Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica – photo credit: Dominica News
On 27 April 2013 Barbados Underground (BU) posted the blog Who Are the Local Partners in Cost-U-Less?. Although the Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit has denied the word making the rounds that he is a local shareholder, BU defends our right to ask questions of Skerrit or anyone in the interest of providing clarification.
In the interest of providing further clarification it should be noted that the Companies Act Cap 308 places sole responsibility of managing the company in the hands of the Directors. What this means is that unless a shareholder choses to be a Director the public is left to speculate who are the shareholders. The Act is drafted to protect the Shareholder who – if not a Director – has no say in the conduct of the company.
BU reiterates our position taken in the original blog, in the interest of transparency the other names mentioned (Hartley Henry, the Estate of David Thompson and Leroy Parris) should state publicly whether they have an interest in Cost U Less (CUL). The government has approved significant concessions to CUL and given the names mentioned the public has a right to know. It should be noted that Pricesmart has since denied receiving similar concessions. Also at the time of launch it was widely reported that David Staples represented local shareholder interest. Perhaps in the interest of protecting its goodwill CUL should make a public statement stating who are the local shareholders.
This report has generated a lot of interest in Dominica and across the Caribbean. Prime Minister Skerrit’s denial was carried in the Dominica News Online. BU notes also that on the 5.30PM Voice of Barbados (VoB) news of 7 May 2013 a report on Skerrit’s denial was carried. Interesting to BU was that the VoB report made no mention of the source of the report. It’s reference was to a Barbados ‘website’. It is no secret that ‘the blogs’ and traditional media in Barbados do not represent one love. However, we believe that in the interest of accurately reporting news the traditional media has a right to maintain the journalistic integrity of the Fourth Estate. The irony is that if the website was not a blog or even if it was a blog in ANOTHER country the name of the ‘website’ would have been mentioned. Members of the BU household cannot boast of being presented with the latest Blackberry from LIME or VIP tickets to functions etc. In other words we have no obligation to be soft when blogging on any issue.
Don’t be daft Caswell.
…the point being made is that we have ALLOWED and even ENCOURAGED a society where these politicians and other ‘above the Law’ types have been doing as they like for DECADES now…
The horse gone long every since and you casually calling for disclosure of some low level scam like CUL?
What you may want to do is explore Bushie’s fool proof plan to WREST control back from the lotta idiots and crooks that running thing bout here…
…using one of the FEW systems that has worked SUCCESSFULLY in Barbados over the past 30 years…. Cooperative organization.
Bushy…………………you are bitching, moaning and groaning, but did all of these ‘lotta idiots’ot take your esteemed 11+???……………….you cannot have it both ways you know……….
Amused…………….you nearly killed me………..
Carson………………….trafficking, no so bueno, but i see some of the politicians in today’s newspapers talking up a storm, not bad.
Sorry…………the above quote and comment to Caswell can be attributed to the one and only Bush Tea………………..i forgot the quotation marks.
It is interesting to note that while indicating the five young women are Guyanese not one publication in Guyana has admitted that the arrested perps are Guyanese also.Further one girl who was sent back said she was given $200.00 although she worked for just under $6000.00 Barbados dollars .
The remainder of the article>>>>>>>>>>>>
“Sources indicate that human trafficking between Guyana and Barbados for prostitution has been ongoing for years, and went unearthed by law enforcement because the girls held under bondage were kept on a tight leash. These women, including the five currently in a police safe house, were not allowed friends. Their conversation in the bar with prospective clients, were interrupted within minutes. Shopping expeditions into Bridgetown for clothes were allowed only if they were accompanied by the women now behind bars, or other controllers.
With travel documents of the women taken away upon their arrival in Barbados, they are made to prostitute their bodies until the operator is satisfied that the investment has paid off, or patrons no longer request their services. Then they are put on a flight back to Guyana with whatever the business owner declares as surplus income.
“A young girl get send home just last month [April] with $200. She work for $5,900 but all was bills,” a Guyanese said to Kaieteur News. Apparently that bonded servant’s offence was becoming too close to a young male patron who had taken a liking to her and wanted the woman out of bondage. The younger the girls, the greater the demand.
An observer spoke of seeing the 17-year-old now under police protection, on one occasion emerging from her room only to immediately fall asleep in a bar chair, tired after taking a high number of fares.
The three persons arrested in Barbados so far are Amelia Allison Joseph, 36, Keenon Tristan Chase, 22, and Joan Fernandez, 76.”
Carson………………..the police must also arrest the other players involved in human trafficking on the island……………….they have not even skimmed the surface yet.
@Well Well
How you know so much bout this human trafficking matter and de fact that dem ent even skim de surface. You really overseas? Or you in BIM?
I think what Well Well means is… this may involve politicians at the highest levels in the getting of the girls out of the island fast…..because when it is about screwing people up the ass they do not want any competition.
Oilman………………….if i tell ya, i will have to kill ya………..
Lawson………….you got it.
@Well Well
and lawson
Yup, you can rest assured that some big up body always got a hand in these illegal money making schemes in BIM. But you know what? De system of lodge membership etc does protect dem!
OK then……….Oilman
The problem is those who control the judiciary and police are also lodge members.
This whole raises another issue.
Keenon Tristan Chase, 22 is the employee, the Bartender. Yet he has been arrested and held without bail. You are a young person out of school looking for a job, gets hired by an establishment to do a job and wind up being arrested.
What is this saying about employees rights? Should Sir Roy make a statement on this issue.
@Carson
Good point. And knowing we police, them would not even mek sure first that de young man is not involved. You know how dem does operate. Brek down , come in and hold everybody.
Ah just hear that somebody went to Parkinson School and assaulted Jeff Broomes
Say it aint so !
One of the campaigner who worked with me in the run up to the last general elections as we took the fight to the Barbados Labour Party and I must say that our candidate won his seat against the Barbados Labour Party candidate, was shot last night by an unknown gunman.
He is currently in the Intensive Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital fighting for his life.
Hi Carson,
Sorry to hear about the misfortune of your friend last evening. I pray that his condition improves and the perpertrator(s) are brought to justice.
I hope so as well.
Tax Authorities Move on Leaked Offshore Documents
The U.S., British and Australian authorities are working with a gigantic cache of leaked data that may be the beginnings of one of the largest tax investigations in history.
The secret records are believed to include those obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that lay bare the individuals behind covert companies and private trusts in the British Virgin Islands, the Cook Islands, Singapore and other offshore hideaways.
The hoard of documents obtained by ICIJ represents the biggest stockpile of inside information about the offshore system ever gathered by a media organization…
http://www.icij.org/offshore/tax-authorities-move-leaked-offshore-documents
CCC Hopefully the hospital takes good care of your friend
Carson………..hope your friend gets better soon…
Was downtown earlier and learned that the Canadian gov is pumping over 15 million to do their own investigation into tax evasion of their money in the Caribbean starting very shortly and continuing for the next five years.
Carson, You should tell your deliquent government do something about the crime situation
He is still in ICU, but putting up a fight.
Thanks guys.
If CUL merits concessions to the magnitude expressed in the document linked in this blog why can’t Subway be allowed 20% tariff on importing its processed meat to keep 30 people employed?
The folly of it all.
David
You seem not to understand how things work around here. Did Subway put anything in the kitty to merit tax concessions? The answer would most likely be, NO!
From all reports from the BAS and I agree with them,why should you allow a small fast food outlet to import their chicken at the cost of workers jobs in the poultry industry.
Then Kentucky and Chefette will want the same treatment.
Heard James Paul on the News this morning laying out the arguments against importation and I have to agree with him.
What is it with the business sector that they want to ‘suck at government bubbies’ all day every day till they make the nipples sore.;whether it is Tourism,Manufacture,retail,you name it.
To repeat: Why not Subway if CUL? James Paul MUST ask the MoF this question.
David you repeating dont make ir right. Subway’s foreign exchange investment in Bdos cannot match Cost U Less. For starters Cost U Less employs at least three times more people than Subway. The massive construction of COL building ran into milllions and so on. We would love Subway to stay but the blackmailing of GoB by some of these two bit businessmen local and foreign has to end. I’m on James Paul’s side here. He ‘s been hinting for awhile that Subway does not support local agriculture as much as it could. One gets the impression he knows what he is talking about.
Some very young bright minds are starting to question what motivates politicians and leaders overall, we would be smart to take heed.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Dont-sit-back-question-our-leaders-206857101.html
Caswell Franklyn | May 10, 2013 at 8:46 AM |
“Did Subway put anything in the kitty to merit tax concessions?”
Am I correct in assuming that “kitty” means “party coffers”
Not Taken
You are starting to understand.
@Not taken
the next question is did they put anything in the BLP party coffers? I wonder if Caswell will reply to this with “you starting to understand” too ?
The fact that we are discussing how much was given to both parties exposes our ignorance and proclivity for engaging in yardfowlism doesn’t it?
The PM is heading in the right direction to curb the buying of votes. The question must be asked though with only 60% to 62% of the electorate casting votes in elections for the past two decades or more do the voters bought really vote??
What is it with the business sector that they want to ‘suck at government bubbies’ all day every day till they make the nipples sore.;whether it is Tourism,Manufacture,retail,you name it.
———————————————————-
THEY ARE PARASITES
They love making he taxpayers pay, some have of a warped sense of madness lurking in their diseased brains that the black majority on the island owes them something, yet they take their own money and bank it all over Europe and North America, that is why i will be extremely happy for them when it all gets frozen.
That should read………………..they love making the taxpayers pay, some of them particularly in the tourism sector has this warped sense of madness lurking in their diseased brains that the black majority on the island, owes them something…………….
Invest Barbados.
InvesTT
which came first. The chicken or the egg?lol
In the spirit of Caribbean unity Congrats to Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica …..and his new bride.
Hon. James Paul stting the record straight.
http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=90640&sitesection=nationnewslocal&VID=24812548
CUL is doomed to fail….mgmt. does know what they are about and they treat the cashiers like crap.