est. 2007

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Is Barbados Network Helping Barbadian Nationals?

Submitted by Yesitsme (as a comment) Let’s look at what this Returning Nationals/Barbados Network program is and is not. It is poorly run! It is designed to extract as much money as possible from Returning Bajans by making the program as complicated, inefficient and cumbersome as possible. It is run by John Blackman who is…

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Submitted by Yesitsme (as a comment)

Let’s look at what this Returning Nationals/Barbados Network program is and is not. It is poorly run! It is designed to extract as much money as possible from Returning Bajans by making the program as complicated, inefficient and cumbersome as possible. It is run by John Blackman who is unorganized, not a people person, does not return phone calls, never available, paints a glorious picture when you contact him while outside of Barbados and then he gives you hell when your container is in Barbados at the Port and you’re trying to get it out.

You’re gouged by Agents, Brokers, the Government, the Port  and just about everyone involved in the process. The Government is looking to our retirement money on a monthly basis fuelling their foreign exchange issues or should I say crises.
We buy houses and everything involved in living here. Yes we help to employ Bajans, establish business and you could go on and on…

Bajans who have never travel do not want us here, evident by many of the response and narrow mindedness  seen on this site (I’m not blaming the site) and elsewhere. Returning nationals are giving up quite a bit by being here. Duty free on household goods and a vehicle is minor compared to what we contribute initially and over the years. And by the way, the government touted back in August that the program was being improved to benefit Returning Nationals.

The program has not been improved…..it has been made more difficult by the 3 to 5 year change.The only thing that has been changed is the NAME… Barbados Network, which nobody uses because of it’s non-descriptiveness. In addition, opening the program to under 50 year olds sounds good but does nothing because you would have to be doing terribly Overseas to want to return before retirement age if at all.
Those who have a parent in Barbados might want to return in order to help care for them.

The hassles, trouble, Mr. John Blackman, delays, penny pinchingness and the other negatives of the program makes it very undesirable to want to return as a National Returnee unless you have a parent you really care about, that you want to help care for.

Would I do this again….HELL NO! The small minds running the program and the greedy and incompetent government would convince me not to.

79 responses to “Is Barbados Network Helping Barbadian Nationals?”

  1. ac Avatar
    ac

    @Rok
    What I am speaking of is vision . THe USA and Britian had the forsight to see the value of the Immigrant fromthe Westindies and in doing has benefited considerably. I am hoping that the natioalist upon returning to the country of birth THAT they would be seen in a sinilar light rather than be outshouted, ridicule and castaside..

  2. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @ac

    Not sure you got that right. They used us to build what they wanted to build for themselves. The nannies, bus conductors, etc. We did not put any vision into the UK culture or society, it’s their vision which we fulfilled for them by taking on the menial jobs. Then fought to wriggle out of the scenario. For sure, they did not tolerate us bringing our Bajan with us, except the work ethic which made us good pawns.

  3. ac Avatar
    ac

    @ROK

    O. K. Rok I think you are a liitle slow tonight.
    a. USA and Britian had the vision.
    b .Now all Britian needed was workers who were desperate and willing to work hard.
    c. USA and Britian took full advantage of that to accomplish much.
    No society ever accepts in the begining outside influence . However in the long run they willingly accepts it when they see that the benefits outweighs the fears. I for one believe that the returning nationalist have more to give that would benefit the country than not.

  4. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @ac

    Not sure I am following you. As for the part of a society accepting outside influence… the only time outside influence is accepted is by invasion. Like Rome impose itself on its neighbours and then recruited soldiers from the nations it conquered to become loyal to Rome.

    Furthermore, many returning nationals come back when their youth is spent and they have given the best of their time and effort to the “masters” and seeking to retire on what they consider to be their fortune. Those who may have something left in them, come back here to make money and now that they deporting them back here, that becomes another bill we have to foot.

    Let me hear the contribution you say they are making again?

    But let me say this, before you become returning nationals and before your lifetime is almost spent, you could really invest in some businesses. In position in both USA and UK, you are well poised for trade and for services, but sadly, this is not forthcoming and it is the one area where you can make a tremendous contribution. The first thing returning nationals or Bajans living overseas want to do is have a meeting with the prime Minister or Minister rather than get on with the business. Inevitably, those meetings come to “naught”. As a result, in nearly all the cases everything else comes to nothing as well and then they walk about talking about what they could have done for the country.

    That I can’t get understand and I have wasted too much time with that sort of nonsense. Even to open the damned unit and got it snatched from under us. Steupse!

  5. ac Avatar
    ac

    @Rok
    REf “let me hear the contributions you say they are making.”
    isn’t it the government who is offering concession to the oversee Bajans on their return to the island . Is this all for naught? or is the government making fools of them?
    Seeking to retire on what they consider a fortune might not seem of importance to any single individual but when it filters into the economy it stops some of the bleeding. Even you knows that every penny counts.
    “Get on with the business” Isn’t it a person right to ask questions ?
    and who then should the returning naional seek the answer from?
    Wasn’t the head of government the one who made all of the promises to them ? So is it unfair for the nationalist to have answer.
    Like you said many of them were treated like slaves in a foreign countries, So maybe it is that road they fear they might be taking when they return to their place of birth again only to be used and abuse.

  6. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    ac
    No-one is looking to use or abuse a returnee, but on the other hand, we’re not prepared to be considered less than them because we did not migrant also. Too many returnees come back here with the attitude that they lived in Britain for many years so they know it all and we are dumb, so what they say is law. one even said to me one night, you didn’t go anywhere, so you know nothing.
    Bajans now travel extensively and we see the lifestyle of many of those who come back here and try to make others believe that they were living properous lives but came back to assist us “poor” bajans. Far from the truth, many came back because life had gotten hard and from Britain because they could no longer take that cold, damp weather.

  7. ac Avatar
    ac

    @Scout
    There seems to a be an inferior superior complex which has skewed ones opinion of returning nationals, What difference does it make for they return . Moreover if one has seen the plight of the returnee in other countries that should be enough of a reason to embrace, them . However the Superior inferior Complex which maybe true or unreal as seen by many is standing in the way in order for both side to engage in meaningful dialogue.

  8. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @Rok who wrote,”But let me say this, before you become returning nationals and before your lifetime is almost spent, you could really invest in some businesses. In position in both USA and UK, you are well poised for trade and for services, but sadly, this is not forthcoming and it is the one area where you can make a tremendous contribution.”

    Let me say this, The laws of Barbados says that I Hants can return to Barbados anytime and have the same rights as you and all other born Bajans.
    You can’t tell me what I can,should or would do and set out any conditions for any Bajans who live overseas.

    The Barbados Prime Ministers coming up to New York, Toronto and London thanking Bajans for sending home millions every year and INVITING Bajans to Invest and to retire in Barbados.
    The Barbados consulates and missions like Invest Barbados singing the same tune.

    Sargeant don’t let a few bad minded Bajans raise yuh pressha. You can have the best of both worlds 189 days at a time. Just remember to be in Canada from about May to october and Barbados October to May.

    @David,
    Can tell your readership the monetary value of remittances to Barbados from we Overseas Bajans?

  9. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    Check this document out (page 7). Remittances is a significant contributor to the economy over the years. The fact that Barbados is not* and export oriented economy means any avenue which generates foreign exchange is significant.

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Thanks David,
    I am confident that Bajans in the Diaspora will continue to help their family and friends in Barbados cause we is we.

  11. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    If I did not deduce better, I would feel that you fellas doing a Hamla Persad. You guys either really unreasonable fuh truth or you clutching at straws and I would like to believe the latter. You know, part of the argument for compensation for nurses recruited to work overseas is that we are being robbed of a resource. When citizens leave these shores and work for other countries, it is the same whether or not you are a nurse; a resource is gone.

    This attempt to leverage on the remittances is amazing. It is like many of you are contributing to your families and you are still holding out for rewards for doing it. Yet those who remain home do it without the holding out for rewards. Hence, I think the argument to be rather gross and smacks of a superiority complex, unless as I said, you are clutching at straws.

    So Bajans who leave these shores feel that they have become better off and worthy of more than a Bajan living at home? Should be accorded special treatment? It certainly seems that is what you are arguing.

    I think that every Bajan who lived overseas should be entitled to bring back their possessions. I know they will be some who will flout the rules, but that minority should not take away the rights of the rest. For my one part, if they could bring back their houses and all, they should be allowed to come in and free of duty too.

    As far as I am concerned they paid their taxes on their goods when they bought them. They contributed income taxes where they worked and they should not be taxed twice. These are unfair things to me.

    The other arguments, you can throw through the door and if such a policy was instituted, I suspect that there would be no need for the arguments. We let these small matters drive wedges between us; and look where you have to go to get justice? My Creator!

  12. David Avatar
    David

    Are we not over analysing this matter?

    We have Bajans who have lived overseas a long time (until retirement) and the government makes it financially attractive for these people to comeback home.

    Of late because of the declining economic conditions the government has implemented a strategy/policy of courting this group in the Diaspora because of the hard currency at their disposal.

    What is the big deal? We give foreigners tax holidays to invest here why not give to our own?

  13. Roast Breadfruit Avatar
    Roast Breadfruit

    Well i have read some comment in my time but this beats the lot , some spoke of overseas bajans not building the country up i am nealy 60 years old, left when i was 13 years old the pound was woth $4.80and mother was sending back £30.00 every month even after i joined her so who did you say built up the country ,i helped gran weed @ 3 plantations from the age of ten until i left for england @ 14.i buried gran,mum and dad and have paid land tax on 4 spots if i come home my fruits are taken in front of me with out a howdy do , should i comment to them or the coconut vendors i get told why dont you f- off back where you come from my naval string is buried on this rock,i visit every year for 4 weeks from the time i reach 22 so yes this island of ours ows all bajans something .

  14. ac Avatar
    ac

    @ROK

    What rights being taken away from which minority ? Can you be more specific?

  15. ac Avatar
    ac

    @DAVID

    No we are not over analysing the issue. This a well meaningful discussion and one that is necessary. The feelings here by both sides are real and should be aired openly in order for one to understand what the real fears are that are stopping both sides from seeing things in an amicable way. We may not all agree on the same point of view . However it can only help build a bridge of understanding between both sides instead of hysteria in the future.

  16. Yardbroom Avatar
    Yardbroom

    As I recall, most of the migrants who left Barbados in the period 1960s – 1980s were not employed in Barbados, or were not in employment considered secure; they therefore sought opportunities abroad in the UK, Canada, the USA and other places.

    Citizens are considered a resource it is true, but the “unemployed youths” on the block in Barbados now, are also a resource, but if they are unemployed, could one blame them for seeking gainful employment overseas – if they so choose – to help themselves and their families?

    Many Barbadians who migrate abroad are successful, and have done very well for themselves. There will always be some who are not successful, because that is a feature of life, in Barbados as it is abroad.

    Most successful countries evolve over time, they do not remain moribund, thus the success of America, Canada and Australia. . . . migrant countries. This is because ideas learned elsewhere are introduced, and then improved upon, in most instances becoming better than the original from which they sprung.

    For any country’s residents, to say we cannot learn anything from this or that person, seems rather limiting.

    The fact is, a foreigner or white person can come to Barbados and tell Barbadians what to do, not a murmur will be heard. A black Barbadian graduate returns to Barbados, very well qualified and makes the slightest of suggestions, and will be told. . . . who does he/she think they are.

    Arguments among each other, often prove nothing and dissipate what talent we possess, in argumentative discourse, that benefits no one.

  17. ac Avatar
    ac

    Case and point .My father through no real choice of his own had to take a job in England in order to support his family .Sent his earnings back here which was used to pay taxes on the home which he built and purchases of land. Not to mention the other ways in which the money was spent into the Barbados economy to take care of the family . Now you mean to say that on his return to the island his input is being treated as if he is an intruder . This truly defies logic. Where is the reasoning in all of this?Also the substantial amount of money he put into the banking industry and insurance industry . Don’t you people realise that these returness even though they were not living in the island have done just as much as those who did not migrate to the development of the island financially and yes they should be allowed to have equal input into the affairs of the country.

  18. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    a/c
    We bajans did all the things your father, mother, orany other member of your family did and most of the time more. We appreciate the effort made by those who migrated and most of us know of the difficulkt times that most of them had in the early days of living in Britain especially. That’s why I agree with giving them some concessions to assist them to coming back and live their senior life back home, but the problem with too many of them is that they return with a ” I’m better than you” mentality. This is what ticks off bajans, it is not making suggestions but the way it is said and the criticism of our way of doing things, that infuriates many bajans.

  19. Pretty Blue Eyes Avatar
    Pretty Blue Eyes

    @Bonny – nex time you gine in Woolworth shout me.
    I din say that everybody who went way come back mad, I said it is only the ones who went to England that come back mad at least most of them if not all.

  20. ac Avatar
    ac

    @Scout

    In your above statement you said”We bajans ” aren”t the returning nationals not considered bajans. There in is where the problems lie . In the minds of most they are no longer Bajans and should be treated as such.

  21. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    a/c
    When I say “we bajans” I’m referring to we bajans who remained and build barbados from at home. Futhermore many returnees even come back and criticise us for speaking bajan yet they accept the cockney some of those english people speak.

  22. ac Avatar
    ac

    @Scout
    Yes sireee.
    Questions Are the returning bajans consider bajans? To sterotype your own people is very sad . They are not foreigners they are still Barbadians . Your choice of words are to say the least deragotory!
    and no kind of explanation would suffice. as for the language this is an ongoing debate amongst many bajans and to single out the returnees as being critical of bajan dialect is disingenuous.

  23. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @ac
    Really, I would like to know what is the real issue. I don’t like the idea that you seem to be backed into a corner… and I suspect that by now, Scout teasing you…
    but seriously, why do you think that you need to go there? Nobody can take your Bajan from you, whether or not they think you are Bajan. What is the real reason for going own this road about remittances?

    If you are trying to say that returning nationals are treated unfairly by the Government when returning home, I can understand, but trying to defend this as a serious position within the population itself is being belligerent; can only cause a noise.

    I know so many returning nationals who come back here and mesh in like they never left and they don’t have problems. The ones who get stuck with this thing are the ones that get problems; the ones I speak of would not even entertain this conversation.

  24. ac Avatar
    ac

    @Rok

    Maybe you don’y see the indifference in attitude . However they are those who are content to say or do nothing no matter or horrible or miserable they circumstances be . hen again they are others wo would prefer to speak out ! What corner what!I am not the one who to refer to myself as Bajan and the returnees as “Them and Those people.” I give respect where respect is due.
    As a matter of fact I have not even mention the governments way or none way of dealing with the returning nationals. My focus have been and solely commenting on the differening attitudes towards the returning nationals and to say the least which has been appaling.

  25. Brooks Avatar
    Brooks

    I would comment and read this site if I could. The black type on a dark green background makes it literally impossible for me to see anything on it.

  26. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    @Brooks …please go and get your eyes checked. You may have a problem.

  27. David Avatar
    David

    Perhaps the computer is old or the resolution is poorly set.

  28. Roni Cave Avatar
    Roni Cave

    Dearest Barbados people,
    It saddens me to hear such negativity to and from returnees in Barbados. I spent the most glorious thirteen and a half years of my life in Barbados, and then it was ripped away from me – yes there were ups and downs but nothing to what I have personally experience since. I have always kept those first thirteen and a half years in my heart, knowing that no matter where life takes me in this world, I will one day by God’s will, return home to barbados to enjoy with those who are there this beautiful gem in the caribbean Sea. I have been told by other people – I know -who are not from Barbados and have visited the Island ‘how beautiful it is and how friendly the people are. ‘
    I am looking forward to returning to Barbados, not with an excuse to return there – I’m returning because it is where I am from, and I love it, Love it, LOVE IT. Ronicave

  29. David Avatar
    David

    @Roni Cave

    We criticize because we want to make better. Barbados in relative terms remains a paradise. Join us to help make Barbados great again.

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