AS a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in just 12 weeks the National Insurance Department has received a whopping 50 196 termination certificates, which converted to approximately 35 000 unemployment benefit claims up to June of this year. As of the same date, over 90 percent of the qualifying claimants have received payments totalling over $52 million.

This was revealed by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley who explained that typically the National Insurance Scheme receives approximately 10 000 claims per year.

Her comments came during the Virtual GEM (Great Employees Matter) Awards ceremony held in celebration of the NIS’ 53rd anniversary at which time a number of long serving employees were acknowledged as well as outstanding departments and other special awardees.

According to Prime Minister Mottley, this significant increase in the volume of claims has called for an all hands on deck approach by the staff of the department, which has been working beyond the call of duty to have benefit payments made as quickly as possible. “I thank you for that effort.”

The Prime Minister explained that a new advanced payment process was rapidly developed to get out the payments faster than normal. “And within these short 12 weeks, new benefits to members like the one I introduced called the Business Interruption Benefit for self-employed workers were developed, rolled out, processed and paid. I thank you for that too,” she said.

The Prime Minister said that in order to address the unprecedented crisis, definitions and eligibility were modernised.

“The architects of the Catastrophe Fund for instance never imagined of a catastrophe of the scale of a global pandemic with billions out of work, the cessation of all travel, millions falling ill and regrettably so many lives lost.”

“This COVID-19 has highlighted the crucial role that your department plays in our country. It has been our society’s spear and shield. Our economy’s critical supply line and reinforcement.”

“This year’s theme NIS: the Lifetime Serving and Securing the National aptly describes both the expectation of the population and the reality of many applicants in need of some form of income replacement. We all know how many funds this department runs and quite a few of them are currently under pressure.”

The Prime Minister also threw government support behind the NIS.

“I make the solemn pledge tonight that no matter how well the Scheme has endured its greatest test, the Government of Barbados stands fully, unflinchingly, unequivocally behind this Scheme.”

“But the Scheme’s future success depends on all of Barbados getting behind it. For many, the Scheme has shown that it is therefore you, for your future. But we all need you to be there for the Scheme as well.”

It is against this backdrop that she lamented that too many people still do not make their contributions. “Too many are now regretting the absence of that contribution today, and trust that they will remember this moment in time. Let no one in the future act with regret. let us all honour, respect and contribute to the scheme. because the contributions are affordable but the benefits are also absolutely critical and necessary.”

The Prime Minister used the opportunity to once again praise the staff of the NIS during this difficult period. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. There are never enough times that I can thank you. Largely because you did it while others reflected on it,” she said. (JH)

THE Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) is celebrating 70 years of service to Barbados, changing lives and communities.

Yesterday, the milestone was commemorated with a service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, where the not-for-profit organisation held its first meetings.

The Reverend Erma Ambrose, who proudly admitted to being a beneficiary of the ‘Y’, applauded members for their continued commitment to providing programs and services through which women and girls can develop their potential – spiritually, intellectually and socially.

“I speak of the era when they operated in Country Road. It was there where I honed my skill of needlework – I can actually cut a flair and straight skirt and put in a zip… So, thank you to the YWCA on behalf of myself and behalf of so many others who continue to be motivated and who continue to be educated by this organisation,” she expressed.

Moreover, the Rector of St. Paul’s insisted that hospitality and friendliness is what the world needs. She therefore made a passionate plea to Barbadians to lift up one another.

“We need to do so because our world is struggling,” she asserted.

“We have to see what we can do to build God’s kingdom here on earth. And things that we count to be important in this world like championships, jewellery, titles, money, status and our connection – none of these things matter when it comes to eternity because we will all have to give an account of our stewardship.

“As Christians, as members of YWCA, the power of change in our society is critical. We need to heal our world one person at a time and it is not an option; it is not an extra option – hospitality is at the heart of the gospel message,” Rev. Ambrose said.

President of the YWCA of Barbados, Margaret Pollard, recalled that had it not been for a concerned mother who wrote to The Barbados Advocate in June of 1950 under the column “Our Readers Say”, the organisation probably would not be celebrating this month.

“She expressed her dissatisfaction for the little that was being done for young girls and women and wanted to see them taking part in meaningful and wholesome activities,” she indicated.

“Of course there was no ‘Down to Brass Tacks’ for her to complain to, but as they say, ‘the Pen is mightier than the Sword’. This mother used what means she had and of course her letter got an overwhelming response from some very prominent women of the day. Women such as Mrs. A.A. Gibbons, who was elected as the first President, Mrs. H.A. Talma, Mrs. Donald Wiles, Mrs. A.W. Scott and Mrs. F. Goddard, in addition to a number of social workers who were invited to the first meeting. Those were the persons who gave a rebirth to the YWCA 70 years ago this month.”

The YWCA has impacted the lives of the Barbadian society in many ways. Courses on offer have included QuickBooks, Makeup, Dressmaking, and CXC Maths. In addition, there is a breakfast programme currently feeding just over 100 primary and secondary school children during the school term from Monday to Friday; as well as a Reading Club for children between the ages of 5-16 years old.

“I wish to give thanks to our heavenly Father for all the blessings He has bestowed upon this organisation for these past 70 years. To the memory of all those women who have faithfully served the ‘Y’ and are not with us today in the flesh, and to those who are still serving, I wish to thank you for your time, your invaluable support and your strength,” Pollard said. (TL)

FROM September 1 2020, the National Insurance Department will no longer be printing cheques for short term benefits such as unemployment, maternity and sickness. Transactions will be paid electronically.

This was announced on Saturday night by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley as she delivered the featured address at the National Insurance Scheme’s Virtual Awards Ceremony held in celebration of the NIS’ 53rd anniversary.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister Mottley made the point that members who still depend on these cheques are particularly vulnerable particularly against the backdrop of the global COVID 19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Mottley stated that a request is being made for persons who registered with the department, to submit their banking details to receive their payments electronically.  “I am giving you this leeway and notice because those who have difficulties securing bank accounts or credit union accounts, need to come forward to the National Insurance Department and we will run the necessary public service announcements to ensure that this happens.”

“But if you come forward and indicate the difficulties that you are experiencing then we will be in a position to be able to meet your concerns while at the same time meeting the absolute imperative of transitioning.”

The Prime Minister said direct deposits have been regularly promoted with notices in both the traditional and social media. “And I commend the department for offering the electronic services such as payment by debit or credit card or online portal or direct deposit to your Contributions’ bank account. And in the future we hope through electronic money wallets for those without the bank accounts to which I just referred.”

“We can move to the next level. This department was formed one year after I was born. And I have seen many changes in my life and I know that this Department can also see changes in its functioning because we need to be able to be more efficient in meeting our client class.”

“I hope that there will be a seamless transition therefore to the electronic payments and we will be working with the digital ambassadors of the Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology to help anyone switch over in the event that they need such assistance.”

Prime Minister Mottley gave the assurance that the government also remains committed to the digital transformation of Barbados with the aim of improving the quality of service and efficiency everywhere.

She pointed out that NIS staff are on the frontline of this challenge. “You are the largest issuer of cheques on the island with approximately 70 000 cheques being issued every month, with pensioners receiving the largest value. We must transform.”

“We have for more than 20 years, offered the option to lodge pensions to bank accounts. And this option would allow pensioners to receive all four weeks pension in one payment instead of the two ... two-week intervals for those receiving cheques.”

“The Department also facilitates four week lodgements to pensioners with accounts at all the major credit unions, similarly increasing numbers of existing pensioners are registering to switch to the direct deposit option and we encourage more to do so.”

“All new pensioners will be required to provide bank or credit union accounts data for the lodging of their pension payments going forward. But the change has been a little too slow. And we now know why we need to accelerate,” she said. (JH)

COVID-19 has created new challenges in the HIV and STI response, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Sub-regional Program Coordinator for the Caribbean, Jessie Schutt-Aine warned.

She said that the pandemic has created unprecedented conditions that hinder the capacity of many health systems to access COVID-19 related supplies but also other essential medicines, due to country lockdowns, travel restrictions, fragmented funding sources, and increased costs for certain commodities.

Her comments came during the Pan-Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, virtual meeting of National AIDS Programme (NAP) Managers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Key Partners, to discuss the challenges and strategies that are being implemented in the region to respond to the disruption of services posed by the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

The meeting examined the challenges experienced by the region in the delivery of services for HIV and AIDS in the context of COVID-19, the sustainability of the regional response amidst decreasing donor funding and the critical role of civil society in supporting the continuity of care and reaching key populations.

According to the PAHO official, “A recent study done by PAHO’s Strategic Fund has found that many countries in the Caribbean region are at imminent or high risk of stock out of essential medicines for HIV, STI, TB and other essential medicines.

This calls for the need to strengthen supply chain systems, including forecasting in the region”.

Dr James Guwani, UNAIDS Caribbean Sub-regional Office Director, highlighted that HIV stakeholders bring to the COVID-19 challenge almost 40 years worth of experience and wisdom in responding to a pandemic.

He stated “this is what we know – testing and treatment on their own will not ensure we combat either COVID-19 or HIV. Community involvement and investment are vital to building trust and getting results. There must be responsiveness to the lived realities, needs and vulnerabilities of all people, especially the most marginalised. And we have to embrace big, bold targets if we are to super-charge our response.”

Director of PANCAP, Dr Rosmond Adams emphasised the critical need for National AIDS Programme (NAP) Managers and Civil Society Organisations to share knowledge and innovations which are essential for the continuity of HIV services during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  He thanked the participants for committing to the meeting and stated that he was pleased that PANCAP could provide the virtual platform essential for knowledge sharing about HIV and COVID-19.  He further called for the exploration of new and innovative strategies and greater collaboration among governments, civil society, private sector and community-based organi-sations with the overarching aim of ending AIDS in the region.

The role of Civil Society Organizations was also underscored as they play a critical role in working at the community level to reach those most in need and to attend to the psychosocial needs of People Living with HIV.

Dr Adams noted that civil society is key at getting to the core of the epidemic and that they should be supported and must have an equal seat at the table as a vital stakeholder in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

There is a call for greater awareness in Barbados for Myasthenia Gravis (MG) and it is coming from one of the island’s most outspoken advocates for the disease, Deanne Phillips. With the name translating from Latin and Greek to literally mean ‘grave muscle weakness’, Phillips is doing her best to educate Barbadians one at a time to the plight of the ‘snowflakes’ as they are nicknamed.

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate, Phillips noted that there were two types of MG – Ocular MG, which affects the eyes and manifests as a ptosis of the eyes, which looks like drooping or swelling and makes voluntary movement very hard; and General MG. Explaining that she did not have Ocular Myasthenia for very long before progressing quickly to General, Phillips stated that all cases were different and some persons had both or just one.

“General Myasthenia affects the muscles in your body like your arms, your legs and your breathing muscles. So the more you exercise a muscle, the weaker it gets. Something as simple as swallowing becomes very difficult.

A person who has Myasthenia Gravis, when they say they can’t swallow properly it is considered an emergency, because it means that the next step can be that the muscles that help them to breathe fail,” she said, adding that they would then have to be put on machines to assist breathing.

Phillips, who has a twin sister who does not suffer from the chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease, said that it was not as common as Multiple Sclerosis and that about 200 persons suffered from it in Barbados. She also noted that she expected the number to be much higher as persons can have it and not know. Stating that unless a patient is seen by a doctor who knows what to look for, Phillips said that it is not easily diagnosed and that her case was diagnosed in December of 2014 after knowing for two years prior that something was not right despite all blood tests returning normal.

Speaking on how the disease affects her personally, Phillips said that it caused her to have to slow the pace of her life down. “It makes my life different because I have to accept that the way of living that I would have known before where I could do the most and be okay, I can’t. Sometimes something as simple as bathing is a task. Something as simple as a cold will put me in the hospital. If I exercise too much, I can exacerbate my condition. If I become stressed, I will land in the hospital. So I have to pace myself and tell myself that when I am taking a break physically and mentally, it doesn’t make me lazy because I have to do it in order to continue,” she said.

Noting that she was constantly at the mercy of the condition, Phillips went on to say that everyday was an adventure. “I had five or six flare-ups a year when I was first diagnosed and three to four admissions to the hospital a year. However, they were able to get it under control and I was in remission for over a year. Then when all of the viral illnesses started popping up last year, I came out of remission. I have not been given the okay as yet, however my flare-ups are a lot less now, but I have to be very careful because the country is out of the medication.”

Revealing that there was no known cure for the disease, she did say that there was a glimmer of hope on the horizon for sufferers of the disease here in Barbados. “There is no cure. There are treatments, but you have to find the treatment regime that suits you, because every person with Myasthenia does not present with the same symptoms and the same treatment does not work for everybody. A lot of the treatments that are available overseas are not available here.”

With the month of June designated Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month, the local chapter of the global movement was dealt a hefty blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Myasthenia Gravis Association of Barbados was hard hit in the sense that we use the month to do awareness and fund-raising activities. Because we are not funded by Government, we have to depend on our activities and organisations for donations. Since no awareness was raised and we were unable to do any of our activities, we would not have made any money to put into the coffers. And since businesses were also hit, so donating to a non-governmental organisation would not be high on their priority list,” she said, noting that the funds were used to assist members with treatments and supplies and the administrative functions of the association.

Holding an Associate degree in Health Information Management and currently working at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a Medical Records Clerk, Phillips continues to be cheerful as she looks to the future. “Ideally in the next few years I would like to be full-time at the hospital, to hopefully be paying for my own home and to have a child. However, because my Myasthenia is so unpredictable, I either have to make up in my mind that I may not have a child or plan very carefully for one. I also have to accept that my body may not allow me to be able to work full-time and that I may always have to work in a relief capacity,” she said. (MP)

Come September, motorists seeking to make their way from Graeme Hall to Upper Rendezvous will have an easier time doing so.

This as the Ministry of Public Works and Transport is working on the creation of a slip lane to reduce the long lines of slow-moving traffic, which the area has become well known for in the morning hours.

Speaking to the media while on-site yesterday, Transport Minister and MP for the area Dr. William Duguid pointed out that no longer would motorists approaching the Garfield Sobers Roundabout add to the circulation in that area, but would now be able to enter the new left hand lane and make their way either straight towards Rendezvous Hill or take up the existing lane to turn right down Fordes Road.

“Essentially, we want to widen the road here in such a way as to make a turning lane and this will give persons the opportunity of, at any time of the day, not to be able to make the right turn onto Fordes Road. We recognise that the Garfield Sobers Roundabout has caused significant congestion, especially in the morning times for many people from Christ Church East Central, and all the other Christ Church constituencies and St. Philip. So we recognise that we had to do something and it is also a part of our Junction Improvement Program,” he stated.

“The point of it is to take people off of the roundabout so as to ease the whole traffic congestion problem we have there,” he continued.

Commending his parliamentary colleague on the work being done to the vital road artery, Christ Church East Central MP and Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Adrian Forde said as a responsible government, it looked to respond to the needs of Barbadians.

“This has been a problem over the last 15 years where congestion on mornings and evenings is difficult for persons and causes numerous complaints and I want to say well done to Dr. Duguid and his ministry,” Forde added. (JMB)

Since lifting of COVID-19 restrictions commenced, maintenance work began and continues on the world renowned Garrison Savannah race track.

Yesterday The Barbados Advocate paid a visit to the Garrison Savannah and spoke with Paddock and Track Manager of the Barbados Turf Club, David Archer who, along with maintenance workers, was attending to the track. The manager explained that the soil of the track was practically dead and needed to be revived for the planted grass to grow and flourish.

Archer pointed out a truck loaded with water along with effluent containing molasses from Mount Gay Distillery, which arrived during the morning period to deliver its load to be used to help recondition the soil, by keeping the moisture in.

“That is water and the effluent from Mount Gay, which also helps produce bacteria to help recondition the soil. The soil is in very bad condition,” explained Archer.

The manager also highlighted that as far as he knew, the historic track had never been plowed and redone before and the regrowing of the grass was difficult, especially with the drought conditions affecting the island. He also mentioned that the grass had been planted on three occasions during the maintenance period and there was finally a positive sign of life on the track after the recent rains. Archer stated that the expectation was that by October, the track would be fully green again and of a high standard.

One of the measures being taken to protect the ongoing maintenance of the track is the planting of cuscus grass on the inside rail, which would be a wind barrier.

“The majority of the wind comes from that direction, so what we are doing is creating a wind barrier all around, so when the irrigation comes on, it does not get blown all over the place but goes where it is intended, the track. We are trying to create a wind break that is attractive,” explained Archer.

The manager also highlighted an additional benefit of the newly planted cuscus grass, which was a natural barrier to hinder spectators from rushing too close to the track during big race days and also to block litter from being blown onto the track. He also added that during this vulnerable time, where the grass had been struggling to grow, the Barbados Turf Club had erected signage asking persons not to cross the track.

There has also been the addition of fibres being incorporated into the topsoil of the bends of the track, which would work in between the growing grass, to offer better cushioning for the horses during races and also keep the grass together as the horses move through the turns. (AS)

Motorists will have to wait a little longer to get their vehicle registration stickers as the Transport and Maintenance ministry considers “better” options.

In March, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn, announced there would be no penalty for expired registration stickers or driving licences in a bid to put a halt to the large numbers of individuals heading into the Barbados Revenue Authority offices seeking renewal of these permits to prevent the possible spread of Covid-19.

With the majority of the island’s businesses having reopened last week and the remaining curfews ending at midnight tonight, several motorists have expressed concerns that while drivers’ licenses can be renewed, no word had been given on registration tags.

However, in speaking to the media yesterday, Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance Dr. William Duguid said there was a reason for this delay.

“We recognise that for lots of people to come up there just to get the stickers will lead to the crowds. So we are looking at a different way of doing that and we will come to the public with that shortly. So the issuing of new tags has been suspended and we are looking at a better way to do it,” he said.

In the meantime, Duguid encouraged drivers to ensure they travelled with their insurance documents in case these were needed for referral.

“I encourage everybody to drive with your insurance as much as you can so that’s important, but we are looking at a better way, so that people do not have to come to the Barbados Revenue Authority,” he stated. (JMB)

There could soon be a programme in place to provide grant funding to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Caribbean.
Word of this has come from Lisa Harding, Coordinator of the MSME Unit of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Speaking during a recent webinar to mark MSME Day, Harding said that the proposed COVID-19 MSME Response Programme, to be carried out by the CDB in conjunction with Caribbean Export, had not yet been approved, was at “an advanced stage in terms of appraisal”.

“The components of the project include the development of a joint grant facility modelled after the DAGS [Direct Assistance Grant Scheme] Programme. The beauty of this is that it would not be a reimbursable grant given the cash flow constraints and the working capital limitations that MSMEs would have at this time and it also incorporates online training and of course a communications component of the programme,” she said.

According to Harding, they believe that such a programme would go a long way in supporting much needed technical assistance and capacity building reforms for MSMEs in the region. Her comments came as she said they are working assiduously to expedite the approval process to get the funding to the sector as soon as possible.

She told those tuned into the webinar that the CDB, has recently finalised a partnership agreement with the Organisation of American States (OAS) to also assist MSMEs. She indicated that the CDB and OAS have identified three areas where they can assist – e-commerce, training and capacity building and business climate reforms. In respect of e-commerce, she said while it is an issue that has been difficult to address over the years, they believe given the thrust to go digital as a result of the pandemic, they may be better poised now to make it a reality.

Her comments came as she said that in light of the crisis, the Bank recognises that as a developmental institution it must pivot and be responsive. As such, she indicated that CDB is looking at variation in the terms and conditions of their lines of credit to facilitate financing and working capital.

“This was not the case in the past, working capital was only facilitated for start-up businesses, but we recognised that this is an important aspect of the survival of MSME and therefore this is what are going to our board shortly with,” she stated.

Additionally, she said CDB’s has reallocated some of the resources from the Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund, which provides capacity building support to creative entrepreneurs.

“We have also found and it is widely known that the impact of covid has more or less decimated the creative industries sector primarily because our creatives, the businesses were physical in nature, a lot of it based on contact and gathering and therefore with the advent of the social distancing protocols that subsector was severely hit,” she noted.

As such, she said they have reallocated some of the Fund’s budgetary resources to provide emergency relief grants for creatives in the music and festival subsectors. She said they were able to achieve that quite quickly with the support of the Fund’s steering committee. Harding revealed that with the round of evaluations already completed, they should soon be in a position to start the disbursement of the grants. (JRT)

Spokesperson for Culture Alan Springer of the Opposition People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) has contended that now is the time for Pelican Village, along with Heroes’ Square and Independence Square, to be used as cultural hubs for visitors to the island.
While recently outlining the Alternative People’s Plan for the Creative Economy, Springer lamented the fact that Pelican Village was seeing fewer visitors over the years, despite being a stone’s throw away from the Barbados Cruise Terminal.

“Pelican Craft Village is in vital need of regeneration where and with its close proximity to the cruise terminal, Pelican should be profiled as a customer-friendly, well presented space for open air visual and performance arts, street theatre and en-plein-air,” said Springer.
The PdP spokesperson for culture also recommended that visitors should be guided to the colourful village via a purpose built walkway.

“A pedestrianised walkway can be created from the cruise terminal whereby cruise traffic is directed through Pelican enroute to Bridgetown. Working with tourism, Pelican can be rebranded and repositioned as one of our leading tourist attractions for the arts,” explained Springer.

The Alternative People’s Plan for the Creative Economy also has a cultural vision for Heroes’ Square and Independence Square. Springer outlined the plan for both squares to be developed for the betterment of Barbados where they would facilitate the open air arts and cultural spaces for locals as well as visitors to the island.

“Independence Square will be developed as an arts space for street theatre and en-plein-air, managed by the BAC. Heroes Square will be managed by NCF and turned into an open air museum with a genuine legacy to our heroes with statues and information pillars giving a sense of style to the center of Bridgetown,” said the PdP spokesperson.

The PdP also has envisioned developing a water taxi service, which could be incorporated into a tour system that would link the regenerated Pelican Village to the two squares via the careenage. (AS)

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Accident and Emergency Department
(A&E) Renovation and Expansion project is set to resume after a
seven-week hiatus due to the impact of COVID-19.

Yesterday, Lt. Col. the Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, Minister of Health
and Wellness, got a first-hand look at the work carried out thus far
at the Martindale’s Road site during phase one, which entailed
enclosing the project site as well as the construction of an access
road, sewerage, drainage and car park works.

The Minister, who was accompanied by Dr. Abdul Mohamed, Deputy
Chairman of QEH’s Board of Management; and Director of Engineering
Services at QEH, Paula Agbowu, revealed to the media that the project
– which has three phases – had an initial price tag of $11.5 million.

“I believe that it was $11.5 million that was voted in parliament, and
the estimated cost at this time based on all phases that we are trying
to do here and of course some additional things have gone into it
could be in the region of $13.5 million or so at this point in time.”

Phase two, which is about to get underway, will consist of the
construction of a new 9 000 square feet single-storey reinforced
concrete building to the north of the existing AED; and the final
phase of the project, phase three, will entail the reconfiguration and
renovation of the present AED to better align with the current and
projected needs of the department.

“Phase 2 will see a structure up and open sometime in February, that
will fall within the current budget. So we are looking definitely to
have the new structure up and running by mid-February or so, and then
we will work on the other phase going forward,” he indicated.

“Like everything else, COVID would have impacted on the progress of
work here on the site. I believe it took about seven weeks away from
the plans that we had in terms of time. But…we had to stop because
obviously all of us had to take care of the impact and the response of
COVID-19.

“So I am glad that it has restarted and I am happy with what I have
seen during the tour. And certainly when I look at the plans for the
entire project, I think that this is something that Barbadians are
going to be exceedingly excited and proud about,” Minister Bostic
added. (TL)
 

SEAN Spencer has stepped down from his role as President of the
Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT).

He made the announcement yesterday morning on his Facebook page where
he stated: “I have formally resigned from the executive of the BUT. I
wish to thank those who entrusted me with the leadership of the Union
as well as those who gave me the opportunity to serve as an officer
over the past five years for their support. It was a privilege to be
able to lend my efforts to the furtherance of the cause of teachers.”

When contacted by The Barbados Advocate, Spencer stated, “I have no
further comments on the subject.”

General Secretary of the BUT Herbert Gittens confirmed that the
resignation letter was hand delivered by Spencer on Monday and was
accepted by the executive.

“The letter did not outline any reasons for his resignation and
basically he thanked the organisation, offered best wishes to the
executive. He also asked that his name be withdrawn for the upcoming
elections.”

He noted that the current Vice President Richmark Cave will act as
President until the BUT’s annual conference, which will be held in the
first week of August. Gittens said the conference, which will be held
online this year, usually takes place in the month of April but had to
be pushed back because of COVID-19.

Two names were in the hat for the post of president, Spencer and
former president Pedro Shepherd. Gittens noted that everything was set
for the annual conference back in April including the closure of
nominations.

Spencer became president back in April 2018 when he ran a successful
campaign, leading to the defeat of then president Pedro Shepherd who
led the BUT for six years.

In 2019 he mounted another successful run for presidency, again facing
off against former president Pedro Shepherd and Nathaniel Boyce.

At the beginning of this year, Spencer encountered some push-back in
his presidency when he was faced with a no-confidence motion. It
followed a petition, with the requisite 20 signatures from the general
membership, led by former public relations officer Dwane Goddard.

The motion was however thrown out.
(JH)

The Barbados Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), David
Comissiong, participated in the flag raising ceremony yesterday
morning outside the Government Headquarters, which saw the CARICOM
standard raised above the building.

Comissiong raised the CARICOM flag, flanked by a member of the
Barbados Defence Force and one of the Royal Barbados Police Force. He
then made remarks to the media and specially invited guests,
explaining that July 4, 2020 was the date which was decided to
implement the raising of the CARICOM standard and the associated
national flags above every embassy, diplomatic office and high
commission of each CARICOM member state.

“What we have just witnessed is an act that is full of profound
symbolism, but not only symbolism, but an act that augurs well for the
future of CARICOM. Particularly in relation to the objective of
establishing a collective and coordinated CARICOM foreign policy,”
announced the ambassador.

He contended that the people of CARICOM need to understand the
importance of standing united and that the movement to pull together
after COVID-19 would bode well for the region.

“There is a need for CARICOM resolving to fully make its mark on this
world – to add something good and valuable and constructive to
international affairs. But also to be as efficient as possible in
pursuing our own vital interests by doing it collectively as much as
possible, rather than doing it as single nations,” Comissiong
highlighted.

Further reiterating the idea, the ambassador pointed out that the goal
behind the initiative is not just to be united but to project that
image all over the world.

“We have to recognise that we, our Caribbean Community, our states,
our governments, our people, have something very precious to bring to
this world. I do not think we fully understand how unique a people and
region we are.”

The ambassador went on to explain that Barbados lifted the flag
earlier to celebrate Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley, as
Chairman of CARICOM, on her final day as chair before she handed over
the reins to Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph
Gonsalves.

“In tribute to Prime Minister Mottley, we wanted to make this gesture
while she was still Chairperson of CARICOM. We have chosen to do it,
not to fly the flag over a Barbados Embassy or High Commission, but we
wanted to give it the fullest significance by flying it over no other
building but the seat of government in Barbados,” stated Comissiong.

The ambassador also noted that the raising of the CARICOM flag was a
vote of confidence in the decision to proudly fly the standard over
208 different missions in 55 countries come this Saturday, July 4.

Some of the specially invited guests yesterday included Cuban
Ambassador Sergio Pastrana; Chargé d’ Affaires at the Embassy of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Alvaro Sanchez; Barbados’ CARICOM
Youth Ambassador Chad Monerville; various island associations of
Barbados; Pan Africanist Rev Onkphra Wells of the Spiritual Baptist;
and others.
(AS)
 

Sagicor Life Inc. has donated three Thermal Imaging Scanners to help
the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the Grantley Adams
International Airport (GAIA) fight against COVID-19.

Executive Vice President and General Manager (Designate) of Sagicor
(Barbados), Paul Inniss officially handed over the technology
yesterday – one to the QEH and two to GAIA – valued at approximately
BD$300,000 to Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. the Honourable
Jeffrey Bostic.

“These full-body scanners will assist with identifying potential
carriers of the virus as they enter our nation’s primary medical
facility and, with the planned re-opening of this island’s borders,
the threat of COVID-19 is ever present and so we are certain that they
will be an asset to our medical teams at the airport as well,” Inniss
pointed out.

“At Sagicor, we believe in doing all that we can to better the lives
of those in the communities in which we operate. During these
unprecedented times, the health and safety of our population must be a
priority and we will continue to provide support wherever we can, to
ensure this is maintained.”

Minister Bostic thanked Sagicor Life for the donation which he
described as ‘timely’, given that the country seeks to fully reopen.

“This is timely because even back then when we recognised the
importance of having the thermal scanners – that importance has
increased significantly because we are now at the stage of reopening
our country to receive international flights – and obviously visitors
again to our shores,” he indicated.

“This gift to the QEH will go a long way towards the reopening of the
hospital to visitors, and for us to be able to control and contain any
eventuality that results from the reopening… this is now part and
parcel of our desire to ensure that the hospital has all of the safety
nets that it can have in order to protect the staff and the patients
of the institution.”

The Health Minister also took the opportunity to extend appreciation
to all individuals and companies who assisted government to step up
the fight against coronavirus.

“From the time that COVID entered our shores, the Government of
Barbados made it very clear that the only way that we could win with
this particular battle was for there to be collaboration and
cooperation across the length and breadth of this country.

“So that from day one and subsequent days, we have been witnessing a
level of cooperation; a level of support and collaboration in Barbados
that I have certainly not seen before in my lifetime,” Bostic said.
(TL)

In just over a month, roadworks for Highway One should commence.

Expressing hopes there would be a start to the project in four to five
weeks, Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance Dr. William Duguid
stated efforts will be put in place to mitigate the serious disruption
of the long overdue work.

“What it is, is that we have to change out all of the water mains on
Highway One and that will mean water mains on both sides of the road.
We will be digging a trench on Highway One from the bottom of
University Hill to Holders Hill– that is one section – and then the
second section will be Holder’s Hill to Holetown. These will be going
on simultaneously and because of that we recognise that there would be
significant road disruption and the travelling public would be
impacted, but we are going to do as much traffic mitigation as we can
to minimise the effects,” he said.

Speaking to members of the media on Monday morning at the construction
of a slip lane at Upper Rendezvous Road, Duguid said the relevant
utility companies will also be involved in improving the water,
natural gas and electricity infrastructure.

“Current piping from the Barbados Water Authority on Highway One is
very old and causes lots of leaks. The worst thing that can happen is
that we fix the road and then within weeks the BWA is back digging it
up again to fix a leak. So we made a decision to do all of the utility
infrastructure one time and then fix the road so it will last as long
as possible.”

He said with the completion of this project, which should take “a few
months”, work would begin on Highway Seven.

“We will use the opportunity of changing the water mains to put in the
natural gas and improve the natural gas structure as well, and we are
going to put the ducts in available for Light and Power as well. So it
is a massive project the ministry is looking to undertake, starting
with Highway One and then moving over to Highway Seven,” he said.
(JMB)
 

The children of Barbados continue to receive donations of electronic
equipment, and yesterday morning the Rotary Club of Barbados (South)
presented 15 tablets to Arthur Smith Primary, the adopted school of
the club.

President of The Rotary Club of Barbados (South), Brian Robinson, made
the presentation to Principal of Arthur Smith Primary, Jennifer Hoyte.
Also present were some of the Class 4 students who were at school
preparing for the Common Entrance Exam.

Principal Hoyte was overjoyed at the donation and thanked the club for
the continued support of the school.

Over the past three years the club has been assisting the school with
various rehabilitation and infrastructural works.

The donation yesterday of the fifteen tablets was done in partnership
with  the ‘Tablets for Children’ initiative and will assist the pupils
with their online learning programmes.

Hiranand Thani, Executive Club Member and Owner of The Royal Shop
along with Sonya Alleyne, District Governor nominee were also present
during the presentation.

Alleyne spoke to the media and explained that the initiative had
already resulted in approximately 90 tablets being donated so far.
“It was an initiative between the Rotary Club of Barbados (South) and
the ‘Tablets for Children’s initiative which came out of friends and
rugby and a few other people that have just put together, realising
the need of the local community,” explained Alleyne.

The District Governor nominee also thanked those private individuals
and companies who had donated to purchase the tablets in partnership
with the Rotary Club of Barbados (South).

President Robinson revealed that the club has already presented to
over ten schools and as long as money continues to be donated, more
tablets will be purchased and presented.

Robinson however stated that things have slowed down due to the
worldwide demand for such devices and that the situation has
controlled the pace at which the club could acquire the tablets.
(AS)

Ten teachers have gone to the top of the class after copping the 2019
Royal  Fidelity National Distinguished Teachers’ Awards.

The awards, established in 2010, are held each year by the Royal
Fidelity Merchant Bank & Trust (Barbados) Ltd., in association with
the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, to
acknowledge the immense contribution teachers make towards Barbados’
development.

The awardees have excelled in every area of the teaching profession,
from nursery to tertiary education.

Those in the winners’ row are:
Nursery School: Anya Holmes - Eden Lodge Nursery
Primary School:
Anderson Butcher -
St. Martin’s Mangrove Primary School
Cynara Colucci-Francis - St. Christopher Primary School
Shioma Porte - Ellerton Primary School
Norma Warner - Charles F. Broome Primary School
Secondary School:
Astrid Alleyne - St. Leonard’s Boys’ Secondary School
Dave Jackman - Springer Memorial Secondary School
Sixth Form: LaTeisha Leon-Barker - The Lodge School
Special Needs: Shantel Lynch - Erdiston Special School
Tertiary: Walter Harris - Barbados Community College

Royal Fidelity’s Vice President and Barbados Country Head, Jillian
Nunes, said that in spite of the difficult times brought on by the
COVID-19 pandemic, the awardees were very vocal about their passion
for teaching.

“During times of uncertainty, it’s these feel good stories that bring
us together as a community.  The inception of the Royal Fidelity
National Distinguished Teachers’ Awards was based on the understanding
that great teachers inspire greatness in students, and accordingly
should receive acknowledgement for their sterling service, especially
those efforts which involve going above and beyond
to motivate students.  Deservedly so, great teachers must be lauded
for their role in shaping this nation by educating our future
leaders,” she emphasized.

Members of the general public, including fellow teachers, school
administrators, parents and students, were invited to nominate
teachers with no less than five years teaching experience across both
public and private schools.

The ‘Blue Ribbon Judging Panel’, comprising retired Principal of The
St. Michael School and Chief Judge, Shelton Perkins; retired Deputy
Principal of the Barbados  Community College, Dr. Sylvia Hackett; and
former Principal of Lawrence T. Gay Primary School, Beverley Parris,
chose the ten outstanding teachers who exemplify excellence in
education.

Queen’s College received a $500 prize for submitting the most nominations.
 

THE close-knit media fraternity has once again been thrown into mourning with news of the passing of veteran business journalist Patrick Hoyos.

Brother Tony Hoyos made the announcement of his death on social media yesterday morning stating, “It is with profound sadness that I announce that Pat, beloved brother of Dexter, Greg, Doc and myself, husband of Sophie, and father of Frederic, Mandy and Jerome, passed away at QEH at approximately 4:30 am July 1 2020, of cancer.”

Daughter Mandy also expressed her pain and heartbreak through an online post saying “Daddy fought a very short and intense battle with aggressive pancreatic cancer. I’m only grateful that his suffering wasn’t prolonged. His passing this morning was peaceful. We are all devastated.”

Pat as he was affectionately called, was best known and respected for his extensive knowledge of business in Barbados and was a pillar in the media fraternity. He was also known for his publications, the Broad Street Journal and the Who’s Who’s business directory as well as several other projects. His experience spanned the time spent at Barbados Advocate, the Caribbean Media Corporation and the Nation newspaper. He was also the host of the Business News on radio station Y103.3fm.

Tributes flowed yesterday, as many expressed disbelief and shock at the sudden news. Political analyst Peter Wickham shared his memory of Hoyos whom he admired and looked up to as a senior journalist and whom he said innovated and carved out a new role for himself. “I am reminded at times like these that people like Pat make it easy to understand how a person’s spirit will continue long after they have closed their eyes. Pat’s writings, his audio and video comments and that characteristic humility and smile will for a long time place a distinguished mark on our landscape.”

Barbados is in dire need of some rainfall if the island is to steer its way out of the water crisis in which it currently finds itself.

This is the alarming news coming after Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams and Barbados Water Authority Technical Advisor Dr. John Mwansa took a trip into the underground cave to take a look at water supply conditions at the Bowmanston Pumping Station.

With a handful of Ministry officials and members of the media taking the trek 269 feet down into the well, those on-hand were met with a rather surprising development. Noting that back in November of 2019 the water level was so high they had to start swimming upon exiting the lift, Dr. Mwansa explained that the levels were a far cry from what they were at the tail end of last year’s rainy season. “Today when we stepped out of the lift, we had to step down a ladder 15 feet to the bottom of the well and that was dry. So when you look at the depth of the water that is in the cave, there is a difference of about 15 to 20 feet between what it was in November last year and what it is now,” he said.

Dr. Mwansa explained that although there was somewhat heavy rainfall the past few days, it takes about 90 days to filter through the coral stone before making it into the aquifers and that would not register in the cave as yet. He also revealed that the underground water system was massive and extensive and that the low levels at Bowmanston had some far-reaching effects.

“The other thing that was noticeable was that the well that we went in, normally you would step into the water and that body of water connects the downstream section, with the upstream section where the pumps are. Because the section that is between is dry that means the upstream section cannot pull water from the downstream section. So the amount of water we can pull from here is reduced until the two water bodies connect back.”

With three pumps normally in operation when the water supply is high, Mwansa explained that the Bowmanston station pumps to two reservoirs at Bowmanston and Golden Ridge, which in turn feed others and therefore service districts such as Sherbourne, Massiah Street, District C, Cherry Grove and Ellerton, which have all been facing water issues, and as far out as St. Joseph and St. Thomas are affected. With an average of 1.5 to 2 million gallons a day pumped from Bowmanston to feed into the system, Mwansa noted that with the situation being as it is, there would be intermittent service, but that tankers would be deployed.

Mwansa explained that as the levels build back up at night, the teams would pump until they went back down and that the length of service depended solely on the demand. Going on to call the situation extremely concerning as we were completely at the mercy of the whims of Mother Nature, he said that things would continue this way unless there was substantial rainfall in the coming weeks. “If we don’t get any rains then this condition here at Bowmanston will persist. But part of what we are trying to do is bring in water from somewhere else to help supplement the supplies in this area. That is why we have started construction of the Vineyard project, which will be bringing water from Vineyard into these areas,” he said, noting that the project included a new pipeline from Vineyard to Bowmanston and a reservoir at Mount Pleasant or Stewart Hill as well as two booster stations. That project is expected to be completed by December.

With the Atlantic Hurricane Season already in swing and Barbados not receiving much rain by the end of June, Mwansa said that he can only hope the predictions bear fruit. “I can only go on the weather predictions and they are such that we are supposed to have a good hurricane season. A good hurricane season means you will have a number of hurricanes coming in and, generally, the peak of the hurricane season is the period during which we get most of our groundwater recharged and that is the months of September to November,” he said. (MP)

The court case surrounding the Liquidation Centre is adjourned until August 24th.

The property on Bay Street, St. Michael, which was formerly owned by the Mirchandani family, was acquired by Government through the compulsory acquisition process of Parliament, with the notice to acquire having been served on the owners since March last year. This site forms part of the tourism footprint identified by the Mia Mottley Administration for a number of hotel developments, including the new Hyatt Ziva Centric.

Though government has owned the property for over a year now, the process of compensation to the former owners has not been completed. Government and the former owners have been at odds over the value and hence monies to be paid to complete the transaction. Issues were also raised related to existing stock which has been removed from the property and placed in storage by government.

Last month, demolition of the empty Bridgetown located building commenced. The next stage is expected to be enabling and foundation works over eight weeks, 150 persons will be employed before 500 persons will be working on the site for the following six months. When the construction gets into full swing a year from now, 2000 Barbadians will be gainfully employed by the project.