First Citizens Bank (Barbados) Limited has committed $40,000 in
charitable donations to three organisations, in support of the
COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts in Barbados.

The three recipients are the Rotary Club of Barbados through its
charitable organisation Rotary Club Trust Fund Projects Inc.
($20,000), the Sunshine Optimists Club ($10,000) and COVID-19 Feeding
The Frontline ($10,000).

Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Carole Eleuthere-JnMarie, noted that
these three charitable causes are serving critical societal areas that
require immediate and continuous assistance. The Rotary Club
initiative is providing essential food items and supplies to support
Barbadians who have been laid off, lost their jobs or source of
income, and those most in need during this pandemic period. The
Sunshine Optimists Club of Barbados is supporting the community with
the provision of laptop computers to sec-ondary school students, and
the COVID-19 Feeding The Frontline volunteers are providing meals
twice weekly to approximately 200 frontline workers.

“We at First Citizens are committed to doing our utmost to assist our
employees, customers and those in need in our communities. In
particular, we are working to support our vulnerable citizens impacted
by the COVID-19 pandemic, by assisting in the reduction of the social
and economic hardships which have now become very prevalent as a
result of this crisis,” she remarked.

Eleuthere-JnMarie also encouraged Corporate Barbados and other
charities to assist the vulnerable where possible, as a unified
approach is needed for the country to emerge from this crisis
victorious.

Beyond these charitable donations, First Citizens has also implemented
a number of relief measures to assist customers through the pandemic
period, some of which include: deferral of monthly loan instalment
payments; deferral of late fees and credit card payments; and other
concessions applied to customers in good standing. Concessions and
special assistance are also being extended to commercial customers on
a case by case basis.

As a corporate entity, First Citizens has noted that it remains firmly
dedicated to its responsibility to assist the people in the
communities in which it serves and in so doing, continues to assess
the local situation to proactively offer assistance to those in need.

First Citizens customers who are currently experiencing financial
hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are also encouraged to
remain in contact with the bank and reach out to discuss their
options.
 

Take Nelson Down!

That was the chant from a crowd of protesters yesterday joining the voices around the world calling for the removal of statues that pay homage to figures linked to the racist colonial past.

Led for the third straight Saturday by the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, the crowd was considerably smaller, but the messages were loud and clear – Lord Horatio Nelson disliked Black people and opposed their freedom.

It is for this reason that many highlighted the irony and their disgust that the Nelson statue is standing tall in Heroes’ Square when he was no hero for Barbadian people.

Respected historian Trevor Marshall shared the painful past, which many slaves endured at the hands of Nelson. Speaking to the media during the protest, he described Lord Nelson as the most controversial English seaman to come to the Caribbean.

“Yes he won fantastic battles for England. In the Caribbean, he was sadistic, narcissistic, callous and brutal. He scoured the Caribbean checking to make sure that England’s slaves reached Barbados and Jamaica safely.”

Marshall explained that between 1784 and 1787, he would stop American ships in the ocean. “These ships brought wheat and flour, herrings, saltfish, corn and potatoes for the enslaved people. Nelson would board the ships, he and his men, and throw the boxes and bales of vital food stuff in the ocean. The Caribbean people suffered acute starvation. Sir Hilary Beckles in one of his books has shown that many people died because they had to eat dirt.”

Nelson lost his captaincy as a result and once again captained a ship during the Napoleonic war in 1793 and won many battles. He came to Barbados in search of a French Admiral in 1805, at which time Marshall said the myth of Nelson’s relationship with Barbados was born.

“Barbadian people had never seen such a large force – ten ships – and thought that the French had come to attack Barbados and Nelson came to save them. So when he fought the battle of Trafalgar on October 21 1805 and won it and died in the process, Barbadians developed a cult.” In fact, Marshall said he is in the process of writing a book called the Nelson Cult in Barbados, which he said highlights the irrational thinking which defied reason of Nelson at that time.

He said out of all of the British territories, Barbados was the only island that believed that Nelson loved Barbados, adding that Barbados was the only country to erect a statue. “We used to go to the Careenage every October 21 and throw a wreath. You know who stopped it? Errol Barrow in 1962. But he did not remove the statue.”

During the speeches, Reverend Wayne “Onkphra” Wells asked the question: “Where is the justice?” “Today our children have to walk in front of this statue. As our Father of Independence said, where is then our mirror image? Will we be forever servient, servants of other peoples? When they erected Nelson it was not a democratic exercise. A few people decided that they put up Nelson, why should there be a democratic exercise to take him down?

Former journalist Alex Downes, who started an online petition to take down the statute, said he does not wish to see future generations going through the struggle which past and present generations continue to rally against. “I tried to start something. I said nothing gets done if no one tries to start something. I am happy to see over 10 000 people sign this petition advocating for change. I know this is a start. I know we have to keep going. Even if this is just the beginning. It is a process not an event. I just want to encourage everyone to keep going,” he said.

Chairman of the Caribbean Regional Youth Council Roshanna Trim also shared her thoughts about Nelson. ”...It is not about saying we will take away the rights from anybody else, we are saying, in a society where there have been tiers and a hierarchy as it relates to race, that in this moment that we will stand for it no more. Nelson must come down. Whether it comes down because the Government moves him or Bajans decide to move him in this movement, Nelson must come down.” (JH)

“Bear with us just a little bit longer!”

This is the message Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Wilfred Abrahams, has for frustrated Barbados Water Authority customers, who have had to put up with dry taps, water shortages and water outages for some time now.

Just recently, the Barbados Water Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project was launched at the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) Bowmanston Pumping Station in St. John and Minister Abrahams noted that the project, which is being financed by the European Investment Bank and CAF- the Development Bank of Latin America, will be a significant step towards helping the BWA overcoming a number of the challenges it has been facing. Acknowledging that the BWA will now have the finance it did not have in the past to carry out a number of capital works projects it could do in the past, he noted that relief is therefore on the horizon for many BWA customers, who have been crying out for assistance for a while.

“I’ve said on a number of occasions that I feel the pain of the people who are affected. It is not the ideal situation, it is not a good situation, but it is what it is. We know the difficulties that we are having. We simply did not have the resources necessary to do what needed to be done before, but we are now in a financial position to get the ball rolling and to bring some real relief, but equally you don’t snap your finger and it changes overnight” Abrahams said as he spoke with The Barbados Advocate in a brief interview, following the launch.

“The procurement aspect has started, the capital works should be started within the next week or so and then we are going to push as hard and as fast as we can, but we still are constrained by things that are necessary for the project, that have to come in from overseas, that we were not able to order before COVID or there are not available on the island and that is the reality. We don’t (for example), manufacture pipe. And it is not just one project, it is Highway 1, Highway 7, the Vineyard Project, the St. Stephen’s Expansion, we are looking at putting in the temporary desal plants  and those then have to be connected to your artery. So there is going to be a level of capital works on a scale that I don’t think Barbados would ever have seen from the Barbados Water Authority at one point in time and the process has started,” he further stated.

Stressing that relief is coming, he however noted that he will not place a timeline on it, but will keep the public up to date on what is happening, step by step.

“The relief is going to come. I am not going to put time frames on it. What I will undertake to do is try to update people as I can and I will be quite frank and honest in answering the questions. I am not hiding from anybody. It is a difficult situation, but it is the hand that we were dealt with and as difficult as it is and as much as I feel for people, the fact is I have to do what I have to do as a Minister and the job has to be done,” he stressed.

“The Barbados Water Authority has no choice. We have to deliver and find ways to deliver water to the people who are not getting any through their pipes. That is part of our mandate and I can assure the public that the results so far are not perfect, because we were contained in what we were able to do, but everybody at the Barbados Water Authority is aware of the challenges people are facing. The board is committed, the staff are committed, the management is committed, the union is working with us,” he remarked.

“Things are going to start to happen. It is not easy to ask people who have been suffering to bear with us a little bit longer, but I am asking, bear with us a little bit longer. Hopefully some rain is going to fall, but outside of that, we’re now in a position to be able to push the projects designed to bring real relief and we have started,” Minister Abrahams asserted.

The last time the European Investment Bank financed a project in Barbados, was almost twenty years ago, when the Bank financed the expansion of the island’s airport. However, having recently been a part of efforts to bring a new BWA project on stream, the Bank stands ready to lend assistance in other areas.

Mr. Floris Vermeulen, Representative of the European Investment Bank (EIB) acknowledged the above, as he delivered remarks recently, during the launch of the Barbados Water Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project, at the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) Bowmanston Pumping Station in St. John. The project is being financed by the European Investment Bank and CAF- the Development Bank of Latin America and will serve to modernise the water supply infrastructure in the country, as well as the island’s waste water treatment equipment. It will also lead to improved water access, for communities in need in Barbados.

“This long pause in our cooperation is something of an anomaly, because in the 1990s, we financed eleven different projects in the country. We hope therefore that with this project, we can set forth more frequent collaboration in Barbados again,” the EIB representative remarked.
“It is heartening to see these investments launched now at this critical time with the COVID pandemic ongoing, with the economic challenges facing the country and most of all, after another long dry season, with very little rain,” Vermeulen added.

“Water supply is absolutely critical for life, and yet, in Barbados, with such a high level of human development, we see communities suffering from water shortages. This of course needs to change and under the leadership of the Water Authority, we can see progress being made in alleviating these shortages,” he further commented.

He meanwhile stated, “In Barbados, apart from the water project, we can provide financing for healthcare costs related to preparations for COVID. We also stand ready to support the creation of marine protected areas around the island, through a public-private partnership”.
“We can support such innovative financing structures, which do not require any Government financial support, through our 70 million dollar investment in the Sustainable Ocean Fund. Marine protected areas will create jobs, increase fish stocks for local fishermen, increase spending by cruise ship passengers and make Barbados a leader in the world in environmental protection and the Blue Economy,” Mr. Floris Vermeulen commented.

He further revealed that it is not just money that the EIB can offer.

“By being involved in many different projects around the world, our technical staff are exposed to the latest innovations and best practices, in their areas of expertise. This expertise is available for governments on request, whether it is for solid waste management, road infrastructure, power networks, renewable energy, water and waste water or financing SMEs (small and medium enterprises). We have people available in our head office, for which appraising and monitoring multi-million dollar investments in these sectors is their daily work and they are happy to share their knowledge,” the EIB rep said.

With tourism teetering due to the covid-19 pandemic, there are
increasing questions about diversifying the economy, which Prime
Minister Mia Amor Mottley said is a matter that has long been engaging
the attention of her Government.

Her comments came during the We Gatherin’ 2020 – The Online Edition on
Saturday night, where she explained that while steps are being taken
to diversify the economy, tourism is here to stay.
“Tourism is not going to go anywhere – we will always have to be that
hub that is open to the world, for people visiting, for people wanting
to invest, for people wanting to transit to somewhere else,” she told
those locked on to the conversation.

With that in mind, the PM made it clear that the reopening of the
country to commercial air traffic will not be driven by any particular
date, but what Government believes, based on the advice of the health
authorities, to be the safe protocols.

“We have said we are going to use a brake and accelerator. We are
going to manage risks. We are going to look at those countries and see
how we can first start with the greatest chances of the risks being
low. There are some countries where the risk is clearly lower than
others and we are also trying to put the protocols in place – from
testing and screening and all the temperature checks – all the things
that would matter in order to be able to get people comfortable. And
when they come to Barbados, they are not only coming to a place that
is safe, but that they themselves would remain safe during their
period of stay here,” she stated.

Her comments came as she said that they however do not anticipate the
same number of tourists to initially return, as came before commercial
air traffic was scaled back.

Turning her attention then to diversification of the economy, she told
Barbadians living overseas that even prior to covid-19, Government was
creating two new subsectors – renewable energy and medicinal cannabis.

On the former, she said the target remains to be fossil fuel free at
best, or carbon neutral at worst by 2030. She said this will involve
including wind, photovoltaic energy and waste to energy into the
energy mix. She indicated that if achieved, this could save the
country between 700 and 800 million Barbados dollars in terms of our
fuel imports.

In respect of medicinal cannabis, she said they have already laid the
framework for the industry and the legislation has been passed. At
present, the PM said, Attorney General Dale Marshall has been working
with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and the Ministry of Agriculture
on completing the regulations. She expects that such work should be
finished within a month and they can begin the licensing process.
(JRT)

Fatherhood goes beyond providing material things, an Anglican Cleric
has cautioned.

The Reverend Anthony Harewood said that fathers must understand that
to love, protect and provide for their children should not be
associated with spoiling them by giving them everything that they say
they want.

“For the wants of people as a whole, furthermore children, can be
easily dictated by the many advertisements of this materialistic
world,” he said.

His advice came while delivering The Church of St. Jude Father’s Day
Service, themed “Fatherhood – A Lifelong Responsibility”, which was
part of the third Sunday After Pentecost Diocesan Worship Broadcast
yesterday.

He elaborated, “In truth and in fact, as males we should see our
responsibility to love, protect and provide for our children as a
great responsibility, to teach them how to decipher between their
wants and their needs, as we seek to protect them from the evil vices
of the world and be appreciative with their needs and when their needs
are met in all circumstances.

“In fact, quality time spent with children listening, teaching and
sharing advice and even experiences, should be seen as being more
valuable than giving of material goods.”

Rev. Harewood, the Chaplain of the Anglican Men’s Association, further
emphasised that the training of young minds should be viewed as
serious.

He advised that as head of the household, the father should remain
cognisant of the fact that the words, actions and attitudes that are
part of the household will play a great role in the shaping of the
young mind, as it is introduced and exposed to life in the world.

“Therefore, the attitude that is brought to bear on the social,
educational and emotional settings within the household, cannot be
simply based on the old saying ‘do as I say, and not as I do’,” he
said, adding that rather every lesson should be accompanied by a
positive life example that will hopefully help to inculcate upon the
young mind the need for respect and for discipline to be ever present
within the home.

“Surely, such training with respect and discipline being seen as very
important will go a long way in the character building of children,
and should provide positive examples of moral, social and spiritual
conduct,” Rev. Harewood added.
(TL)
 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the operation of health services
for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

A virtual rapid assessment of service delivery for NCDs during the
pandemic in the Americas, completed by 158 countries around the world,
including 28 member states of the Pan American Health Organisation,
during a four-week period in May, confirmed that the pandemic has had
a global impact and that the disruption of routine health services
poses a threat to the health of people living with non-communicable
chronic diseases.

“This situation is very troubling because it puts people living with
NCDs at greater risk of becoming critically ill or dying if they have
COVID-19,” said Anselm Hennis, Director of the Department of
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at PAHO.

When the pandemic began, routine health services were reorganised or
interrupted and many stopped providing care to people in treatment for
cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, among others. Many of
the health workers who usually provide this kind of care were
reassigned to the COVID-19 response. Treatment and care for these
people must continue, Dr. Hennis said. “Countries should seek
innovative ways to ensure continuity while at the same time addressing
COVID-19.”

According to the survey conducted by the Pan American Health
Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), before COVID-19,
81% of all deaths in the Americas were due to NCDs. An estimated 62
million people in the Americas are living with diabetes and 1.2
million in Latin America and the Caribbean are living with cancer.
Around a quarter of people in the Americas have a chronic disease and
are at greater risk of becoming critically ill or dying if they are
infected with COVID-19.

In the majority (89%) of countries in the Americas that responded to
the survey, ministry of health staff designated to work on NCD
services have been partially or totally redirected to work on the
COVID-19 response.

Postponement of screening programs (e.g., for breast and cervical
cancer) has also been widespread (43% of countries), in accordance
with WHO’s initial recommendation to minimize non-urgent care in
health facilities during the pandemic.

The most common reasons for interrupting or reducing services were:
cancellation of scheduled treatments, reduced availability of public
transportation, fear of visiting health care centers, and staff
shortages due to reassignments to support the COVID-19 response. Also,
some countries experienced disruptions in their supply chains and
faced challenges in the distribution of drugs and health products, all
of which has affected patients’ access to services.

Due to COVID-19, the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP)
has implemented new payment options as it seeks to protect its
membership.

While reopening today, Monday June 22, President Marilyn Rice-Bowen is
urging the 27 000 strong membership to embrace the alternatives
instead of coming to the Hastings, Christ Church headquarters.

As of Wednesday, June 24 members will be able to pay fees at Surepay
outlets islandwide or Surepay online, or via their online accounts at
First Citizens; City of Bridgetown Co-operative Credit Union; Barbados
Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union Limited; as well as mMoney,
or the drop box for cheques only located outside of the BARP building.

“In addition to our reopening, we have been working behind the scenes
to offer our members online opportunities. It is their health and
safety that we are concerned about and though a lot of protocols have
been relaxed, COVID is still here, so we need to ensure that we
protect our seniors – we want to keep our members indoors,” Rice-Bowen
stressed.

“I am therefore encouraging the children and grandchildren and nieces
and nephews of our members – because you are more tech savvy – show us
how much you care for your loved ones by allowing them to use your
accounts, so you will pay those membership dues or premiums for your
loved ones, thus ensuring that they stay home.”

Furthermore, with an expired membership of about 7 000, BARP Interim
General Manager, Betty Proute is calling on those persons to not all
turn up on Monday, but to use one of the new payment options; or if
unable to do so, listen out for when to come to BARP.

She therefore revealed that persons whose membership expired between
February and April are welcome to visit BARP on June 22nd to July
10th; those with an expiry date in May, from July 13th to July 22nd;
and those with an expiry date in June and July, from July 23rd
onwards.

“We know you want to renew your membership, but we are working with a
plan to make sure we do so safely,” she expressed.

“We expect to see less people turn up at BARP because of online
options…So we are encouraging you to please wait your turn, we will
reach you, but please do not show up next week. This is very important
because we cannot allow more than 250 to turn up at BARP, we don’t
even want 100 – we do not want any lining up in this area because it
will be against the protocols for safe business.”

Persons doing business at BARP office must comply with all health
protocols – wear a mask, undergo temperature checks and sanitizing of
hands on arrival, and must engaged in physical distancing while there.
(TL)

After three months of inactivity, hundreds will be hitting the trails
again as the Barbados Hiking Association resumed their schedule
yesterday.

With their last meeting seeing them making a loop from Graeme Hall
Agricultural Station on March 15, many hungry hikers had their
appetites sated when things picked back up at the Bulkeley Sugar
Factory.

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate after yesterday’s hike, President
Sandra Archer explained that with restrictions being relaxed as much
as they have, the Association and its followers were happy to be able
to get back to the outdoors.

“It has been great! The hikers were just chomping at the bit. They
were just ready to come out again. As hikers we are accustomed to
being out on the trails rather than cooped up in quarantine for so
long and it was a bit much. So we’re excited and happy to be back
out,” she said.

With close to 100 persons split into four groups traversing the fields
and hills of St. George, Archer said that the response for the first
hike was a good one but not overwhelming, as hikers were still able to
observe physical distancing.

“Each group had a good crowd and we had good weather – nice and
overcast. A bit humid, but good.”

The Association curates and leads hikes every Sunday and with the
COVID-19 pandemic stealing 16 outings, Archer said that one event in
particular would have been the most missed.

“We did miss the Hill Challenge – our major event for the year. That
was very hard for us because we had started training. We had groups
coming in from Trinidad – we had about 25 persons coming in from
Trinidad and they were all booked and ready to come, so that was a
major loss,” she said.

With a stacked calendar for the remainder of the year, Archer
explained that there were not many other big events as the Colin
Hudson Memorial Great Train Hike was not affected as it came in
earlier part of the year.

“We’ve got to feel out this year to see how things go. Since this
whole thing [COVID] it is new and totally different. We don’t have any
major events though. We have our Independence hike for sure – the long
hike that we usually have on Independence Day. We had to cancel the
Hill Challenge for this year so we’re going to do it next year. For
this year, we are just going to take it easy,” she added.
(MP)

Barbados has “done remarkably well” in its handling of the covid-19 pandemic.

That’s the view of Sir George Alleyne, former Director General of the
Pan American Health Organisation.

His comments came on Saturday evening during a zoom call with the
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, as he along with other Barbadians in
the Diaspora took part in We Gatherin’ 2020 – The Online Edition,
during which Prime Minister Mottley along with Members of Cabinet and
the Government, took time to respond to questions and concerns from
Barbadians living overseas.

Barbados, up to yesterday, had recorded 97 cases of covid-19, of which
seven persons succumbed to the virus, 85 have recovered and five
remain in isolation.

“Over the years you have established health systems, resilient health
systems. And what do I mean by resilient health systems? Systems that
can respond before a crisis, during a crisis and after a crisis and I
would compliment you on the health systems you developed. Barbados has
been traditionally well known for its public health staff and I would
like to highlight not only the doctors, but also the public health
nurses, who have been really remarkable over the years. So in terms of
what Barbados has done, and the tactics you have adopted, I would give
you really very, very high marks indeed,” he said.

Noting that attention must of necessity be placed on the country’s
approach post-covid, Sir George said that one thing he would wish
government to think about, is what it will do to ensure that
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) get adequate attention.

His comments came as he reflected on the negative and sometimes fatal
impact which covid-19 has on patients who have NCDs.

“There is one aspect that is near and dear to my heart – the group
that has the highest mortality as a result of covid are the elderly
and those that have one of the chronic diseases. So the question is,
how do you post-covid, put in place the things to stop the development
of these diseases?” he said.

With that in mind, the renowned doctor called for special attention to
be placed on children and adolescents, to ensure that they do not
engage in activities that would lead to them developing any of those
non-communicable diseases like diabetes or hypertension.

“Make sure they don’t smoke, make sure they don’t become obese,
because those are the two things that are going to lead to them
developing the non-communicable diseases that would make them
especially vulnerable to any pandemic that does occur,” he stated.

In response, Prime Minister Mottley while accepting the commendation
on the response to covid, explained that it had as its foundation the
work of decades of continuity as successive governments have given
high priority to public health systems.

“We were worried in the last few years because some of the capacity
was being tested in a way that we felt was perhaps a little rough for
it, but what we did at the beginning is say we did not want people to
go to the QEH if we could help it. We can’t guarantee that they would
never go there, but we would try our best to keep it out of the QEH,”
she said.

As such, she said spending money to retrofit Harrison’s Point and
equip it with 78 critical care beds and 120 tertiary beds was money
well spent. She indicated that those steps have the country in a much
stronger position than on March 28, when the public health emergency
lockdown began.
(JRT)

THE local media fraternity has lost one of its own.

A wave of shock, horror and disbelief spread across the country as news spread of a double murder in Bishop’s Court Hill in St. Michael.

Tragically one of the island’s dynamic photographers, 22-year old Christoff Griffith, an employee at the Nation newspaper lost his life while responding to a murder scene.

The media understands that Griffith of Layne’s Gap Brittons Hill, was at the time responding to the murder of Glenroy James of Grazettes, St. Michael. He arrived on the scene before the police.

Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Rodney Inniss while speaking to the media late yesterday evening, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, noting that Griffith is the son of a police officer.

“We are still on the lookout for any suspect who may be connected to the matter. There is a person of interest who is assisting with our investigation at this stage,” he said.

The media understands that two workers of A& B Pest Control contracted to carry out work on the property came across the first body. They left the scene and alerted the matter to the Hastings Police Station. Inspector Inniss noted that the scene falls within the District A catchment. “When we did a further check, we realised it wasn’t one but two indvidiuals deceased at the scene.”

Members of the media fraternity gravitated to the scene, some with tears flowing freely for Griffith whose professionalism and endearing character made him a friend to all. One journalist could be heard saying, “It could have been any of us.”

Anglican Bishop John Maxwell was on the scene early in the day and offered his condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the Diocese of Barbados and the Diocesan Trustees in charge of the property. He said work to remove asbestos from the property began last week.

The Police PRO assured that investigations are active.

The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has
made the decision to administer the Barbados Secondary Schools’
Entrance Examination (BSSEE) at the 21 government secondary schools,
as has been done in previous years.

Acting Chief Education Officer, Joy Adamson, said that while requests
were made for Class Four students to write the examination at their
respective primary schools (101 examcentres) it would create a
logistics challenge. She explained that it would require “extensive
human resources”, including Ministry personnel, supervisors,
invigilators and police officers, which are currently not available.

“The BSSEE 2020 will be administered at the twenty-one government
secondary schools and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of
Technology (SJPI). Secondary school teachers will supervise the
examination as usual. The administrators at the centres will be
responsible for the layout of the rooms to maintain the required
physical distancing of six feet apart. A police officer will be
stationed at each centre,” Mrs. Adamson stated.

The structure of the exam will also remain the same with students
having 30 minutes to complete the essay, followed by the English
paper, which will be one hour and 20 minutes in duration, and then the
Mathematics paper, which will be allotted one hour and 15 minutes.
There will be a break between the English and Mathematics papers.

Guidelines for the operation of the day will be forwarded to the
parents and guardians of students sitting the exam.

ONE government minister is highlighting the need for a Police Complaints Authority that “works”.

Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Marsha Caddle, highlighted the need for greater transparency to instil a greater sense of trust in citizens.

“There is a notion that calling for greater police accountability means that you don’t like the police. Let’s be real. There is a notion that if you say, ‘I want to know what happened to that young man who went into that police station on that date’; and that if you support calls for transparency and investigations into accounts of police brutality that you are anti-police. That could not be further from the truth. I think it is the opposite. I want the police to be trusted by citizens because if they are trusted, it makes them more effective at their jobs and makes us all safer.

“So we need to have a Police Complaints Authority that works, that responds in a timely way. We need to have a culture, a tradition, a practice that if there are questions around any kind of police activity that those questions can be easily answered with records, with evidence that we make this business transparent, because suspicion and mistrust destroy societies,” she said.

Caddle noted that while it was important to put the necessary resources in the hands of the police to ensure they could carry out their role, the most important resource was a relationship with the community.

She told the Lower House yesterday as it brought forward a resolution on Black Lives Matter, that all institutions of the state should be transparent and held accountable for any misdeeds.

“I as a minister of Cabinet want us to use every single tool at our disposal to keep me accountable, because I detest the notion that people who come to serve in political life cannot be trusted,” she stressed. (JMB)

Leader of the Opposition, Bishop Joseph Atherley, has criticised the
decision that was taken by the current Administration to disband the
Commission for Pan African Affairs.

He was speaking yesterday in the House of Assembly as he made his
contribution to the debate on a private member’s resolution denouncing
anti-black racism, as he noted that the now defunct Commission was one
of the first agencies that went on the “chopping block” under the
Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme.

“I don’t know that it was the right thing to do. You can do that if
you are going to establish something better, and I think Government
must clearly set out what better it has established because the Pan
African Commission was set up as one of the entities to help us in
this struggle,” he said.

Meanwhile, turning his attention to some of the challenges faced by
the predominantly black population in this country, he said that even
though for decades there has been a black political class in this
country and that steps have been taken to change “markedly” the
situation in Barbados, they have not done enough or gone far enough to
enfranchise black people.

“And sometimes we have had to question the level of energy and effort
and the level of vision and quality of that vision that obtains. And I
am saying there is a lot of room for improvement. We must seek to
reduce reliance on the power and influence of the economic class
behind the scenes that pulls the stings... This is the black political
class I am talking about – we must seek to reduce reliance upon the
political influence and clout of the elite economic interest that
operate behind the scenes,” he challenged fellow Members of
Parliament.

Atherley made the point while contending that the landslide win by the
Barbados Labour Party in May 2018, puts as their “prime mandate” to
further the process of economic democracy in this country. He spoke of
the work of Sir Grantley Adams, Errol Barrow and J. M. G. M ‘Tom’
Adams in making Barbados what it is today, contending the work of the
political class is not over.

“There are things that the political class has done from time to
time... I am saying the primary mandate for this Administration is to
further the process of economic democracy in Barbados, by further
universalising ownership patterns in Barbados – whether you are
talking about land or capital or business. And if they don’t do that,
irrespective of whatever else they may achieve, in my view if that is
not done by this Administration in the time that it has, then I would
have to say that they have failed to fulfil a significant mandate,” he
stated.

His comments came as he said that though slavery has come to an end,
the notion of stewardship is still alive and the country needs to move
beyond that and “become successors” with respect to ownership of land,
business and capital.

“And you know why Mr. Speaker? Because Black lives matter. You know
why Mr. Speaker? Because all Black lives matter. And so that paradigm
has continued to change and progress must continue to be had and
realised. He who now works as a labourer on the land, must be able to
aspire to own a piece of the land. He who works now as a labourer on
somebody’s plantation must aspire one day to be able to own a
plantation. The reality is Mr. Speaker, Black lives matter and if all
Black lives matter, these things are pertinent and these things fall
immediately to our concern, our consideration, our reflection; and
they fall immediately within our power to address,” he maintained.
 

The European Union has a vision to provide grants and loans together
in a financing package  so that it can improve the financing
conditions that it offers its partner countries.

Ambassador Daniela Tramacere, Head of the EU Delegation to Barbados,
the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM noted the
above as she spoke recently during the launch of the Barbados Water
Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project by the Barbados Water
Authority. The project is being financed by the European Investment
Bank and CAF –  the Development Bank of Latin America.

“Barbados is a high income country, but that is of no relevance for
the European Union’s eligibility criteria for concessional financing.
I am very happy to announce that thanks to a three million Barbados
dollar grant, that we have been able to offer concessional financing
to the Government of Barbados for this critical sector. We are also
proud to be able to share our expertise for such a critical sector,
for the benefit of the people of Barbados,” the Ambassador commented.

“The European Investment Bank is able to offer such concessional
financing for any project  that is related to climate action, be that
in the renewable energy space or improving resilience to climate
change,” she added.

“This project is also related to our disaster risk reduction work.
After Hurricanes Maria and Irma, the European Union has pledged
support for reconstruction and disaster risk reduction, for an
equivalent of 680 million Barbados dollars. We delivered,” she also
stated.

Ambassador Tramacere further revealed that the EU has placed the
equivalent of 90 million Barbados dollars into the Caribbean
Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, to facilitate pay-outs to
countries in the event of extreme weather events such as hurricanes,
earthquakes and flooding.

“With the current COVID crisis, we specifically used the equivalent of
twenty-two million Barbados dollars, to reduce the premiums that
governments need to pay to the facility. Thus, these savings can be
made available to boost social programmes in all the countries
concerned, including Barbados.

“Indeed, the EU supports the countries in the region and Barbados, in
many, many sectors. From trade to human rights, to justice and
security, to climate change resilience and private sector development.
Not forgetting, of course, renewable energy and the green energy
transformation which Barbados is pioneering. For instance, we are
providing 125 million Barbados dollars of support for green energy for
the Eastern Caribbean. We work with partners such as the World Bank
UNDP and the Caribbean Development Bank.

“In total, the European Union has provided 4.5 billion Barbados
dollars to the region in the last five years. All of this is grant
money to make life better for the citizens of the region” Tramacere
said. (RSM)
 

Member of Parliament for Christ Church South, attorney-at-law Ralph
Thorne has lauded the efforts in Barbados to join the voices of those
pushing the precept that Black Lives Matter.
Leading off the debate on a private member’s resolution in support of
the international Black Lives Matter campaign and against anti-black
racism in general, Thorne said that the march which took place in
Barbados was not exclusively against the death of African American
George Floyd when an officer knelt on him for almost nine minutes, but
also the historical relationship of injustice.

“Why was it pleasing? And why was it so different from other protests?
Because we have had several protests in this country before. We have
several protests in London before, we have had several protests across
the Western Hemisphere, but now it reaches into Japan and young
Japanese are protesting against a history of injustice. And even
Barbados found it possible that the sons and daughters of the
Europeans, Africans and Indians marched together. What beautiful
humanity, how beautiful is human- kind when humankind is joined in a
common cause. To me that was a beauty of human conduct that was worthy
of emulation,” he said.

His comments came as he said the resolution he was introducing to the
House of Assembly was not “any reinvention of the wheel” as similar
resolutions against racism have been debated and passed in various
international arenas.

“... not least of all the United Nations, and it is not to say that we
regard the United Nations with any greater reverence that the other
international bodies – the Organisation of African Unity, the
Organisation of American States [and] the European Community. Several
international bodies across this globe Your Honour, have in the past
recognised the importance of these resolutions and they have
recognised the importance of a commitment and man’s recommitment to
the re-eradication of anti-black racism as it afflicts all corners of
this globe,” he stated.

The Government backbencher said that young people across the world
have reacted with the “voice of protest” to the killing of George
Floyd. He believes this overwhelming support for the cause has been
because of the violent and callous way he died.

“The nature of that criminal act encapsulates a relationship between
Europe and Africa... It was as if a minute represented a generation,
and I believe a generation is 33 years or thereabouts. It was as if
three minutes represented a century and nine minutes represented three
centuries of a terrible relationship between Europe and Africa,” he
stated. (JRT)
 

As the country tries to come to grips with the brutal slaying of two
men at the abandoned residence of the Anglican Bishop of Barbados on
Monday, several MPs expressed their condolences during yesterday’s
meeting of the Lower House.

Glenroy James, 51, of Grazettes; and photojournalist Christoff
Griffith, 25, of Brittons Hill, were attacked and killed by an
assailant while on the Bishop’s Court Hill compound.

Extending her sympathies to their families, Minister in the Ministry
of Economic Affairs and Investment and MP for St. Michael South
Central, Marsha Caddle, acknowledged her constituent and friend
Griffith and described him as a young man she had become fond of over
the years.

“I want to say that Christoff was an example of one of these young
people who was helping to lead the charge of revolution and
transformation. Even in his quietness, he was fearless and had the
kind of genteel, but bold nature that we do not see much of nowadays.
I want to offer condolences to his parents, his siblings, his entire
family; to the community of Brittons Hill and all of St. Michael South
Central who miss him deeply, and we will continue to do so; to the
journalism fraternity; to all of us in Barbados, we lost someone who
would have gone on to great things,” she said.

Also paying his respects, backbencher and Queen’s Counsel Ralph Thorne
stated, “I believe Mr. Griffith was involved in the business of
journalism, and the business of journalism and the business of
politics often coincide, and all the more reason why we shall miss him
and miss him terribly. To his family, to his friends and to his
colleagues at the Nation and to his larger family at the One Caribbean
Corporation, I express my own sympathies and I know that the House
would join in this expression.”

Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley also expressed sympathy to
the James and Griffith families.

OPPOSITION Senator Caswell Franklyn charged yesterday that the Government has been collecting the increased bus fare illegally for over a year and says heads should roll for this misstep.

Franklyn was at the time speaking yesterday during the debate on the Transport Authority (Validation) Bill 2020 Public Transport and the (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020.

Franklyn maintained that a minister cannot raise bus fares in a budget. “A budget is for taxes. Where you can collect a tax, you can increase a tax or introduce a new tax. Bus fares are not taxes. So you cannot raise bus fares in a budget.

But even if you could, the Government would have had four months in which to bring legislation to Parliament to validate what the minister spoke in the budget.”

He referred to the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, which he said is the act that enables the Minister to come to Parliament and speak a tax into law.

“If you look at the interpretation section of the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, it says tax includes all assessment, charges, duties, fees, rates, impositions and other levies, however called; the proceeds of which are payable into the Consolidated Fund as part of the revenues into Barbados.

“I do not know if at the end of the day people who collect bus fares take them and put them in the Consolidated Fund. That is the only way it could be a tax.

“What must be done and I have seen it before, where the Minister announces that there would have been a bus fare increase immediately after the budget, the Order was laid in Parliament. So it wasn’t really raised in the budget, it was raised in the Order that came immediately after the budget. He just announced it in the budget and let people know this is what we are going to do.

“We have a situation where the Minister without necessarily checking the law, imposes an increase in bus fares. That means from April 15 last year, the people in this country have been paying increased bus fare without any lawful authority.

“There has been no law in place that would have given the bus companies permission to collect bus fare. I ain’t see anybody marching down Broad Street talking about this. These are things that

affect the black lives in this country, you know. These are the poor people who pay bus fare and I didn’t see anybody get up and march.”

It is against this backdrop that the Opposition senator criticised the Government’s management of the country’s affairs. “We have a government out of control,” he opined.

“That is doing whatever it likes. Without any restraint. We know what that is. You are abusing your majority and you are doing whatever you like and then figure you can pass a Validation Bill. You cannot validate this!” he exhorted.

“It cannot be validated. Let me explain to you why. You cannot raise bus fare, so you are actually causing people, the Transport Board and others to take away people’s money, money is property, without due process of law. Now you must compensate persons... the only thing you could do is pay back the bus fare. But how are you going to do that? It is virtually impossible. It is impossible because when you get in a bus and you pay, you don’t keep receipts.

“There is no authority to charge $3.50, and we have a very passive society that goes along and lets this Government do as it likes. I’m not questioning the will of the people of this country. They elected a government and they gave them all of the seats. But at the same time, you must recognise that you have an awesome responsibility to govern with wisdom first. You must realise that when you are given this type of responsibility, you cannot abuse it. There is some saying about from whom much is given, much is expected. We do not expect the Government to behave like this.

“You must apologise to the country for this. You must apologise to everybody who has paid the additional $1.50 since last year and say, ‘Sorry, we made a mistake.’ You don’t come in here and just wave it over and say you validate this. This is an illegality. You must validate a tax. This is not a tax.

“Some head should roll for this. The Minister should find out who is responsible and deal with them,” he maintained.

Senator Franklyn also complained that each legislator is entitled to receive a copy of the Laws of Barbados. “I have not received mine in two years, but I go on Parliament’s website and I look to see when these bills come before me to see if I can use the information on the website, but sometimes they are not updated.”

Senator Franklyn said he must be given the tools to do the job, which he takes very seriously.

WITH as many as 70 Transport Board buses on the road compared to 600 public service vehicles, Senator Lucille Moe says it is understandable that there have been some instances of negative behaviour in the transportation sector.

Her comments came in the Upper Chamber yesterday where she led off the debate on the Transport Authority (Validation) Bill 2020 and the Public Transport and (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020, which were both passed.

According to Senator Moe: “There have been numerous complaints and occurrences of various infractions. Issues such as overloading, failure to stop at the appropriate stop sign or light; picking up or dropping off anywhere and everywhere except the designated bus stop; being off route, especially when the roads are very busy in the morning drive-time; the afternoon, you’d find them off route and doing other things that sometimes impinges on their actual insurance requirement.”

However, Moe, who is the Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Public Affairs, made it clear that the entire sector is not reckless.

“There are many hardworking men and women that work in the transportation sector. Many law-abiding people in this field. However, like many other areas and professions where you have a multiplicity of individuals involved in a particular activity, you will have a much more difficult time in obtaining compliance.

“If you look at the Transport Board, the Transport Board is a single entity. So they have specific guidelines and interpretations and methodologies for compliance. So when you are working at the Transport Board, everyone’s instruction will probably be the same within the category of which they are employed, but where you have a situation where you have as many as 600 vehicles, probably hundreds of owners, you will have a situation where implementation and interpretation is variant, like in many other sectors. So you end up then with some good and some bad. But I just want to reiterate that there are many good, law-abiding individuals within the transport sector.”

Senator Moe explained that the Transport Authority Validation Bill 2020 is a necessary piece of legislation validating monies collected for bus fares paid. “When the Minister of Finance speaks in a budget or financial statement, announces increases in any tax, there is a designated period of time that the legislation must be brought. If it is not done within a specified time frame, then a Validation Bill is required ... which then brings it into law, the changes to that particular tax. In this particular instance, this is the case of bus fares.

“Pursuant to the budgetary proposals and financial statements laid on March 20, 2019 by the Honourable Minister of Finance, bus fare was increased from $2 to $3.50 effective April 15, 2019. The preparation of the draft bill to provide for the imposition of the new and existing bus fare was delayed due to various administrative reasons. As a result, the appropriate legislation was not enacted pursuant to Section 3.2 of the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act Chp. 85.

“The Transport Authority Validation Bill 2020 will, if passed, bring into law the changes in the bus fares from the time of the financial statement until now. The Validation Bill accomplishes this simple ratification.”

Additionally, she noted that with regard to the Public Transport and Miscellaneous Provision Bill 2020, this Bill is needed to give genuine effectiveness to the Transport Authority. “The Transport Authority has been in place since 2007.

“At that time, regulations that would have assisted with certain enforcement issues were not put in place. So in order to rectify this circumstance, the Transport Authority met with stakeholders and individuals within the sector, including the PSV operators, to formulate a series of regulations that would address this matter,” she said.

Jordan’s Supermarket and the Rotary Club of Barbados West have joined forces yet again to lend a helping hand to the Household Mitigation Unit. With many families in dire need due to the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two organisations have teamed up to donate $10,000 worth of vouchers to go to those households.

During a presentation that was held yesterday at the supermarket’s Fitt’s Village branch, Head of the Household Mitigation Unit and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation, Corey Lane, said that the donation was a timely one as there were many households that were in serious need of help, with some going without a meal two and three days. Stating that the vouchers would be going to some of the most vulnerable families to provide a buffer until they could receive the monthly $600 that was allotted, Lane added that they would at least ensure that families had food for the foreseeable future.

With the programme being launched back in March by the Prime Minister to assist the 1,500 most vulnerable families, the reach of the virus has left its mark on a larger percentage of the population and the programme was forced to be expanded to meet the need.

“Obviously to have the workplaces and so on shut down for such an extended period of time, we have had to go way beyond that. We have more than doubled that and we’re looking at assisting 3,500 persons. Fortunately or unfortunately, the numbers really exceed that in terms of requests and registration. We have over 14,000 people who have applied for the programme and we are looking for mechanisms to help beyond that,” Lane said.

The programme is currently closed to new entries as the island continues to provide one of the widest social safety nets across the region and the world, however, the Government has provided an alternative in a bid to pick up the slack.

“So there is the Welfare Department Poverty Alleviation Bureau that we have been asked to refer persons to. We really don’t want anybody slipping through the cracks or the safety net, so they will be referred there. But the persons who are registered already, we are working around the clock to ensure that we get the assistance out to those persons who have registered before.”

Stating that he knows and understands the frustrations of persons who would have registered sometime back, Lane said that the Unit was doing all in their power to ensure the most vulnerable are tended to. With many different persons all making their cases for assistance, Lane said that rendering help remained a double-edged sword and begged all registered to bear with the system.

“Obviously there are reports out there of persons believing that they should have gotten and other persons should not have gotten. And with the best people in the world and the best systems in the world that would happen. The point of the matter is that right now we have the team really behind the wheel, fully awake and trying to get the assistance out to the people over the next two weeks – everybody that would have been approved that would have been registered.”

With just over 5,000 persons registered under the programme, Lane took the opportunity to extend thanks to all the persons who donated and surpassed the Government’s initial $10 million mark. He also expressed gratitude to the likes of Rotary Club of Barbados West, Jordan’s Supermarket, the Red Cross, Barbados Association of Professional Social Workers, Volunteer Barbados and JCI who have all lent invaluable assistance to the project.

Going on to admit that it was an extremely hefty task and that the Government had its work cut out for it, Lane said that the unit was working tirelessly to see everyone through these trying times.

“We know that a lot of people out there are hurting and hundreds of people call me daily and the rent is backed up. The bills, the utilities – they are calling and people are in tremendous pain. And I am trying my best to work with the authorities, providing the advice as I have been asked to do to the powers that be in terms of how we can genuinely get a lot of Barbadian households out there that are hurting, and hurting desperately,” he said.