Submitted by William Skinner
Chris Sinckler, Minister of Finance (l) Fruendel Stuart, Prime Minister (r)
I am fully aware that the decision to get rid of over 3000 civil servants will be met with great applause by those citizens who for decades have believed that our civil servants are not up to scratch with their service to the public. It is a position that I do not share personally. I am also aware that those calling for privatization will now feel they were justified. In my humble opinion, that is nothing more than bunkum because our economy is already heavily privatized and we are still in the debt trap.
Many crocodile tears will be shed by the same frauds, who shed tears over the imposition of tuition fees on the poor, mainly black students at Cave Hill, University of the West Indies. These are the same political charlatans who would abolish free bus fares for school children, who were missing school because their parents had no money. They are the same ones who are now trying to convince us that domestic violence is only found among the poor and poorly educated. It follows a pattern that whenever there is a problem within the society, they zoom in on the poor.
The simple truth is that the economy has been in need of desperate restructuring for at least since the mid seventies. The BLP/DLP government has failed at every given opportunity to reform or restructure the economy .We have a system of sophisticated political largesse that caters to the now emerged upper middle class political managers, who have taken friendship and social contacts, to a level of sycophancy, that we have never before witnessed in our island state!
In the mean time, we have deemed poor and economically challenged citizens as the yard fowls and we engage in poking fun at them because it gives us some sadistic pleasure in ridiculing poor black people. Sometimes I ask myself if there is not one single white yard fowl among 280,000 people! We have a BLP/DLP collective that has gotten very little right since independence: housing, roads, the Q.E. H, agriculture, fisheries, water works and a multiplicity of social services have all suffered under inept and visionless so –called leadership coming primarily from within the legal profession.
Even as this current BLP/DLP administration flounders about the place; we still have apologists who are actually convinced that some good will come from George or Roebuck Streets. They are either blind to the reality of our condition or they have voluntarily imbibed a dangerous concoction of BLP/DLP cool aid laced with amnesia and unconditional love.
As we approach fifty years of independence, it is high time that progressive thinkers/citizens go after both the essentially black political managerial class and call to account the dominant white corporate elites and demand that they treat us with some respect. It can no longer be business as usual. The over 3000 civil servants who have now been financially slaughtered by the BLP/DLP, did not bring our island state’s economy to its knees. Quite the opposite because if we did not have a superb public service and if our island state was left totally in the hands of the thirty jokers we have knocking around Parliament, we would have all been in the graveyard ever since.
In any serious democracy, where accountability matters, Mr. Sinkler would be in the ranks of the unemployed since he has failed to even begin to institute any real economic policy; we would be going back to the polls to allow the people to determine if there was indeed a “betrayal”. And perhaps then, we would see the wisdom in electing a real national government as recently stated by Dr. Neville Duncan, (Barbados Today 12/16/13) who had the decency to say that in his considerable estimation, that what is happening would have also happened under the BLP. It has been my long held contention that we Barbadians have the worst kind of one party state – a one party state that we actually think is two parties. Like we all drinking the BLP/DLP cool aid laced with amnesia and unconditional love.
@ Mr. Skinner
Kindly add BLP/DLP/NDP cool aid laced amnesia…..
The public service and statutory agencies have become political pork barrels.
In those 3000 temporary public servants are some of the better workers in the Civil Service. There are so many lazy appointed civil servants that there will be no improvement in Government’s ability to get the country out of any financial trouble through improved productivity.
There should be no first in last out talk but performance as criteria for retaining your Job. Change the laws about appointment and let’s start over. You do not perform you are replaced.
Why after the announcement has been made about public sector jobs going that there is a debate about voluntary salary cuts? Why do we make decisions which make us the laughing stock of the Caribbean and the world? Bear in mind we have a social partnership.
“The simple truth is that the economy has been in need of desperate restructuring for at least since the mid seventies.”
What do you mean by restructuring and /or how would you have restructured?
@ balance
The economy was adrift . In order to restructure the economy we would have had to look at its engines: education, tourism, public service etc. We simply did not, in my humble opinion, address these areas. For example, is the eleven plus relevant to producing the type of citizen we need today: thinkers, innovators, risk takers.etc. In tourism, our billion dollar industry-did we make decisions in the interest of small business persons.In the public service did we execute proper human resource audits in the public service. We have allowed area such as public transport to deteriorate. Any economy with a poor public transportation system is going to suffer in terms of productivity. We failed to get on the information highway and capitalise on the changing world order. Agriculture needed to go toward agro processing etc. These are just the tip of the iceberg.
Government’s main problem is not that there are too many public workers: it is that they refuse to collect the revenue that it is legitimately entitled to collect. There are several people who have appealed to ministers of government when public officers tried to collect taxes, and the officers are called off. Take for example the $25 million in VAT that has been owed by Courts. Mind you that $25 milion is only a drop in the bucket of the amount owed.
If Government were collecting the revenue, without political interference, we would not be hearing the PM talking nonsense about the wage bill is 54% of Government’s revenue.
I am told that there were 3000 new hires just before the last General Elections so that DLP members could retain their seats, which put a strain on Government’s already fragile finances. These are not the 3000 going home. Already, I am hearing that they are going through a list of 1,500 people, who were hired prior to the 2008 elections, to determine if there was any BLP involvement in their recruitment. Presumably, these will be the first to go if it is found that a BLP politician helped them to get the job.
David; re your 11.28 post; You said;
Why after the announcement has been made about public sector jobs going that there is a debate about voluntary salary cuts? Why do we make decisions which make us the laughing stock of the Caribbean and the world? Bear in mind we have a social partnership.
That is the best question of the day. Let me say this before Bushtea does. Because the authorities, especially the PM and the Unions are consummate Brass Bowls.
Nowhere else except in today’s Barbados led by FS would a MofF make a far reaching, almost apocalyptic, announcement on behalf of the Cabinet and then the PM seek to apparently water down those prescriptions by allowing the Unions to think that the MoF’s statement was only a proposal and that real negotiations could now START at removing the main thrust of the “proposal”.
Chris Sinckler should have sent in his resignation letter, copied to the press, immediately after the PM made the suggestion to the union as it made the most serious allegation so far that Chris is utterly incompetent through not properly gathering all the facts before coming with the Layoff plan (which appeared to have been written in stone and carried all the authority of the Cabinet). The PM has consistently done this to Chris. Chris should take his manhood and leave the cabinet now.
The PM must also go as it doesn’t seem that he appreciates that his words to the Unions also pointed a serious accusatory finger of gross incompetence back at himself also.
So the Unions (a significant part of the Social partnership) are only now making suggestions that Checkit-out made (with a strategy for implementation) some months ago on BU. They also are a waste of time if they hadn’t put a similar proposal to the Government partners several weeks, nay months, ago.
Now, I am not getting into the relative merits of the different approaches at this time except to say that under normal circumstances the MoF’s statement would have been non negotiable and that pay cuts would be a further strategy that would come later on top of the layoffs. I think I suggested last week that pay cuts should be still in the mix as possible solutions and I think that they will still feature and that the BLP needs to be forced politically to come on board at making pay cuts possible.
It is really distressing to see the antics of an inept government and a bought set of Unions play out to us in public. As you said, David, our regional partners must be laughing at us.
The current leaders of the government can not make it any clearer that they need to go and allow a different set of leaders to guide us through this morass in the months and years to come. This lot is incapable of leading us sensibly..
Pay cuts my foot! You cannot get blood from stone. Public servants did not a salary increase since 2008/9 but since then there were savage increases in the cost of everything. Water rates were illegally increased by 60%, road tax also rose illegally by a significant amount. VAT, fuel, electricity, food and now an imposition of consolidation have all been placed on workers’s backs and people talking crap about taking away what little, if any, salary is left.
Government could significantly reduce its salary bill by unsaddling the public services of a lot of high-paying consultants who are only paid but produce no work. Then there are parliamentary secretaries and several ministers who have nothing to do all day. When they have cleaned up the unnecessary political jobs, they can start to eliminate unnecessary Public Service jobs, for example, the post of Deputy Permanent Secretary. That post is just a way of providing jobs.
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I agree wid u Caswell, all DEM doing is putting money in they supporters hands. Bunch a wicked fuckers in my opinion. Now tell me wha a 10% cut gine do fuh them? Not one shite cause DEM gine still live sweet as ass while we bout hay scrunting every asshole day. WICKED FUCKERS!!!!!!
LADIES & GENTLEMEN this is your captain speaking!
1st let me quote WILL (and by the way, GREAT PIECE of articulation on the facts facing our great nation my son)!
You said: “They are either blind to the reality of our condition or they have voluntarily imbibed a dangerous concoction of BLP/DLP cool aid laced with amnesia and unconditional love…”
LOL! PRICELESS words!
There are some of us who are looking on as the various “SCENES” unfold in our country – and although we may be 1000’s of miles away, we recognize that our stake in this precious land cannot be understated.
Most of BU would have observed a “GLOBAL” trend emerging like no other time in our history. Please allow me to explain!
Of the 680 words in your beautiful piece – you eloquently used the word “POOR”, [6] different times! I am sure this was no coincidence! I have been saying it for five years on BU – the issues today hinge around – THE HAVES & THE HAVENOTS!
We understand that the “POOR” will always be with us but spare a thought as to why the “POOR” is placed amongst us? Could this be the ultimate “TEST” of our humanity? For if a man’s treasure is where his heart is – then it is logical to assume that how we treat the “POOR” determines our level of spiritual engagement with those less fortunate than ourselves or it will expose our GREED, AVARICE, SELFISHNESS & lack of brotherly love for those who in many ways are really OUR FAMILIES!
Now, look at the broader context!
Since 2008 (the global DEBT crisis fiasco), something puerile has begun to happen in our world (and not that the “SEEDS” of this condition had not been there always) but this economic fracture has exposed the tectonic plates of GREED!
The “ISSUE” for which I allude to is – how the “POOR” in our world have had to literally eat the “CRUMBS” that fall from the table of those who now own 85% of the world’s economic resources!
For example, today in Britain, in the US, Canada and most so-called 1st world countries (given that we are in the throes of another “IDIOT” season) – FOOD BANKS run by charitable organizations are overwhelmed by the astronomical levels of domestic needs “POOR”, working-class & middle-class families are enumerating.
Yesterday, the British government’s WELFARE Czars Esther McVeigh & Ian Duncan Smith (IDS) are both “IN DEEP SHIOTE” having written their political obituaries based on an article in the broadsheets.
SEE MORE: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/food-bank-debate-saw-iain-2942269#.UrLAbVjZG9Y.twitter
The US is in the same quagmire! So is Canada & parts of the EU (notably, Spain, Portugal, Greece).
Many ask why is this?
Simple really! the rich havehttp://johnpilger.com/ never been richer and the poor will either have to take up peaceful or armed revolution to “FORCE” change – but APOLOGIES must be augmented with serious social & fiscal action.
After seeing the documentary by JOHN PILGER entitled “UTOPIA” – I now understand why the next major war that will be fought will be between the “MARGINALIZED, DISPOSSESSED & ILL-TREATED and those who keep tightening the screws around the “BALLS” of the poor!
SEE MORE: http://johnpilger.com/
Enough said!
@ Chaucer
“@ Mr. Skinner
Kindly add BLP/DLP/NDP cool aid laced amnesia…..
The public service and statutory agencies have become political pork barrels.”
It is public knowledge,that I was a candidate for the NDP in 1991 and to this day, I am of the opinion, that the party’s 1991 manifesto , was by far the best policy document proposals for the country. If you want me to say that the NDP lost its way after that election, I would agree with you that it could be placed in the same political context of the BLP/DLP. However, to include the NDP in the failed governmental policies of the BLP/DLP is a bit of a stretch. You must accept that the NDP was never in control of any government. I assure you and others that soon a very honest look at the NDP will be published. The true history/story of the NDP has never been told.
In terms of pork barrel politics, I completely agree with you but this did not have its genesis in the present times. Pork barrel politics stretches way back to even when we had local government. I am amazed that some people are trying to elevate the contributions of Mayors of Bridgetown and others and trying to rewrite history by claiming that they actually looked out for the poor and downtrodden. The truth is that even back then there was rampant corruption in terms of the distribution of services to the poor and fortunes were made by many of the oldsters and their cronies that were involved. In those days the merchants and the politicians did as they pleased. All we have today is a modern version of the corrupt politics that has been there all a long
The corruption of old, was to be found also in education, where the sons and daughters of poor people were denied legitimate places in the old grammar schools while others were “given” places more on family name, connections and political ties than any academic talent. So let’s be fair and say that this culture now being followed by the opportunists and their cronies in all areas of national government including the trade unions is really nothing new. We just need to band together and forced the current lot into transparency and developing a really democratic form of governance.
Please show some intestinal fortitude, and start by reducing THE CABINET. Start by cutting the sick lame and lazy, who draw ministerial salaries, and who are not very ministerial at all. Barbados’ government like most goverments globally, benefit off of the backs of its citizenry, What is pathetic is that, the poor in Barbados pay the most for the least, and the affluent the least for the most. Those who espouse private sector vocational engagement better be careful. Private sector entities are rife with massive cost overruns/manipulations, and systemic stagnation. Everybody criticized Owen Arthur, Clyde Mascoll and Mia Mottley, but the financial abyss that Barbados is now in, came from the myopic economic degeneration of Chris Sinckler. Chris Sinckler, who possess’s relative charm, and a tenaciously persuasive tongue, has been able to sell to a feeble political party (DLP)his unimpressive economic diatribe. Those who have been tasked to govern, the DLP, have failed epicly in a shakesearian manner. You see, Lawyers should know, that economics, belongs to economist, no economist for the most part wants to dabble with the law. At its simplest, the Democratic labor Party, failed to adhere to the modicum of the seven “P’s”, namely that Prior, Proper, Planning, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance. It is a lot easier to talk, than to govern. Leadership can never be achieved from the back of the pack. The DLP must now lead, follow or get to hell out of the way. Like Sam Cooke said “Change gonna come, oh yes it will.” for Barbados’ sake change must come.
ANON, My friend a brilliantly written piece by you. You see the theory of Gresham’s Law runs rampant on the Macro Economic world stage. For those who are not economist or not familiar with Gresham’s law, Gresham, suggested that the bad money will eventually destroy the good money, as in the global economic fiasco that is still continuing. People, do not be fooled by these so called first world, sky scraper countries, and their ignominious ramblings. The world is in a globally economic catyclysmic state, and the only way out is the massive devaluation of all global currencies, and the restructuring of governments and their Central Banking Systems. Scarcity of materials, and mind boggling global population growth, has led to the monetary collapse in the Euro Zone, and will add to the debacle that will cross the Atlantic, and force the devaluation of the US dollar.. America’s status as the world’s reserve currency, is on borrowed time. That is why, the United States is trying it’s best to form a collaborative economic expansion of sorts with merging its dollar with the Canadians and Mexicans, to form a single currency. Picture this, Mexican emigration is seriously down in the USA. Mexicans no longer are flocking to the border of the USA, the economy in Mexico is growing more rapidly, than in most european countries, and than in the USA. As for the Euro and the pound, woeful economic decisions, and an influx of immigrants from these useless wars in the middle east and africa, will totaly destabilize the european economies and force them into a state of xenophobia. Anon, was able to illustrate the madnes, that developing countries have allowed themselves to fall under. The 3000 plus civil servants who will be made redundant, will be the precipice to the certain financial meya culpa for the DLP, and all future Barbadian governments.
@ VC
Thanks for the kind words!
@ WILL
“The corruption of old, was to be found also in education, where the sons and daughters of poor people were denied legitimate places in the old grammar schools while others were “given” places more on family name, connections and political ties than any academic talent. So let’s be fair and say that this culture now being followed by the opportunists and their cronies in all areas of national government including the trade unions is really nothing new. We just need to band together and forced the current lot into transparency and developing a really democratic form of governance…”
WELL SAID!
@William
“it is high time that progressive thinkers/citizens go after both the essentially black political managerial class and call to account the dominant white corporate elites and demand that they treat us with some respect.”
The question is how
@DAvid
“Bear in mind we have a social partnership.”
The same partnership that initially was set up to avoid exactly this same thing from happening. Go figure.
Just Observing
You know why we in potta? We have been doin business as usual for years. I don’t think we realised that the world has changed significantly. We are bright people but we are not shining. We produce graduates for public sector “put ins”. Why don’t we educate our people to be creative, brilliant, innovative minds? Until we do that we will be stuck in this cycle of imbalance. I am barbadian, I come from a middle class household and I studied at a “top” school. I performed well throughout my school life or so I thought until I entered university abroad and I realised that I can be so much more. We have done well but we can do better.
This is what the international press is saying today on Forbes.com about the Freundel Stuart administration. What the government has not said to the people of Barbados Today. “The other disturbing news from this tropical paradise is that #Barbados also now intends to borrow up to $225 million from Credit Suisse AG Cayman on an emergency basis, in order to shore up its reserves, maintain the sacrosanct 1:1 peg of the Bajan dollar to the $US, and continue funding various pet projects. The terms are usurious: $3 million in upfront fees for the bankers; IMF conditionality; a waiver of sovereign immunity; and variable interest rates up to 775 basis points over LIBOR,[vii] which Credit Suisse and other global banks have recently been accused of rigging.” See the terms of what can be considered LOAN SHARKING here – http://barbadosparliament.com/htmlarea/uploaded/File/Resolutions/2013/Resolution%20Credit%20Suisse%20AG%20Cayman%20Islands%20$225%20000%20000.pdf
There are a number of Irish business people in Barbados who might want to offer their experiences in dealing with Ireland’s fiscal and economic crises since 2010. The measures taken were indeed harsh and have hurt but there has been some success in the debt turn-around this year.
When Ireland’s banking crises struck and the Government had to bail out its banks it produced massive sovereign debt liabilities. So Ireland turned to the IMF. As a member of the EC, Ireland was forced to comply with an agreement for 68 Billion Euros under a troika of supervisory authorities from the EC, the IMF and European Central Bank.
This IMF led agreement meant that all budget decisions had to be cleared with the troika with troika personnel being embedded in core Government departments. (Standard IMF conditions. I remember in the Manley regime seeing him forced to ask permission to allocate US$20,000) The Irish Government were under the heavy manners of quarterly reviews where the contractionary budgets produced major economic and employment contractions . The Irish GDP had to be cut by 20%. These contractions were made up by 2/3 in public expenditure cuts and 1/3 in increases taxation.
Public service cuts were a major plank and were devised in association with the Irish Trade Union Council in the Coke Park agreement. (Unions take a look!!)
The major points in the agreement were 15% pay cuts across the service, voluntary redundancies, a recruitment embargo (in health and education), reduced pay and conditions for new entrants. 30,000 public service worker went home from a total of 300,000. The private sector saw unemployment increase from 6.4% to 22% hurting the young most with only 20% of the 15-24 year olds in employment. Construction collapsed leaving thousands of developments half completed. House prices fell by 60%. This resulted in substantial bankruptcies as well as emigration. Net emigration exceeded 80,000 in 2012 from a total population of 4,5million. Poverty increased by 30% while the middle class joined the new poor.
But Ireland has complied with the IMF troika agreement, is freed from their authority and the economy is beginning to grow again. The several game (life) changing policies hurt, caused severe pain but like some cancer treatments arrested the tumour of decline. But it required a change of Government to make it happen.
Barbados might wish to look at the lessons of Ireland.
Decris
Please be careful how you recommend Ireland’s example and remember that one size does not fit all. Several Irish people sought and found work in the rest of Europe. We don’t have a Europe to turn to, and even if we did, the persons who they propose to layoff here are mostly unskilled who would still not find work outside.
The crisis in Barbados has been exacerbated by incompetence of the Government and will only be fixed if these clowns allow professionals to do their job or a return to the polls. Unfortunately, I don’t that Mia Mottley has the required skills or balls to get the job done if there is a change of Government.
BARBADOS IS IN DUCK’S GUTS.
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Yesterday I saw a big government owned Four-Wheel-Drive SUV running about Bridgetown. Would you believe that this vehicle is assigned to the Barbados Accreditation Council? Talk about surplus to requirement?
Government should also look at laying up thousands of vehicles.
@Caswell, if your information holds true, you can understand why riot gears were brought into the island and secretly escorted to the defence force headquarters..Did you hear the Starcom 12:30 pm newscast? Well, well, Lalu Vaswani complaining that the unions are pressuring the private sector to give pay increase to private sector workers. I was in shock. The same unions that right now ‘SELLING OUT’ the public sector workers as we speak in terms of what is going to happen to 6,000 workers come March 31, 2014. UNBELIEVABLE.
Dis is de same Lalu Vaswani dat owe de NIS money? De same Lalu dat while owing de NIS money is head of chamber of commerce? De same Lalu Vaswani dat de pissy media in Barbados does dont ever raise dese sort of questions to?
RE BARBADOS IS IN DUCK’S GUTS.
DOES THIS MEAN THAT BARBADOS WILL SOON BE SQUIRTED OUT?
MURDAH
First of all I agree whole heartedly that the government should strip the civil servant of these lazy ass, disrespectful, politically hired because of votes trouble makers, who believe that they are untouchable. All those cries about suffering is a bare joke. This no good lot do not do one ass for their money and now they want to cry foul… I SAY FIRE THEIR ASS: ALL THE ONES THAT GIVE BARE TROUBLE AND DO NOT DO ONE SHITE FOR THE MONEY THEY DO NOT EARN. I also agree with the BLP rat Owen Arthur that a few of the ministers in the DLP camp want firing namely: Ronald Jones, Michael Lashley, Dennis Kellman, Dennis Lowe, James Paul, Esther Byer Suckoo, RIchard Sealy, Chris Sinckler.and last but certainly not least Fruendel Stuart. Will give my list for the opposition whom I feel Mia needs to get rid of.. If she does then she got my vote and I will become part of the crooked BLP. Until the acts are clean up I will continue to redicule these two long standing crooked parties for what they have done to my little island…
William, Caswell, et al:
Why are we even entertaining a salary pay cut?
What is wrong with the houses that were built by the DLP under Michael Lashley for sale? Weren’t they to bring in revenue?
Accountability is responsibility. Not one red cent from civil servants – sell them the houses and make salary deductions – then they would be investing locally and owning something at the end of the mortgage repayment. Why send home these workers when you can offer them housing solutions?
Point is, We really need foreign exchange.
Why then are we discussing salaries of civil servants? What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tourism, BTA, and BIBA doing to generate foreign exchange?
Are our Unions sleeping? Get with the programme and stop harrassing civil servants and put the pressure under the ministries responsible for generating and attracting foreign exchange.
Furthermore, when those ministries are held accountable it would make no sense having the same indifference in management practices – therefore, Bush Tea, BAF have to be given management port folios and Georgie has to be recalled to Barbados and from retirement. Honest, reliable, sound men of wisdom and experience are required to MANAGE and not just positioned. Amused would have to say who he is and David will now have to ask for CV’s from the rest to put forward for consideration.
Have not seen Pat in a while – Hants declare your hand – all hands ought to be on deck.
Civil servants ask for investment not pay cut – NOT in 2013 – we will invest not give away.
Brief
At 7:20 PM last night you asked, “Why are we even entertaining a salary cut?”
The answer is simple: the major unions have become instruments of DLP policy and propaganda.
In 2010 Dennis Clarke was the first person to propose a wage freeze, that was before any member of the Government even suggesting such. In any event the unions have refused to submit proposals for a salary increase from 2010 on the understanding there would have been no layoffs in the Public Service. The NUPW seem to have forgotten that little detail. And now the same NUPW is putting forward a salary cut and some other silly unworkable proposals to fool workers.
It is unconscionable to ask public officers to bear any more strain. Their last increase in salary was for the period 2008/9. Since then water rates and road tax were increased illegally. In addition fuel, electricity, food, VAT, to mention the major items, have seen substantial increases.
You should also recall that earlier this year the private sector complained that they were not getting VAT refunds, and the Minister of Finance countered by saying that they owed more. In any event, the Government made good on its promise to pay those refunds but took no steps to recover the VAT that was collected and retained (stolen) by suppliers. From my research, more than $1 billion in VAT arrears and penalties are outstanding and Government is contented to allow this situation as long as defaulters contribute to their campaign.
All these tax cheats have to do to avoid paying the arrears is to join the DLP and make the appropriate contributions to the party and the revenue collection would receive a call instructing them to back off.
Government is letting off major crooks and punishing the lest well off with crippling taxes.
The PM woke up long enough to say that the Government’s salary bill was 54% if its revenue and something had to be done. The poor man does not understand that the something that he spoke about should be efforts to collect the taxes that are legitimately owed to the Government. His Government’s reverse Robin Hood measures should be exposed but the Unions are now controlled from George Street.
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The 17.5% was for a short period – it is still there – plus electricity fuel charge, now consolidated tax. Now was the flyover in the Pine absolutely necessary? Was not revenue generating?
In 2008 road tax was increased by from a minimum of $265. to $400. less we forget more than 100% increase regardless of the age of the car. What more can the Government ask for?
Should we agree to the cut, when will our children go to University? and, where will they work? Even if we work 3 days weekly that do is a salary reduction.
It is clear Banks, Pine Hill, Four Square, SBI and all other conglomerates just cannot get the whopping profits.
Should these salaries be reduced would the life insurance policies be discontinued?
Are we really seeing the immediate picture? How many houses will be without electricity, water, gas? How many coal pots would return to the backyard.
We are already helping many families that are earning minimum wage, when you put those helping that level at minimum wage through a wage cut are you really helping the economy of Barbados?
You are reducing a standard of living in Barbados, in my opinion it should not even be discussed. The Ministers are responsible for building relationships regionally and internationally to help our economy if they are not functioning then we need to tell them resign not from the post but from the constituency as its representative.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/bernie-madoff-breaks-silence-years-21143546
Wuhloss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Another downgrade for Barbados again in less than a month. We really up shit………..e street.. The dollar in trouble.
Another downgrade for Barbados
Added by Dawne Parris on December 20, 2013.
Moody’s Investors Service on has downgraded Barbados’ government bond rating to Ba3 from Ba1, putting the country’s rating deeper into junk territory.
It cited the country’s “continued anemic economic performance”; ongoing deterioration in the government’s financial strength, due to persistently large fiscal deficits and rising debt levels; the deterioration in the government’s debt profile as a result of the significant increase in domestic short-term borrowings over the past two years; and the fall in foreign exchange reserves by more than 30 percent during January-September to $505 million for its two-notch downgrade.
Moody’s also said the country’s credit outlook remained negative.
“The continued negative outlook on Barbados’s rating primarily incorporates Moody’s expectation that the government’s debt metrics are likely to continue to deteriorate. Additional factors driving the negative outlook are the rating agency’s expectation that (1) Barbados’s growth prospects will likely remain subdued; (2) the recently announced fiscal consolidation plan is unlikely to reverse current trends in government debt indicators; (3) the government is likely to face increasing financing costs; and (4) pressure on the exchange rate peg will continue to increase,” it said in a statement issued a short while ago.
The ratings agency added that Barbados’s rating would face further downward pressure in the event that the government is unable to achieve its fiscal consolidation targets, or if growth continues to underperform the government’s expectations, and debt ratios continue to rise as a result.
“Moody’s could downgrade the rating further if international reserves continue to decline and/or the government continues to rely heavily on short-term debt and Central Bank financing,” it said.
“While an upgrade is unlikely given the negative outlook, Moody’s could stabilize the outlook if the fiscal consolidation plan leads to a stabilization of government debt ratios, the economy returns to growth, the government decreases its reliance on short-term debt and central bank financing, and international reserves rebound.”
Moody’s also adjusted Barbados’s local-currency bond and deposit ceilings to Baa3, its long-term foreign-currency bond ceiling to Ba1, its short-term foreign-currency bond ceiling to Not-Prime, and its foreign-currency deposit ceiling to B1.
This is the third downgrade for Barbados in exactly a month, following on the heels of Standard & Poor’s on November 20 and CariCRIS earlier this week.
WHAT A CONTRADICTION?
Another way of increasing the debt
Government borrows US$150 million
Added by Barbados Today on December 20, 2013.
Saved under Local News
The Barbados Government has secured a five-year US$150 million floating rate loan from regional and international investors.
“The amount raised provides the planned foreign financing for the current fiscal year and serves to augment the stock of international reserves, while the recently announced fiscal measures take effect,” the Central Bank said in a statement issued today.
“Consistent with Government’s medium-term fiscal and growth strategy, part of the loan proceeds will be invested in a number of critical capital projects.”
Government’s net public debt ratio is expected to increase to approximately 68.1 per cent as at December 2013.
Decris my friend, Ireland is existing on borrowed time. These governments are not able to manage human capital and scarcity of demand. Somebody, anybody, please look away from the global macroeconomic abyss that exist. Milton Friedman, and his US expansionist economic theories, have left the USA with nothing more than a military, and prison industrial complex. If the macroeconomic global circumstances, was a baketball game, it would warrant making changes at half time, by substituting players, and changing the philosophy of the game. Well, so too should we expect philospical and strategic economic changes in a country’s political and economic dynamics. During the life of Yugo Chavez, the late Venezuelan president, Jamaica was given the gift of purchasing gas from Venezuela at significantly reduced prices, and paying over time for those purchases. As soon as Chavez died, his successor demanded that Jamaica pay its debt to Venezuela, right away. A country cannot spend its way to wealth, or better lives for its citizens. Myopic leadership, voluminously speaks of the efficacy of planning for generations yet unborn. In a society where the major industry is centered around security guards being paid minimally to watch other peoples wealth as a primary source of industry, rather than taking on the challenges of creating jobs in the burgeoning high tech or other industries, shows that the political leadership vacuum is huge. I would venture to say, that Barbadians, per capita, are more financially mariginalized, than at anytime in our nation’s history. “Pride in Industry” once meant something to Barbadians. It meant that we felt proud of those things manufactured from the proud hands of bajans. Today, Barbados’ industry, or whats left of it, is in the hands of the Trinidadians, and whoever else, found the need to own it. While I am not closing Barbados off to private investment that offers significant returns on investment, I am mindful, that those returns on investment , go to the coffles of other Island nations, and not primarily Barbados’ banks. The index of a country’s leading economic indicators, offer the real time glimpse, into the economic future of the health of that country’s economy. Subsequently, the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, and the economist who work in that fine institution, should be able to advise the Chris Sinckler’s of the world, and ultimately the Prime Minister, on the economic tectonic shifts that occur within the global economic markets daily, quarterly, semi-annually and yearly. Numbers don’t lie for the most part, politicians do. It is to the best interest of the Barbadian populace, that they secure the information to better their own lives, and to secure a strong state of Barbaos’ economic union. “The heights by great men reached and kept, was not achieved by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards through the night.”
One of the explanations given by the BLP and the marauding T&T investors in the retail and distribution sector was that Barbadian consumers would benefit from the volume discounts made possible by central purchasing of the T&T head offices domiciled in Trinidad. Have we seen the benefits?
David/Caswell-some time ago caswell wrote an article on this blog about trade union leaders who were and are members of the DLP and their present positions or rewards that were given to them .is it possible that that article can be up dated and posted again we need to have a good look again at that article and see the actors then and now and the rewards they have been given
Caswell Franklyn | December 21, 2013 at 8:25 AM |…From my research, more than $1 billion in VAT arrears and penalties are outstanding and Government is contented to allow this situation …
If this is so, do the laws of Barbados allow for a group of its citizens to bring legal action against the Cabinet for gross negligence or force collection?
erice | December 21, 2013 at 8:43 AM |
Alien | December 21, 2013 at 8:50 AM |@ You will get better information from Caswell than any other Person in Barbados of the running of crime and crooks liar and scumbags of the New Unity Government of the DBLP .
We at PLANTATION DEEDS STUDY HIS WORDS added to the Quest of Justice and rule of law in and for Barbados and for Bajans .Five STARTS for Truth one START FOR LIES
if we had free-smart of the Press we can have a Radio show called ,, ASK CASWELL.
http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2013/12/20/another-downgrade-for-barbados/
@ Victor R Callender
What the hell!!!
You can’t be a Bajan…. Shiite man, if you are – you have just seriously destroyed Bushie’s theory of brass bowlery…
How the hell can there be another clear thinking individual bout here – as may be inferred from your exhaustive contribution above?
Wuh – from Bushie’s count, we have long passed the MAXIMUM statistically projected number of NON-Brass Bowls to be expected on BU – and you come with this position from the top drawer….
YOU!!!!
Um look like there may be more than Bushie’s estimated total of 150 non-bowls bout here yuh…..
….In which case, if Caswell was to start the Damn BUP thing we could “run things” in this brass bowl world….
@ Caswell
When you get round to start the BUP, we will need to see a resume from Mr. Callender bozie….
If any of us believe that government salaries will be the albatross around Barbados’ neck, wait until the health care system, comes calling as it has in most developed and devopling countries. There has to be a place to go to, for developing a financially afordable health care model for the poor and disinfranchised. For the most part, the actuarial cycle will envelope the poor to graveyards of Barbados. You see, even in death they own our black asses. Taxes still need to be paid on the dead. I feel that we need a revolution of the mind, and of our collective consciouness. Like all of us are doing now, we are talking and we are listening to the free flow of ideas from each other. I am learning from all of you, in a major way. Politicians for the most part, believe that once they are elected, free exchange of ideas, no longer exist, and they stifle the free thinking people who elected them. I am of the opinion, that in elective politics, Joe Citizen only has power, the day of the election, before he cast his vote. Once elected and sworn in, all politicians live up to the synthesis of the word Poli-tics, broken down to mean Poly- Many. Ticks-Blood Suckers. Simplistic, though it maybe, politicians are indeed the blood suckers of the masses. History has recorded that countless fabrications were amassed off of the backs of the poor and huddled masses. If one is to discern the history of how events unfolded in the past, and will again come to fruition, lets revisit how the global central banking system came about. The “Rothchilds” invented the central banking system in Europe. It would be that system that the United States and even Barbaos would model. To understand the failure that is known as USA economic failure, lets go back to Richard Milhouse Nixon, failure of gargantuan proportion in US history. Nixon forced failure on the US, by taking the USA completely off of the gold standard, and converting to paper money, You who read this must understand, that in the USA, as in Europe, Australia and Canada, an economic tsunami known as the “Fiat” finacial system is occurring. Fiat money
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Yuan dynasty banknotes are the earliest known fiat money.
Fiat money has been defined variously as:
any money declared by a government to be legal tender.[1]
state-issued money which is neither convertible by law to any other thing, nor fixed in value in terms of any objective standard.[2]
money without intrinsic value.[3][4]
The term derives from the Latin fiat (“let it be done”, “it shall be”).[5]
While gold- or silver-backed representative money entails the legal requirement that the bank of issue redeem it in fixed weights of gold or silver, fiat money’s value is unrelated to the value of any physical quantity. Even a coin containing valuable metal may be considered fiat currency if its face value is higher than its market value as metal.
The Nixon Shock of 1971 ended the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since then, all reserve currencies have been fiat currencies, including the U.S. dollar and the Euro.[6]
@ Observing
“@William
“it is high time that progressive thinkers/citizens go after both the essentially black political managerial class and call to account the dominant white corporate elites and demand that they treat us with some respect.”
You asked how. It is very simple more accountability from both. We have a BLP/DLP that has promised integrity legislation for over 25 years and there has been no pressure to make them bring it to fruition. You will note in the last election there was no talk about integrity legislation from the BLP/DLP.
As far as the white corporate elites are concerned, they have gotten away with commercial murder. they systematically abandoned agriculture and allowed all the plantations/estate to run down . Of course the plantation houses were snapped up by blacks who “wanted a plantation”- rememerber John King’s calypso I want a plantation…… The same whites ensured that both foundaries went to the grave yard. In the mean time they did not reinvest mammoth profits but constantly forced the BLP/DLP governments to give them all the breaks . IT is nothing short of economic black mail. They allowed Bridgetown to run down and then created a new city at Warrens etc. the black political managerial class never distributed government contracts to small black business persons. The billion dollar tourist industry was never used to develop benefit our black manufacturers etc etc.
To control such mercenary behaviour ,we need politicians, outside of the lawyer class, who are lining their pockets out of corporate Barbados and then insult us every five years with so-called elections which are now nothing more than extensions of crop over. We need accountability and proper regulation.
@ Brief
The NUPW is in bed with the BLP/DLP. This is nothing new. We have always seen our trade union leaders end up in BLP/DLP cabinets and over seas postings. The unions are nothing more than stepping stones for BLP/DLP operatives.
I know for a fact that many of the so-called independent trade unionists now masquerading as the “conscience” of public servants were sleeping with the BLP/DLP. I recall vividly that it was the Barbados Union Of Teachers, under the brilliant and visionary leadership of Comrade John Cumberbatch, that was the most militant trade union taking on the BLP/DLP, when they conspired to destroy the collective bargaining process.
I say nothing more for the time being.
Donville Innis cannot be for real. After cussing the private sector stink, stink in almost all his public utterances, with latest one being telling the BHTA to stop begging, he is quoted in the online paper as saying that, “we need your help”, Innis tells private sector. . What an about turn.
I think this government recognized that certain players in the private sector has absolutely no interest in helping this economy as long as the DLP is in government and this is where the lack of confidence comes in. Look at the most recent downgrade last night. How much more can the people take?
Inniss may very well have mental problems….lol
All of a sudden Cedric Murrell has found a voice to defend workers. How convenient. You are only “shadow boxing” about NO LAYOFFS Mr. Murrell. We out here in the public know of your political affiliation. You serve on so many Boards in this country and is even the head of one of the constituency Council. You is not pointing to the abandonment of of those councils, camps and football tournaments but would want Bajans to agree to a pay cut.. See Moody’s has just pelt a down grade in we ass and their might be more to come. Wunnu wicked set of bitches only collecting workers dues to live big and then sell we out.
@William
“we need politicians, outside of the lawyer class”
Agreed, now, how do we encourage them to come forward. I’ve been consistently asking for about 4 years now here on BU. “Will the real leaders please stand up?”
Also, the union-politico relationship has its roots as far back as Grantley Adams…it never changed….but like you I’ll leave that for another day.
@bag juice
When/where did Murrell make the “no layoff” comment?
When there is flight of forex from Barbados this is usually a sign the private sector has little confidence in the government. BU believes this is what is happening at this time.
David | December 21, 2013 at 2:10 PM |…When there is flight of forex from Barbados this is usually a sign the private sector has little confidence in the government. BU believes this is what is happening at this time.
But was it legally moved?
@Alien
Flight of capital does not have to follow legal channels.
@Alien, “Capital flight” does not leave a country through the legal channel. The central bank would not give permission to do such. That is the reason why Jamaica is in this crisis. Private sector confidence went to an all time low in the 1970s to the extent that the Manley government had to turn to the IMF. 40 years on, and they have not recovered. My fear is that Barbados could go down that path if confidence continues to be a deciding factor.
@observing. Cedric Murrell’s comment was carried on Starcom 12:30pm newscast after the CUTSAB meeting this morning
@bag juice
Thanks. Clearly there are three different union voices
BWU – this is only a proposal (albeit due to take effect in 15 days)
NUPW – we’re talking amongst ourselves and will continue negotiating and only then will we make a clear statement
CTUSAB – no layoffs at all…even though we know things are dire
I’m more confused than when it first started. Murrells’ Thursday comments were a tad bit more conciliatory.
Thing about this is, the Unions are willing to push for a pay cut rather than losses, which is exactly what they went on strike for 2 decades ago.Added to that they refused to ask for a pay increase for the last 4 years, while everything else (taxes, prices, new taxes) around us increased….all in the name of saving jobs…
and, clearly, no one can guarantee that this “first tranche” and “further” wage freeze will get us out the mess or be all that’s needed
Something stinks to high heaven. Somebody needs to get some bodies around a table and get a freaking solution that serves everybody’s long term interest and that can actually be communicated
Where oh where is the real leadership.
Just Observing
@Observing
Barbados obviously has been instructed it needs to send a strong message to the external markets that we are serious about hauling in the deficit. We have passed the point of negotiating because we are not holding any Aces. We need money (forex) and we need fiscal and monetary “leadership” this is the bottomline.
@David
That much is clear. Clear for the last 2 years. My disbelief is the charade being played out by our union leaders. Either get on board and announce so, or present alternatives and stick to them.
Does anyone really believe that the unions have a bargaining position or leverage given what’s needed to “satisfy” the external markets?
or that they have political capital amongst its members that they can rally?
or that they have general goodwill based on previous government promises that were kept?
They should spare us the sideshow let us get on with the solutions.
Just observing
@Bag juice –Cedric Murrell has always be a yes person to both political parties, he lives off the backs of the workers for years do you recall when the DLP won the elections he was promoted ,Walter Maloney with no qualifications except the Masters in Yardfowl was promoted from clerk to Customer service manager an S5 job and has been selling out the workers long ago but NUPW members deserves such when they had the chances to get rid of him for running up an $18,000.cell phone bill ,they allowed the one foot man Denis Clarke tell them its a lie ,yet he never produced the bill to prove its a lie but thanks to some one I have a copy which was faxed to my good mate . C T U SAB has been using the government funds to pay wages and salaries ,entertainment ,travelling ,overseas travel and cell phone bills for Cedric Murrell and DENNIS De-Peize , do you expect the yard fowls to go against they masters ,Cedric son has been given a teaching job and we can go on and on –tell the to cut the subvention from CUTSAB and we shall save some money ,tell them to make Walter Maloney repay the $5000, cell phone bill at NHC that’s two clerks salaries .tell them to cut their salaries by 30% and not the tax free allowances they get ,tell them to cut the consultants ,the personal aids ,tell the to cut out the food they get in Parliament ,tell them to send home the people they hired in January and Febuary 2013,
@erice, I agree with your posting 100%. NUPW members deserve what they are getting. I now see Cedric on CBC TV 7:30 news talking “bull shi………te”. Look at the double downgrade Moodys gave B’dos last light after Stinkliar announce all those measures of retrenchment and cuts in allowance in a Ministerial statement last Friday. Clearly, something is definitely wrong with what he is/has proposing to bring back the Barbadian economy to its glory days.
It would appear that the new US$150 Million dollar bond which the Government has successfully floated was successful substantially because of Chris Sinckler’s promise of strong action, especially the 3,000 layoffs.
The GoCB and CS should be congratulated for having engineered this loan although the situation is still on a knife edge for the medium term.
Now what does this development tell us of the rearguard action being fought by the Unions, seemingly inspired by the PM, for the Government to pull back on the layoffs and instead institute an across the board wage cut?
Are the Unions really serious or are they engaged in a somewhat transparent PR exercise for their gullible members since the word on the street is suggesting that the layoffs could be more substantial and might be implemented along with across-the-board wage cuts?
Was the proposal by the PM a disingenuous one, or was he really serious about suggestions from the unions having the possibility of being used to make significant changes to the Chris Sinckler package?
The new loans should perhaps keep the economy going to about the end of the financial year, I am told. So where do we go from here? The faux societal approach by the Unions channeling the PM or the Chris Sinckler “Economy” approach that uses, inter alia, Austerity shock measures to get the International financiers on board to achieve some measure of short term stability? Will the Society trump the Economy? Could this battle result in the removal of one of the Ministerial protagonists?
Of course the answers are actually no brainers. But the Unions would have us think otherwise at least for the first question.
The Sunday Sun of December 15, 2013 carried a photograph of Dennis Clarke leaving a meeting of the NUPW’s executive. He was carrying a set of books under his arm; one was entitled, “Employment Protection at Common Law” which had a marker sticking out. That might seem perfectly normal and might even impress some. But I started to wonder what he was doing with that book when you consider that he was supposed to have been advising a public service union whose membership is governed by: the Public Service Act; the Constitution; the Administrative Justice Act; and the Employment Rights Act.
That common law book does not apply to the Public Service or statutory boards. The man was posing with the WRONG book.
>
how can this DLP cut wages and salaries and freeze increments —trade unions cannot agree with no government with any tdohing that is against the law –remember the Gladwyn king case–and what make it so stupid is that that stupid crook Dennis Clarke was deputy general secretary at nupw –no public officer should agree to such and then its an individual issue –cut the ministers and political appointees salaries by 30%–they can agree to put that 30% back into the treasury and give up their travel and entertainment allowances –while Dennis Clarke can tell nupw to sell the duty free car and donate the funds to a children home –do these along with the other that I have out lined before and we will see some savings
http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/ctusab-against-job-cuts/ …BY RICKY JORDAN | SUN, DECEMBER 22, 2013 – 12:12 AM …The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) is not supporting Government’s plan to lay off 3 000 workers and rejects the proposal to freeze public workers’ increments … Instead it wants national dialogue among the Social Partners – labour unions, private sector and Government – to develop a protocol on recovery and growth, similar to the Prices And Incomes Protocol coming out of the 1991 economic crisis…
Minister Sinckler, as I said earlier, crossroads…, inaction…, regret…
Countrymen and Women our country’s problems are escalating at such a rapid rate that I am fearful for this island. Barbadians find your backbones sit up, stand up and PLEASE be fearless and LISTEN TO MIA. She is the only one making sense. The MOF MUST GO! PUT THIS COUNTRY FIRST! We have the most INCOMPETENT group of persons in charge of this island’s affairs. Yet another downgrade and the flippancy continues. WE HAVE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! WE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND NOW! I am weeping for my country! LISTEN PLEASE LISTEN!
I continue to read all of your comments, and I am in awe of the intellectual fuel of all of you. As learned as you all are, please be mindful, that the role of government is never to create jobs. Government’s role is to provide for the welfare and common good of the masses. The private sector creates jobs, and premised on the legislative prowess of government, the private sector affords a country’s citizens with decent living wages, contingent on strong trade union coercion. The upwardly mobile, Barbadian intelligencia, now has the moral mandate to insist of constructive dialogue, to assist a timid, if not otherwise incompetent political establishment, in coming to terms with the troubling economic fiasco, facing Barbados. Folks, the “Ship of State” lies awkwardly in rough seas, tantamount to absolute fatalism. With combined efforts from both the current party in power, and the opposition, conversations should be meaningful, and public discourse evocative, in order to prevent the absolute collapse of one of the most stable democracies on the planet earth, Barbados’ democracy. Let our collective ideas, and our manifestations be the “Lighthouse ” in this sea of disaster.
The writing is on the wall for the island…..I must commend Corey and David on brasstacks today for asking Mia all the right questions, that was moderation at it’s best. In saying that, let’s hope the BLP (all of the paid politicians) is really taking the situation as seriously as Mia is alluding to….it would be interesting to hear what the DLP has to say in it’s defense, not that anyone cares, the lies they have been telling are unconscionable, they can now only come with the truth to cleanse themselves.
@well, Well. Yes the programme was good, however I had a problem with David Ellis interrupting Ms. Mottley when she is making a very important point causing her to lose her trend of though at times. However, I must say that I am much clearer on really what is happening in this island. “We in ducks guts”.
BLP OR DLP, no political party can fix this global economic disaster. It’s bigger than Freundel or Mia. You could resurrect Barrow, both Adams’ and whoever else, and still not solve this global economic crisis. In fairness to the DLP, they inherited a system in decline, from the BLP, and yes from the stellar economic mind of Owen S Arthur, on whose watch the economic decline in Barbados started. It was exacerbated here in this current administration, but the fiasco is multi-tiered, and perhaps evolved through a disastrous system of economic flaws in the USA. Do most of you know, that the US FEDERAL RESERVE, has been pumping Eighty Five (85)Billion Dollars a month into the US economy? Ok then, had the US Federal Reserve not been bandaiding the United States economic woes every month, does anyone out there believe that the US economy would not have totally collapsed. Folks the city of Detroit, at one time the fourth Largest city in America, is bankrupt. Do not be caught up in the political minutia offered by Mia Mottley or Freundel Stuart, or any politician. Look at the reality of what faces not only Barbados, but the entire global financial diaspora. America is printing money left and right, but guess what, at the end of the day, super hyper inflation will come and knock on America’s door as well. What has bit Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland in the butt, will bite most developing countries. What developing countries should do, is look to the Singaporean “Asian Tiger” model, and prepare within the prescribes of that model, embracing fiscal restraint and total economic restructuring. Politicians, must say to the Barbadian electorate, that they were wrong in their economic forecast, and that bajans must now, right now embrace economic austerity measures. By being austere, bjans would have in time even allowd for the country to embrace green technology, and other Island saving sustainable effects. For example, Brazil fuels its vehicles, from the by-product of its sugar manufacturing industry. Barbados, because of our history, produced premium sugar cane, and there must be some agro-economist and researchers on the Island of Barbados, who can lend some knowledge to Brazil’s eco friendly fuel industry and the ways that it can benefit Barbados. What is needed is an “Economic Compact” by which both political parties must adhere , or be replaced. Bajans must operate within their own purviews of numeracy. Don’t spend frivously, and for god’s sake, return to the family values, that solidifed Barbados, as a leader in the caribbean community. The systemic problems that plague or Isalnd nation, go to the core, of our peoples social fabric.. Social change and reconditioning, reshaping, retooling or collective consciousness, would lend to building not only economically, but allowing us to drive the ideological mandates for the 21st century.
Well stated Victor.
Bagjuice..he was enthusiastic, but i believe he meant well, you cannot give any politician time to organize their thoughts or they will digress from the question, dodge, parry and still don’t answer the question, she was mildly backed against the wall why I believe she was so forthcoming, it worked out well and obviously people will now see Mia in a different light.
The private sector agency has sided with Mis’s call to establish an elite group to build consensus and strategy in the country. Will the government get on board? After years in the post global recession era it seems moronic to be still searching for consensus between the private and public sector.
There must be emphatic change across the board of both political parties. Listen, I don’t pretend to have all of the answers, but I am willing to listen, the operative word, being “Listen.” Barbadian politicians don’t listen, and when they do, mostly at election time, it’s with selective hearing. Mia Mottley may offer the argument for change, but change to what, and why? Things can never be the way they were. The international global economic reality, suggest downward economic trends, for at least the next five years. All of the market analyses that exist out there present dismal economic growth in most developed and devoloping countries. The chinese, though they may own US debt, are struggling with their own internal economic mechanisms, relative to scarcity of materials, to be had within their country. What will plague china, will be the provision of satisfactory wages over the next five years, for its expanding middle class, and the ruinous climatic conditions, relative to acid rain and smog that has enveloped, and is destroying their eco system. I am saying all of that to let some here understand, that China will soon be calling for the debt owed to it, and then the chief borrowerers the USA and Africa, will be in dire straights. Several years ago, Andy Grove, the then CEO of Intel, remarked that Barbados was one of the most technologically wired places in the caribbean. I would submit to most of us here, that Barbados, must reinvent it’s ability to manufacture in the cutting edge technological industry. Those who envisioned the monikor “Pride in Industry”at the inception of Independence, knew that in decades to come, we Barbadians would need to send out a clarion call, upon which would rest, “Pride in Industry.” The first rate exemplary education system in Barbados, which has been the envy of not only the caribbean, but the world, stands in a calamitous state. Politicians, who lack the ability to think their way out of a “Wet paper bag” are at the helm of our nation’s future. Bajans, when will we regain the reigns of our collective destiny, our children’s future? When will we decide to be guided by the instincts of our hearts, and speak truth to power? Those who offer the sycophant’s remedy to alignment with these politicians, should be careful. For the most part, it is now them vs us, and guess what, the us happen to be losing teribly. Politicians need to engage with the electorate now, and the old rum shop political dynamics need to be tossed out and tough question should be asked, and answers, expected. Right now, in Barbados, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital does not have enough drugs to provide its patient population, and the Mental Hospital at Black Rock, does not have enough Psychiatric Narcotics to medicate its psychiatric population. Who the hell is running the Ministry of Health? What kind of absolute malfeasance is occurring under the watch of Freundel Stuart? Two major healtcare entities in Barbados, cannot medicate with adequacy, sick and psychologically impaired patients. And do you know why? Because the bills have not been paid, going back to the BLP administration. Acoountability and a mandate for General Accounting Practices (GAP) should be a measurable oversight that’s required for this current administration. The lazy, have been able to rise up and lead the unwilling, in this DLP administration.
In any serious democracy, where accountability matters, Mr. Sinkler would be in the ranks of the unemployed since he has failed to even begin to institute any real economic policy; we would be going back to the polls to allow the people to determine if there was indeed a “betrayal”.
THE DLP LIED TO THE PEOPLE, HAVE FAILED TO MANAGE THE ECONOMY AND JUST CANNOT MANAGE
THE DLP SHOULD RESIGN AND CALL FRESH ELECTIONS.
LET THE PEOPLE DETERMINE WHAT PROGRAMME THEY WILL SUPPORT.
ALL THE TALK ABOUT SENDING HOME PEOPLE AND CUTTING SALARIES SHOULD CEASE NOW. GET BACK TO THE POLLS.
THE REAL DISCUSSION SHOULD BE ABOUT SEEKING A FRESH MANDATE.
THERE MUST BE FRESH ELECTIONS
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESIGN
THEY HAVE BETRAYED THE PEOPLE AND CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO KEEP THEIR WORD
THEY WANT TO CUT THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND CUT SALARIES TOO
WHO IS GUARANTEE THAT THEY KEEP THEIR WORD ON ANYTHING
L——I——–A ———R————S
THIS IS NOT JOKE WE JOKING
THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
I have listened attentively to Mia Mottley’s statement, relative to the government’s inepititude. and complete malfeasance. The Rt Honourable Freundel Stuart, has with a very simple stroke of poltical calculation allowed the destruction of Chris Sinckler. You see the rising star of Mr. Sinckler is dimming fast, under the wicked watchful eye of Mr. Stuart. The only thing that bajans can do now, is to take to the streets, and demand a dissolution of parliament, and the resurrection of competent leadership in Barbados. “Where there is no vision, the people will perish.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jameshenry/2013/12/18/postcard-from-barbados-a-k-a-cyprus-west-part-i-the-cure/
oreysandiford.tumblr.com/post/59194866830/taking-us-backwards-robin-hood-budget-bim-in-tights
Please help me. I am looking for recent articles about the deplorable conditions at the Psychiatric hospital. Thank you for your assistance.