New legislation which prohibits discrimin-ation in employment on the basis of race, colour, sex, ethnic origin as well as disability is being finalised.

Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr the Hon. Esther Byer Suckoo, said that the Anti-Discrimination in the Workplace Act speaks to the right of people to be treated equally.

“In essence, what it says is that you cannot discriminate against a person in the workplace – give them different tasks, treat them differently because of their gender, colour, race, political affiliation, illness or disability… This is now in the new legislation that we are finalising”.

The Senator was at the time addressing the 2017 graduation and awards ceremony for students of the Albert Cecil Graham Development Centre, held recently at the Donald Henry Auditorium, Bethel Methodist Church.

With responsibility for employment, Dr Byer- Suckoo, also shared that the Employment Rights Act, offers protection of workers against unfair dismissal – the dismissal because an employee is or was a disabled person.

“We included unfair dismissal legislation which says it is unfair if an employer dismisses a person because of a disability, because they are not able to do a particular task. The legislation goes onto say that the employer needs to tweak the task or find something else for the employee to do, you can’t just dismiss the worker because of their disability”.

“This is important when we think of our children here today who were born with a disability or developed a disability very early in life. But, remember we are just one accident, one injury, one illness away from being disabled and we expect to continue to participate in our society. We would expect to continue to find work and where possible not have to rely on welfare…We know the sense of gratification when we work and are paid, are we don’t want to deprive any person – even a person a disability of having that,” she said.

The Albert Cecil Graham Development Centre (Formerly the Children’s Development Centre) caters to individuals from birth to18 years old with disabilities. Coordinator, Grace Mayers thanked parents for their willingness to help and participate in the centre’s various activities.

She also urged parents to continue to push and have faith in their children; always encouraging them to be the best that they can be.

“The future holds many challenges but also successes, always remember that the word ‘ability’ comes out of ‘disability’…Do not give up on your child, the system or the future for when you least expect it something usually happens,” Mayers said.

During the ceremony, the students from the Day Care, Education and Workshop Units, some of who will be moving onto the Challenor Creative Arts and Training Centre and the Derrick Smith School & Vocational Centre, were recognised for their hard work.

The most outstanding student in the Day Care Unit was Chad Giddings; while Anastasia Pollard and Brandon Morris received the most outstanding student awards in the Education and Workshop Units, respectively. (TL)

LOCAL trade unions are putting plans in place to march on Parliament next Tuesday to show Government and the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP), how serious they are about their demands for the onerous ten per cent National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) which took effect on July 1, to be revoked, or adjusted.

The decision to stage the march was taken on Thursday evening, at a joint meeting of shop stewards from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the Barbados Union of Teacshers (BUT), the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), at Solidarity House. The meeting started just after five pm and lasted for about two hours.

BSTU President Mary Redman said Tuesday’s march, which will start at Queen’s Park, and head to Parliament Building, where there will be a symbolic delivery of letters to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and Opposition Leader Mia Mottley, and the two Independent Members of Parliament, is just the first phase of “the plans we have put in place to create circumstances whereby Government may seek to reconsider the draconian measures of their latest budget”.

“As we deliver those letters, we will be joined by our membership who will accompany us from Queen’s Park as we walk towards Parliament Building, to deliver the correspondence. Members of the public are of course invited to join the combined walk and to add their voices and their bodies, to this process, since what we are trying to achieve here, is something that will affect all members of the Barbadian public,” Redman said.

“The taxation measures, some of which have already been imposed by Government, affect not just members of our combined unions, but every single consumer in this country,” she added.

Redman said, though follow-up actions have already been outlined to shop stewards, and how, when and where the actions will take place, the unions were not at liberty to discuss them with the media, “because we really do have to strategically plan further and finalise exactly how we are going to do, what we are going to do”.

However, the BSTU President said, following the delivery of the correspondence next Tuesday, the unions expect to receive, a timely, reasonable and caring response from Government and “at the end of the time period, if we do not get the type of response that we are hoping for, then we will up de thing!”

“Common sense and caring are what we are hoping to achieve as a response from Government…” Redman said. (AH)

THE major trade unions in Barbados are willing to accept a 50 per cent reduction of the controversial National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), which took effect on July 1.

The unions want Government to bring the tax down from ten per cent, to at least, five per cent.

Speaking to the media on Thursday evening, at Solidarity Building, President of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), Akanni McDowall, told the media that the unions were willing to accept a reduction in the onerous tax.

The unions have been trying to get Government to review the tax which was increased from two to ten per cent, in the May 30, 2017 Budget.

McDowall made the point, following a two hour long, joint meeting of shop stewards from the NUPW, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), and the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), at Solidarity Building, where the decision was made for the unions to stage a march from Queens Park, to Parliament, next Tuesday.

“We give a number of options which we would have indicated in the letter to the Prime Minister [Freundel Stuart] and to the Opposition Leader [Mia Mottley], along with the two Independent Members of Parliament. Of course, you know NUPW’s position is that a coping subsidy be instituted, or that the taxes the Minister would have announced be repealed,” McDowall said.

“I think the third position that we would have indicated in that, and which we would have communicated to our members this evening, is that we would accept a reduction of the NSRL at least by no more than five per cent.

“But we understand too that one particular action may not satisfy the population that we are serving, so there might need to be a combination of things to be done on behalf of the Government, in order to bring relief to the
members,” the President said.

Subsequent to a meeting with Government on Friday June 23, the unions have been meeting to devise appropriate responses to Government’s refusal to budge on the matters. (AH)

AS Government continues to look for a sustainable health-care funding solution for this country, Health Minister, John Boyce, has revealed that Cabinet could soon be reviewing the merits of a proposed National Health Insurance Fund.

He made the disclosure as he delivered yesterday’s Astor B. Watts Lunchtime Lecture Series at the Democratic Labour Party’s headquarters, George Street, St. Michael. The Minister of Health indicated that while the Government of Barbados is committed to the funding of our public health care through taxation, it recognises that health-care costs are on the rise and there is therefore a need to find workable solutions. To that end, Boyce said that his Ministry, together with the Ministry of Finance are working to develop a National Health Insurance Fund, which would help to guarantee that even as those costs increase, the entire burden of providing for the costs would not lie necessarily with the taxpayers, but would be part of an investment fund for those who are working and for employers to participate in.

To that end, he said the Ministry of Health has made its final submission to the Cabinet’s Subcommittee on Social Policy on the proposed Fund and the next step is for it to be “shaped” and delivered to Cabinet for consideration.

“So that we look at in the future, designing some kind of funding mechanism, whether it be contributed to by workers and employers, and the level of contribution, etc. can be for debate,” he said.

He made the point while noting that his vision for such a Fund is along the lines of the existing National Insurance Scheme, with contributions from employers and employees.

“I am beginning now to digress into my own thoughts, not necessarily the technical team at the Ministry, but certainly it has to be the kind of investment fund which will grow with time, over the years, and become like the National Insurance Fund – a very strong basis on which we can then draw for special health-care services,” he told those gathered.

The Minister spoke to the need to find sources of financing for health care in this country, as he explained that health care is a major expense for Barbadians in general and the Government, with 55 per cent of the close to $750 million spent on health care coming from Government. Of that figure, Minister Boyce said, $150 million alone goes to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the remaining figure goes towards the polyclinics and geriatric facilities.

The Health Minister’s comments came as he noted that employers, via health insurance, contribute $36 million and households in this country are also contributing to a hefty portion of the health-care expenditure, with the figure in the region of $285 million.

“The estimate is that of that, probably $100 million is taken care of by insurance by private citizens. But the rest of the spend is the one that of course is of great concern, when people have to take their cash, their savings, etc., to help to provide that care. Yes it is a necessity, but at the same time one of the tenets of the whole adoption of universal health coverage and universal health access is one which does not leave our citizenry in a state of poverty because of having to spend their last penny on health care,” he said.

To that end, the Minister maintained there is work to be done to put together alternatives to health-care financing. (JRT)

ON August 10, the Supreme Court is going to hear whether social activist David Comissiong, as merely a citizen of Barbados, has the standing to bring the application for Judicial Review of the multimillion-dollar construction of a 15-storey hotel on the beachfront land at Bay Street, St. Michael.

This is the latest development in the Hyatt case, which was heard by Madam Justice Sonia Richards, in the No. 6 Court, at the Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael, yesterday.

Following an almost two-hour-long procedure, Comissiong told reporters outside the Complex that “the first issue apparently that we are going to be dealing with is the contention of the defendant that I do not have standing to bring the claim that I have brought”.

“So, that is the first issue that the Court is going to be dealing with, and we are going to have a hearing on that issue on August 10, at 10 a.m. So, that basically is where the matter is now.

“Once that issue is resolved, then there will be further developments from there. But, the thinking is that since that is the key issue, let the Court deal with that first up, and let us see what the finding is, where that issue is concerned,” he said.

Comissiong, standing beside prominent lawyer Bobby Clarke, declared that he was confident that he has sufficient interest in the matter to have standing to bring the application for Judicial Review.

“But, we will have the hearing on the 10th and we will see what the decision is,” he said.

The attorney reminded that he filed the case on the grounds that “there was no Environmental Impact Assessment ordered, and as a result, an Environmental Impact Assessment was not done, prior to the Minister making the decision that he made”.

“I am convinced that that is what the law required and still requires, that a project of that magnitude in the World Heritage location, the law requires that an Environmental Impact Assessment be done.

“So that basically is the fundamental point of the case. I am also quite satisfied that I have sufficient interest in this matter, as a citizen of Barbados.

“As a user of the beach, as somebody interested in the cultural heritage of my country, I have more than enough legitimate interest in the matter to come to the Court,” a confident Comissiong said.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, who is responsible for the Town and Country Planning Department, is being represented by Queen’s Counsel, Hal Gollop.

Meanwhile, Mark Maloney’s company Vision Development Inc. has made an application to be added as a defendant to the matter. Maloney’s company is being represented by Queen’s Counsel, Barry Gale and other lawyers from Hastings Attorney-at-Law. The Barbados Advocate understands that while Maloney’s company applied to be added as a party to the case, that issue has not yet been dealt with by the Court, but in the meantime, Vision Development Inc.'s attorney-at-law has been permitted to have an input in the matter in the capacity as amicus curiae, which means friend of the Court.

THE Barbados Water Authority (BWA) has stepped up its game in bringing relief to the hundreds of residents in the north of the island affected by the prolonged drought of two years ago.

On Friday, the BWA launched the Personal Tank Programme (PTP), a water tank storage system managed by the BWA and available first to the most vulnerable in the parishes affected by drought and then to wider Barbados.

The BWA and City of Bridgetown (COB) Credit Union, signed the agreement for the partnership, which offers residents in St John, St Peter, St Joseph, St Andrew and St Thomas, a 400 gallon tank, pump, fittings and installation on a full tank solution under a 5-year interest free hire purchase agreement from the BWA. It will be connected to regular plumbing and filled by the BWA tankers under the Rapid Response Unit during outages.

Delivering the feature address at the launch, held at the BWA’s Pine,St Michael headquarters, the Authority’s Chairman Dr. Atlee Brathwaite said residents in those areas who genuinely cannot afford the cost of the system will undergo a means test and be offered an interest free loan from the BWA.

But Dr Brathwaite stated that Barbadians who can afford the system, funding will be available through the BWA partnership with COB.

“It must be noted here that the PTP is part of the Rapid Response Unit of the Barbados Water Authority and both are managed by Ms Joy-Ann Haigh, who is our Communications Specialist.

“Staff includes administrative personnel, inspectors and installers who will be trained continuously, particularly in effective customer service interaction with a view to establishing customer loyalty,” he said.

COB’s President Henderson Williams, in delivering remarks, said the Credit Union believes now is a good time to partner with the BWA to fulfil the Tank Programme. Williams said the partnership has the potential to transform the lives of relatives, friends and family, by educating and modifying our behaviour in relation to the use of our water resources.

“The issue of water conservation and responsibility for the use of water continues to be of paramount importance to all Barbadians. Certainly, with the issues in relation to global warming. . .

“The point ladies and gentleman is simple. We must take action and we must take action now. We at the City of Bridgetown understand that it is our corporate social responsibility to continue to address issues that will affect our growing and diverse membership,” Williams said.

The Chairman said the realisation of the project not only recognises the social responsibility of BWA, but represents one step towards the Authority becoming a modern, efficient and financially viable organisation, independent of government subvention.

He said, so far, the BWA has completed the Water Sanitation Systems Upgrade project with the assistance of the Inter-American Development Bank, which saw the replacement of 49 km of mains, a reduction of overall energy cost by the installation of Variable Frequency Drives or VFDs, the monitoring of pumping stations through the SCADA or the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems and the reduction of Non-revenue water via the residential smart meter installation project,
all of which were completed on time and on budget.

“. . . The challenge of water scarcity, water security and water management for this island is a real one. It cannot be business as usual as we protect and preserve this most scarce and precious resource.

“Financial resources will be needed to make Barbados a water secure nation. Investment in national water resource management, capacity institution and infrastructure must be a priority in our national development programme,” he said. (AH)

By Regina Selman Moore

There may be a role for young farmers to play in reducing Barbados’ high food import bill.

Acknowledging that the island’s current food import bill is too high, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo has noted that a lot of the food imported can be grown here.

As such, she told young farmers graduating from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture’s (IICA) Youth Farm Programme, that there is a role for them to play in this process. She was at the time delivering the feature address during the Graduation Ceremony held recently for participants in IICA’s 2016 Youth Farm Programme, at Building #2, Harbour Industrial Estate, St. Michael.

“In Barbados, our national production per capita has declined, most notably in the fruit and vegetables category. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management reports that Barbados’ food import bill is almost half a billion dollars,” Minister Byer Suckoo revealed.

She also made mention of the Barbados Economic and Social Report for 2015, which shows that local vegetable production declined by 4.2 per cent during 2015, when compared to the previous year. However, vegetable imports registered an increase of 16.3 per cent. The main commodities which are imported, which registered increases, were tomatoes, which increased by 57 per cent, cabbages by 24 per cent, lettuce by 22 per cent, melons by almost 20 per cent, beets and carrots by 19 per cent and sweet peppers by 17.7 per cent.

“Those are crops which you can grow here and sell here and make a decent living of it. Think of the foreign exchange that we would save and the money that our farmers would earn, if instead of importing, they had the means to supply our market,” Byer Suckoo noted.

She later added, “If we are serious about not importing food and reducing that high import bill, it means that there are many opportunities for those persons who are interested in agriculture, especially for our young people, to be able to make a living.”

“We rely on them because it is not sustainable for a small economy like ours to be spending that much money on importing anything. We must return to the land and we must eat what we grow,” the Minister stressed.

Shane “Stiffy” Atkinson successfully defended his Bashment Soca crown on Friday night in a keenly contested competition held at the Kensington Oval.

The five-hour event, dubbed Phenomenal Friday, saw three competitions arguably for the prize of one, starting with the semi-finals of the Party Monarch Competition, followed by the Bashment Soca finals and ending with the Sweet Soca semi-finals. The last performer left the stage at 4:15 am.

Stiffy, who won the inaugural competition with Tek Off Something last year, dismantled his competition with his popular Tip and Ben Over and walked away with the $50 000 grand prize, a fitting birthday gift for the consummate performer. He said it was a team effort as he called out his Star Quality Entertainment family for their support and revealed his winnings will go towards his mortgage.

The competition was fierce, with arguably his closest competitor Scrilla bringing out all the stops to capture the crown. His fans were waving large flags and could be heard chanting “Wood Wood” even throughout Stiffy’s performance. Some of these flags unfortunately became missiles when the results were announced. At least two party-goers could be seen kicking the fence separating the general audience from the VIP/artists section at the front, loudly voicing their disapproval with the night’s outcome.

The night saw artists pulling out all the stops with Lady Essence and the Fluffy Gal Anthem, which showcased the flexibility of her BIG (Beautiful Intelligent and Gorgeous) dancers, some of whom did cartwheels, head-stands and splits to the delight of the audience.

Coopa Dan & Rhea were also well received by the crowd, essentially re-enacting the Suicide Squad’s Harley Quinn’s jail scene, where he noted that she is Bare Trouble.
Stabby brought energy to the stage with Wukkist, pulling a few punches on fellow competitor Lady Essence. Snap Brandy’s popular Ben Ova and Ride, though solid was overshadowed by his outstanding dancers including the lead dancer who brought him on stage on the back of her motorbike.

Hardware also gave a solid performance even adding in a bit of spouge to his Pop Down song, but fell short while attempting to take some jabs at his competitors.
Marzville also came competition-ready with his Gas It Up. Arriving on stage on an ATV in a hail of fireworks, with drummers, male and female dancers. However he seemingly didn’t spend a lot of time on stage actually performing the song,which might have contributed to his downfall.

The finalists for the Sweet Soca Competition coming up against defending monarch Edwin Yearwood at Bushy Park are: Marvay – Antidote, Lil Rick- Blessing, Marzville- Give It To Ya, Nikita – Carry Festival, Red Plastic Bag- Boat Ride, Sanctuary – Pick Me Up, Shaquille- Collateral, TC- Paradise. The reserve is Fadda Fox with Good Ole Days.

The Party Monarch Finalists heading to Soca Royale to face defending monarch Lil Rick are: Faith- Run It, Mikey- Feting & Brass, Mistah Dale- Soca Famaleez, Mr. Blood- Leggo, Peter Ram- Upside Down, Rameses Brown- Fowl Cock, Ras Iley & Grynner- D 2 Ah We and Saffiyah – Tun Up. The reserve is Kirk Brown with Shake. (JH)

The Barbados Employers’ Confedera-tion (BEC) has been commended for being a valued and vocal partner in the Social Partnership and a key contributor to labour relations and social dialogue in this country.

Minister of Labour, Senator Dr. the Hon. Esther Byer-Suckoo, said that whether it is keeping the Government on “its toes”, engaging in processes to support the enactment of new labour legislation or lobbying for changes to existing legislation, the BEC has been a very active player in labour administration.

“It has also been, and continues to be involved in a number of committees, boards and other mechanisms to support the monitoring and development of the workplace.”

The Minister, who was at the time addressing BEC’s 60th Anniversary Awards Ceremony and Dinner held at Apes Hill Country Club on Saturday night, highlighted that BEC has also taken advantage of facilities offered through her Ministry to facilitate capacity building in the private sector, and has reaped significant benefits on behalf of its members.

“The BEC has continued to take advantage of the resources of the Employment and Training Fund administered by my Ministry’s Technical and Vocational and Education Council, and consequently has assisted many employees in enhancing their competencies, many of them attaining certification. The BEC has also participated in the Competency-based Training Fund, which is being funded through the Inter-American Development Bank and has provided 894 persons in the construction industry the opportunity to attain certification in Management, Occupational Safety and Health, and Vehicle Operations.

“The BEC has also extended its reach to others who are not yet in the labour force. I refer to the training opportunity offered to students in the fifth and sixth forms through the Securing the Workforce of the Future workshops, with support from the Ministry of Labour. These students are at that critical juncture where career choices are being considered. This initiative represents one of the many projects which have been implemented by the Social Partners to enhance the employability skills of job seekers,” she said.

In addition to its focus on workplace development, Dr. Byer-Suckoo noted that BEC has recognised the need to address the issue of diversity of the workplace, receiving annual support from the Ministry of Labour to implement activities focusing on HIV and AIDS.

“Indeed, BEC has been playing a major role in the maintenance of a healthy industrial relations climate, and has supported Government’s mandate to provide decent and productive work for all Barbadians,” she expressed.

The Labour Minister also stressed that government recognises the important role of its tripartite partners and their contribution and commitment to the consultative process.

She explained that the importance of social dialogue and collaboration between the Government, the employers and the workers’ representatives is critical in fostering a healthy industrial relations climate, as well as social cohesion and economic progress in Barbados.

Dr. Byer-Suckoo therefore took the opportunity to reaffirm Government’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with its tripartite partners. In so doing, she assured that the Ministry of Labour will continue to support and collaborate with the BEC and other Social Partners.

“I for one, welcome the opportunity to continue our collaboration in the future on labour and other matters of national interest. In fact, there has been much discourse recently by the Partners on the issue of productivity and productivity improvements in the workplace, and I anticipate that this discourse will result in meaningful strategies to enhance productivity in Barbados.”

During the ceremony, tribute was paid to newly retired BEC Executive Director, Tony Walcott and Secretary Treasurer, Yvonne Cheltenham. In addition, special awards went to BEC’s long standing council members, outstanding employees, past presidents and past executive directors. (TL)

An Anglican cleric has expressed concern about persons not being able to attend church because of work obligations, and is suggesting that this is a matter that the local trade unions should seek to put on their agenda.

Delivering the sermon yesterday morning at the Barbados Legion’s Anniversary Service, which was held at the St. Matthias Anglican Church, Retired Major, Reverend M.G. ‘Max’ Springer, suggested that the unions in their wisdom should seek to establish a time for worship, so that workers can observe their Sabbath. He further noted that this could best be done through a shift system for the Sabbath, allowing those who want to attend church in the morning to do so and then work the evening shift and vice versa. The reverend is contending that this could help persons to strike a proper balance in their lives.

“Jesus came to us to lift the heavy burdens of life and religion from our backs and he reminds us that the Sabbath is not made for us, and not we for the Sabbath. It is there, we’re employed [and] we give God thanks on the Sabbath – Christians, Sunday; Jews, Saturday; other religions in Barbados, Saturday too as well,” he said.

He told the congregation, which included Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Patrick Todd; Retired Justice Sherman Moore and scores of retired and present military officers, that it is important to spend time away from the workload, giving God thanks. He said with the world “getting harder and harder to live in”, this act of worship and communication with God is even more necessary, as it will give persons the strength to carry on.

Rev. Springer added, “For all of us here, we like to pay our mortgages; we like to work hard; we like to provide for our families, but we can spend so much time wrapped up doing all the things and we tend to forget God, and when we tend to forget God a lot of things happen to us, our lives become in disarray.”

The reverend added, “When we communicate with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to us and it directs us and then we can transform Jesus’ thoughts to others who are having problems.”

Through such efforts, he said, persons can live up to their duty of being their brother’s and sister’s keeper.
(JRT)

THE Barbados Water Authority (BWA) will have just under one day’s supply of water for the population, if a national disaster hits the island.

This reality was revealed by BWA’s General Manager, Keithroy Halliday, as he delivered remarks during last Friday’s launch of the Authority’s Personal Tank Programme.

Halliday said while Barbados’ current residential population is estimated to be 286 000 with a population density of 643 persons per square km, water connections increased from just over 34 500 in 1966 then with a population of 235 500 to 95 000 in 1999 with a population size of 268 000 to 115 000 connections in 2017, with a currently estimated population size of 286 000.

He indicated that long-stay visitors are estimated at 300 000 per year. In addition, BWA on a daily basis produces 34 million gallons of water, which is segmented by five to six million gallons of desalinated water.

Renewable water resources are estimated at 44-46 million, of which 12 million is directly sourced by farmers from their own wells and 33 million by BWA.

Halliday said that with a maximum reservoir capacity of 28 million, current consumption patterns suggests that if BWA is unable to produce water in the event of a national disaster of sort, for example no electricity, the BWA will have just under one day’s supply of water for the population.

“Considering that several metropolitan cities in well developed countries have as much as a year’s supply of water, the severity and importance of initiatives by BWA comes into stark perspective.

“The cumulative effect of these growth factors simply means that BWA must radically improve its ability to consistently procure and supply water presently and in the foreseeable future.

“It also means that we must strive to ensure that our national community becomes further sensitised to the role they can play individually with respect to water conservation and to help manage their dependence on water supply.”

The BWA Chairman, Dr. Atlee Brathwaite, said while there is still need at the collective and individual level to responsibly manage the precious and essential resource, the investment in the Personal Tank Programme should be seen as a critical part of that responsibility.

The programme, which was initiated by the Honourable Minister Dr. David Estwick, is a partnership between BWA and the City of Bridgetown Credit Union Ltd.

“With the start of the initiative, the personal water tanks assist in ensuring that there is water supply to parishes in the areas most affected by drought and whose topography sometimes makes it difficult for the BWA to deliver water, particularly after heavy rainfall or a passing weather system. It also facilitates what we hope will be the start of an active culture of harvesting and or storing water for all Barbadians,” he said. (AH)

THE legal fraternity in Barbados and the wider region is mourning the sudden loss of this country’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Charles Leacock Q.C.

Leacock, who was in his 50s, passed away on Saturday night in the United States after undergoing surgery. Speaking to The Barbados Advocate yesterday afternoon, Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite, expressed profound sadness at the news of his passing, describing the man he has known for over 30 years as an outstanding DPP.

“I can only extend my deepest sympathy to his wife and children. It is very sad, very sad and this country is poorer off as a result of his passing,” he said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Lashley. Lashley, who practised criminal law before joining the Cabinet of Barbados, described Leacock as a fair and excellent prosecutor who was a force to be reckoned with, and he credits some of his success at the Bar to the former Kings College graduate who served as DPP for two decades.

“I did my in-service training with him, and learned so much from him. As you know I did criminal law for a number of years and he was one of the top prosecutors – a good advocate who was excellent at cross-examination. As a young defence lawyer coming out and having to come up against him, you learned a lot. He was formidable in the Appeal Courts and you had to be thoroughly prepared when he was on the other side. He was sharp. Actually, an address to the jury by Charles Leacock was a real experience, not to be missed, and many young attorneys will now miss out on seeing the type of skill he had in action. It is truly a tremendous loss to the judiciary,” he lamented.

The Guyanese-born lawyer, who served in one of the top legal posts of the State since 1997, remains the youngest person to date to be appointed to the post of Director of Public Prosecutions in this country. Leacock obtained the LL.B (Hons) degree in law from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in 1981 and later graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago in 1983 with the Certificate of Legal Education. He was admitted to the Bar in 1984. In 1993, he was awarded the LL.M degree in Criminal Justice from the University of London and was called to the Inner Bar in 2001.

Apart from his legal pursuits, Leacock was a devout Anglican and served as Chancellor of the Barbados Diocese. He leaves to mourn his wife Betty-June and two children.

Barbadians are being urged to give generously later this year when the Barbados Poppy League undertakes its annual poppy drive to raise funds for former service men and women.

The call has come from Chairman of the Barbados Legion, Lt. Col. V. Owen Springer, who lamented that the funds collected from the annual activity are on the decline. He was speaking yesterday morning during the Barbados Legion’s Anniversary Service held at the St. Matthias Anglican Church.

“The prime objective for forming the Barbados Legion was to assist the then Barbados Poppy League with the disbursement of funds collected from the sale of poppies. Some of the money raised was sent to the UK to assist the Royal Veterans, while the majority was used to assist the indigent Barbadian soldiers who had served in World Wars. Now some 60 years on, the process is still the same. The Poppy League organises and arranges for the sale of poppies, while the Legion is responsible for the disbursement of these funds collected. All funds collected are now used for the benefit of Barbadian ex-servicemen,” he said.

Lt. Col. Springer said such money is at present being used to provide a small monthly allowance to 26 former soldiers, and also offer assistance in acquiring spectacles, toiletries, medicine and even provide minor repairs to their homes and the upkeep of their surroundings. However, he said it has not been enough, and they have had to rely on Government for additional support.

“…With the funds collected from the poppy donation diminishing each year, the Barbados Government has had to provide the Legion with an annual subvention in order that we could carry out our programme. We thank the Government of Barbados for their con-tinued support in these trying times,” he said.

While expressing gratitude for the State’s assistance, he contended that even though there are fewer soldiers alive who fought in the World Wars, Barbadians continue to get involved in wars around the world, and he said they too may need assistance in the future. As such, Lt. Col. Springer is adamant the Legion’s purpose will never be obsolete, as it ensures that veterans can live their twilight years in comfort.

“There will always be a need for a body such as the Barbados Legion to assist in bringing comfort to our fine men and women, who in their youth put country first to serve, or to be ready to serve to bring peace to this troubled world,” he stated. (JRT)

A number of young people graduating from the Youth Farm Programme hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Barbados, have been encouraged to use the programme as a stepping stone, to further their careers in the agricultural sector.

The advice came from Henderson Eastmond, Executive Director of the TVET Council, as he delivered remarks during the graduation ceremony held recently for local and regional participants who took part in IICA’s 2016 Youth Farm Programme. The graduation ceremony was held at Building #2, Harbour Industrial Estate, St. Michael.

“I urge you soon to be new graduates of the Youth Farm Programme, to take the skills and knowledge gained from this programme and apply them in your future careers and jobs. Use it as a stepping stone for your future development. Continue to take every advantage of education and training opportunities and seek to always improve yourself and enhance your skills,” he told the youths.

In giving some background information on the training initiative, he noted that the intensive summer Youth Farm Programme was first initiated in 2012, by the IICA office in Barbados, in collaboration with the TVET Council, which falls under the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture.

“It seeks, among other things, to develop knowledge in sustainable farming methods and to demonstrate the income potential of agriculture” he said. He also noted that to date, the TVET Council, through the Employment Training Fund, has disbursed a total of Bds$ 211 958 to finance the cost of training and assessment for the Youth Farm Programme.

Prior to the recently held graduation ceremony, Eastmond revealed that 106 students successfully completed the programme, attaining the National/Caribbean Vocational Qualification (NVQ/CVQ) Level 1 certification in Amenity Horticulture.

However, the executive director indicated that as a result of the significant expansion in the 2015 programme, which resulted in an intake of 36 candidates in the Amenity Horticulture Programme, IICA took steps to better manage the large number of candidates, due to limited resources. As such, the 2016 Youth Farm Programme saw the number of candidates enrolled reduced to 25 and also a switch in the qualification, from Amenity Horticulture to Crop Production Level 1 and Livestock Rearing Level 1. Fifteen students took part in the Crop Production Level 1 course, whereas ten students completed the Livestock Rearing Level 1. Noting that these two qualifications are bigger than Amenity Horticulture, Eastmond stressed that the reduced candidate numbers helped to facilitate better implementation and learning.

The Blackman and Gollop Primary School will be placing greater focus in the area of sports in the upcoming academic year.

Principal, Petrona Holder, made this disclosure while giving her Report at the school’s graduation ceremony on Friday. She told the gathering at The Ivan Harewood Centre of plans to roll out a new sports policy.

“Commencing in term one 2017, the Blackman and Gollop Primary School will be seeking to implement its newest sports policy. This plan will be placing high priority on physical activity as a key component in developing not only the physical health of the pupils but as a motivating tool to encourage their academic performance. This policy will be linked to the school’s “Positive Behaviour Management Programme”, so as to develop values of fairness, respect, responsibility, cooperation and leadership.”

She added, “The sports policy will be spearheaded by our physical education teachers and the last Wednesday of every month is a healthy lifestyle day. The plan will focus on internal and inter-school sports. Through this plan a more effective use of the points system will be implemented. In addition, there will be offerings of competitions against students from other schools in football, netball, road tennis and cricket.”

Holder further stated that the “programme was attempted in a small way through football in the year under review and we are hoping that with the support of parents and business sponsors that more schools can participate in the coming year.”

Turning her attention to the school’s performance during the 2017 Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination, she commended the students and teachers on a job well done. She highlighted Mathematics as the subject where an extra effort will be needed to see greater improvements.

Holder used the occasion to encourage the 50 graduates to set goals of producing quality work while at their new schools. Speaking to the parents, she urged them to know what their child or ward is doing in school – to always know their homework and what is going on in their social activities.

There is a call for the issue of the culture of sick leave in Barbados, its impact on productivity, and its facilitators be placed on the Social Partnership agenda.

This comes from President of the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC), Marguerite Estwick, as she indicated that research has shown that some people are abusing benefits negotiated in collective agreements and legislated in the NIS to provide assistance to the real sick, by using these benefits for other reasons.

“It is not enough that we study the reasons why people opt to abuse these benefits. It is imperative that we now look at all the mechanisms that facilitate these abuses and implement the required remedies.

“There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the current and long-term impact of this abuse is untenable. It will eventually collapse the safety net that was created to protect the real sick and vulnerable, or lead to a reduction in these benefits; it will also severely impact the island’s competitiveness,” she stressed.

“We register our concern today that the remedy cannot be to simply increase the NIS contributions.

The business sector understands that there are two elementary steps to a balanced budget – cash inflows and costs incurred.”

Estwick’s call came during the BEC’s 60th Anniversary Awards Ceremony and Dinner recently held at Apes Hill Country Club.

Recognising that the Social Partnership has come of age, Estwick believes meetings must be held at timely intervals with appropriate agendas that “address the urgent challenges before us, and with those government technocrats present as required to provide important inputs to the agenda”.

“The Social Partnership cannot simply become the stone fence at which we meet on some ad hoc timetable, and where each party walking his/her side of the fence, voicing his/her position, simply reinforcing the fence, only to walk away at the end of days of such discussions having achieved nothing,” she said. (TL)

THE Chairman of the Barbados Water Authority, Dr. Atlee Brathwaite, says that the Authority is consistently working towards the goal of bringing relief to residents affected by constant water outages due to prolonged drought.

He said nightly shutoffs to try to get more water into Golden Ridge Reservoir to allow for pumping to Castle Grant Reservoir which feeds most of the higher areas of St. Joseph, St. Andrew and St. Thomas, is just one of the measures.

Speaking at the recent launch of the Personal Tank Programme (PTP), Dr. Brathwaite said the cleaning of Bowmanston well and the lowering of the pump into the well (so as to avoid pumping air as water levels drop) along with examining the potential for the deepening of the wells at Sweetvale 1 and 2, are also other measures.

BWA is also intensifying leak detection and repairs within the Golden Ridge/Castle Grant networks, in addition to improving burst main repairs response times.

Delivering water to affected areas by water tankers and increasing the fleet of tanks to 14, managed by the recently created Rapid Response Unit, is also taking place.

“Barbados is a water scarce country; simply put. We use more water than is currently available to us.

“The government of Barbados is committed to ensuring that this country’s development is not stalled because of an inadequate water supply, therefore, we cannot only rely on rainfall for potable water, and new sources of water have to be found.

“Improved water management systems have to be installed. We are aware of the water desalination being operated by Ionics and we are expanding this operation,” he said.

Furthermore, the Chairman explained that the BWA has commissioned the St. Philip Water Augmentation project which has added an additional three million gallons of water to the southeast of the island; the construction of two, six-million-gallon desalination plants – one in the north and the other in the south; increasing capacity at the desalination plant at Spring Garden by three million gallons a day and completing the Northern Upgrade Project to ensure supply in the most affected areas.

“Actions to implement robust water management are crucial. Barbadians need to change their approach to conserving water and create storage capacity to support themselves in times of low rainfall which is inevitable as the entire world continues to be affected by climate change,” he said. (AH)

THE Caribbean is coming!

That’s the message from organisers of CARIFESTA XIII, who revealed that artists, artistes and artisans from 23 territories have confirmed their attendance to this massive celebration of Caribbean culture, which will be held August 17-27.

During a press briefing at the Culture Ministry’s Sky Mall headquarters, Barbadians were urged to secure free tickets from the Sky Mall Secretariat to attend the Olympics-style opening ceremony and the other events, which are reasonably priced or in some cases are free. The opening ceremony will be preceded by the spectacle of the gathering of the delegations in traditional national dress, who will make their way from Queen’s Park, along Broad Street onto Fontabelle and into the Kensington Oval.

Yesterday, Culture Minister Stephen Lashley, along with Festival Co-ordinator Andrea Wells and Artistic Director Dr. John Hunte, outlined the packed programme, which they assured will be sufficiently spread across several venues to ensure persons can enjoy particular niche areas, and that vendors can benefit economically from the visiting delegations and other attendees. With a pay-per-view component available for some events, the organisers said this will increase viewership to the wider Diaspora.

He also stressed that one of the legacy elements of hosting the festival in Barbados will be the upgraded venues. Telling the media that all the equipment for outfitting these venues are on the island, Minister Lashley noted that Combermere, Foundation, Alexandra, St. Leonard’s Boys, Queen’s Park Steel Shed and the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre will benefit from these upgrades. The Minister revealed that the call for volunteers was quickly answered with only a few spaces left before reaching the target of 400.

Dr. Hunte explained that some of the planned activities will include a symposium which will be held at the UWI August 19-23, workshops, dramatic readings, offering of panels, papers and film. A film festival will also be held at Olympus VIP as well as community screenings in Checker Hall, St. Lucy; the Glebe, St. George; and Dover, Christ Church. A Youth Village will also be held at the Barbados Community College. A closing concert will be held on August 26, which will include a super concert.

Some of the big names to hit the CARIFESTA stage include K’Koustik, from Guadeloupe, former President of Haiti Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly, the Swanky Kitchen Band from Cayman and Boukman Eksperyans also out of Haiti. A Jamaican contingent of 175 artists, led by musical icon Ernie Smith are also expected to attend.

Wells noted that the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association and the Intimate Hotels of Barbados have been offering guidance towards the execution of festival as it relates to meeting the accommodation needs of delegation including offering special rates. She noted that there are talks of branding some hotels as CARIFESTA hotels. “Many are on board. Wherever they (artists) go they take their energy and music. Sites will also be very lively, spontaneous,” she mused.

The co-ordinator noted that a logistics team is also covering traffic management, parking, shuttle services to “ensure life in Barbados is enhanced but not disrupted,” during the ten-day event.

Minister Lashley said CARIFESTA will be used as a platform to “entice the world to recognise that we can provide the cultural offerings that can translate into the inflows of foreign exchange,” he said.

Postmaster General, Margaret Ashby, is urging members of the postal sector across the region to see the post as being critical for the vibrancy of their economies.

She said this can only be achieved by embracing the fast-growing industry of E-Commerce.

The Head of Barbados’ Postal Service was at the time addressing yesterday’s opening ceremony of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)/Caribbean Postal Union (CPU) “Operational Readiness for E-Commerce” workshop, which is ensuring that regional postal management is well-equipped for managing post offices in the current social and business environment.

“I want to thank the Universal Postal Union for its foresight, in developing this workshop to assist countries in our region in their readiness to benefit from this potentially new revenue stream,” she expressed.

The workshop, which is being held at the Caribbean Postal Training Centre, located in the General Post Office building Cheapside, Bridgetown, has attracted 50 participants from across the Caribbean. Topics will include: E-Commerce market needs and key elements; E-Commerce key elements for the Post; UPU Electronic Services for E-Commerce; and Operational Readiness for E-Commerce.

“The fact that all of you are here in Barbados at this workshop says that your countries see the importance of E-Commerce, in not only moving the post forward, but in moving their countries forward.”

Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Gayle Francis-Vaughan, said that according to the Regional Development Plan 2017-2020 for the Caribbean and Latin American region, UPU has projected that parcel post growth rates will increase by five per cent by 2020 – up from three per cent in 2014. She noted that other research on E-Commerce suggest that in 2018, 139.3 million people in Latin America are expected to buy goods and services online – this is up from 84.7 million in 2013.

“You see how rapidly this E-Commerce is growing in the region and of course we would not want to be left out in the Caribbean. And we will of course do everything in our power to get our share of this growing market.”

The PS also recognised that the UPU framework 2017-2020 focuses on preparing posts for key roles in the E-Commerce sector. However, she stressed that there is need for more work to be done to ensure the readiness of regional postal operators, as some aspects of operations will need modernising and more customer-oriented solutions will be required.

“The Barbados Post in particular, with the implementation of the dotpost in 2016, continues to keep abreast with these dynamics as track and trace are offered in its services,” she highlighted.

Francis-Vaughan further observed that since the opening of the Caribbean Postal Training Centre in September 2014, 336 postal employees have benefited directly from training and another 2 000 indirectly, by means of the train the trainer instituted method.

“This goes a long way in building capacity in the sector to assist in coping in a changing and increasingly challenging business and operating environment,” she pointed out.

“This Training Centre has been instrumental in facilitating knowledge transfer and expertise across a range of disciplines critical to the regional postal sector – including but not limited to, Disaster Risk Management, Sustainable Development and Express Mail Services (EMS) Market Development.” (TL)

Each of the 20 students making up the 2017 Graduating Class of the Derrick Smith School and Vocational Centre, have grown and developed in their special needs journey in a way that has surpassed expectations.

Principal Cheryl Rock acknowledged the above on Thursday, as she delivered an address during a graduation ceremony held at the school, located at Lears, St. Michael.

“Each student who sits before you has overcome immense challenges to be here today. Students who two years ago did not have the upper body strength to open our super heavy doors, are now enrolled in our culinary and woodwork programmes. Students who found people scary and unpredictable have made friends and are motivated to engage and communicate. Students who society had written off as unworthy and troublesome, are now starting full-time employment,” Rock remarked.

She added, “Each student has surpassed what was expected of (him or her), to show the world that they are capable of so much more.”

Rock noted that at the Centre, management and staff are ever mindful that everything they do needs to be within a warm, respectful, loving relationship.

“It is through positive maturing experiences, environments and relationship, that optimal learning takes place,” she stressed.

She meanwhile noted that the relationships and connections formed at the Centre between teachers and students, between teachers and parents and amongst students themselves, have helped to make the school a success, two years since its official opening.

Thanking teachers for giving one hundred per cent to the task at hand and parents for their fullest support, Rock noted that though the students graduating were officially leaving, the management and staff will still continue to play a role in their lives, with either a phone call or a visit.

Eighteen of the 20 students were present for the graduation, which saw students being presented with secondary certificates and also vocational certificates, covering areas such as Woodwork, Art and Craft, Agriculture and Landscaping, and Culinary Arts.