retired chief justice, stating it was more than what he earns as a minister.

Donville Inniss

“If we continue to bow to pressure to every interest group then nobody will be touched and the problem would just mushroom and get out of hand. So whilst we listen, I think those who are complaining must appreciate that everything you ask for, you will not necessarily get,” he said.

“The Government continues to listen. We can’t make adjustments every week, we can’t revisit legislation every month but we are certainly listening and I’m sure that the Ministers of Finance, Environment and all of us will continue, as we sit together every week and debate national issues, pay very close attention to this one.

“We would not be so stupid as to conduct ourselves in a manner that would make people feel that we don’t care or that we’re not listening,” he said firmly.

While noting that there would inevitably be inequity in the system with the burden of paying taxes inevitably falling on a smaller group of people, the minister said it was time for a national discussion on the issue of solid waste.

“The discussion has to be about what is a fair and reasonable amount of money to take from you in taxes for the range of goods and services the state provides in return . . . and I think once we get that conversation at the right level then we’re going to find that this country is going to settle, people are going to feel they need to be a lot more compliant with taxes and on the state’s end we’re going to have a higher level of accountability,” he stated.

The minister went on to commend Opposition parliamentarian Kerrie Symmonds for his decision to boycott yesterday’s Barbados Labour Party meeting held to discuss the solid waste tax.

He said while he did not view this as any ‘overture’ towards the ruling Democratic Labour Party, Symmonds was showing a “refreshing level of maturity”.

The Barbados Economic Society (BES) and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) are recommending that Government levy a tax on water as a replacement to the Municipal Solid Waste Tax.

The suggestions, coincidentally, were made within hours of each other, one at an opposition BLP meeting, while the other came at a branch meeting of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Jeremy Stephen, president of the BES is adamant that a tax is necessary in light of Government’s fiscal consolidation programme, and he describes as ‘utter nonsense’ calls for the municipal tax to be repealed.

“Anytime you’re collecting any type of waste, somewhere in the creation of that waste there’s water usage involved. What’s more, water is one of the cheapest public utility goods that we have. When you look at your monthly usage when you compare it to Income Tax or Land Tax most middle class people do not even pay,” he pointed out.

“It’s all about the issue of fairness; it’s all about attaching it to some form of consumption. It’s all about attaching it to a form of consumption that persons need. So I’m not advocating onerous taxation . . . “ he explained.

And just hours later, at a meeting at Carlisle Car Park, Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley said that a tax on water should be applied to all households and businesses, excluding Barbadians living below the poverty line.

“You have 80,000 households in this country. The people below the poverty line, not that they should pay, they cannot pay. Twenty per cent are below the poverty line. That leaves you with 64,000,” she said, then adding the 20,000 registered businesses.

“Unlike the Government I am not trying to get money to pay SBRC (Sustainable Barbados Recycling Centre) alone. I am saying take the whole solid waste budget, the whole $65 million. And because Sanitation [Services Authority] does not have a billing system, but Water Authority does use the billing system from Water Authority instead of hiring people to send out bills.”

The Opposition leader said that added to the total figure must be the $15 million annually needed by the Water Authority, making a whole of $80 million to be collected through this single billing.

“When you divide $80 million by 84,000 [households plus businesses] and divide it by 12 [months of the year], the average payment is $64 a month. But $64 a month is still too high for a constable to pay. And the Labour Party, put a system there in the Water Authority that if you use under eight cubic metres, you pay lil bit; if you use eight to 20, a lil bit more; over 20 a lil bit more; and commercial you pay more.”

She estimates that the average household would not pay more than $20, with an possibility of an additional $15 being charged as the processing fee.

carolwilliams@barbadostoday.bb

Minister of Health John Boyce is warning that Barbados must get a handle on its rising health care costs to ensure it remains accessible to ordinary Barbadians.

Minister Boyce said the challenge remains how to establish a sustainable health financing model to ensure the entire population receives the best care at an affordable price.

Delivering the feature address at Bayview Hospital’s 25th anniversary dinner and awards at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on the weekend, he said consultations would soon take place with interest groups.

Minister of Health John Boyce

“Even as we seek to give Barbadians greater assurance of continuous improvements in our health care system, we must not inadvertently create a financial challenge for future generations. This is why it is important to continue the thrust to find a sustainable solution for financing health care in Barbados,” he said, explaining that the cost has risen significantly in the past years due, in part, to more advanced medical treatment and technologies.

“The ministry is currently in the process of preparing proposals for the reform of the health financing system and it is expected that consultations with stakeholders, including private stakeholders like Bayview Hospital, will take place in the very near future.”

Boyce disclosed plans to meet this week with representatives of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners.

“The challenges we face include demographic changes such as increases in the dependency ratio, technological pressures from expensive new drugs and devices, higher population expectation and, of course, increasing budgetary pressures,” he noted.

Meantime, chairman of the board of directors Dr Jerome Walcott believes the hospital, which is receiving a $5 million cash injection from its new owners, would be well poised to position Barbados as a medical tourism destination.

“Barbados needs all the help it can get in providing sound medical services and health care to its citizens,” he noted.

He said further, “I believe the integrated, collaborative approach to owning, managing and sharing medical facilities is an essential component in seriously positioning Barbados as a medical tourism sector.”

Former board chairman Dr Agatha Scholar-Shepherd, who is herself celebrating 25 years of practicing gynaecology and obstetrics, advised the new owners to address the public perception that Bayview “is a cottage hospital and that if anything goes wrong patients [would] have to be transferred to QEH”.

“This has hampered in a sense the types of patients we treat at Bayview. Still, in spite of this, Bayview has held its own over the years,” she said with pride.

Scholar-Shepherd suggested that the owners focus on bringing the privately-operated hospital up to international standards, among other things.