Submitted by Anthony Davis
Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler
Blame me! That was the proclamation from Minister of Finance, Chris Sinckler, in a close to two-hour news conference from Government Headquarters, broadcast live on national radio this afternoon. He told journalists that he was taking full responsibility for ‘any and all failures’, including the ones that he was ‘not responsible for’ within the Ministry of Finance. – Painful decision SINCKLER SAYS GOVERNMENT TRIED DIFFERENT SCENARIOS TO KEEP BARBADOS STEADY AND AFLOAT” on page 3 of “Barbados Today” dated 06 January, 2014
Whom do you think that we should blame for the mess you have gotten us into, Mr. Sinckler? Owen Arthur? He got his share of blame when he was Minister of Finance, but he did not make such a song and dance about it! Or do you expect us to blame Dennis the Menace, or gremlins?
There already seems to be gremlins at work in the NIS Department as they have been having a “technical difficulty” since November, and the IT Department cannot find the problem and solve it up to now. Stand up and take your medicine like a man, instead of resorting to such theatricals. We do not need your crocodile tears.
Mrs. Redman, head of the BUT, stated that you as Minister of Finance gave her the assurance that none of her members will be among the 3000 public servants who will be fired by Government between this month and 15 March. At your press conference yesterday (06 January, 2014) you did not refute her statement, so one can only come to the conclusion that once again this Government has made a sweetheart deal with her. The teachers who went on strike at the Alexandra Secondary School last year didn’t act as if they needed the work so I do not see why some of them should not be sent home. On top of that this Government paid them for striking. Who is to say they wouldn’t walk out of the class room again, and leave students at some other school – and their parents/guardians – up the creek without a paddle again? They were uncompromising about not teaching our children then so why should we have compassion on them now?
Is this not discrimination against the other public servants?
Is discrimination not illegal, as laid down in our Constitution?
Are the nurses, doctors, police/immigration/customs/prison officers, life guards, NCC workers, SSA workers and the horde of other public servants less valuable than her and her members? Appeasement didn’t work then, and we see that it isn’t working now, as she is the only union leader threatening to strike. Don’t you think that we have friends/relatives in the other departments also?
Don’t the other public servants pay taxes also? Don’t they have to pay rent, mortgages, bills, go to the supermarkets, clothe themselves and their scions, pay bus fare, run vehicles, etc. like her charges? Do you really expect us to believe that your relatives will also be fired? Has the Minister of Drainage fired his brother who is employed by the Ministry of Drainage? What do we need a pier head marina for? So that we can see the rich and famous display their wealth, and the populace of this country can be pushed off another beautiful stretch of beach?
Do you still have money to burn?
How will you transfer the coral from the Bridgetown Port to another location and expect it to continue growing there? Would a floating pier, which is being “put forward as a potential solution to the economic and environmental challenges of building cruise berthing facilities in Grand Cayman,” not suffice for the extension of the Bridgetown Port, instead of causing extensive damage to the coral reef there?
If things are not so bad in Barbados, how come Paul Doyle, a staunch supporter of Barbados and things Barbadian, owner of the Crane Resort and Residences, decided to launch the raising of $80million via a private placement of 8 million preference shares in Jamaica? Why did he have to face tough questions from investors there who were worried about the current state of the Barbados economy? The shares will be offered in Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago afterwards.
Mr. Minister of Finance all you did on 06 January, 2014, was to regurgitate the same thing you said in Parliament. As usual there is a deafening silence coming from our Prime Minister.
What is so sad in this whole mess is the arrogance of Chris Stinkliar!
Where is the money coming from to fund the projects he outlined? His whole press conference was laced with lies and I am appalled that the journalist there did not call him out asking him where is the money coming from. Some idiot asked him about marijuana, I could not believe my ears.
Are these journalist just plain stupid?
According to the liar, every thing he was asked about was to be brought to cabinet in two weeks…or….that is getting my, my attention and we should have this ready soon or…. that has to be looked at again, the terms were too generous…..lies, lies, lies, just like the Pickering project that the liar said was ready and people from all over were tendering and the local contractors mind OSA and refused to tender who said that those behind the project had no money. Well we subsequently learnt here on BU that that OSA was very right.
If this winter season is not as good as we would like, when the money from Credit Suisse runs out, where will Barbados’ foreign reserves be at the end of the second quarter?
Where is Fruendel Stuart in all this mess? As the man who echoed the lies….the economy is stable during the elections, should he not be addressing the nation in light of this mess? As the minister for the public service, should he not address them having promised them that not one worker will go home?
We are screwed with Stuart and Stinkliar!
@ Prodigal Son | 08/01/2014 at 7:35 pm |
“If this winter season is not as good as we would like, when the money from Credit Suisse runs out, where will Barbados’ foreign reserves be at the end of the second quarter?”
We can expect the joker for a Central Bank Governor to come with some upbeat misleading report on Q4. He is going to make it look that things are on the up and up because of sterling efforts of the DLP administration under his brilliant guidance.
He is going to stress how the foreign reserves have been boosted and the many projects in the pipeline for 2014 with generate FDI and economic growth.
Will he be honest enough and tell the populace that the foreign reserves only increased at year-end not because of producing earnings and exports but because of loan shark borrowings at usurious rates and excessive arrangement fees taken off the top. There were no more BL&P and BNB shares to sell as was the case in 2012.
What will happen when the proceeds from the Credit Suisse loan disappears down the conspicuous consumption waste pipe in 3 months’ time?
Bajans are such gullible people easily fooled by people with the title “Doctor” before their names. Just look at the Man Denis Lowe or Frank Alleyne!
You are so right, miller!
I”m still waiting for the MOF to tell the people of Barbados how bad is the crisis. Is he going to wait until the ship sinks to shout SOS?
No June Boy…. she is going to send the message in a bottle…..
Are you the June Boy from the Q- Road? It has been many year but I do remember a June Boy from the Q- Road.
The comments made by the MOF about the BLP changing the constitution to prevent the cutting of civil servants’ salary is so unfortunate. Is this the same DLP goverment who held a two/ third majority in the last government? Did the then DLP government not see this crisis coming just over a year ago? Could they not have been proactive and reverse the policy then? I can’t believe that after six years in office the DLP still believe they can blame their misgivings on the BLP. I remember just after the 2008 general elections, the then P.M making a statementthat the fatted calf would only be divided among the faithful DLP supporters. That calf is now only a skeleton and the bones are now left for the rest of barbadians.
Mark Fenty
No; I’m not from Q road
Okay buddy.. ..
I agree with Prodigal Son. The question of the hour is WHERE is Freundel Stuart in this MESS!!!! The PEOPLE of this country MUST turn up the HEAT on FUMBLE!!! In other words WE calling out FUMBLE!!!! No passages from the Holy Dictionary or Thesaurus that he quotes from can save him NOW!!!!. I know as a BLP supporter i would be calling for his head regardless but i am seriously scratching my head as to how a PM could be so silent during this CRISIS!!!!. It is REALLY RIDICULOUS and the people of Barbados should not accept this. What is he telling himself, that he is PM and addressing the people is not MANDATORY!!!!! If he doesn’t be careful he will or has sent the impression that he does not care!!!! I urge the people of Barbados to READ BETWEEN THE LINES!!!!!. How is it that the MOF can hold a press conference about the sending home of 3000 civil servants and Fumble is not even there if not even as the supposed head of the Civil Service but as a PM and fellow DLP member as a sign of solidarity!!! Chris Stinkliar has been too much a lone wolf!!!! As the saying goes a “picture” says a 1000 words and definitely something WRONG with this picture!!!!! Stinkliar and Fumble MIGHT be singing from the same hymn book but Stinkliar always upfront on the mike (literally and figuratively) and Fumble singing backup from de 25th row in de stands!!!!!!!
To the NUPW, i will ask Bajans what is its relevance NOW!!!! The gov’t sends home 3000 and all DEM could do is TALK HARD!!!!. REALLY!!!! So when DEM gine do something\anything, when a further 3000 get send home!!!!! The first thing is that DEM say (the NUPW at least Dennis Clarke) is that it was just a proposal which is clear BULLSHIT now!!!!! And the fact that DEM said it at all mek DEM sound like “apologists” for the gov’t!!!!! When a Public Union could sound like apologists for a gov’t TELLING me that Union ain’t gine do not one DAMN thing of significance !!!!!. This “Union” should be BLASTING the gov’t why they were left on the sidelines regarding proposals affecting public workers; but we got to ask were they really left out!!!!!!
The Unions are a business, pure and simple.
Yes, the Union is in the business to make profit plain and simple. And that’s why it’s often sleeps in the same bed as management for the most. Take it from me because I have been a union delegate for a short spell.
THE SHEEPLE will not rise up so the Union leaders and other mealy mout manipulators will continue with their nonsense
@DLP (formerly CBC) TV | 08/01/2014 at 11:35 pm |
I totally agree with your post.
The workers are screwed, the unions, not so much the BWU are in bed with this government and have sold the workers out.
Remember back in May, it slipped out of Dennis Clarke’s mouth in an interview with VOB’s Stetson Babb that they had agreed to a wage freeze and they never told their membership about the agreement. Just a few weeks ago OSA suggested that the unions need to hold the government accountable and oh my Lord, Walter Maloney came out of his slumber……..cussing OSA….the BLP will not dictate what the NUPW does.
Notice that in not one of the proposals they put forward……not one mention of cutting the constituency councils…..why? the leadership of the NUPW feeds on this fatted calf.
I have resigned myself to the inevitable………according to Ms Africa on VOB, Barbados will collapse and she said it should happen soon so that we can start rebuilding!
In the big picture Barbados need to be revamped. Tourism is now subject to the “internet” where there is countless comparisons of where to go and the cost of going. Tourism is greatly effected by currency valuations. We don’t seem to be stacking up well as a destination that can compete. .Then there is the IBC income tax issue which is under serious scrutiny by the Governments of North America. That is keeping inflows in a hold position until there is a clear path forward.
EVERY REASON WHY THE DLP SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING THE AFFAIRS OF THIS COUNTRY.
THE FUNDS THAT THE BLP LEFT WERE SQUANDERED BY THE DLP
JUST ASKING on 09/01/2014 at 11:31 am
EVERY REASON WHY THE DLP SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING THE AFFAIRS OF THIS COUNTRY.
THE FUNDS THAT THE BLP LEFT WERE SQUANDERED BY THE DLP
Jusking Asking….yuh nitwick.
You mean the funds the BLP left in GREENLAND ?
posted under wrong topic before
The Fan | 09/01/2014 at 11:38 am |
Just Asking shut up for a day or two nuh. Go and relax your old miserable self. You want the government to fail well its not going to happen.
Sinckler with his warts did a commendable job on the live press conference. Like Vaswani said he the PM and the Cabinet shoud do more conferences. There is nothing to hide. Sinclker’s explanation to me as one the threatened 3000 was reassuring. A telling point he made was despite the foolishness and Armageddon bullshite you and BLP yard fowls spew the economy did not really decline after that 4% drop a few years ago. In fact we grew or was flat in recent years. With the right sizing of the public service growth is a reasonable expectation.
Its heartening to see the normally bombastic Trotman and Dennis Clarke saying the talks with Sinckler were warm and fruitful. So now we have the unions, GOB, Vaswani on the same page working together for the same objective. We know you hate that but we love it because its a comforting and inspiring development for Barbados our beloved country.
Party faithfuls and their fights. Lets throw lashes in the DLP…No wait lets highlight the crookery of the BLP. Mean while we have a finance minister with a defeatus tone saying blame me. A finance minister who only a few weeks ago announce the sending home of 3000 denounce the proposals by the unions as not enough. Now we have finance minister and union saying the talks where good and there is hope on the horizon for the 3000 jobs because there is some new found resolve that can work in the favour of the workers whilst at the same time plugging the huge deficit that we are yet to fix. What has changed in all of this in the last weeks. Well for certain the script but the players are still playing.Really makes you wonder if monkeys are not at the helm of things.
Chris use to work with Sandi in de days of the marching from the unions ,so i believe he got that in de corner of he mind and don’t want ah repeat of it
Neither the unions nor vaswani gine invest any money like what ths govt looking for.Vaswani got 2 other passports,one for Jamaica and another for India.He would do the same he did when he left Jamaica and move here with his family.You won’t hear that slush talk from Geoffrey Cave.Bajans repose confidence in people with impeccable track records not jokers who looking for a lodging.
Did anyone hear Julian Rogers take a turn in Sinckler tail this morning?I didn’t have to wait on Julian.I can tell Sinckler in got no broughtupsy.
Nothing would be heartening or comforting to the BLP yardfowls until these see guts and bloodshed in the country. why ! thats is all the seem to belive would be remdy for barbados……….they ask for govt to speak out and when the MOF speaks that is not enough or good enough…..then they start about PM should talk…… phew…….
We are screwed with this nitwit at the financial helm. He can’t count and cant even reckon…………..anytime some once ask him the formula or basis of a calculation he turns into a stuttering fool.
What say you Just Asking and The Millar and the other one
Son,
I think that Arthur is paving the way ahead of the next convulsion of the Leadership of the BLP, ahead of the revelation that Drawing Dottin was advised very poorly by Mottley to pursue his matter in the format of an appeal to the High Courts for a matter that she played a significant role in the Wiretapping and EAVESDROPPING of innocent Barbadians, and she has ill advised Dottin to pursue the matter before the law Courts on a matter that the evidence is more than compelling that both Dottin and Mottley should be charged in the Courts of Barbados for their role in this fiasco, but more disgusting than this is the in Dottin’s desire to save his ass and his pension he has dropped the Mottley firm and sought the help of a Sir to extricate him from this mess created by his alliance with Mottley, Dottin is trying his hardest now to come out of this case minus his association with Mottley and to keep his Pension in service.
Arthur may also be ahead of the program as very shorty the evidence will be made known of Mottley’s and a fellow named Jevan Jutugir of Red Advertising her role and her payment to Jutugir to circulate via email the Porn Video taken from a St Lucian hosted website the host of the site have cooperated extremely well to provide details of where and by whom the site was viewed and their IP addresses, now if as if Wiretapping and EAVESDROPPING are not enough to be associated with in terms of slime she has also now incorporated Mr Jevan Jutugir in her eagerness to propagate more of her nastiness and to have people like Jutagir be paid and accept money to try to to destroy honest and the credibility of others with decent characters by use of videos of untruths and by dishonest means.
So I agree with Arthur to separate and give distance between himself and Symmonds from that vile nasty beast Mottley who will try to beat, buy, bite, bully her way to being a PM and thank god for Arthur for letting John Public know she is vile and not suited to hold any post of office in Barbados not even one of The Leader of the Opposition she is just NOT FIT FOR ANY OFFICE.
And your party is lily white? Hey not so long ago your lily white minister of finance was dealing with an embarrassing incident! Care to address it?
IN RESPONSE TO “Mrs. Redman, head of the BUT, stated that you as Minister of Finance gave her the assurance that none of her members will be among the 3000 public servants who will be fired by Government between this month and 15 March. At your press conference yesterday (06 January, 2014) you did not refute her statement, so one can only come to the conclusion that once again this Government has made a sweetheart deal with her. The teachers who went on strike at the Alexandra Secondary School last year didn’t act as if they needed the work so I do not see why some of them should not be sent home. On top of that this Government paid them for striking. Who is to say they wouldn’t walk out of the class room again, and leave students at some other school – and their parents/guardians – up the creek without a paddle again? They were uncompromising about not teaching our children then so why should we have compassion on them now? NOW THESE JOKERS WANT TO DO WHAT ‘ WORK’ they only interested in collecting their SO CALL SALARIES. PLEASE SENT SOME OF THEM HOME THIS SHOULD HE CROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE NOT A SELECTED FEW,
Chris,
Letter from and ole man
When you finish fcuking up de barbadian economy, you plan to go back to CPDC pun Welches fuh you job or is you going get a stint in the USA at some sorta University???
Cause skippa, when you dun i hope dat you got more money dan Green Verbs Parris, Lammy Craig, Michael Lashes and Mara Thompson wid she Families First Funds and DT’s ill gained estate, I hope you got more $$$ dan all uh dem together causing nuh body bout Bulbados, udder dan de homos out by de YMCA, gine got wuk fuh you bout heah!!
It wud be ironic if you had was to wuk out dey doah, in a dress after 2015, (when wunna gine loss de elections and get washout)
I gine mek a next sorta prediction Chrissie, de first ting being unna gine loss bad in 2015, de nex is dat when you wukking at de onliest job you gine get heah, you gine be a favourite to get a grudge bulling, given all de fcukling dat you giving we Bajans when de week come.
@P D R Y R
Ride on baby.
But wash de dawgie affa yuh is dun.
Old China saying
Pay Peanuts get MONKEES.!!
where we go wrong??