Should the sale of the Barbados National Terminal Company Limited (BNTCL) be approved to the Sol Group of Companies, with all the provisions as set out in the proposed acquisition, Rubis Caribbean is prepared to challenge the decision.

Head of Rubis Caribbean, Mauricio Nicholls, made the company’s position known at a press conference yesterday morning at the Warrens Industrial Park office of Virgo Communications, which handles the fuel company’s public relations.

The summary document recently made public on the proposed acquisition of the BNTCL by BNTCL Holdings Limited, which is a member of the Sol Group of Companies, indicates that one of the conditions of the transaction is the implementation, by the Government of Barbados, of a 15-year moratorium on the construction of terminals for the storage and handling of the products currently being stored and handled by BNTCL. This, they say, is to “maintain this most efficient terminalling solution”. However, Nicholls is adamant that if this is accepted as part of the deal, it puts Rubis at a disadvantage and prevents the company from reopening its own terminal at Spring Garden.

“We are prepared to fight the battle with all the elements that the law gives us to fight that battle, because we are fighting for our survival and future here in the country and we are prepared to fight it as hard as we can. Fight it legally, fight it ethically, fight it with the right arguments and fight it in the right forms. But this is a huge, huge issue for us; it threatens the survival and longevity of Rubis in the country,” he contended.

Nicholls added, “We like to do business in this country. We are here, we came here five years, six years ago, we have made huge investments in this country.”

The Rubis Chief Executive Officer was not only referring to the refurbishment of all 17 existing service stations under the brand, including the service station in Fontabelle which is currently undergoing work, but the introduction of new technology and the construction currently under way of the company’s headquarters in Welches, St. Thomas. He said all that is estimated to be an investment in the region of $100 million in the country. But, he said, their contribution to the economy has not stopped there, as the company has also provided employment for hundreds of persons directly and indirectly.

“We have a lot at stake here and we are ready to fight a very, very tough battle with all the elements given to us in the law, and all the forms we can use nationally or internationally,” he said.

He had earlier alluded that the local court, the Caribbean Court of Justice as well as other international forums that deal with investment disputes, are options that exist should they decide to appeal.

His comments came as he said that should Sol gain control of BNTCL with the proposed terms, it would also leave unanswered questions in relation to how the BNTCL will be regulated. He indicated that while the document suggests that it would be regulated like a utility, this is unclear as he said there is no framework currently in place locally to regulate utilities in general.

He said there is also the possibility, as industry practices show, that as the owner of the terminal, Sol’s trucks could be given preference to fuel up; and should that happen, when any Rubis station is low on fuel they stand to lose business. Nicholls said in principle a plan could be set out by the FTC to deal with that scenario, but it would be difficult to actually implement. (JRT)

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, anticipates that Barbados will soon be a part of a trade facilitation agreement to which member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have been asked to become signatories.

She made the comments during the debate on the Notaries Public Bill in the Upper Chamber yesterday, where she stressed the importance of the ease of doing business and the need to be competitive in the global marketplace.

According to McClean, “We are expected as part of the WTO membership to commit to what we see as free trade and trade liberation. All of that leads to competitiveness. As we look to make domestic policies, we are doing so against the background of being required to operate according to certain kinds of standards.

“There is a trade facilitation agreement to which member countries are asked to become signatories. I was informed that only this month two-thirds of the members had to ratify so that it has to come into force, and only this month it has been ratified.

“Barbados is actually in the process of getting final send-off. The Foreign Trade department has provided the necessary documentation, which will go to Cabinet and which is being considered at the level of the Ministry of International Business as well as the Solicitor General. So I anticipate that very soon Barbados will be signatory to that trade facilitation agreement.”

As a signatory to that agreement, the Leader of Government Business says this means the country must be able to deliver. “And being able to deliver is about finding ways to ensure that we minimise any stumbling blocks, any constraints to effective business activity. This is one area in which that will become important,” she said.

Minister McClean added that the question of expanding the number of notaries public is one element of a total package of reform and improvement, with the view of facilitating business in Barbados. She said the other side of the equation is the role of the business community.

“It is often very easy and very popular to be critical of Government’s limitations. ‘The legislation can go further, we need more staff at Corporate Affairs, we need to bring our systems into the new age of ITC, etc.’, and as we try to do that we also have to say to the business community, they themselves have to bring themselves into that age as well.”

Beyond the technology, Senator McClean stated that greater focus must be placed on the individuals providing these services, which involves investment in training.

She said the piece of legislation being debated is essentially part of an ongoing strategy and roll-out of programmes to ensure that the quality of work undertaken is improved while realising a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness, which will improve competitiveness. (JH)

Flow Study could be entering local classrooms soon.

Last year, Barbados’ leading telecommunications provider unveiled the on-demand, e-learning service that offers a wide variety of virtual educational tools for GSAT, CSEC and CAPE exams. Now, the creators of the project, One-On-One Education Services, is making strides to have Flow Study included as part of the official curriculum in local secondary schools.

“One-On-One Educational Services is a start-up technology company that was established two years ago and our goal is to change the way children in the Caribbean learn. Since we started, we’ve used Caribbean teachers and professionals to author the content and we’ve partnered with Cable & Wireless Communications to distribute the content to students,” said Ricardo Allen, founder and president of the Jamaica-based One-On-One Education Services.

Allen, a 2013 Fulbright Scholarship awardee, is currently in Barbados for a series of meetings with education stakeholders.

“The response to Flow Study has been truly remarkable. Back in Jamaica, the Ministry of Education has endorsed the product and we have a deal where teachers and students are using Flow Study at this very moment to prepare for upcoming exams. While in Barbados, we have met with various stakeholders such as CXC and the Ministry of Education and we are excited about prospects of improving the way our children learn and making quality education accessible to all. That’s the equity we are going after with Flow Study,” he said.

Sharon Jemmott, Head of Products, Flow Barbados, also expressed her delight at the education-based initiative which affords all residential customers the opportunity to sign-up for the service free of charge via the Flow Study app, Flow’s website and the Flow Video-on-Demand TV platform.

To get started, existing Flow customers can visit www.flowstudy.co and click “login” to register for a Flow ID, which is necessary to access the learning materials that comprise various components – Online Courses, Question Bank, Past Paper e-Book, Virtual Science Labs, CyberPedia and Video Past Paper Solutions.

“We are ensuring that students will be able to access the Flow Study platform via any device on our network with no data charge associated, so they can use Flow Study for free. Also, this is good because accessibility is one of the big factors in getting eLearning, especially in the mobile space, off the ground in Barbados,” said Jemmott.
Allen also said he remains optimistic about transforming regional education.

“For centuries we’ve been doing education the same way – persons come in to a classroom, a teacher teaches the class and a student may get it or not. What we are doing with Flow Study is capturing that learning experience and a student can then consume it wherever, whenever and however they please.”

Flow Study could be entering local classrooms soon.

Last year, Barbados’ leading telecommunications provider unveiled the on-demand, e-learning service that offers a wide variety of virtual educational tools for GSAT, CSEC and CAPE exams. Now, the creators of the project, One-On-One Education Services, is making strides to have Flow Study included as part of the official curriculum in local secondary schools.

“One-On-One Educational Services is a start-up technology company that was established two years ago and our goal is to change the way children in the Caribbean learn. Since we started, we’ve used Caribbean teachers and professionals to author the content and we’ve partnered with Cable & Wireless Communications to distribute the content to students,” said Ricardo Allen, founder and president of the Jamaica-based One-On-One Education Services.

Allen, a 2013 Fulbright Scholarship awardee, is currently in Barbados for a series of meetings with education stakeholders.

“The response to Flow Study has been truly remarkable. Back in Jamaica, the Ministry of Education has endorsed the product and we have a deal where teachers and students are using Flow Study at this very moment to prepare for upcoming exams. While in Barbados, we have met with various stakeholders such as CXC and the Ministry of Education and we are excited about prospects of improving the way our children learn and making quality education accessible to all. That’s the equity we are going after with Flow Study,” he said.

Sharon Jemmott, Head of Products, Flow Barbados, also expressed her delight at the education-based initiative which affords all residential customers the opportunity to sign-up for the service free of charge via the Flow Study app, Flow’s website and the Flow Video-on-Demand TV platform.

To get started, existing Flow customers can visit www.flowstudy.co and click “login” to register for a Flow ID, which is necessary to access the learning materials that comprise various components – Online Courses, Question Bank, Past Paper e-Book, Virtual Science Labs, CyberPedia and Video Past Paper Solutions.

“We are ensuring that students will be able to access the Flow Study platform via any device on our network with no data charge associated, so they can use Flow Study for free. Also, this is good because accessibility is one of the big factors in getting eLearning, especially in the mobile space, off the ground in Barbados,” said Jemmott.
Allen also said he remains optimistic about transforming regional education.

“For centuries we’ve been doing education the same way – persons come in to a classroom, a teacher teaches the class and a student may get it or not. What we are doing with Flow Study is capturing that learning experience and a student can then consume it wherever, whenever and however they please.”

The Barbados National Terminal Company Limited (BNTCL) should not be sold by government to a solo entity, but to three entities.

Such a view was expressed by Neil Holder. The Political Leader of the Barbados Integrity Movement (BIM), one of this island’s newest political parties, stated that one of these entities should be the credit union movement.

“BIM’s position is that the BNTCL should be sold to three entities. Those three entities would be the local credit union movement as a collective body, so that this would give at least 170 000 Barbadians some ownership or stake in this. The SOL Group, Rubis and the latter two should be the ones that will pay in US dollars. That is how we perceive this transaction should go.”

His comments come on the heels of the announcement of the Barbados National Oil Company Limited’s (BNOCL) plan to sell its shares of its subsidiary, BNTCL to the SOL Group.

This matter is presently before the Fair Trading Commission (FTC), pending approval.

Holder, while addressing Wednesday’s press conference at the Divi Southwinds Resort, stated the move “is going to hurt everybody in Barbados.” He also said it “spells out monopoly and monopoly in a very bad way.”

“Of grave concern to Barbados is the fact that the agreement calls for a protection period of 15 years where the government of Barbados is saying that they will not permit any other petroleum operation to have storage facilities of that sort in Barbados. It protects the SOL Group through this company until 2032. What happens if that company becomes insolvent for some reason or another? What happens if we have an issue where there is a world shortage and for some reason they cannot supply demand and another party has an opportunity to do so, but Barbados is locked into this salacious agreement for 15 years?,” he asked.

The BIM Political Leader also called for a disclosure by government of details of how many bids were made for the purchase of BNTCL and “what is the agreed purchase price as this is not clearly stated anywhere”.

“The Fair Trading Commission could not provide BIM with the sale price, therefore it cannot provide Barbadians with the sale price because we were referred to
a document today by the Fair Trading Commission, which happens to be the press release of the December 2016 Central Governor report… The Fair Trading Commission is investigating this matter, but they are asking us to refer to the Central Bank Governor’s report at page four where it says, proceeds from the sale of BNTCL and amount
of $100 million were waiting approval by the Fair Trading Commission.”

He added, “Barbadians cannot accept from the Fair Trading Commission that what they are doing could be fair and impartial if they are not operating with all of the information that they need to have to hand, and if they are not providing the public with the relevant information that simulates what the sale price is and further more how
this agreement came to be.” (MG)

THE Democratic Labour Party (DLP) launched a campaign yesterday under the theme Facts, with the view of elucidating government’s achieve-ments and the actions taken to ensure Barbados’ viability.

Yesterday, during a press conference at the DLP headquarters, General Secretary George Pilgrim made a call for party faithfuls to make their way to Queen’s College on March 4 at 9 a.m., for a mid-year conference, which he says will allow Ministers to share the policy journey over the period in government.
“It is very important that we share this as we seek to chart a path for all Barbadians. The conference will be streamed live on all of our platforms so that our overseas branches can also tune into the conference,” he said.

Furthermore, “The conference will also allow for the party base to share and give the party central, needed feedback on the views and thoughts. The conference will be streamed live in on all our platforms so that our overseas branches can also tune in to the Conference: FACTS as our speakers roll out,” he further explained.

Pilgrim also used the opportunity to announce that 30 Barbadians will be awarded Patriot Awards, noting that 2017 was designated as the year of Youth Engagement.

“These awards will be sponsored by the party and will be given to persons under the age of 35, based on the outlined criteria,” he revealed.
The hope, he said, is that the public will get a chance to nominate deserving young persons for such awards. Areas to be recognised include music, theatre, dance, fashion, cricket, football, religion and agriculture to name a few.

Pilgrim noted that this year also marks the 30th anniversary of Father of the Party the Right Excellent Errol Barrow’s death. “We will remember Barrow in a number of different ways during the first week of June. June 1 marks 30 years since his passing and therefore on this day we won’t be marching or asking Barbadians to be disruptive,” he stated.

“Instead we will head to St. John for a full engagement of the schools’ children by hosting a primary school cook off, the recipes will come from Barrow’s Cook book. We have engaged St. John’s Primary, Mt Tabor and St. Margaret’s. We have approached Lodge school to participate by hosting the cook off,” he said.

YOU cannot sell fear in exchange for hope.

This is the message from the General Secretary of the Democratic Labour Party, George Pilgrim, to the leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley, against the backdrop of recently revealed plans for a March of Disgust against the Freundel Stuart administration next week.

Pilgrim opined that the agenda of the BLP continues to be corrosive and charged that a “platform of hate and division is being created in the country”. He further charged that no one went marching when a former Central Bank Governor lost his job under the BLP administration back in 1999, adding that the march is a self-serving move for the Opposition leader.

As it relates to economic issues affecting the island, Pilgrim stated that Barbadians are not fools, noting that the issues are being vented in the public domain. “The government of Barbados prints money. Full stop. Corporation taxes declined mainly from offshore sector since 2009 by 200 million per year; Transfers are up by only 50 million over the period we were in office; commercial banks are not buying Government paper which helps create the shortfall, hence the Central Bank picks up the slack... Hence printing of money,” he pointed out.

“We print money to ensure this country’s fabric and its people are secured. It’s not the best option. Government bills have to be paid. Salaries and wages of public servants translate to families and homes surviving in this society and why should this party apologise for keeping public servants in jobs?” he added.
Notwithstanding, he said it would be disingenuous to say that the DLP government is not hard at work trying to improve the current outlook.

Some of the positives outlined by Pilgrim include a decrease in unemployment; growth in economy reported at 1.6 per cent; positive reports from the island’s main tourism driver, jobs, hotels and investment on the horizon.

“Barbados ... Please try to understand ... The calls for cuts from the opposition will cause major fallout,” he stated, adding that last year President of the Party told the General Council that he does not intend to dislodge families when responding to the issue of job cuts.

“The Opposition is aware of the compendium of issues facing the region, rating agencies ratings, Brexit, new Republican Administration, OECD charge against us, CARICOM’s burden with trade agreements, managing our reserves for sure. These are very difficult times for small open economies,” Pilgrim further noted.

“Our response to all theses issues help inform investors but principally... investors like a stable political climate where there is a respect for the rule of law. Barbadians must judge not only the Democratic Labour Party because we are already on trial as a party in office, but you must also ask if the opposition is really offering a solution,” he urged.

He said the policies adopted by the DLP under trying times reflect the most appropriate response to the environment. Pilgrim stated that while international agencies and the business community make calls for cuts, they are referring to sending home thousands of workers from the public service.
“So international agencies focus on making sure people are sent home and that the cost of charge for services sky rocket.

“We still continue to roll out everyday a public transport system. We haven’t bought any buses, I’m not the Minister of Public Works and Transport but I have heard on good authority that the government is about to purchase some buses. That is a fact. I have heard on good authority that the MTW will soon be rolling out a massive roadworks programme. That’s a fact. I have heard on good authority that thousands of tablets and equipment for secondary schools are sitting in the port about to be released. That is a fact,” he stated.

Pilgrim acknowledged that while there was recent criticism by the private sector about the leadership, he noted that leadership in the public and private sectors have different responsibilities and expectations.

“The public sector has a responsibility to the poor and vulnerable. Leadership in the private sector has a responsibility to profit,” he said. (JH)

CANDIDATE selection is very much on the agenda of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), with persons expressing an interest either verbally or by letter for all constituencies.

This revelation came from General Secretary, George Pilgrim, yesterday during a press conference held at the DLP’s George Street Headquarters, where he assured the selection will be made “very soon”.

Pilgrim told the media that persons are gearing up for the marginal BLP seats and in particular the St. James Central constituency, currently held by Kerrie Symmonds, saying many in the DLP are eager to see him go.

He explained, however, that there is a difference between the DLP and BLP as it relates to candidate selection, the latter of which he contended is always riddled with controversy.

The general secretary said the process of the DLP is extremely rigorous, and has not just started.

“For the last three years this party has been drilling down into the issue of candidate selection. Every month a report comes on the performance and activity in the constituencies that are under consideration. Every month for the last three years,” he revealed.

“So it is not an overnight or weekend exercise under a tent. We function based on data, feedback and consultation. It is a very consultative process and I want to credit our party leader for insisting that over the last three years that the party consulted with the people of the branches in keeping us up-to-date on the performance of all of those,” Pilgrim pointed out.

He further stated that, “When we are selecting candidates in the DLP, we follow the Constitution. In our candidate selection process, the executive selects and the General Council ratifies with consultation with the committee of management.”

“And in one night, not a year, in one night, with the corporation and support of the two councils being in agreement with each other, the party can select all 30 candidates. We have a very non-public candidate selection process... We do our business with decorum, we have rules that we obey, and we don’t break the rules for the convenience of some at the expense of others,” he exhorted.

Pilgrim sympathised with persons who were wronged by the BLP including embattled Dr. Maria Agard and David Gill.

“Anybody vexed with the leadership with the BLP, call me. I drive around with application forms. This is not a party that engages in rejecting people and publicly humiliating people. We don’t like it. The people on this side are family are friends. The people on that side are alliances,” he stated.

“I have one vote. The executive ratifies and accepts the members and let me say if it were to come before me, as an individual on the executive council I would personally vote to welcome Agard or any of those numbers of the DLP. Signed, sealed and delivered,” he said. (JH)

Power has been restored to Minister of Finance, Christopher Sinckler, to fire Central Bank Governor Dr. DeLisle Worrell.

Just after 4 p.m. yesterday, the Court of Appeal lifted the six-day injunction that was preventing the Minister of Finance from removing Dr. Worrell from his post as one of the leading decision-makers on economic policies in the country.

Immediately following the lifting of the injunction, the Court then denied another application made by the Governor’s lead Attorney Gregory Nicholls, to have it extended to buy time for the case to be taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The Court is scheduled to give reasons for its decision to remove the injunction on Friday March 3.

Making his way from the courtroom to leave the Supreme Court Complex, Dr. Worrell did not make any comments to the media about his loss, just giving a little smile.

However, while issuing a brief statement, Attorney Nicholls said that the Governor was contented with the proceedings and is resolute that his objective is to ensure that there is a steady hand at the Central Bank in this most difficult time in Barbados.

Nicholls said while he awaits the arrival of next Friday to hear the reasons why the Court has made the decision in favour of the Minister of Finance, he would be conducting discussions with his client and colleagues, as it relates to further legal actions being taken. He said maybe as soon as today, he will be making an application for Dr. Worrell’s case to be heard before the CCJ.

“We are disappointed. We thought that we had a fairly solid case and before I comment I need to see what the Court’s decision is,” Nicholls said.

Last Friday morning, in the No.9 Supreme Court, Justice Randall Worrell lifted a five-day injunction to prevent Minister Sinckler from dismissing Dr. Worrell.
However, Justice Worrell reinstated the injunction around 3:30 p.m. that same day, after the Governor’s Attorneys applied for the matter to be taken to the Court of Appeal.

It has been reported that Minster Sinckler had given Dr. Worrell an ultimatum to voluntarily step down from his post, or be relinquished.

For two hours straight, Attorney Nicholls tried to convince Acting Chief Justice Sandra Mason and Justices of Appeal Kaye Goodridge and Andrew Burgess that they should overturn Justice Worrell’s decision to remove the initial decision which was made on February 12.

Nicholls argued that firing the Central Bank Governor would affect Dr. Worrell’s international reputation and would not be in the best interest of the wider public.

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Jennifer Edwards, QC, who represented Minister Sinckler, argued that if the Minister fired Dr. Worrell, he would be acting according to provisions and stipulations made in the contract between the two parties.

She said in weighing the balance of justice, the damages to the functioning of the economy would be more significant. (AH)

One economist has made it clear that Barbados has no business going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Head of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies, Dr. Don Marshall insisted that taking the ‘It’s Mainly Finance’ route was not the right step for the island.

“Thanks to the Barrow/Grantley Adams vision, I am here to stand and say to you today that none of them in Washington have an understanding of what industrial policy will look like in small island economies like ours. So I would say no to the IMF, because the best that we can achieve by going to the IMF is finance sector led growth where investors would be very happy, while the bulk of the persons, who are employed by the state would feel a new sense of nervousness as they watch their colleagues go home, because the burden of the austerity will fall to the people and not to the financiers and investor class,” he stressed.

Pointing to the $600 million food import and $800 million energy cost bills, the government was saddled with an annual basis, he said now was the time to “fix the things we can fix”, as the burden of adjustment should fall within these areas.

“In terms of the fiscal, I am suggesting let us stop the cannibalising of the welfare state by disguise. There is a lot of intellectual dishonesty going around when people say ‘reduce the size of government’… that language is saying take a look at your transfers and your subsidies and make cuts, but nobody wants to name and own the cuts. Everybody has a special interest to protect, a sacred cow to hold dear,” the political scientist said.

Furthermore, he noted that plans must come to the fore on how to reconstitute the state in light of the current crisis.

Addressing yesterday’s lecture on ‘Contemporary Futures in Caribbean Development Policy’ at the Grand Salle, Marshall encouraged restructuring the island’s debt obligations to the large owners of the local debt.

“We need to negotiate not with the IMF, but perhaps with the Chinese on a concessionary loan arrangement in order to prop up our foreign reserves.
Everybody balks at that, but has no problem with us going to the IMF, who has no understanding of industrial policy and that amazes me because of the way we frame the debate. ‘Go to the IMF and get a concessionary loan at reduced interest rate and let them hold you to the fiscal discipline that you lack for yourself’. That is the advice we are being told,” he said frankly.

Marshall asserted, “We have a responsibility to be disciplined. We should not be relying on the IMF to hold us to discipline where we would be benchmarked on how we please investors and not how we look after the vulnerable and how we protect the way of life that we know is the best way in the world.” (JMB)

The theme for this year’s Barbados Association of Office Professionals’ (BAOP) Conference, “Holistic Professionals-Igniting Positive Change”, may seem odd but President of the BAOP, Clovine Leslie, believed that it played a critical role in the development of office professionals.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the conference which was held at the Hilton Hotel yesterday morning, Leslie said that as professionals, she believes it is not only
important to focus on the academic and technical or vocational skills relating to one’s profession, rather, that it was equally important to ensure that individuals develop holistically in all spheres of their lives whether it be spiritual, social, physical, mental and financial.

Featured speaker, Chris de Caires, managing director of the Fednav Groups in Barbados said that he believed that persons needed to focus on their lives and keep track of the most important aspects.

He mentioned that about a year ago, a nurse in Australia wrote a book which was a compilation of regrets from her dying patients and the top five regrets of persons were: they wished they lived a life true to themselves, they wished they hadn’t worked so hard, they wished they had the courage to express their feelings, they wished they stayed close to their friends and they wished they had made themselves be happier. He noted that if these were the things that people were regretting on their death bed, then they should be considered now that they have the chance to change the way that they live their lives.

He noted that in Barbados, there were two types of people. He said that there is a mix of negative and positive people. However, he expressed that the negative tended to dominate. He said he believed that the solution to this problem lays in the way persons view their actions; explaining that people needed to take more control of their lives
and hold themselves accountable.

Quoting the late Excellent Errol Walton Barrow’s speech, De Caires asked, “what kind of mirror image do persons have of themselves?” He noted, that even though the speech was over 30 years old, there were still parts of it that were still relevant today.

De Caires explained that there are aspects of ourselves that we do not take control of and urged persons to take account of the things that are important to them and start living their lives in such a way that would prohibit them from having regrets on their death beds.

Farmers are being urged to stop the blame game.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management, Elsworth Reid, said that the farming sector should not take the position of blaming God for their misfortunes in times of drought and extreme rains.

“People are very ready to speak of acts of God, when in fact they themselves or the authorities at the national level did not find it fit to put in place measures to mitigate against such extreme conditions, or even to be more resilient in times of such conditions,” he stressed.

“We do not have the River Euphrates or the River Nile running through our backyards, and even if this was so, these rivers can overflow their banks and cause destruction in times of heavy rains.”

Reid, who was at the time addressing yesterday’s launch of the Weather and Climate Ready Nation Programme at the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, also observed that right here in the Caribbean, there are lessons to be learnt from what happened in neighbouring Dominica and St Vincent two year ago, during floods brought on by extreme weather that was not anticipated.

He therefore acknowledged that any physical and/or economic development plan for a country in the Caribbean would fall short in design if measures to reduce the vulnerability of domestic food production – namely primary agriculture – against extreme climate or weather events are not included in that plan.

“From what I have observed, I do not believe that serious consideration has ever been given to this aspect of agriculture in any country in the Caribbean in any development plan.

“You may only hear after it happens, for example, of what proportion of a country’s livestock or crop production has been destroyed after extreme weather by way of flooding. When that information is given, it appears clearly that
little forethought had been placed in the likelihood of something like that happening when designing national drainage systems or even taking time to train farmers how to design and install their own systems to protect their produce,” he said.

The PS, who is the Director of the Board of Governors at CIMH, also told participants that he doubts very much whether there is any national drive in any country in the region as yet, to train farmers on how to design physical structures on farms, and how they can use what they find in plenty during wet times to mitigate against drought during times of dry. (TL)

Employers in Barbados are being urged to pay attention to the importance their employees play in the role and image of the company and communicating that role.

This advice came from the President of the International Association Of Business Communicators Barbados (IABC), Sara Odle, who presented on the topic, Public Relations-Everyone’ Responsibility, during the Barbados Association of Office Professionals’ annual conference, held at the Hilton Hotel, yesterday.

Odle, a veteran in public relations, said the managment of companies must recognise that their interaction with all of their public is vitally important and noted that employees should be trained how to assist in that process.

She also said effective communication is very important to the development of an organisation, especially in today’s market where competition is becoming more intense and jobs are not as secure as they use to be.

“Some companies don’t even have a public relation’s department. So in today’s world, that job as a public relations officer has to be shared. They need to pay more attention to the role their employees play in the role and image of the company,” she said.

The President also informed companies that public relations and crisis management are closely connected. She said leaders of organisations must pay attention to planning for things that can go wrong in their companies and should have strategic steps in place to be taken. “If you get that right, when things do pop up, then you can handle them better,” Odle said. (AH)

The Barbados Public Workers Credit Union has partnered with the Springer Memorial Secondary School to officially launch a Thrift Club.

Speaking during the launch of the programme, education officer from the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Linda-Joy Forde, said that partnerships with business enterprises such as the Barbados Public Workers Credit Union, were integral in the lives of students today and noted that there was much that the two entities could learn from each other. She said that the school’s positive initiative to have the club creates meaningful opportunities for the students and encouraged students to use the knowledge provided to them through this partnership. She also reminded them that this smart financial planning would bring joyous rewards to them in the future.

Deputy Principal of the institution, Mitchelle Maxwell, expressed that she believed the launch of the Thrift Club marked a significant day in the lives of the students that were selected to be on the board as they represented the first set of cohorts to manage the students’ affairs.

She explained that these selected students were trained for the job to ensure that they were adequately ready to undertake the tasks that will be given to them through
the official launch of the programme. Addressing these chosen students, Maxwell said that they were selected because it was recognised that they have the ability to lead honestly and professionally.

“It is imperative that you continue to demonstrate the business traits which are key and vital to the survival of any business or organisation. You must demonstrate honesty, professionalism and trustworthiness in your daily tasks,” she lamented.

The Deputy Principal went on to express that credit unions served as a catalyst for greater financial inclusions and encourage a saving culture, as well as providing access to savings and products for those who may face a number of barriers when dealing with financial institutions. Maxwell added that she was happy the students would be able to gain this knowledge through the partnership with The Barbados Public Workers Credit Union.

Cleviston Haynes is the new acting Governor of the Central Bank, following the removal of 72-year-old Dr Delisle Worrell from the top post yesterday.

A press release issued by the Ministry of Finance yesterday afternoon, stated that Dr. Worrell was fired as a result of his contract being terminated by Minister of Finance Christopher Sinckler.

The Ministry advised that the Board of Directors – at a specially convened meeting in accordance with the by-laws of the Central Bank – met yesterday and agreed that Haynes, who is the Deputy Governor of the Bank, be appointed to act as Governor.

The Board of Governors also agreed that the current Financial Controller of the Bank, Michael Carrington, be appointed to the post of Acting Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados.

Meanwhile, Dr. Worrell’s Attorney Gregory Nicholls told The Barbados Advocate yesterday morning that his client received the correspondence informing him that he no longer holds the post of Governor.

This development took place less than 24 hours after the Court of Appeal lifted the six-day injunction that prevented the Minister from firing Worrell.

Attorney Nicholls, who indicated his intentions of carrying the case to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) following the Court of Appeal ruling just after 4 p.m. on Thursday, said he was not prepared to comment on his client's removal from the position where he served for the past eight years.

"I cannot really speak on the matter because I have not yet met with my client," Nicholls stated.

This newspaper understands that the Bank's staff members were also called to a meeting where they were informed of the development. One staff member, who requested anonymity, declared that they are willing and ready to work along with Worrell’s replacement.

The road that led to Dr Worrell’s removal was paved by a breakdown in the relationship between him and Minister of Finance.

It has been reported that Dr. Worrell was given an ultimatum to voluntarily step down from his post, or be dismissed.

The Court is scheduled to give reasons for its decision to remove the injunction on Friday March 3. (AH)

Scores of schoolchildren descended on Queen’s Park yesterday for the start of Barbados’ premier agricultural exhibition – Agrofest 2017.

Registering his delight with the turnout was CEO of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul.

He stated, “I am very happy actually. I was pleasantly surprised this morning because I thought we would have been impacted by the fact that schools were not able to secure the co-operation of the Transport Board. However, it has not made a difference.

“Children are still out in their numbers and hopefully, too, we will also get the participation of members of the public and that will help us greatly,” Paul told The Barbados Advocate from the grounds of Queen’s Park.
“It shows that the level of interest on the part of the community is still there,” he added.

Work to amend the Physical Development Plan (PDP), which is costing Government some $3.5 million, is within budget and the consultants engaged in the work are said to be on time with the delivery of that document.

Word of this has come from Chief Town Planner, Mark Cummins, who told those attending the opening ceremony of the launch of the Draft Physical Development Plan Amendment (2017) Community Meetings and Stakeholder Consultation Workshop at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, that Barbados is considered the beacon for planning in the region, being the only country that amends its PDP as is required by the law.

Delivering the keynote address moments later, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart, who holds responsibility within the Cabinet for town planning, sought to outline the way forward for the PDP, giving the assurance that it will not take years to be approved by Parliament as was the case with the current Plan, which while finalised in 2003 did not get parliamentary approval until 2008.

“I intend that, this time around, the process will be shortened considerably. So we have in mind the time frame to be followed before the revised Plan is submitted to Parliament for its final approval,” he said.

With that in mind, PM Stuart said he is expected to have the draft final PDP on his desk by the middle of the year, to commence his review of the document. He explained that once he is satisfied that it is a fair and accurate reflection of the interests of all Barbadians he will give the “green light” for the formal public enquiry to ensue. He said the public will be notified through publication in the Official Gazette and at least one local newspaper that a draft PDP has been prepared, inviting them also to inspect the document at specific locations or to purchase one.

“You will then have 28 days to submit objections and representations. Once these have been received, I shall then appoint a Commissioner under the Commissions of Enquiry Act to hold a public enquiry and to submit a report to me. I will be disposed to open dialogue with any individual or organisation, as necessary, prior to my approval. Such consultation may also include my Cabinet colleagues,” he indicated.

PM Stuart disclosed that he expects the Commissioner to be appointed no later than July this year and after Cabinet approves the draft plan, it will be laid in Parliament. He went on to say that when parliamentary approval is given, the date for the operationalisation of the plan will also be published in the Official Gazette and at least one daily newspaper.

Stuart further noted that final document should answer a number of questions pertinent to the country’s continued existence, including whether balance growth is possible with the plan; should urban growth patterns change; how will the nation be housed in the future; as well as if through the PDP, can Barbadians be encouraged to make the necessary adjustments and improvements to their lifestyles. With all that in mind, he urged persons to take full advantage of the opportunities to let their voices be heard on the PDP, to ensure the best document for the future development of the country is produced. (JRT)

THE Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is being reminded that there is only one person in this country who can call elections, and that is Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart.

Former Deputy High Commissioner for Barbados to the United Kingdom, Donville Johnson, is also reminding the Opposition that this is enshrined in the Constitution of Barbados and that the PM has a time in which to call – 90 days after the first sitting of parliament or five years – the next general election, constitutionally due in 2018.

“So, what is all this talk by the leader of the Opposition and her cohorts about calling elections, when the time has not as yet elapsed? You can start making noise if that time had elapsed and they were breaking the Constitution, but you are within your constitutional rights to call the elections in that given time,” he stressed, also querying, “Why are they marching on March 11? What do marches achieve?”

Johnson is urging Barbadians not to dwell and not to allow the negativity of the Opposition to bear down on them. He said that no matter what the Prime Minister and Ministers do, it will be met with great negativity.

“But, you would realise that the Opposition doesn’t come up with any real original ideas for you to argue and discuss. It is that they wait for the Government to say something and jump on it – they jump on it and criticise,” he observed.

The former Deputy High Commissioner, who was at the time delivering the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) weekly lunchtime lecture, made it clear that Prime Minister Stuart is fully aware of what is happening in this country. He also expressed that the DLP will win the next election.

“Because our current Prime Minister dares to be different from previous Prime Ministers. Because our PM analyses things, keeps things within house, does not jump at the utterances – sometimes silly utterances of some of these agitators, does not mean that he is not thinking, does not mean that he does not have solutions and does not mean that he does not consult with God... He confessed to me that he puts Almighty God first,” Johnson told those gathered, while indicating that the way forward for Barbados is to have trust and belief in God.

“But, if I had to make a criticism of countries in the Caribbean and their leaders (not only Prime Ministers but leaders on the whole) is that they seek their own guidance, their own wisdom, their own knowledge and forget the one person who really determines what happens in every country – that is Almighty God. The quicker some of our leaders get back to asking for God’s guidance in the way forward, the better it will be,” he added. (TL)

Member of Parliament for St. Michael South East, Santia Bradshaw, is once again calling on Government to release the promised title deeds to residents living in the Pinelands housing units.

Bradshaw said the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration, in the last elections, promised that persons living in Government-owned low-income units for more than 20 years would be entitled to their title deeds, once their rent payments were up to date.

However, yesterday, following a walk through of the community with colleagues and supporters of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Bradshaw told the media that residents in her constituency are fed up and frustrated after waiting for eight years for the title deeds, which they need to get financial assistance to enhance their properties, and raise their overall social standing.

“Just before the last election, the current administration came to Parliament and passed a piece of legislation which again led the electorate to believe that persons living in the terrace units would be able to get the conveyance to own a piece of the rock. Many people voted for the Democratic Labour Party on that basis, believing that for the first time they would actually own these units, after having to pay rent for so many years,” Bradshaw said.

The Member of Parliament said not only are the units overcrowded, but she also referred to the fact that children in the area do not have anywhere to play because the property, which is supposed to be the recreational area, has become home to a dumped minibus and other items.

She pointed out that garbage collection is also a major issue, especially in the Golden Rock area, where the one skip which was placed to service the entire community, is simply not enough and is often seen overflowing.

“This administration has neglected this community and that is what you would hear from most of the residents in this area. They have neglected it to the point where people are frustrated. You currently have a situation now where the current administration no longer comes into the area, they don’t come to see what the issues are in this community. You have several wells in this area which need to be cleaned. We have constantly complained about it and the National Housing Corporation is aware of the overflowing wells. You have businesses affected because sewage is running into the roads...,” she said.

“This is something that the people have expressed to us today; they have expressed it to me certainly for the last few years. I have constantly spoken about these issues and I am glad that my colleagues today walked with me throughout this community, because my voice will not be a single voice in Parliament speaking to the issues that are affecting the people in St. Michael South East,” Bradshaw added.

Shadow Minister of Housing and Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown, Jeffrey Bostic, said while a number of housing projects are being undertaken by Government, many of the housing estates within the St. Michael corridor were built several years ago and are in serious need of upgrade. He said in his opinion, maintaining and upgrading existing housing units should take precedence over building new developments that “remain uninhabited”.
“So I call on the Government to do something for the vulnerable people in our country and that is one of the things that the Barbados Labour Party commits itself to doing, once it returns to office. We know that things are not rosy, things will be difficult, but there is nothing too difficult on behalf of those who are most vulnerable in this society,” Bostic said.

Becoming weather and climate ready is extremely important to countries across the region, says Dr. David Farrell, Principal of the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).

Addressing the launch of the Weather and Climate Ready Nations Programme at CIMH’s Husbands, St. James headquarters, he stressed the need for the entire region to be aware of the 2012 Standard & Poor’s (S&P) statement of Jamaica, which speaks about the downgrading of an economy based on exposure to weather and climate events.

“This is significant because this is not just a statement about Jamaica, this is a statement about every Caribbean country that is exposed to tropical storms – that you can be downgraded based on your weather and climate readiness,” he told participants of the NOAA’s National Weather Service initiative about readying communities for extreme weather, water and climate events.

“Sir George Alleyne made the statement in 2015, that a lot of the losses that we see in the region are not about economic mismanagement, there are losses associated with weather and climate events. Therefore, becoming weather and climate ready becomes an extremely important aspect of our society.”

Dr. Farrell also observed that the World Bank figures for 1979 to 2005, which indicate that the aggregate losses per year due to tropical storms can range from $0.6 billion to $16.6 billion a year, puts things into perspective in terms of being weather and climate ready.

“When we talk about future predictions for climate, when we talk about the 11 per cent of GDP being lost by 2018 annually – if we don’t take steps to become much more weather and climate ready.”

Director of Barbados Meteorological Service, Hampden Lovell, gave his support to the programme, recognising that Barbados, like all the other countries in the region, is exposed to some natural hazards and is therefore prone to various impacts associated with such hazards.

He therefore stressed that improvement in the nation’s readiness, responsiveness and overall resilience to severe weather will always be welcome.

“Of particular importance is the focus on community engagement, and situations such as these bring out the best humanitarian efforts in people. This will definitely be a valuable addition to all that is being done and will improve Barbados’ ability to better help people to lessen the impact on themselves and possessions, while safeguarding the fracture of the country,” Lovell said. (TL)