61 responses to “BTII: Investment and its Importance to the Local Economy”

1. 

   Pompasettin Pearlie

   November 28, 2013 at 6:32 am

   
   

   @ Bush Tea
   Awright den, I en even had to call nuh names, but everybody know de 2 culprits. But de word a God does do dem like salt pon a slug, especially de red sibbly snuffyhead wun from up Sin Lucy. Ent it a ting neh?

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2. 

   iabingy

   November 28, 2013 at 11:29 am

   
   

   not exactly on the subject here.this morning i was looking at my Facebook and you know how it puts up people i might know?
   well i clicked see all…….. and boom.
   all the rich descendents of the slave masters,all whites with pictures having a ball in barbados.how can this be ?hundreds if not thousands of white Barbadians living high on the hog…! one wonders how they do it !
   on closer inspection most of them are 1st generation barbados whites
   and have rich parents or parents who have set them up with a business or job with dad or mom.in our country to avoid tax in their own country that our ancestors were beaten and worked to death to build.[black and white slaves]
   THESE MY FRIENDS ARE ENJOYING BARBADOS ,ON A BOAT,SURFING,DRINKING,PARTYING,ALL WITH FANCY CARS AND CLOTHES.~! YES nothing is stopping then from their lavish and sheltered life style as we have mad men roaming the streets of barbados homeless,we have big loans to bay back.and so and so forth.
   they were no blacks in this long list of bajan people i might know and become Facebook friends with.
   amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!
   personally i think emigration is not doing its job we are importing white people from all over the world to do work bajans are more than capable to do.
   yet the advert goes in the news paper looking for this and that from some foreign company and bajan black people do not have the training for any of these jobs.
   so these whites have their groups that hangout together and talk of diamonds and champagne while the over 75 % of dirt poor black bajans do their best to
   survive day to day..
   what you you say DAVID? about 75% of black bajans are poor or living below the poverty LEVEL.???????????????
   I SAY THIS ====== THIS SHI– WANT LOOKING AT CLOSELY AND THESE
   NEW BARBADIAN WHITE PEOPLES WANT SOME DREAD-ING UP.
   they need to come down from their high perches.let them try working in the hot as funk sun and no ac.how can you bajan blacks see these people and do nothing. they are taking your country slowly and your jobs quickly.
   and having a life of partying and fun down there.but have never paid their dues to be there….
   AMAZING.

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3. 

   Well Well.

   November 28, 2013 at 12:30 pm

   
   

   enuff | November 27, 2013 at 9:43 PM |

   “So according to Minister Estwick Bdos produces 65% of the food consumed locally.”
   _____________________________________

   So why is the annual food import bill reportedly (by DLP government) 700 million and counting……..i bet anything importing 35% of food to Barbados does not cost that much annually, so who in the DLP government is stealing the excess millions and/or who in the DLP government is LYING?????…

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4. 

   Alvin Cummins

   November 28, 2013 at 1:46 pm

   
   

   @David,
   I promised Miller and Chaucer to reply to their previous contributions, when I challenged them to show me where they would correct the “economic mismanagement they were criticizing with every contribution. I have completed some of my research; S&P report, IMF Article 1V consultation (2012 is the latest published) and others. the following is my response.
   First to Chaucer, who suggested :
   Outsourcing: a. School transportation, b. District Hospitals, c. Drug Services, d. Maintainance of Government Buildings and vehicles, e. School Meals. When I posed the question as to whome this outsourcing should be “given”, he suggested that this oursourcing should go to SBA (No clarification given as to who this organization is), Diaspora (Similarly no clarification) Credit Unions, SJPP. He/she also did not indicate the role each entity would play in the outsourcing.
   In answering this I would point out, first, that Government assuming the responsibility for transporting school children (“Free” bus fares ) was designed to achieve two purposes. Everybody remembers; or should remember, the chaos in the school system prior to 2008. (Miller, I’m harping back) when students travelled, in the main on PSV’s and paid the regular busfares of $2.00 per ride. One remembers reports and seeing pictures of school children scrambling through the windows of Minibuses, school children being subjected to loud, pulsating rhythms, vulgar and suggestive lyrics, the “milk-shakes” and aggressive and dangerous driving, and such conditions that by the time the children reached school the teachers and principals had great difficulty “calming them down” before and during classes. One remembers the legislation that was passed forbidding the playing of music on these PSVs and the lack of enforcement, and the feeble and futile attempts to correct his behaviour of the drivers, or control by the owners of these PRIVATELY owned vehicles. One remembers the election promise of the 2008 election; made by the DLP that if the behaviour did not improve steps would be taken to correct this behaviour, either by completely banning the transport of children by these PSVs or the introduction of a bus service run by the government for the transportation of school children. The introduction of free bus transportation was the answer. (An election promise kept). even though it was not supported by the BLP. In addition the service was intended to RELIEVE FAMILIES OF THE COST OF BUS TRANSPORTATION FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN, AND TO PUT MONEY IN THE POCKETS OF PARENTS. THESE SAVINGS WOULD ALLOW PARENTS TO HAVE MORE DISPOSABLE INCOME. For example a family with two children going to school, by bus, would normally have to look for eight (8) dollars each day, or $40.00 per week. If the school year usually lasted 40 weeks per year, that is a savings of $1600.00 per year per family. We have an average of about 2-3,000 children taking the 11 plus exam every year. Just using this figure to determine the number entering secondary school; I will only give these raw statistics but the general idea can be reached, this would represent on average of almost 48 million dollars that the poor people would have as disposable income (money in the pockets). Go figure. Even if this is a subsidy to the transport Board,, the cost is spread among the entire population, and thus less burdensome.
   With regard to District Hospitals and the Drug Service. I will just ask Chaucer who these instituions serve. The District Hospitals cater to the old and the poor. Middle class go to private nursing homes, (if they can get in), and the rich can take care of themselves; use more expensive entities. Similarly the drug service only supplies drugs (free and/or below cost, limited to certain illnesses and conditions) to old people and children below a certain age. Should this social safety net be removed? If it is privatised can the poor and disadvantaged bear these costs?
   Similarly with School Meals. Who are the recipients of School Meals? If you privatize this it will become a For Profit orgnization. Who will pay the costs? Who will profit? will there be an increase of the costs of these school meals to those who can barely afford the present costs? If you privatise these organizations who will take care of the poor?
   You also suggest that
   Credit Unions be involved in the funding of these organizations. What about the foreign owned commercial banks (Barbados now has no locally owned bank) assuming these responsibilities? Why can’t each commercial bank undertake to ADOPT at least one district hospital and fund it? Since the profits are patriated to the overseas owners the Banks can use this “Contribution” for tax purposes as charitable donations.
   For the drug services, Each of the major drug companies, whose products are sold in Barbados, through their agents here, should (or be made to) return some of the hundreds of millions of dollars they make out of sales to the government for use in the drug service, or the sale to citizens, either in the form of research funding (Grants, Scholarships,) through the UWI and/or BCC, or through grants to assist in funding the same district hospitals. They have a corporate responsibility.
   I suppose your suggestion of using the SJPP would be in terms of maintainance of government buildings; (the trades,) and government vehicles. However it must be remembered that it is students who are attending the SJPP; Unless you are suggesting that a seperate division be established. Such an undertaking requires major funding for capital expenditure,building, equipment etc; and current expenditure; wages etc. It would require more that you are trying to save by privitization.
   By use of “Diaspora” I assume you mean seeking funds from Bajans living overseas. Why can’t NSA organizations meet and undertake the responsibility of appealing to the Diaspora? Why can’t it be privately organized, run and administered? Must Government undertake every initiative? Why can’t private organizations, companies and even individuals, each undertake to participate in a great leap forward in communication and cooperation, for the betterment of the society, as a whole. Why can’t we, individually and collectively, make a great effort to reduce our food import bill? It MUST be done.When we spend this large amount of money, others benefit not us.
   I hope, Mr. Chaucer, that you realize that you have to rethink your position. The Present government seems to be more caring if your thoughts are the thoughts of your party.
   I will submit a seperate answer to Miller.

   In answering this contribution I would point out that: and further funding for current expenditure,

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5. 

   Alvin Cummins

   November 28, 2013 at 2:11 pm

   
   

   @David,
   Delete the last paragraph. It was a computer error. Anyone want to give me a new computer? An IPad would help.

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6. 

   millertheanunnaki

   November 28, 2013 at 5:20 pm

   
   

   @ Alvin Cummins | November 28, 2013 at 1:46 PM |

   It is highly recommended you do NOT respond to “Miller’ if what you said to “Chaucer” is anything to go by as far as the quality of your reply is concerned.

   You have made an emotionally charged argument in support of the “Free Bus Fares” for school children. By extension you have also made out a convincing case for this concession to be maintained since it is mainly the poor that benefit from such a ‘freebie’ which would protect the moral character of the young even though the facility is blatantly abused and the ZR culture and business have not been affected or reduced in any way.
   So here is an alternative to the Free Bus Fare failed project.

   Why not give back to the poor the 50% of the Reverse Tax Credit (RTC) that was disgracefully taken away from them like taking candy from a child?
   The parents of the working poor can then use the returned credit to help pay for those poor children who have to use the Transport Board buses as a means of transport and would they make sure their poor ‘piccaninnies’ do not engage in joyriding and abuse of the “freeness”.

   There is a way to recoup any tax revenue you may wish to argue would be lost in returning the RTC to the working poor or in the form of an additional burden posed by welfare recipients with school children who have to travel some distance to school.
   Why not increase the Road Tax on those vehicles that are over 2000 c c’s (2.0 L) and those SUV’s that are used as Chelsea Tractors to transport the elitist spoiled brats (evolving into “prats”) to those so-called prestigious schools if the intention is to make the rich subsidize the poor?
   Why not increase the tax on these obvious ostentatious unsuitable to a two-bit island no bigger than a large borough in the UK or a small town in Canada “gas-guzzlers” by $1,000.00 per annum to help pay for the “free” bus rides for the poor to save their moral souls from the big bad ZR wolf man?

   A word of advice to you Alvin if you are that ‘uppity’ as to respond to “Miller”.
   Just remember to focus on the MoF’s ‘privatization/divestment proposals as outlined in his budgetary presentations and not on any BLP doings prior to 2008 harping back to some period of the DLP halcyon days of 14 years as the Opposition futilely unable to convince the electorate that your pathway is the one to follow after the 1991/92 disaster.

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7. 

   CHAUCER

   November 28, 2013 at 7:40 pm

   
   

   @Alvin at 1:46pm
   SBA, you are fully aware of the Small Business Association, you were a member, your friend Senator John Watson do you remember ?
   Furthermore , it is apparent that your understanding of the term “outsourcing” is rather limited. For starters : the contracting of services to a third party by govt e.g the building of houses by the SBA for NHC, the providing of meals to govt summer camps by small caterers..
   Your silence re the current S& P report is noted

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8. 

   Hants

   November 28, 2013 at 8:29 pm

   
   

   David wrote “Instead of the political operatives spending so much time writing political BS daily why not submit some feel good articles to the Globe?”
   Did you read this at the bottom of the review?
   ” The writer was a guest of the Jamaican Tourist Board. It did not review or approve this article”

   The BTA can do what the JTB did.

   Give a white Canadian a free holiday and he /she would write a glowing report about Barbados.

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9. 

   Due Diligence

   November 28, 2013 at 8:42 pm

   
   

   Hants

   It helps to get one of those glowing articles, by doing some advertising in the newspaper; but newspaper advertising, in Canada at least, does not appear to be part of the 10-point marketing plan

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10. 

    The People’s Democratic Congress

    November 29, 2013 at 5:03 am

    
    

    To David, Well Well, Askquith,

    Your respective comments are duly acknowledged and accepted.

    PDC

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11. 

    Nic

    February 18, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    
    

    The local economy definitely benefits from investors. Property investments or investments in small business help local communities by offering opportunity for economic gain for the investors and in the case of small businesses,they provide employment for the community.

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