WITH the number of murders continuing to increase in the country, President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Verla De Peiza is calling on the Government to reveal plans to combat the scourge or ask those at the top of the crime fight to step down.

Her comments came yesterday in a press statement, which comes after the island’s 24th homicide over the weekend.

According to De Peiza, “The people of Barbados are tired of the disdain of this administration on the rising level of murders since they came to Office. We are fast losing count of the bodies.”

De Peiza opined that this comes at a time when the country “has two Commissioners of Police and two Deputy Commissioners of Police. But still no results. And the silence of the Attorney General is deafening,” she said, charging that Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has also been silent on the crime situation.

The DLP President posited the view that after suggesting that it has all the answers, the current administration has proven to be a “dismal failure on arresting crime”.

Furthermore, De Peiza says the Attorney General owes it to the country to justify the salary of former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin in these harsh economic times. “Show us what he has achieved. What policy paper has been developed? What new initiatives implemented?”

“If we cannot be informed as a people regarding what their solutions are to this untenable crime situation, both of them should go.”

It was announced that former Commissioner of Police, Darwin Dottin, was hired as a consultant to help fight crime back in January 2019. In January of this year, while responding to criticism levelled by the DLP on the appointment of Dottin, Marshall said: “We stand by our decision to engage Mr. Dottin as a consultant. I repeat that when we started to tackle this issue, we reached out to all former Commissioners. Mr. Dottin has accepted his engagement. He has been serving the Government well, and we are pleased with the efforts he has been making.”

Responding to criticism that Dottin should be reporting to the public, he stated, as a consultant he reports to the Attorney General and through the Attorney General to the Prime Minister.

Last week, the Senate met to amend the Police Act to allow for the appointment of veteran officer Oral Williams as Deputy Commissioner, a post which was already held by and is now being shared with DCOP Erwin Boyce.

Back in May, while explaining the decision to have two deputies, Attorney General Marshall said it was made after extensive consideration of the impact of the criminal element on the safety of Barbados, and pre-dates the then Opposition taking the reins of government.

“This Barbados Labour Party Government was convinced then, and remains convinced today, that efforts to reduce crime will not have the desired effect if the modernisation of the management of the RBPF is not an integral part of the exercise.”

“Consequently, as a critical part of that process, we determined that the best interest of the country would be served by having a Deputy Commissioner of Police with direct responsibility for Administration and Human Resources matters, and another deputy with direct responsibility for Operations.”

Government will be rolling out the much talked about Financial Literacy Bureau programme in a few weeks with the staging of a number of financial literacy clinics at schools and community centres across Barbados.

The Financial Literacy Bureau will be a facility intended to improve the way Barbadians manage money and conduct business, according to Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland.

“It will target youth from as early as primary school age, households and businesses through training and it will promote financial literacy as a way of life among all Barbadians and as a means of charting a path for the creation of sustainable businesses and intergenerational wealth for time to come.”

He made the announcement during the official opening of the Training Course “Money and Debt Management” organised by the Barbados Trust Fund Limited (BTFL) and the National Conservation Commission (NCC) at the Church Hall of Christ Church Parish Church for tenants of Bay Gardens and Berinda Cox Fish Market in Oistins.

He said that consultation was held with stakeholders and private sector players to review a proposed implementation plan, and once approved by Cabinet, training is expected to commence in September 2020.

Further to this, Minister Sutherland revealed that the Office of the Supervisor of Insolvency continues to roll out its “Dealing with Debt Program”.

He said that the programme is intended to prevent the premature liquidation of small businesses by providing a framework where they can explore options other than filing for insolvency and bankruptcy.

“In this programme, a number of private sector Chartered Accountants assist businesses in difficulty with debt management and debt restructuring services on volunteer basis, as part of their “give back” to the communities that they serve,” he said, further explaining that the aim is to help small businesses overcome their financial difficulties and to make bankruptcy a very last resort for small businesses. (TL)

“Friends of all, satellites of none.”

This iconic statement and guiding principle of Barbados’ foreign policy was made by Barbados’ Father of Independence, Errol Barrow, to the United Nations in 1966 and still rings true today.

On Sunday evening during a St. Philip South branch meeting held in the Rices Pavilion, Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic made this clear as he responded to a query from the audience about efforts from the United States government to prevent Cuban nurses from working across the Caribbean and the potential impact if any, this action could have on Barbados.

Minister Bostic explained that the Bill, The Cut Profits to the Cuban Regime Act, is seeking to associate countries like Barbados and others that have taken nurses from Cuba, with human trafficking.

“I will say this to you, remember the term ‘friends of all, satellites of none’. Barbados is a sovereign country, and we make decisions in the interest of our country, just like other countries – large and small – make all of the decisions in the interest of their country.

“We have engaged the nurses from Cuba. Barbados had diplomatic relations from the 1970s from Cuba when other countries were trying to do the same thing – put pressure, and we are not going to buckle under the pressure of any other nation.”

He stressed that in the interest of Barbados which is still facing the COVID-19 pandemic, the nurses will remain here. “Because we expect that we will have more cases and we are a tourism-based country. Forty per cent or so of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) if not more, and I don’t think people in the US really understand that we cannot at this point in time do without tourism. The tentacles of tourism reach deep and far, from people braiding hair on the beach... there are so many people impacted and affected by this and the only way that we can facilitate and allow tourism ... is to have the capacity to deal with the spread.

“Those 100 Cuban nurses – that is why they are here for. They are not here free. The Government of Barbados is paying for the service. They have them in several countries in the world and we will continue to do what is in the interest of Barbados and behalf of the people of Barbados.”

Last month, Florida’s Republican Senator Rick Scott explained that the Act will require the Department of State to publish the list of countries that contract with the Cuban regime for their medical missions programme, and to consider that a factor on their ranking in the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report. Senator Ted Cruz and Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio also championed the proposed legislation, which was tabled on June 19.

According to the Act, the host country ranking would not be affected if Cuban medical workers are protected by the doctors directly and ensuring no one confiscates their passports or wages; making all agreements public and transparent; ensuring safe working and living conditions and allowing them to bring their family members; and ensuring that the country providing the program is not receiving any additional compensation from the host country or any organisation for the work of the medical professionals. (JH)

IT is time for media houses in this island to provide continuous training and a higher level of salary for journalists.

President of the Barbados Association of Journalists and Media Workers (BARJAM), Emmanuel Joseph, made this clear on Sunday night’s The People’s Business program.

“I want to see more training and a better, greater respect for media workers on the job, and I would like to see media employers and media owners have a different and more positive attitude toward media workers in terms of their pay. I know it has to do with earnings, but at the same time you are having additional workloads put on you, but you are getting the same pay. That cannot work,” he said.

Stating the world was changing and therefore the field of journalism had to reflect this in order to remain relevant, he pointed out media houses are losing young journalists due to low pay.

“The young media workers who come into the business now are very well educated and they do not want to settle for just anything and the salaries that they are paid really do not say anything in terms of the nature of the job they are doing, so we need to look at that,” Joseph stated while answering a question on the challenges being faced by the media fraternity.

Insisting BARJAM was actively working on advocating these issues, Joseph also said the same regarding the proposed Freedom of Information Bill, which successive governments have given assurances to making law, but yet have failed to do.

Saying he had been in contact with former Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite and current Attorney General Dale Marshall on when the bill will be introduced into Parliament, he admitted, “I do not know if it has reached the stage where it can be introduced as yet, but I have been on his case and will continue to be on his case regarding that bill, because it is a critical piece in any democracy.

“There is something called public interest and we are here to serve this and to make things easier for us to access information… It is important to have that legislation in place to free our arms a little bit more, so we can go forward and contribute to the democratic process,” he added. (JMB)

The People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) has called for the government of Barbados to review the 72 hour COVID-19 testing time frame for people arriving in Barbados.

Spokesperson for Health, Paul Gibson made the plea yesterday during a press conference at the office of the Leader of the Opposition at the Worthing Corporate Centre.

“The PdP is calling for the Barbados Labour Party to test, quarantine and where necessary isolate patients with COVID. We have been bringing awareness to the need of a review of all protocols as they were in conflict with good science,” said Gibson

Though not fully there yet, Gibson stated that the PdP was happy that the government had been listening and had begun to change course regarding the protocols. The PdP had also previously called for testing of all persons upon arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport, who had not been previously tested on departure from their place of origin. He further called for a review of the 72 hour testing period for arriving passengers, as the time frame was just too long.

“Testing 72 hours before arrival, though it helps to ease the pressure in the arrival hall, it creates opportunities for COVID infected patients or asymptomatic carriers to find their way into the country and allow for the spread of this life threatening virus to get into our country and communities,” said Gibson.

Scott Weatherhead, Spokesperson for Tourism joined with Gibson in the request for the administration to rethink the protocols. Weatherhead explained that allowing persons to test 72 hours ahead of flights had weak points, due to the way in which the virus could show up hours or days later in people who had previously tested negative for COVID-19.

“The JetBlue flight of July 4th is a classic example of this, where persons were tested 72 hours before they got on the flight and were negative. Three days later they board a flight and arrive in Barbados but on that same flight are people who have not been tested at all,” said the spokesperson for tourism.

Weatherhead highlighted that the scenario placed tested persons into an aircraft for 4-8 hours to breathe the same air as people who could not be tested for whatever reason before they boarded. He explained that at some point the masks had to be removed to eat and drink on the flight, further exposing passengers to each other.

“When you arrive in Barbados, the guy who tested negative before, walks right through. He gets a scan of his temperature, fills out a form and passes through immigration and he is in the population, no quarantine,” said Weatherhead.

According to the spokesperson, the issue comes when the person who was not tested at all gets tested at the airport and is isolated and is found to be positive the next day. Weatherhead said that it is a scary situation where it would be too late for Barbados, as the passengers he came in contact with, once already tested in the 72 hour period, had already interacted with the population. (AS)

Barbados needs to have some mitigation methods in place as it grapples with climate change.

This comes from Meteorologist with the Barbados Meteorological Services, Tia Browne, who said this island, like others in the region, are highly vulnerable to climate change.

Browne, who was a speaker at the recent Domestic Financial Institutions Conference on “Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change: A Financial Sector Perspective”, took the time to highlight some of the possible impacts Barbados could face because of the global climate changes which are occurring.

Touching on effects to the tourism sector, she said: “Increased tropical cyclone activity will have a significant impact on our ports of entry.” She also highlighted a possible threat drought will have on the island’s drinking water supply.

“If we take a look at our drinking water, the underground water supply to the national needs and increasing demand will be significantly under threat for the next few years if this dry trend was to continue and we know we have been experiencing drought, and the likelihood of drought occurring in the future is also something that we need to take into consideration. So there needs to be supplemental alter-natives to the current system to meet the demands of all sectors and the sustainability of life.”

Turning her attention to the health sector, she said the Sahara dust outbreaks recently, “and more frequent and intense Sahara dust outbreaks in the dry season and the early part of the hurricane season, will impact heavily on the respiratory health of Barbadians”.

Meanwhile, speaking about the agriculture and environmental sectors, she highlighted the impact warmer temperatures could have. She noted that, “Increasing yields on complete rain-fed crops due to longer dry periods and shorter rainy seasons as well as increased temperatures is something that we have to pay attention to as well as increases in passage infectors due to the availability of water.” (MG)

Less than a year after it burst on to the regional art scene, The
Brighton Storeroom launched its third exhibition last Sunday,
welcoming guests to The Blue.

Guests had to follow the new health protocols at the gallery, which
was well ventilated and surrounded by a wide veranda that aided in the
enforcement of social distancing.

The unique exhibit, located in the natural space of Brighton, St.
George, is based on the simple premise of looking at the way in which
the primary colour of blue is used by artists and designers in their
work.

The beautiful works featured this past weekend included an eclectic
mix of paintings, collage and sculptures interspersed with items
designed and employed in everyday life by artists and designers from
Barbados, Guyana, the Bahamas, and the wider region.

Emerging artists Kraig Yearwood, Versia Abeda Harris, Llanor Alleyne,
and Tessa Whitehead were shown alongside the more established Caroline
Holder, Alison Chapman Andrews and Stanley Greaves. Designers from
Barbados included Neil Barnard, Pauline Bellamy and the architect Paul
Simpson, beside photographers William Cummins and Sofie Warren.

Curators Dennis de Caires and Estelle Thompson were both pleased with
the turn out at the launch of the event. Thompson explained that blue
is a colour which inspires many artists around the world.

“I think…blue is a colour that lots of artists are seduced by; it is
one of those colours that is pro-emotional where you can have
different emotional pictures. It is one of those words that is
optimistic, so all encompassing and here it speaks to paradise, blue
skies and blue waters,” explained Thompson.

The Austin Fields contribution of the flying fish inspired Slope
Glider was a popular piece with the patrons. The radio controlled
glider, now with the name ‘The Big Flying Fish’, featured a paint
scheme in the wing based on the flying fish and according to Fields,
was spectacular when viewed against the backdrop of the ocean.

Another unique piece which captured the attention and imagination of
those taken in by The Blue, was the dark metallic blue 1979 Honda
CX500 motorcycle, restored by Justin Inniss. The simple, yet
outstanding tones of blue were also featured in the Personal
Protective Equipment of face masks by Yankee Garments and three
textured masks by designer Pauline Bellamy.

The Brighton Storeroom opens to the public every Saturday, from
6:30-10:30 a.m., and weekdays by appointment until September 30,
2020.
 

After barbers and other hair technicians were given the green light to operate back in May as the strain of the local lockdown was eased, things have almost returned to normal. Having operated for a few months under the government directives as it responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been mixed levels of operation for many of the island’s salons and barbershops.

When it was first announced that members of the public could once again seek to have their manes cared for outside of their homes, once certain parameters were satisfied, a collective giant sigh of relief was breathed by those eager to be groomed as well as by those eager to get back to work. In the weeks that followed, Government has since declared the island COVID-free with many more relaxations following, and as such, some establishments have eased their protocols. However, with the virus still at large in other countries in the world, there are many who have decided not to drop their guard.

Back in June, The Barbados Advocate had reached out to Cecil King of 5 Star Barbershop in Bank Hall to find out how he was navigating the situation at the time. He explained that he had every suggested protocol in place as it related to personal protective equipment and the use of an appointment system.

Speaking to King yesterday, he noted that he still had all directives in place. What has changed for him is that he is using a combination of appointments and walk-ins, noting that a marked increase in his customer base had forced him to accommodate unscheduled work at his part-time engagement.

Noting that he was faced with a dilemma early on as the extra inputs of face masks, disposable capes and gloves saw him contemplating an increase in his prices, King said that he was able to balance things out and maintain his price point, although the majority of his customers told him that he should as they understood the need for such.

With a more relaxed atmosphere currently reigning in Barbados, King said that he did not have any issues with his business as his customers all calmly accept and follow his protocols when they come calling. (MP)

Promoting Barbados as a destination with stringent COVID-19 health protocols, including a strong arrivals policy is the best marketing strategy for the twelve month Welcome Stamp initiative.

This is the view of the The People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) regarding the latest government plan to help revive the tourism sector. Addressing the media at a press conference on Monday at the office of the opposition, Spokesperson for Tourism Scott Weatherhead made the recommendation that the current administration take the advice of the PdP and place stronger protocols at the ports of entry for Barbados.

“Now they have reopened where there is far greater a percentage of people sick in various source markets than when we were locked down and enforcing quarantine,” said Weatherhead.

The PdP representative asked how it was possible then for the government to reopen the borders with weaker protocols and promote the island as a safe destination. Weatherhead agreed with the need for the government to reopen the borders but the welcome stamp needed to be advertised as a safe haven for tourists because of very strict entry protocols.

“Come because our protocols are strict. They are so strict to ensure that as an island nation we are 100% virus free, that our population and our visitors do not need to wear masks or social distance. Why? Because we have kept it under control locally and we are not allowing it in,” outlined Weatherhead.

The Spokesperson for Tourism said that the strict protocols would encourage responsible visitors who cared about their health and well-being. He lauded the idea of the government to convert some hotels to quarantine centres and stated that it would be an attractive feature for tourists to come in, be tested and experience the 14 days at the beautiful hotel quarantine centres before entering the population.

“Because when we first decided that we were going to lock down, everyone coming through that airport was quarantined for 14 days in a government facility, everyone,

and they were tested,” he explained.

Weatherhead insisted that a mandatory 14 day quarantine at a government facility or hotel was necessary, even for those with the stipulated 72 hour negative tests and should be instilled in the policy. He contended that those who were allowed to home quarantine could not be completely policed.

“They are checked on twice a day by health personnel yes, but I could tell the medical personnel anything I want. How are you feeling? I am great. Why? Because I do not want to be sent to Harrison’s Point, I do not want my vacation to be interrupted, so I do not say anything when the nurse calls, meanwhile I am sweating,” stated Weatherhead. (AS)

Delayed for months due to the COVID-19 national shutdown, the Integrity in Public Life Bill, 2018 was passed in the Lower House yesterday.

Wrapping up Parliament’s debate on the resolution to adopt the Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Integrity in Public Life Bill, 2018, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley called the legislation, which seeks to strengthen measures for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of acts of corruption by those persons in public life, “a new page in the governance of our nation”.

The legislation will impact “all members of the House of Assembly and the Senate, all members of Cabinet, all Permanent Secretaries, all Heads of Departments within the Public Service and holders in the Public Service on the same grade as those heads of departments, Chairpersons of state-owned enterprises listed in Part Two, Chief Executive Officers, General Managers and other Executive Heads of state-owned enterprises listed in Part Two, Magistrates, Directors of Public Prosecutions, Auditor General, Members and Senior Officers of the Commission”.

Commenting on the Integrity Commission, Mottley stated that upon its set-up, it would receive and keep record of all declarations of assets made by persons in public life; be able to make inquiries and carry out investigations as it considers necessary in order to verify or determine the accuracy of a declaration, statement of registrable interests or report of a gift; and receive, inquire into and investigate any complaint or report of an alleged contravention of this Act or of the Code of Conduct, amongst other things.

Noting the 843-page long report resulted from wide consultation with several stakeholders, she expressed hope the bill would be received favourably in the Upper House.

“We come to the moment to bring to closure and to bring to start a new moment in the affairs of this country. One that I trust will be embraced in the other place, conscious that 40-something years ago, the other place brought to a halt an attempt by the then government under the late Tom Adams to be able to introduce measures that would have admitted for greater accountability in the affairs of our nation. I trust and pray that this will not meet a similar fate,” she emphasised. (JMB)

THE Alliance Owners of Public Transport is not in support of having public service vehicles pulled off the road, if found to be in breach of the recommended COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Mark A. Haynes, Communications and Marketing Officer for the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), made this clear, though he stressed that drivers and conductors as well as commuters should strive to be in compliance with the protocols.

“On behalf of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport, I wish to unequivocally state that all drivers, conductors and commuters must be in full conformity with all of Government’s rules and regulations, in specific relation to public transport. However, I am diametrically opposed to the threat of having the vehicles pulled off the road,” he said, in a release issued to The Barbados Advocate.

“Once they are found to be in breach of the current protocols, they should be stopped and given a warning, once there is evidence of any infringements. In a simultaneous manner, the owners of the vehicles should be called into a meeting and advised of the warning and infringements. Once breaches persist subsequent to an official warning, then there should be temporary punishment. Any action other than this will be too draconian and needs to be revisited immediately,” Haynes asserted.

He meanwhile is imploring all owners, drivers, conductors and commuters to please adhere to the protocols, which call for the wearing of masks and also the requisite sanitation of all vehicles at designated stations.

“We are in a new norm as it were and it must be understood that we are all in this together and should co-operate nicely with each other, in an effort to stay safe and to avert the spread of COVID-19 as is practical. A collaborative approach should be encouraged in this environment and not a combative and an antagonistic one. Let us make an effort to work with each other in an effort to ensure containment of this disease,” Haynes urged.

He meanwhile stressed that the workers in this sector must be on their best behaviour and it is imperative that they conduct themselves with the highest level of decorum and discipline on the road and refrain from bringing the sector into public disrepute.

Haynes also suggested that commuters who refuse to wear masks, should not be taken on board the PSVs as a matter of safety. (RSM)

OPPOSITION Leader, Bishop Joseph Atherley, is querying what exactly is contemplated in the Remote Employment Bill 2020 in its definition of family and whether that definition is illegal according to the laws of Barbados.

His comments came yesterday during the debate where he responded to comments made in the Lower Chamber, suggesting that Barbados does not discriminate and will not do so for same-sex unions under the proposed legislation.

“There is entailed in this Bill a definition of ‘family’ that talks of partners. The comments of the last Honourable Member who spoke (MP Colin Jordan) disturbed me because he seems to be signalling very clearly that this Bill anticipates, contemplates, is inviting and giving approval to a presence for this purpose as stated in the Bill here, persons who are constituting families. The construction of which is not legal in Barbados or under Barbados law.

“I have to admit and I don’t want to anticipate what is coming when we discuss the Bill when it comes to anti-discrimination re: employment. I thought it would emerge from that debate because it is more clearly indicated there, but I did hear the Honourable Member for St. Peter indicate that we should throw out a welcome mat to families constituted in a way that is not lawful in Barbados terms.

“If that is where we are going, say that very clearly. So that not only will the world understand, but that Barbados will understand that we expect husbands and wives to come, we expect husbands and dependents to come, but a construct of family as intended in this legislation will also see us open up our doors to males who form pairs in that social context… to females who form pairs in that social context.”

He stressed, “If we want to go that route as a government, we must tell the people of Barbados that this is part and parcel of that which we are discussing and intending to pass today. If I am wrong and that is not the case, tell Joseph Atherley that is not the case.”

During the debate, Bishop Atherley also challenged Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson to deny that this is a step towards introducing Citizenship by Purchase or Citizenship by Investment as seen in other countries. He also challenged the Minister to deny that there are persons already working on the island and the legislation is seeking to catch up.

He further stated that Barbados cannot handle white collar crime at home. “If the protocols to be followed are as mild and friendly as they are or appear to be, then you can expect that coming among those who come to us will be a criminal element. And if you cannot deal with white collar crime in Barbados effectively, I do not know how you are going to deal with white collar crime that is imported. No matter how warmly you welcome.

“We live in a region where some of our jurisdictions are known already to have been exposed to terrorist presence. As innocent as we are, the world around us is not altogether all that innocent and there are elements looking for an opportunity. I do not say the Government should not have this Welcome Stamp programme, I am saying if we do it, we do it with full thought, we do it carefully and you are careful not to be overly hasty.” (JH)

While judges have not been included in the Integrity in Public Life Bill, 2018, instruction has been given for the creation of separate legislation for high-level judicial officers.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley revealed she had given direction to Attorney General, Dale Marshall, to draft a special bill for the judiciary.

“We took the determination that separate legislation is coming for whistleblowing, just as separate legislation is coming for corruption and terrorism activities, and this morning we have added separate legislation for the judicial conduct, assuring the high conduct of judicial officers,” she told the Lower House yesterday.

As she made her presentation during the debate on the resolution to adopt the Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Integrity in Public Life Bill, 2018, the Finance Minister sought to make clear that regulatory breaches must not be confused with substantive breaches of corruption and will be covered by fines and penalties until the paper on Civil Penalties was brought to the Lower House.

“So we can leave imprisonment for what it should be for, which is substantive breaches of the criminal law, but we need to move to a situation where we leave Queen Victoria in the 17th century, where she reigned and come to the 21st century with penalties that make sense without seeking to make men and women criminals for regulatory breaches. Men and women must pay a penalty for disorder, men and women must pay a penalty for not doing the right thing, but I don’t know that in this day and age we want to make people criminals for regulatory breaches, because it runs counter to the kind of society and the kind of opportunities that we want to be able to give our children in this country,” she said.

To ensure persons were well aware of what they could and could not do under the legislation, the PM assured Barbadians proper education on the legislation would come after its passing.

“It is not going to be comfortable. I give this country the assurance that when this bill passes both Houses, that there would be a period of gestation of nine months in order to be able to ensure that we will train everyone who is likely to be affected by this bill,” she stated. (JMB)

RESPONDING to some of the “noise” that has arisen with regard to visitors being able to bring their partner with them to Barbados while on the 12-Month Welcome Stamp, Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations Colin Jordan stressed that workers are not just a factor of production, but are first and foremost human beings.

His comments came yesterday during debate of the Remote Employment Bill 2020. Minister Jordan said he was amazed by the discussion, adding that all workers are social beings, need support and no one should be able to determine from whom that support comes.

“I have no right to determine that, and Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to you and your position, you have no right to determine that for me either.

So that there are persons who will travel with a spouse, there are persons who will travel with a friend. There are persons who will travel with a partner. There are some persons who would only want to travel only with their children.

“Persons will make those decisions for themselves. Our responsibility in recognising the humanity of persons who are coming here to work, our responsibility is to respect their choices and allow them to come and to contribute both to this country as well as the country that they come from.”

Reflecting on his time working in the hotel sector, Minister Jordan said, “I do not remember ever asking a question… I don’t remember there ever having been a discussion when visitors book a room, a question about who will be staying in the room. And what is your relationship with the other person staying in the room. That does not happen in tourism in Barbados. It does not happen with short-stay tourism and there is no reason it should happen with longer-stay tourism. It just doesn’t happen.

“Our concern is that they abide by the laws of the country, they are able to pay their bills and they do not present either security or health risks to the country. “Once those factors are taken into consideration, then a visitor is a valid visitor. And that visitor and whoever they travel with are considered to be valid visitors.”

The Labour Minister said Barbados has for a long time recognised that the people travel in different configurations.

“We started to hear about travel across generations. So multi-generational travel. We started to hear about persons travelling more and more with nannies. All different kinds of configurations and we recognised as a country and as an industry that the product in terms of accommodation had to change to suit the different arrangements of the persons who were travelling. And so making adjustments for different configuration of travellers or groups of travellers is nothing new to the country. It is what has kept our tourism on the cutting edge.”

Minister Jordan, while supporting the legislation, stressed that the Barbados economy is facing a challenge, even though some persons do not grasp the full scope of the impact of the pandemic.

“When workers are without work, as in fully laid off, and some of those persons who are laid off are receiving benefits from the NIS, but there are some others .... who are not receiving benefits from the NIS. When workers are not receiving income, they are in trouble. And a country has then to do what it needs to do to make sure that those persons are at least able to eat.” (JH)

WITH more social and entertainment events occurring post-COVID, Barbadians are being told not to drop their guard but to make wise choices as it relates to alcohol consumption.

Community Programme Officer with the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), Makeada Bourne, gave this advice yesterday during an interview with The Barbados Advocate.

Over the past four months, persons in Barbados would have lived with numerous health and safety protocols issued by the Ministry of Health, including an initial ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol and the closure of bars and rum shops. Despite the ban being lifted about midway through, only bars and restaurants opened about a month ago.

Bourne, who reminded that alcohol “is classified as a drug” and it can have a number of effects on the brain and the body, said persons under 18 should abstain from using it. Meanwhile, persons over this age, if they do decide to drink, they should do so responsibly.

“We want to get it out there to the general public, it is a drug and because it is legal does not mean it is safe even to give your children [to drink or] to expose them to alcohol… We want to protect our population under 18, but we have an abstinence policy as it relates to alcohol use.”

She added, “To those who are over 18, we are saying to them if you choose to drink, choose to be responsible.

“In this COVID-19 season more so, we want people to be safe because if your choice is compromised in terms of a simple thing like even if you wear a mask or not, that could put your life at risk and put your family at risk. We want people to really, really think as they go out there in this season. To think about how much they drink.”

Bourne explained that “a standard drink is one drink within an hour, that is how much your liver can break down. Two hours for women”. She urged persons to be mindful of this. She also urged individ-uals when planning to attend events to select a designated driver who will take themselves and others home safely.

“We want people to really, really think through what they choose to do, even as they go out to different venues and events. In addition to that, if they choose to drink remember now we have the breathalyser, so please remember that and they need to designate a driver who is not consuming alcohol. Again, we like to say the car will get us home, but we want to break that old saying. We want to say designate a driver, a driver who has not consumed alcohol during the event.”

Students enrolled in Supreme Counselling for Personal Development’s Project Rescue Programme have been benefiting from an online initiative focusing on self-development and self-awareness.

According to Shawn Clarke, CEO of Supreme Counselling for Personal Development (SCPD), sessions covered over the last few weeks include self-esteem building, anger management, conflict resolution, and social and emotional intelligence.

Just yesterday, Psychologist Lydia Worrell engaged students online and a live stream was also carried via SCPD’s Facebook page, so youth who wished to tap into the session on anger management could do so. Worrell taught the students how to recognise and control anger as an emotion by learning their triggers and then relying on planned coping skills, so they could have better relations with others.

Clarke meanwhile explained that the sessions, which take place from Monday to Thursday, are Supreme’s way of reaching out to youth, to give them key developmental skills that will stand them in good stead going forward, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent shutdown, we felt it necessary at Supreme Counselling to find a way to still be able to reach out to young people enrolled in the Supreme Programme. We were thinking as to the best approach and we finally decided that we would do the sessions online, but we would open up the sessions to young persons in Barbados or even outside of Barbados, who wanted to plug into any of our online platforms – whether Facebook, YouTube or Instagram – so they could have access to the sessions. So that is what we have been doing for the past few weeks, to be able to reach as many young people as possible, as well as to make sure that Supreme Counselling remains relevant,” Clarke told The Barbados Advocate.

To date, he said the response has been good, even though Supreme Counselling was not able to reach all of its students for the online sessions.

“The response has been good, (though) it has not been tremendous. We have 1,750 students in Supreme Counselling’s programme and I would have expected or hoped for a lot more of them to have participated in the activities, but it was also quite difficult obviously to get in contact with all of them, to let them know what was happening. But we are relatively pleased with the response,” Clarke said of the initiative.

THE National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) is leaving no stone unturned as it seeks to educate the public about responsible alcohol use, particularly in the current COVID-19 environment.

NCSA’s Community Programme Officer, Makeada Bourne, said the organisation has and will continue to do so through its social media platforms. It will also be doing so through its upcoming newsletter.

“We have been really, really pushing a lot of information relating especially to the link between alcohol and COVID and we are about to release a newsletter too that would carry such articles. We are doing our part and you will be seeing some information, some articles, different things coming out in the media letting Barbadians know not to drop their guard.”

Public education through various media has been done by the NCSA over the years. As recently as July last year, the Council launched a media campaign aimed at reminding individuals to make wise choices, especially relating to alcohol use and abuse.

Entitled ‘Tek It Easy’, the campaign ran for six weeks during the Crop Over period and it was targeted at both locals and visitors. The NCSA partnered with entertainer, Edwin Yearwood and the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Barbados for the campaign. Yearwood composed the theme song, ‘Tek It Easy’. Meanwhile, NCSA teamed up with JCI for their Safe and Sober Campaign where they set up ‘Safe Zones’ at various Crop Over events, offering patrons an area where they can have non-alcoholic beverages and snacks as well as cool down before leaving the event.

Giving an update about the success of the campaign, Bourne said it was impactful.

“We appeared on Starcom stations as well as CBC stations, mainly 95.3 FM and 98.1 FM, where we did extensive promotion in terms of sharing about the effects of alcohol and encouraging persons to be responsible during the Crop Over season.”

She added that disc jockeys reported that as they went from event to event, “they did hear the song play at some of the parties and then we also had some reports that even the slogan was catching on where persons would sing, ‘Tek It Easy’ and be responsible when you have to go home have a designated driver, things like that. So we believe that there was an impact in society. We don’t have research numbers to say what that maybe, but we do know that campaign had a positive impact on individuals during Crop Over season”. (MG)

Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland, has given the assurance that acquiring a Liquor Licence will be a simpler, faster process very soon.

He said that Government is at the final stage of repealing and replacing the current Liquor Licence Act CAP. 182. with the aim of modernising the liquor licensing regime, to allow the administration of the application and issuing of liquor licences to be done on an E-platform and for it to be taken from the jurisdiction of the Court and transferred to civil administration in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

“Once approved by Cabinet, this Bill will be laid in Parliament,” he indicated.

The Minister explained that changes to the outdated legislation, which goes back to 1957, will see an improvement in the ease of doing business for the small shopkeepers, restaurants and bars who engage in selling liquor.

In addition, Minister Sutherland revealed that there will be a new category of licence called a “seasonal licence” for a period of three months that would allow persons such as those hosting Crop Over events to have a licence for the season, instead of daily or weekly application. (TL)

Yesterday marked the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency launch of a regional logistics hub at the Port of Bridgetown and the ceremonial handover of relief supplies by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), destined for the region.

President of the CDB, Dr William Warren Smith made the handover to Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey at the Port of Bridgetown, Queens Bond. Smith explained that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were purchased with funding from the CDB and made available to the borrowing member states for use in the fight against COVID-19.

“Today we are taking the delivery of equipment which includes over 250,000 protective gloves, 160,000 masks, 110,000 gowns, 67,000 goggles and 35,000 protective suits,” outlined the president.

Smith remarked that the CDB had taken note of the virus over four months ago and since then the virus spread rapidly throughout the world. He commended all Caribbean members of the CDB for taking prompt protective measures to safeguard their people. The president also highlighted that the pandemic had created a challenging PPE market with the demand substantially outstripping supply.

“Given these challenges, CDB consulted with regional partners and agreed to purchase PPE on a pool basis so that recipient countries could benefit from an economy of scale and uniform product quality,” explained Dr Smith.

The president asserted that the initiative was due to regional collaboration between the CDB, CDEMA, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to identify the needs of each country. Smith said that it was expected that all the PPEs would be delivered to the borrowing member states by the end of the month.

CDEMA Executive Director (Ag) Elizabeth Riley remarked that the establishment of the logistics hub in Barbados would be a significant boost to helping the region.

“To support our participating states, CDEMA has established an integrated regional logistics hub right here in Barbados. It will act as a primary repository and transshipment point for COVID-19 related relief supplies and also aid in the corporation of humanitarian logistics,” said Riley.

The executive director explained that the analysis of past tragic events in the CDEMA participating states identified logistics and relief management as fundamental areas in the regional response mechanism.

Minister Humphrey expressed his pride at the island becoming the Integrated Regional Logistics Hub. He also thanked the CDB, CARPHA and CDEMA along with the High Commision of Canada for their involvement in the donation, stating that it would benefit the region significantly. (AS)

Barbadians are being told to be ready for Tropical Storm Gonzalo.

This comes from Prime Minster, Mia Amor Mottley who urged members of each household to be prepared rather than be caught off guard.

She made this appeal while addressing the nation yesterday at Ilaro Court, while noting that government had spent that day doing its own assessments and making adjustments to ensure its own readiness for the approaching weather system.

“I ask Barbadians to prepare themselves and to be near your radios with us as early as tomorrow [Thursday] morning. We will be having a session instead of the Cabinet to look immediately at the issue of the oncoming Tropical Storm and I am happy that the Ministry of Public Works and other ministries spent the day today [Wednesday] literally doing the assessments and making adjustments such that when we meet with them tomorrow [Thursday] morning we will be in a position to take any further decisions that have to be done,” she explained.

Mottley urged individuals in each household to also assess their state of readiness.

“In ever house ... be prepared rather than be sorry and I ask you therefore without panic to be able to ensure that you are ready for this storm because no storm is a good storm.”

Yesterday at 5 p.m., Tropical Storm Gonzalo was located near 9.9N 45.0W, about 1615 km or 1005 miles to the east of Barbados, and is moving towards the west at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds remain near 50 mph or 85km/h. The current forecast tracks suggest that the centre should pass about 90 miles to the south of Barbados on Saturday morning. (MG)