Democratic Labour Party candidate for St James Central George Connolly has suggested that Barbados can diversify its economy by pushing the creation of apps.

Speaking in Oistins on Thursday night at the party’s manifesto launch, he said that the island had the potential to create software solutions and apps and that a DLP government would push this by developing technological companies.

“We’re going to build our technology services and scale them to develop world-class skills in technology. So we want companies to invest in technology that will help us build apps and software solutions we can market across the world. We’re going to use Barbados as the asset test to build those platforms up,” Connolly noted.

“While I was working in Guatemala the local power company was looking for a payroll solution and we travelled the world looking for an application for them. We went to Singapore, we went to Asia, we went to Germany, we went to the US, we went to Quebec, and would you believe the best payroll system that we found for a company of 4,000 was made right here in Barbados by a local firm? That is something that we take for granted and now we have that local firm pushing their product in Guatemala. We got people who speak Spanish translating the service for them and we are growing that business. We need the government to be able to push skills at these companies and take the wonderful talent that we have and build it up,” he insisted.

THE launch of the 2018 Crop Over Festival is right around the corner.

On June 2, the First Citizens Crop Over Xplosion will take place over the east of the island, with a fun-filled day for family in celebration of Barbados’ unique and inclusive cultural diversity and heritage.

Organisers are promising that Crop Over Xplosion, subtitled for this year “Tuk-It-Up”, will explore and celebrate some of those traditions, continue to tell stories, all the while gazing into that contemporary mirror at the possibilities for the future.

Delivering remarks at yesterday’s launch of Crop Over Xplosion at the First Citizens #2 Broad Street, St Michael branch, Acting Chief Cultural Officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Wayne Webster, said with all of the focus on the development of the cultural industries and on the cultivation of cultural tourism products as an emerging mainstay of the economy, many developing nations, like Barbados, have been centring their attention on the significant contribution of festivals to the cultural and economic growth in their countries.

He said, for NCF, underpinning the Festival is the preservation of its traditions, identifying those that are core to its continuity, the ones that will be taken into the modern Crop Over and the ones that will be left behind.

Webster noted that preservation does not mean that Barbados does not innovate; it means that more attractive ways of showcasing the country’s heritage to a millennial audience.

“And through events like Crop Over Xplosion, subtitled for this year “Tuk-It-Up’, we can explore and celebrate some of those traditions, continue to tell our stories, all the while gazing into that contemporary mirror at the possibilities for the future.

“Speaking of the future, one of the recently made changes occasioned by the new realities within the sugar industry was our inability to continue the tradition of recognising a King and Queen of the Crop.

“As you know, over the years the harvesting of sugar cane has evolved from a completely labour intensive industry to one which is almost completely mechanised and thus has rendered the method of selection for the King and Queen of the Crop a redundancy,” he said.

This year, the two outstanding workers in the industry who will be honoured are Ernesta Williams from Applewhaites Farm, St Thomas, and Neville Cato from Castle Farm, St Peter.

Also speaking at the event, Acting Chief Executive Officer of First Citizens Bank, Robin Lewis, said the bank is pleased to again partner with the NCF for the fourth consecutive year, as this aligns with their culture and community focus, which is one of the pillars of the bank’s corporate social responsibility policy.

“We strongly believe that by supporting the Crop Over Celebrations, and more specifically, the First Citizens Crop Over Xplosion, this will positively impact the conservation and growth of Barbadian culture,” Lewis said.

Following the presentation of speeches and the cheque from First Citizens to the NCF, there was a mini spectacle with dancers, traditional characters, including stilt walkers, Mother Sally and a tuk band. (AH)

Understanding the breadth of Barbados’ manufacturing sector is not only critical to being competitive, but is key to defining a vision for the sector that is both aspirational and attainable.

This is the belief of Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, while observing that the vision for the sector must reflect the fact that Global Value Chains have become the chief means by which manufacturing activity is being carried out globally, with production activity being dispersed across borders, characterised by creativity, innovation and the use of Information Technology.

He was at the time addressing the opening ceremony of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA) Barbados Manufacturers’ Exposition (BMEX) 2018 “Bajan Fuh Real”, which got under way at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) yesterday.

“A sector that is enterprising, and highly skilled, providing opportunities for wealth creation, job creation and economic growth. It is envisioned that the sector will become one that is bold, innovative, knowledge-driven and export-focused; one that transcends traditional industries.

“Additionally, it will be one that competitively produces products that reflect our heritage and traditions as well as products that are attractive to domestic and international consumers; takes advantage of the strength of the Barbados brand and leverages its tradition of excellence; utilises innovative technology and undertakes collaborative research and development through strategic alliances; exhibits highly innovative and customer-focused management with highly skilled and creative work forces; and encourages high value-added businesses with strong brands,” he highlighted.

Attaining the vision

Moreover, Inniss explained that the national challenge for Barbados is to build a highly resilient and internationally competitive manufacturing sector that can generate annual export earnings in excess of $600 million.

He said to get there, the interested parties must play their strongest hand and work together to align policy and action and ensure implementation.

“Government must initiate actions that will ensure critical resources for innovation are made available and that there is continuity of policies and initiatives that are deemed effective,” he stressed.

“Such resources must be directed towards the priority sectors that we believe will show significant gains in the short to medium term. Basic industries like Furniture and Apparel have provided and continues to provide employment and livelihood for many Barbadians and there is much latent potential in both sectors. Efforts should be made to advance specific initiatives like cluster arrangements for production and R&D, and retail facilities for sale of high value branded goods.” (TL)

Thirteen of the 14 claimants that contested their right to vote in the upcoming 2018 Barbados General Elections were successful yesterday.

Following a near nine-hour day in court, Michelle Russell, Attorney-at-Law, told media that she was very glad with the outcome.

“The claimants were able to be verified and they will be registered at the appropriate time and other people who were recently verified would have to be added,” she said.

“I would like to add some small thanks to Mr. Smith because his involvement really did get some momentum that we were not able to get before.”

Russell attributed the stretched-out day to them waiting on information from the Immigration Department to verify the residency of the Commonwealth citizens.

“Based on their assertions it seems that Immigration may have delayed in providing the information, but I would personally like to thank Miss Elaine McDonald, the Assistant Immigration Chief, who came down to assist us in verifying a number of the claimants and that really helped to fast forward the activities,” she said.

“At least 13 out of the 14 claimants would have been registered, but there were additional persons who were not named in the action who, as far as I know, are being updated as I speak. So the list is being updated as we speak.”

She explained that the list should be finalised today, and noted that after this, they will no longer be “tarrying any further with the Electoral Office”.

Larry Smith, Q.C., attorney-at-law, told the media that it has always been the position of his client to ensure that persons who were eligible to be registered to vote, were registered.

“That has always been the position of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission. I think it has been unfortunate in some quarters that some have thought that there has been some attempt or some move afoot to somehow lead people off the list or disenfranchise persons, but nothing is further from the truth.”

Meanwhile, earlier yesterday morning, during the opening ceremony of the Barbados Bar Association Whitsun Weekend Law Conference 2018, Honourable Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir Marston Gibson, contended that contrary to popular belief, the courts were “not always slow”, as these cases were filed on Thursday evening around three and he was rushing off to hear said cases yesterday morning at 11. (CLF)

A MEMBER of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is happy that Opposition Leader Mia Mottley is comparing the DLP’s 2018 Manifesto to a “kindergarten document”.

Speaking at the launch of the Manifesto at Oistins, Christ Church, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Stephen Lashley, said that Mottley’s description of the Manifesto means that even the smallest child in Barbados can understand the document.

“So she has said, that it is a ‘kindergarten document’. You know what? That is a good thing, because she has confirmed that our document can be understood by the smallest child in Barbados and therefore we are happy, that we have a document that even the smallest child can understand,” he said.

Pulling the book from her handbag at a spot meeting at Cleavedale Road, Black Rock, St. Michael, on Wednesday night, Mottley said nothing in the document meets the current realities in this country. The Opposition Leader said it is “gobbly gook”, intended for another country, but not Barbados, adding that it was an insult to the people of Barbados.

However, Lashley said Mottley’s take on the document should show Barbadians that she may not be ready to hold the sacred office of Prime Minister of Barbados.

“Even if we had any sight on the Barbados Labour Party Manifesto, we would be ashamed to come and tell you that we are leaking it. ‘There is nothing in there that we should be proud about, nothing whatsoever’, so they say, namely Mia Amor Mottley. She boldly held up a document and said ‘oh I got it’. You know there is something in Barbados that we can still relate to, and we relate to that word called being a statesman. No statesman, or stateslady (sic) would do those kind of underhanded tricks.

“If you are going to do that, it just confirms in our mind that you are unfit to ever hold the sacred office of Prime Minister of Barbados. Totally unfit and when you put that kind of short-handed behaviour, short-sightedness and you put Mia Mottley and put her next to somebody like Freundel Stuart; when you put the two of them together based on that kind of behaviour, then you know you’ve only got one choice,” Lashley said. (AH)

THE Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for Christ Church West, Verla Depeiza, is confident that her party is set and ready to fast track the renewable energy revolution, if elected to form the next government of Barbados.

Addressing a crowd at the DLP 2018 Manifesto launch, at Oistins, Christ Church, last night, Depeiza stressed that there is a need for Barbados to depend on itself for energy production. She said the DLP
supported the introduction of solar innovation.

“The man behind that innovation in Barbados, professor Headley, unfortunately left us too early. But he got the average Barbadian to understand that we have sun in abundance, just like how in the Middle East they have oil in abundance. We need to exploit our sun in the same way that they exploit their oil.

“Long has gone the time when we have to depend on others, we need to find the solutions from within ourselves and so the drive towards solar panelling and hot water systems went in the early 1990’s. You bought into that technology. There is hardly a house in Barbados now, without a solar water heating panel on the roof,” Depeiza said.

According to the DLP 2018 Manifesto, as a result of the vision and foresight of the DLP administration of 2008, and the efforts of NGOs, the private sector and international partners, Barbados now has an emerging, but viable Renewable Energy industry.

In 2008, the DLP administration embarked on the bold mission of facilitating the large scale penetration and distribution of PV and wind generating technology on the island to match the current levels of solar water heater penetration in domestic households. Over the last decade, electricity generated from renewable sources has moved from virtually seven Kilowatts to 22 285 Kilowatts. The number of electric vehicles in Barbados has moved from virtually zero to 100.

To further drive of the renewable energy revolution, the government proposes to facilitate Utility Scale Renewable Energy Projects to get 50 per cent of peak demand by renewables by 2026, in addition to establishing a Green Bus Fund to support the replacement of the state bus fleet with cleaner, greener vehicles.

Additionally, government also proposes to provide 25 per cent rebate on land taxes to households with vehicles not powered by fossil fuels, provide incentives for further research into renewable energy technologies and their applications.

“This is not without any thought like a consumption tax on fuel, because that is exactly what it is that is being promised to you. This is about finding ways for you to make an investment in your own future and your children’s future. That is how the Democratic Labour Party sees you and we encourage you to continue to repose in your country, in us,” Depeiza said. (AH)

A Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government is proposing to make medical marijuana available in Barbados, and one candidate says efforts will be made to identify the opportunities there are for enterprise and trade in that respect.

Speaking Friday night at a youth forum hosted by the BLP at the Radisson Aquatica, the Christ Church East Central Candidate, economist Ryan Straughn, noted that in order to get that proposal going, a great deal of research and development needs to take place so that there is a value added component.

Straughn, who was one of several candidates including Leader of the BLP, Mia Mottley who sought to engage the young and young at heart during the two-hour event, said that developing a medical marijuana industry in Barbados will provide opportunities for employment, trade and the earning of valuable foreign exchange.

“To the extent that we will use the regulations which already exists under the Health Act, the reality is that now will open up a whole realm of opportunity for young people to get involved in, but of course there needs to be order… The fact remains that globally there are trends towards the legalisation of medical marijuana and therefore as a government we now have to establish relations, on a government to government basis, such that as a foreign exchange earning component that we are able to identify for young people that this is a clear path to actually improving their lives, and so this is not just as simple as it sounds,” he said.

Straughn added, “Mia mentioned Bajan Bash as a brand, the reality is that we now have to also brand everything that we do in this country and this is another opportunity, that if we do it right and we have to do it right… this could possibly change the lives of thousands of young people across this country.”

With that in mind, the economist made the point while indicating that it will be important for a BLP government to make sure that people understand that getting involved in such a sector is “serious stuff”. As such, he explained there will be standards and quality they would be expected to meet, both in respect of the agricultural aspect of the sector and the finished product.

“… You’re talking about branding Barbados in a completely different way and so therefore the value stream, the income earning opportunities that would come from this, I see as changing the lives of many thousands of young people in this country, should they choose to participate.

“Certainly this Barbados Labour Party government intends to make sure that after the last ten years where there has been little opportunity for young people, that we carve out a specific space for young people in this country to be able to take advantage of that,” he stated.

Adding to his comments, political leader Mia Mottley contended that the old view of agriculture has no place in a modern Barbados. She is adamant that agriculture for us cannot be a plantation driven activity again, instead maintaining that it has to be driven by technology, money, innovation and new branding opportunities

“New Zealand and Argentina have shown what is possible for agriculture in terms of building the economy of a country, and I feel strongly that Barbados has a unique opportunity for the first time in a post independence state to be able to deal with agriculture in a different way, driven by food security, medical marijuana, sugar cane industry, community farming, but also livestock – black belly sheep which is the other major thing I think we need to take ownership of and expand significantly,” she stated.
(JRT)

“By walking the walk, not just talking the talk”.

That says Leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Mia Mottley, is how the BLP, if elected to be the next government, will ensure that it remains honest. Mottley, who has served in various ministerial posts during the BLP’s 1994 to 2008 period in office, said she will not wait on integrity legislation to hold her parliamentary group and Cabinet accountable.

“If the people of Barbados determine that we are to constitute the next government next Friday morning, then whoever is willing to serve in the Cabinet has to give me a declaration of assets that we will deposit
pending the establishment of the Integrity Commission,” she told those attending a forum targeting youth, which the Party staged at Radisson Aquatica on Friday evening.

Mottley added, “I’ve also said that conflicts need to be brought to the table. You cannot avoid all conflicts in a small society; it is impossible because if you really look at it, almost everybody is related in some manner, form or fashion. But what people want to know is that they disclose and that they are above board.”

It is with that in mind, that Mottley said her intention would be to set a new standard to deal with corruption in high and low places. She said both need to be tackled and she maintained that where there are blatant aspects of corruption, “we have to go after it.

“People seek to use power in all forms and ways; and it is to guard against the abuse of power, and the abuse of power doesn’t only come with respect to money, it comes with respect to how you treat to and with people. And I am very, very clear that we have to have a government that relates to people in a way that respects their human dignity at all times,” she said.

The political leader’s comments came as she dismissed the notion that ministers are a “special class”. Mottley is adamant that being a minister is a job, it is not who the person is. Given that, she said her members of her Cabinet would be entitled to live their lives how they choose, so long as they do not disrespect themselves, the government or the country.
(JRT)℀

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is urging Barbadians to reject “politics of cynicism”.

He described it as “dangerous” and declared that Barbados will be worst off, if ever given the chance to prevail.

Addressing the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Christ Church East Political Meeting on Friday night at Parish Land, he told supporters that the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has been up to all of its old tricks.

“Having said that Barbados is in the poorest state that it has ever been in, since Universal Adult Suffrage or since Independence, the Barbados Labour Party is now coming to give the impression to the people, that the same Barbados that is on its knees, can afford all the give-aways that they are promising.

“Mia Mottley has stood up in the House of Assembly on many occasions and said that the problem with Barbados is that we are running a government that we cannot afford. And although we can’t afford it, according to her, she is now coming with measures that would require us to spend even more than is being spent now. But, spending more by earning less,” he pointed out.

“And to suggest that Barbados is on its knees financially in one breath, but then come to the people of Barbados and say that you are going to take away what it is that makes it possible for Barbados to pay its bills and to continue to employ people in the public service and so on. You are going to repeal all the important taxes that earn revenue, while at the same time increasing the expenditure of the government on a multiplicity of services – something is fundamentally wrong with that... And it presumes that the people of Barbados can’t think… It is insult to intelligence of the people of Barbados.”

Speaking in support of the Christ Church East candidate, the Prime Minister admitted that he had to empathise and sympathise with Dr. Denis Lowe, stating that he has been so “badly politically slandered by ... the Barbados Labour Party”.

Stuart, who is also the candidate for St. Michael South, was referring to rumours about the state of Dr. Lowe’s health.

“If what they were saying was true, I am pleased to be a witness to the resurrection of Denis Lowe. Because from all that they were saying, he had either died or was near death… I am pleased to see that he can stand here before you and acquit himself as well as he did,” he stressed.

Moreover, the Prime Minister suggested that the BLP candidate for that constituency, Wilfred Abrahams, brings nothing to politics.

“He brings no conviction, he brings no vision of the future, he brings no philosophy… All he is committed to doing is profiling himself, letting no opportunity slip to get his name or photograph in the newspapers.

“…What we need in politics today, are men and women committed to service; men and women who want to raise the gains of the people of Barbados to new and pivotal horizons… Not people who are just interested in self profiling and building up a CV and walking around the place pushing their chest up, and giving the impression that they are important and very often more important than the people who made their opportunities possible,” Stuart said. (TL)

Barbados has to do a better job of capitalising on the potential of Bashment Soca and branding and promoting that art form.

So says Leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Mia Mottley. Mottley, a former Minister of Culture and former entertainment manager, made the comments while speaking during a Youth Forum hosted by the Party at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel on Friday evening.

“We have to define what we are doing and there is something happening in this country now that we need to capture the energy and move with it fast. You see that thing called Bashment, we need to define it, call it ‘Bajan Bash’, call it whatever you want, but separate it from the traditional idioms of Calypso and Dub. Reggae all along was the discipline and all of a sudden Dancehall came about; that created the king of the Dancehall [who] was not necessarily the king of Reggae. But it created opportunities, and we created a different space for people to operate in,” she said.

Her remarks came as she noted that Barbadians have been at the forefront of developing music forms across the world, but many Barbadians are not aware of that fact. Mottley made the point while speaking about the influence that the late Jackie Opel had on Reggae and Joseph ‘Grandmaster Flash’ Saddler had as a pioneer of Hip Hop in America.

Mottley made the comments as she expressed her belief that Government has a responsibility to work with the artistes to create Bajan Bash. She noted that while the local Calypso art form has developed over the years, what is missing is the
support structure at the development and promotional levels to take Bajan Bash further.

“How is it that Barbadians are at the centre of Hip Hop, at the centre of Reggae and the majority of Barbadians don’t know it? How it is that we have something literally licking – and listen to our campaign music; we have two sets of campaign songs promoting Bajan Bash because I believe in it.

“Do I believe sometimes in some of the full obscenity that it can [contain]? No, but that is another story for another time because I really feel you don’t have to disrespect yourself to promote yourself,” Mottley contended. (JRT)

Caring for one another starts in the community.

This is the contention of Director of Research at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Dr. José Pereira, who made the comment in his opening remarks during a church service at St. Paul’s Church yesterday.

Speaking on the topic of “Palliative Care: Quality Care through Compassion”, Dr. Pereira, in addressing members of the Barbados Association of Palliative Care and the congregation, highlighted the three Cs in palliative Care – Compassion, Care and Competencies. Making reference to his poignant experiences with patients receiving palliative care, he asked his audience to envision themselves being in the patients’ position.

Dr. Pereira, a past provincial lead for palliative care at Cancer Care Ontario, also championed the need for an integrated systems approach to hospice palliative care service provision. Additionally, over the years, he has trained thousands of healthcare professionals across Canada and currently he supports the establishment of Compassionate Communities.

In his remarks, Dr. Pereira also addressed the definition of palliative care, quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), which defines palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the associated with problems associated with life threatening illness.

In attendance for the service were the representatives from Bereavement and Counseling Groups. On Tuesday May 22, Dr. Pereira will share other aspects of this topic during the Association’s Annual Conference at The Radisson Hotel starting 8:30 a.m.

BARNOD’s Job Prep Programme, which is now in its fifth year, has seen 79 persons with varying disabilities being trained to date and fifteen being placed on internships.

This revelation came recently from Eudalie Wickham, 2nd Vice President of the Barbados National Organisation of the Disabled (BARNOD).

“This initiative started five years ago and each year, we try to build on the programme. We initially started with 35 participants in the programme and five persons were actually able to go out on internships. The resounding success of that first internship spoke volumes to how information was shared, not only with persons with disabilities, but vice versa, the employers…(and) it demonstrated that individuals with disabilities are capable of fulfilling their role within the workforce, being efficient and being competent,” Wickham commented during a press conference held on Friday in Scotiabank’s Conference Room in the CGI Tower in Warrens, St. Michael to announce the bank’s support of BARNOD’s Job Prep Programme

“So far we have been able to train 79 persons through the Job Prep Programme and we have had fifteen internships over the four year period. As I said, this is our fifth year and we are extremely pleased that Scotiabank has joined us to support this initiative, because it means that more persons with disabilities are able to be trained in preparing themselves for the world of work,” she added.

She meanwhile noted that 25 participants will soon undergo one week of job prep training and BARNOD’s hope is that at least 15 of the 25 will be put on placement, which allows for a six week stint at a place of business. She therefore expressed gratitude to Scotiabank, via its representative Dawn Jemmott-Lowe, Senior Manager, Staffing and Recruitment at the bank, for taking on four interns via its World of Work programme and she also expressed her gratitude to other employers, who will be taking on interns.

The trainees will be exposed to training in various areas such as preparing their CVs and resumes, work attire, developing a good work ethic, being a productive worker and how to effectively communicate, amongst other things.

Wickham stressed that whilst the economy is “tight” and BARNOD has to be realistic about what is available job wise for the disabled, she wants to see more workplaces reaching out to members of the disabled community and not just those who are between the ages of 18 and 25, since there are many persons who may be older, but who are desirous of contributing to national development, whilst also sustaining themselves.

“We have some of our members, some people with disabilities who are at age 35 and not had one single work experience, neither through an internship nor part time or full time employment. So this is what we are seeking to address,” Wickham pointed out. (RSM)

IF re-elected after the May 24th elections, Prime Minister the Rt Hon Freundel Stuart says Barbados will bid adieu to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

He highlighted plans to de-link from the CCJ on Saturday night during a political meeting in Eagle Hall where he expressed concern about the level of disrespect shown to Barbados over the years by the court, concerns which he said he expressed some time ago to current president Sir Dennis Byron and which he expressed in the House of Assembly of Barbados.

“...A few months before Parliament was dissolved, I had occasion and the newspapers carried the report, to express my concern that judgements coming out of that Court had a kind of slant that I thought was not reflecting positively on Barbados and these judgements were giving the impression that Barbados is perhaps the most inefficient and bungling country in the Caribbean.”

Stressing that this unwavering decision has nothing to do with the recent judgment against the Chief Electoral Officer of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission, he said it has everything to do with the attitude of disrespect meted out to the country.

He said Barbados joined onto the CCJ in 2004 and was one of the original signatories. However to date there are only four Caribbean territories signed on. He reminded that while the Court is headquartered in Port of Spain Trinidad, that country is not a signatory.

Saying that the Court has heard two cases for the year, one from Barbados and one from Guyana, he stated that he is not commenting on those decisions. “I am an officer of the Court myself as a lawyer, I respect decisions that courts make. When I’ve disagreed with them I have appealed them. That is what every lawyer should do, what every officer of the court should do. But I am not going to have Barbados disrespected by any politicians wearing robes,” he said.

He said a situation has arisen where persons have been benefiting from judgements of the CCJ against Barbados, when their respective territories are not members of that appellate court.

“What has been happening here in Barbados recently is that citizens from those countries have been coming here to Barbados and we welcome them with open arms, and benefiting here in Barbados from the fact that we have signed onto that court in its appellate jurisdiction while their own countries have refused to do so.

“And I continue to be concerned. Let me make it very clear, I don’t care what decisions any courts make. Because courts decide, pursue justice according to law, sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong. Even the highest courts in England, the judicial committee in the Privy Council and the House of Lords as it used to be in days of yore, but the Supreme Court as it is today, have had to reverse themselves sometimes. So I don’t try to look for perfection in what judges do and do not do.

“But I continue to be concerned as Prime Minister of Barbados that the attitude of some of the persons sitting in Port-of-Spain, to Barbados and to litigants and to the justice system in Barbados seems to be disrespectful. And I cannot be leading a country that is being disrespected in that way. And recent events corroborate and support what I am saying. Sweeping the floor as it were with lawyers from Barbados and with public officers from Barbados as though they count for nothing. I am unhappy about that.”

Saying that he was one of the main advocates of the CCJ and urged the other Caricom nations to come on board, he said it was clear that was a mistake. “There is no other Caricom leader, not one, who was in the forefront of the advocacy of that Court’s cause to the same extent of Freundel Stuart, not one. I tried to get all of us to sign up, ‘we are regionalists, let us decolonise our jurisprudence’, I said all of those things. But in the same way that judges make mistakes, Prime Ministers can make mistakes too.

“I no longer feel that way based on how I see Barbados treated, Barbadian litigants and lawyers. I am not in any forefront of any advocacy, in fact I think the countries that have signed on to it in its appellate jurisdiction, demonstrated common sense.”

Prime Minister told the crowd that Barbados is not going back to the Privy Council. “Because we are not going backward. But I want to say this, once the DLP is re-elected to office, I am determined to put Barbados on the same level of any other Caricom country by de-linking from CCJ in its appellate jurisdiction. We went in first and we can come out first.

“I don’t subscribe to disrespect. And I think the attitude coming from Port-of-Spain leaves much to be desired in terms of how it is treating Barbados. And I am not going to have a situation where other countries in the Caribbean keep a safe distance from that Court while Barbados supports it and Barbadians are treated with the kind of disrespect that I see.

“If I were saying this for the first time tonight, anybody would be free to claim that I was only saying it because of what has been going on with the Chief Electoral Officer of Barbados. But the fact that I talked about this months ago and said that I was unhappy with the virtual slanders that were being hurled at Barbados through that court, nobody can question my bona fides or credibility on this issue.”

Barbados, Guyana, Dominica and Belize are the only signatories to the CCJ. (JH)

Prior to 2008, there were only five occasions where Barbados spent more than it earned.

Mia Mottley, Leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), spoke to this during a political meeting at St. Patrick’s, Christ Church on Sunday night. As she endorsed John King as the Party’s candidate for St. Philip West, she said that every single year under the Democratic Labour Party government the deficit has been high. Her comments came as she said that those high fiscal deficits have resulted in Barbados becoming the third most indebted country in the entire world, exceeded only by Japan and Greece.

“What is at stake is the difference in perspective, because both parties used to respect fiscal discipline. Both parties used to respect that you had to run a small deficit to act as a basis for being able to bring development out of this country, because it makes no sense to leave people where they are; the government has to be the enabler. There used to be unanimity on the fact that we had to empower and enfranchise people,” she said.
Mottley added, “This is the first government since Independence that has consolidated the wealth in this country.”

If elected the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) will, through its promised programmes and initiatives, improve the lives of Barbadians.

So says candidate for Christ Church East, Wilfred Abrahams. He was speaking on Sunday night at a political meeting in St. Patricks, Christ Church as he called on constituents there to cast their vote for John King on May 24.

“If you read our manifesto and you would see the advanced social plans we have, the advanced benefits we have for people, pensioners, to help make Barbados better in delivery of our welfare and social services,” he said.

Abrahams added, “We are not promising things we can’t deliver, there is a difference between us and them… What is critical for us now is to immediately give Barbadians an ease to allow them to breathe.”

With that in mind, he said their intention is to “negotiate with the unions in good faith to try to get salary increases” for public servants. But, as was stated in their manifesto, Abrahams said if they cannot come to an agreement within three months, a BLP government will give public servants a coping subsidy to “cope and neutralise inflation”.

“We are going to give you a lump sum payment to allow you a little breathing space while we continue and complete the negotiations in good faith. If that’s not a caring government, I don’t know what is and that was one of John King’s ideas… For those of you in the middle class who can hear me, we don’t know what we are going to find when we get into government, so we can’t promise to give you back your allowances that we ripped from you by this government. What we can promise you is that we are going to look at it,” the BLP hopeful said.

On that note, Abrahams promised those in earshot that as soon as the economy allows for it, a BLP government will give those allowances back. His comments came as he noted that the middle class was hard hit by that measure. He went on to say that in the interim, the BLP intends to do away with the “unfair” national social responsibility levy (NSRL), which he said will have a positive impact on the pockets of all Barbadians, from the richest to the poorest.

“The first working day of the next Parliament of Barbados, under a Mia Mottley led government, the NSRL will go; [that] 10 percent will go. Not only that, we were never in agreement to raising VAT [value added tax] to 17.5 percent; we thought it was wrong then, we think it is wrong now, and we can’t speak out of one side of mouth when in Opposition, and other side when in Government, so when we get in, immediately VAT is going to come back to 15 percent,” he stated.

Abrahams contended that their goal is to ensure that Barbadians can again not only enjoy the basic necessities of life, but be able to have sufficient funds to treat themselves once in a while.

“Everybody knows when the Barbados Labour Party forms the government money flows in Barbados and all Barbadians have money in the pocket, everybody knows that. But this government has ripped holes in your pocket; this government has torn your clothes to shreds; this government has made beggars of poor Barbadians, for that alone Dem got to go,” he said. (JRT)

Bruce Hennis, The United Progressive Party (UPP) Candidate for St Philip had called for a “new economy” in Barbados.

The third parties have been gaining momentum with some of their views, and as election nears the candidates continue to express their views to the public. At the recent National Debate facilated by the Barbados Economic Society at Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Hennis stressed that we need to focus on growth and that we need an export-led strategy to expand and drive other sectors such as the creative sector moving forward.

He explained, “We are a heavily import-led economy therefore our strategy is towards a new economy and it really is an export-led foreign exchange earning strategy that is very critical at this time, we launched our Manifesto in November 2017 it was based on that …There is massive market in the creative services economy, but we need to become an export led, highly innovative economy where we are earning foreign exchange and have a high level of growth within the economy. We are stuck in a cycle that has serious challenges, the conversation we have today is a twenty-year conversation, we are at a very serious time, we have reached point the things have to change, areas such as international business services business has died off, so we are back in the conversation let us restructure the debt, deal with the fiscal deficit.”

Hennis referenced Nigeria that their film industry has grown significantly and has positively impacted the growth of the economy, while we continue to sit here and crunch numbers, there are avenues that Barbados can pursue but that we need an export-led strategy that UPP has outlined for Barbados it its manifesto.

According to him, “The reality is that we have to sell outwards and we have that base. We need an export-led private sector, we have to change our structures. The traditional sector can be incorporated in the creative sector, but you actually have to restructure how your economy looks, you have to rebuild… We are not replacing sugar, manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, you are adding another layer to the economy that has potential for significant growth.” (NB)

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is confident that Thursday night will finally reveal “who is who and what is what”.

He said that based on the trends he has seen across this country, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) will be “washed out” by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in the general election.

“A lot of them on Thursday night are going to experience apoplectic attacks,” he told supporters at Thorpes, during the DLP St. James South National Meeting on Sunday night.

“I have heard all the talk for the last few years that the DEMs can’t get one seat. That we are going to get wiped out and all that is required is the ringing of the bell. Well, the bell has been rung now and the sleeping giant, which is the Democratic Labour Party, has been awaken. And they will see next Thursday night – what is what and who is who.”

Stuart, who is also the candidate for St. Michael South, recalled that since the DLP took office in 2008 until this day, they have had to put up with the “obstructiveness politics” of the Barbados Labour Party.

“We had to put up with the politics of despondency; the politics of alarm; the politics of distress… Everything in Barbados, according to them, was going wrong because the Democratic Labour Party was in office.

“And they were calling for an election for the past ten years. Well they have the election now and according to one of the founders of the Democratic Labour Party, the late James Cameron Tudor, ‘When God wants to punish us, he answers our prayers,’ because we are always praying for the wrong thing. And the Barbados Labour Party will find in this election, that they would have been better off if we didn’t have it because at least they would have continued to be a parliamentary opposition, with a few seats in Parliament,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister also shared with supporters that the DLP Manifesto highlights the gains they have impressively registered between 2008 and 2018. Moreover, he assured them that the 30 candidates are people of character, people of integrity, “people whose journey is consistent with the journey conceptualised and conceived by the Democratic Labour Party when it was formed”.

“A journey which is also consistent with yours and a journey that is only out of touch with any journey based on anybody’s bloodline,” he added. (TL)

A common sense document.

That’s how Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St. Michael Central, Steve Blackett, described the party’s Manifesto while speaking at a national meeting in Eagle Hall over the weekend, where he said it is unlike the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) Manifesto, which is full of “handouts and blandishments”.

“It is a solid document, building on the gains we would have achieved over the last ten years, reinforcing the achievement of that particular administration and providing the roadmap for future development. That is what this Manifesto does.”

Of note, he said, was the emphasis on vendors and recognising their importance to Barbadian society.

“I believe that vendors in this country, I believe their time has come to be recognised and to take their place in society and being part of the formal retail sector in Barbados. Because I have more respect for some of the vendors, hawkers, huskers in Barbados than I have for some of the retailers in town and the private business sector who are glorified shopkeepers,” he said.

“I feel that the vendors in Barbados should be the most respected part of the formal retail sector in Barbados. We as a government recognise this and implanted in the bowels of our Manifesto is a new approach to vending in Barbados. A new DLP
administration will view vendors with respect,” he said.

“We are saying in our Manifesto and it is our guiding light in this particular area, that vendors will no longer after the first working day of our administration, or when we enact the piece of legislation to ensure that vendors no longer need a licence to operate in Barbados. That is the direction we are going. They just have to go and register with the Ministry of Commerce and all will be well. I believe we should start treating these people with respect and dignity which they deserve,” he said.

Blackett, while responding to claims that the BLP has always championed the cause of vendors, reminded the party faithful of the treatment of vendors in Rockers Alley, those selling in front of the then Furniture Ltd., and the removal of the kiosks on Deacons Road as examples of an uncaring BLP government.

He gave the assurance that new vending areas will be created, especially on the ABC Highway and other highways for persons to sell their wares. (JH)

With days to go before the May 24 General Election, members of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) took to the streets on Whit Monday yesterday.

Moving off after 11 in the morning from the BLP’s Roebuck Street headquarters, the BLP Motorcade made its way through a number of St. Michael constituencies. The route travelled saw several vehicles travelling along areas including Bank Hall, Bush Hall, Eagle Hall, Richmonds Gap, Deacons Road, Grazettes Road, Pine East West Road and Factory Road before coming to an end at Bay Street.

Party leader and BLP’s St. Michael North East candidate, Mia Mottley and BLP’s St. Michael West candidate, Joseph Atherley, led the group in the vehicle to the front.

As the motorcade journeyed along, supporters, all of whom were dressed in their red T-shirts, waved at onlookers who stood at the side of the street. They additionally danced to the campaign songs being played by one of the three music trucks.

In communities where residents were gathered, some supporters exited their vehicle to greet persons and to present flyers to them, which outlined the BLP’s plans if elected. They also handed out posters, which identified the BLP candidates for each constituency. (MG)

A grid system of electricity sources is one that would be ideal for Barbados, given its geographical location and its susceptibility to natural disasters.

This is according to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister for Energy, Immigration, Telecommunications and Invest Barbados, Senator Darcy Boyce, who delivered the Minister’s Address at the Chief Executive Officers and Leadership Conference under the theme ‘Leadership in an Age of Disruption – Managing the 3 D’s – Digitalisation, Decarbonisation and Decentralisation’ on Sunday night at the Hilton Hotel Barbados.

He stated that decentralised grids would be a better bet for this island as in addition to having safety mechanisms built into it, it can also provide energy if the main grid were to get disconnected during and after a natural disaster.

“Microgrids, in combination with distributed energy generation, provide a system of small power generation and storage systems which are located in a community. Given our geographical location, decentralised grids provide a safety benefit as they have built-in redundancies which are needed should the main grid become inoperable to natural disasters.”

However, before we can embark on such an initiative, we must ensure that we have the adequate technology to do such and that the power generation is safeguarded in order to protect the energy supply from cybercrime, which is growing at an alarming rate.

“Extreme care must be taken that the technology that makes it possible to gain the benefits of smart grids and decentralised power generation is very well-protected. Cybercrime is a fast-growing activity pervasive throughout all areas of society; its prevention in the electricity sector is vital.”

Boyce said that such a move would be cost-effective and new infrastructure will have to be implemented to support this move. This means that the Government and stakeholders in the energy sector will have to address the technological, financial and regulatory matters in order to be able to take advantage of these decentralised energy grids.

“The transition from a centralised to a decentralised grid is cost-effective as new infrastructure will have to be developed and built. Policymakers and regulators will have quickly and comprehensively to address thefinancial, regulatory and technological issues that will need resolution if we are able to reap the benefits of the realisation of the decentralised energy grids.”

“Capacity building will also be imperative as this country seeks to modernise its energy sector,” he said.

He continued, “The electricity sector in the region is right to continue to modernise the grids, focus on energy efficiency and deploy more renewable and decentralised energy generation hubs. For this modernisation the governance in the industry must adapt, we must build capacity and we have to manage quickly and well the many associated risks inherent in the modernisation – but modernise we must!”