2015 Barbados Budget…

Chris Sinckler, Minister of Finance

Chris Sinckler, Minister of Finance

Today is Budget Day in Barbados the 15 June 2015. For many what is hidden in the ‘Black Box’  in recent years seems to be of little interest to the citizenry compared to what occurred in the 80s and 90s. The politicians will grab their 30 minutes in the spotlight rabbling as if programmed in support of their side and many citizens will retreat to channel surfing and scan the news for a summary of what transpired.

Should we blame flagging interest by Barbadians  in what our elected members do in parliament on the need to aggressively teach Civics in our schools?  What has become evident to BU for some time now, we have become disengaged from our role as the Third Estate.

Some of us will listen to some of what Minister Chris Sinckler has to present at 4PM.

  • PRESENTATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND BUDGETARY PROPOSALS 2015 DELIVERED BY THE HON. CHRISTOPHER P. SINCKLER TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MONDAY JUNE 15, 2015, 4 PM

151 comments

  • @ balance
    “Say what you like Bushie but Mr Sinckler deserves some credit for taking on an unenviable task under the circumstances”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    fools rush in where even angels fear…

    Like

  • After all the talk BL&P continues with sending home employees. Mind you the company has advised it followed Employment Rights laws.

    Like

  • What a stroke of genius! Tax refunds are overdue by up to two years in some cases. The citizens are getting restless. What can government do? Captain Marvel to the rescue. Borrow M$45 from tax payers in the form of bond issues and then pay them back their own money. Everybody happy. Next government will have to write the cheque when the bills fall due….and they say he isn’t smart!

    Like

  • From page 4 of the EY publication

    Income tax

    The Minister proposed that from income year 2015, only the following deductions will be allowed along with the existing personal allowances (personal allowance of BDS$25,000
or BDS$40,000 [for pensioners], spouse allowance of BDS$3,000 and child allowance of BDS$1,000):

    Contributions to trade unions and statutory associations;
    Donations to charities including the church; and
    Energy audit retrofits.

    The foreign currency earnings allowance and the foreign tax credit will remain.

    The harsh impact caused by removing these allowances and deductions is likely to cause an unfavorable response from the working class of Barbados. Essentially, this proposal will cause more of the income earned by individuals to be subject to tax.

    The removal of the home allowance of BDS$10,000 is likely to raise questions on the lack of encouragement to own a property as many middle class persons used this deduction as a means of affording their own home.

    Additionally, we believe that many questions will be posed about the removal of the BDS$10,000 tax deduction for planning and saving for the future using a registered retirement

    Like

  • The government has extended a subsidy to the dairy sector, which would result in the reduction in the price of milk to the consumer.

    Essentially, a subsidy may be described as a form of financial aid extended to a private industrial undertaking, which serves to affect the market by reducing prices to consumers, as well as to assist in an increase in production.

    So, in reality, the government pays for the subsidy by way of taxation. This basically means, although milk will be cheaper at market prices, the consumer ultimately pays for the short-fall through taxation.

    Subsidies are usually pareto inefficient because they cost more than what they actually deliver in benefits to be derived.

    Like

  • @Luxotica

    Here is a snippet of ho ICAB views the raising of the threshold from 80 to 200,000. They are more qualified than BU.

    Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados (“ICAB”)
    ICAB was pleased that Government proposed to raise the VAT
    filing threshold to BDS$200,000 as this measure would ease
    some of the administrative burden on the Barbados Revenue
    Authority and small businesses and should hopefully reduce
    the processing time for tax administration.

    Like

  • We are watching the reactions of the BU people.

    Can’t help but gleam a misplaced euphoria engendered by the proceedings yesterday.

    We anticipate this evening’s presentation will rebalance sentiment. It will do so by telling the BLP yardies what their central critique/s should be.

    This should tell us something about the nature of Brassbowls.

    It speaks to a mental disposition that in spite of the mountain of evidence to the contrary there is still some anticipation, from both sides, that measures taken yesterday could be helpful in one case and in the other that there is some clearer path back to political power.

    Like

  • I am enjoying the long talk about the budget firmly ensconced in the knowledge that it will not affect the volume of single malt imbibed by the Bajan elite and wannabe elites.

    Same shit, different day, different year,different decade.

    Like

  • @David at some point we can talk about the press getting kicked out of Church.

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  • Since mid 2014, people have been waiting on their tax refunds and in my case two years and this lying incompetent man we have as a minister of finance came yesterday to brag that “as we speak, BRA employees are stuffing 24,000 envelopes. What a bloody fraud!

    If Bajans fall for his bullshit, they really deserve what they are getting. I bet many of them do not know that in order to pretend that they kept their promise to pay by June, some of the bags with the cheques were sitting in the PO with instructions to hold until they are told to release them.

    We are really fools to continue to believe this liar. Go to Hansard and you would see that in every budget presentation he told us that the economy is back on a growth path and even after they have sent home over 6500 workers, the economy still cannot grow, the deficit is still out of control because the liar cannot stop spending money he does not have aided and abetted by a governor is clearly out of his depths.

    Woe is we!

    Like

  • @ Prodigal,

    Bajans have been falling for bullshit for the last 60 years. Ask Bushie if yuh don’t believe me.

    Drink 3 single malts tonight, come on BU and write shite and you will feel better till you go to sleep.

    Like

  • OK Hants, continue to mock us from your ivory towers! (meant to be a joke.eh!)

    Like

  • millertheanunnaki

    @ Due Diligence June 16, 2015 at 2:27 PM
    “Additionally, we believe that many questions will be posed about the removal of the BDS$10,000 tax deduction for planning and saving for the future using a registered re
    tirement”

    If this is indeed the case then it can have a negative impact on those workers who have decided to make private provision for funding their retirement instead of relying on a growingly uncertain NIS pension. Why has this administration adopted the policy of taxing deferred consumption? Why not incentivize long-term savings among the black lower and middleclass?

    Wouldn’t there be a knock-on effect as far as the marketing of private pension plans, RRSP’s and other savings products is concerned in the financial services sector?
    The removal of the other allowances can be entertained but to tax deferred income plans seems a bit paradoxical giving the party’s philosophy.

    It can be assumed that the DLP’s manifesto pledge to incentivize parents to save for their children tertiary education is now just another broken promise to a bunch of “brass-bowls”.

    “Provide for an Income Tax Credit (BDS $5,000) maximum per year, in respect of the cost of tertiary education/training at an overseas internationally recognized Institution.”

    Extract from the DLP 2013 Manifesto page 7.

    We will not even at this stage mention the other promised tax incentives that have now been jettisoned like their commitment to truth and integrity.

    Like

  • The budget showed no real thought or analysis of the financial state of the country and how these conditions could be solved or balanced.
    What I got from it was tax and spend politics at work again.
    Tax everything except excretion and thinking so that the populus has less, and the greedy mis-managers have more!
    Shameful at best!

    Like

  • St George's Dragon

    Excretion was taxed. The solid waste tax was effectively superseded by the increase in land tax.

    Like

  • are-we-there-yet

    Mia expanded on several of the BU themes related to corruption, greediness and incompetence by a number of ministers. She went to town on the Cahill matter. She is suggesting that Cabinet and the PM were not kept in the loop re. several matters that smelt of serious malfeance.

    It will be interesting to hear how the Government ministers respond to or ignore her revelations.

    Like

  • @Artaxerxes June 16, 2015 at 7:47 AM “I am in favour of the government’s attempt in making ALL business owners pay taxes. This should be extended to vendors, freighters, and all those individuals that offer goods and services in this island, but do not pay income tax or NIS. Yet, they believe it’s their right for them and their children to benefit from free transport, health care, education and all the amenities afforded to those of us who pay taxes.”

    But, but, but…I don’t understand you. You mean to tell me that there are some working Bajans who pay NO income tax and NO National Insurance?

    But isn’t it unlawful not to pay?

    How long has this been going on?

    And how do they get away with it?

    Like

  • @Bush Tea June 16, 2015 at 6:14 AM “How to identify a brass bowl…..Tell him his tax refunds are being placed in envelopes.”

    Only tax refunds for <$1,000 [less than one thousand Barbados dollars] are being placed in envelopes.

    The res’ ‘o wunna who expecting big, big refunds gotta suck salt some more.

    See you next year this time.

    Like

  • Who are the four ministers David?

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  • @Bush Tea

    Check the recent blog:

    Sinckler, Kellman, Lowe and Estwick at the back end to supply the elephant grass for Cahill. A recording will be posted soon.

    Like

  • millertheanunnaki

    @ David June 16, 2015 at 8:39 PM
    “and Estwick at the back end to supply the elephant grass for Cahill. ”

    Wasn’t this the same grass promised to the Restructured Sugar Cane Burning Factory at Andrews? How could Estwick in his right mind commit the same bale of grass to two different energy generating plants? With all of this electricity to be supplied to the grid what would become of the BL&P plant at Spring Garden?
    While the grass is growing the plants will be burning what David? Coconut shells?

    What happens when there is an extended drought as the island is experiencing now? What happens when there is heavy rainfall? Burn wet grass?

    Bunch of mis-educated nitwits but good at scamming. The PM is coming over as one naïve fool who has no control over his Cabinet. His government is now totally tarnished locally, regionally and internationally. LIAT is the next torpedo ready to sink him and his sorry government.

    Liked by 1 person

  • @Miller

    Wasn’t River Tamarind promised?

    Like

  • Simple Simon June 16, 2015 at 8:13 PM #

    “But, but, but…I don’t understand you. You mean to tell me that there are some working Bajans who pay NO income tax and NO National Insurance? But isn’t it unlawful not to pay? How long has this been going on? And how do they get away with it?”

    Simple Simon, I hope you’re joking, right….. or are you just trying to play me with your “Simple Simon” act?

    The law requires self employed persons to register with Inland Revenue (BRA) and the NIS. From my experience, many self employed people shy away from paying the required taxes and NI contributions from their earnings. Additionally, many of them don’t want to pay an accountant to provide the service of preparing financial statements.

    The government, using the legitimate taxpayer’s contribution, built market facilities for vendors to ply their trade, such as Golden Square, Palmetto Mall, Marhill Street, and they refurbished the Cheapside Market.
    The government also improved upon the facilities in Oistins and built the “Oistins Bay Garden”, where vendors offer a variety of food for sale

    There are not many (if any at all) of those vendors plying their trade in these markets, who have registered with the BRA, filed an income tax return or pay income tax. Additionally, many of them are in arrears with market space rent.

    Then you have the other self employed individuals such as shop and store keepers, artisans, mechanics, freighters, wayside coconut, newspaper, food and bread vendors, whose only tax remit is road tax for their vehicles.

    Yet these people enjoy the same benefit of those individuals who legitimately pay their taxes and contribute to the NIS fund.

    And you can guarantee these people are among the group that “bombards” the Ministry of Education after the common entrance exams, angrily seeking transfers for their wards, if they are not satisfied with the school that child “passed for.”

    Liked by 1 person

  • I just love to hear the unwashed and ignorant singing the praise of the virtues of paying tax. Do you realize that if you believe in paying any tax, you are joining the ranks of the brain washed? How many wealthy people or mega corporations line up to pay taxes? Apple, one of the wealthiest companies in the world has registered off-shore businesses in order to pay as little tax as possible – that’s how you increase your net worth. Why do you think very wealthy people open Swiss bank accounts and establish off-shore businesses? In order to pay little or no tax, that’s why! But we the unwashed and ignorant have been conditioned to feel that we are performing a civic duty and are patriotic by paying up to two-thirds of our hard earned money to government so that they can borrow, borrow, borrow and splurge, splurge, splurge without consulting us and then we the idiots have to repay what they borrowed.

    Do you realize that our children and their children and their childrens’ children will be called upon to pay higher and higher taxes in order to repay the stupid misdeeds of this lot for their borrowings, uniformed contracts, tax free holidays for companies that are fleecing us, vat exemptions for foreign companies, concessions that will last for over thirty years and we are being conditioned to believe that it is patriotic to pay every last cent we earn in tax. I tip my hat in admiration to those who have been able to avoid contributing to this national programme of robbery. Just have a look at the concessions granted to Sandals, Preconco, Jada, Cahill and a couple others and tell me if you should be paying taxes for YOUR land, YOUR cell phone calls, and YOUR basket of good? If you still believe so, go have your head examined.

    Like

  • The minister of finance is the new niboR dooH (that’s Robin Hood in reverse). Yes, he has decided to rob the poor and give to the rich.

    Like

  • FearPlay June 17, 2015 at 11:32 AM #

    “I just love to hear the unwashed and ignorant singing the praise of the virtues of paying tax. Do you realize that if you believe in paying any tax, you are joining the ranks of the brain washed? How many wealthy people or mega corporations line up to pay taxes? Apple, one of the wealthiest companies in the world has registered off-shore businesses in order to pay as little tax as possible – that’s how you increase your net worth.”

    But what of Apple’s employees? I am sure that, although Apple “registered (as an) off-shore business in order to pay as little tax as possible,” they would adhere to their (legal) statutory requirements of DEDUCTING taxes from their employees’ salaries.

    So, essentially, you are trying to tell BU, that it is all good for companies NOT to pay taxes or try to find alternative methods of paying less taxes than they are required to, but they should DEDUCT taxes from the remunerations of their employees?

    Then, I shall remain “unwashed and ignorant.”

    Like

  • Please do Art, please do. Maybe you will have to remain that way once the government provides the water, the wells and all associated equipment at our expense and the polluted water table, environment and air becomes hazardous.

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  • Thanks for the compliment Pacha but I am only repeating what was I was told over and over again by a close colleague (May he rest in peace) of Mr Arthur and over the years in surveying the political landscape one would realize that Dees usually return to the cult. As the loquacious Reverend Errington Massiah reminded the congregation including former Prime Minister Mr Erskine Sandiford and Mr Freundel Stuart in his homily at Henderson Jordan’s funeral two Saturdays ago and I quote
    ” When I am in this pulpit I am neither B or D because I am up here to preach the word of God but Mr Jordan was a good man who worked hard in the interests of the Democratic Labour Party even though at one time he strayed and briefly went over to the other side but he saw the light and came back home ”
    Most of them dog back. Ask Sir Frank Alleyne.

    Like

  • Balance

    We enjoyed your response, sorry about the late reading. We are sure there are similar stories on the other side as well.

    Thompson was right! Everybody in Barbados is related to everybody else, and blood is often thicker that party affiliation.

    Still there is a cadre of persons who can fund both parties, benefit regardless to whom is in power, get jobs from both parties, and so on.

    Nobody sees Bizzy or COW as either B or D even when they refused to attend Arthur’s first birthday party after the DLP won the time before. All of this ‘political miscegenation’ is permitable for some people but not others.

    If you are poor, perceived to be poor, Black or a yardies, loyalty to party must outlive you.

    Whole families are exempted from having to fly a political flag.

    As you see it, Arthur in not in these classes of untouchables.

    In the final analysis there are no hard distinctions between the Bees and the Dees. They are social constructions guaranteed to maintain the wealth divide in Barbados. We have called for the uprooting of them, both.

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  • @FearPlay June 17, 2015 at 11:32 AM “Apple, one of the wealthiest companies in the world has registered off-shore businesses in order to pay as little tax as possible.”

    I don’t have a lot of respect for the late Steve Jobs ‘causin he didn’t usta pay he cock tax neider (for the first child which he had before he married). I don’t have any respect for parents who enjoy the sex and then refuse to support the products of their sexual pleasure, and leave the children to live on welfare or for their mothers to struggle to do the work of two people. So no respect for Jobs at all.

    However if I had been like Stevie and not supported my children, and if I had had the benefit of your good advice and refused to pay my taxes all like now I would be a multi millionaire instead of looking out de window wondering when or if the postman is going to bring my National Insurance cheque.

    So in retrospect what would have been the best thing to do?

    And in this case is the best thing the same as the right thing?

    Still

    A Simple Simon.

    Like

  • @SS – While you’re asking yourself if the best thing is the right thing ask yourself if four ministers signing away your and my children’s future is right or best. Ask yourself if the Preconco deal was best or right. The purchase of axels for Transport Board buses is right or best. The cost price of NHS houses to NHS is best or right. The VAT and tax waiver to Sandals is best or right. …..and then let’s talk.

    Like

  • It seems to me that none of the above are right or best.

    I’ll be dead, dead, dead in much less than 30 years.

    But I do worry about my children and my children’s children.

    Like

  • Where are the 2 most visible BLP scoundrels on this BU site, Arthritis and Prodigirl?

    Anyhow can they bring a copy of Mia Mottley’s Legal Education Certificate (LEC) ?

    Like

  • STEUPSSS
    Legal education certificate Bushie’s ass…!!
    You can always trust a thief and bribe taker to come with such shiite distractions….

    shiite man… if she is practising illegally then take the damn steps prescribed and answer the damn questions about Maloney and Cahill…

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  • Must admit Pacha that your response does capture the nature of the shameless skulduggery across the political divide in the country but also inform that my remarks were directed at both parties even though the incidences of ‘breaking away and returning to the fold’ have been more prevalent within the DLP household, but back to Mr Arthur for a second; it is no secret that outside of official duties Mr Arthur’s most popular watering hole and gambling den was JOHN MOORE’S BAR in Weston, St James which was patronised by rampant supporters of the DLP. Perhaps just a coincidence.

    Like

  • It is mind boggling to think that MIa would throw herself under the bus for political pimps and whores. how in the hell did she think she would get away with the insidious scandalous junk of so called information that she leveled against the govt (all in the name of political power and doing the bidding for hit men/woman) who are mad as hell that they can no longer grab hold of the treasury for ransom and splurged and do whatever fits their needs.Mia ought to be ashamed for allowing these con artist to feed her dog sh,it and( now) having to watch her character disposed and exposed in a most humiliating manner across the lengthy and breath of barbados, For sure her grandfather Ernest Deighton Mottley must be rolling ova in his grave to see the lowering of her integrity brought about by those who has an unconscionable character and a greed for power and living by the motto “self interest ” first ,,,More and more Mia has shown barbadians that her politics is driven by hoodwinks and tainted formulas to appease the madly driven political opportunist who can not live with the ‘Thought” they have not won the election. Mia what an Idiot, no wonder OSA has permanently dismiss himself and wash his hands clear of the BLP party,

    Like

  • Fractured BLP June 17, 2015 at 11:15 PM #

    “Where are the 2 most visible BLP scoundrels on this BU site, Arthritis and Prodigirl? Anyhow can they bring a copy of Mia Mottley’s Legal Education Certificate (LEC)?”

    You can always trust a jackass to bring a knife to a gun fight. DLP pimp, the higher you climb, the more you reveal you are just the typical UNEDUCATED yard-fowl.

    Obviously, you are not in my class because it is clear you are not an academic. Because if you were, you would have known the primary school “show and tell” exhibited by Denis Lowe was just a FRACE.

    Anyone could obtain a “certificate”, “degree” or “doctorate” from certain unscrupulous establishments that produce them, without the individual having to attend a university. And to unsuspecting individual, they appear to be AUTHENTIC.
    You can check the relevant websites, or better yet, the Barbados Accreditation Council to verify this.

    It seems the only two people that don’t know this, are you and the man on the “Cream of Wheat” box.

    What would have impressed those of us who have legitimately pursued academic qualifications, was if the following documents were also presented:

    ………. A TRANSCRIPT from the university the goodly gentleman allegedly attended

    ………. A certified copy of his DOCTORAL THESIS

    ………. Documentation from the Barbados Accreditation Council verifying recognition and equivalency.

    In the absence of any of the above substantiating documentation, NONE of us are in a position to accurately determine if the “doctorate” is AUTHENTIC.

    Like

  • Only a born jaca.ss with enough skeletons in their closet fourteen years worth and counting would be so daring and boldfaced to enter the theatre of scandal and indecency and throw themselves upon the sword. What a national disgrace of political immaturity and impotence Mia has displayed in the highest houe of the land .Mia voyeuristic nature and ongoing tirad in Parliament gives (one) reason enough to understand her inept and distasteful behaviour as she waddles her way through a river of slime in an effort of pretense and absurdity to distance herself from the many accusations she levels against the govt
    Her perfomance might have been a deliberate attack to cast doubt .however it has also opened a can of smelly worms against herself..what a jac. A.ss

    Like

  • How could a woman if Mia statuare and prominence can be so reckless and commit herself tthe mouthings and utterances of political scamps and proffer it in the pubkic domain as official dicumentation..simply maddening

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  • Still cannot understand the mentality of one who wants to be a PM and would instinctively expose their character to well known documented illegal and illict Facts…most of which happened under her supervision and guidance ..however which were laid to rest until Mia decided to launch unfounded and bile attacks laced with untruths an unsubstantive evedience against the govt..suffice it to say that even a fool understands that when one lives in a glass house stones should not be thrown..if Mia cannot guard her interest how in the hell is she going to guard and protect this nations security and interest from scounderls

    Like

  • NationBLPnewspaper

    BLP writer and spindoctor Albert Brandford was predictably criticizing the budget in the Sunday Sun edition of the Nation BLP Newspaper while trying to justify Mottley’s response which most analysts admit was more about trying to create political theatre than a policy response.
    What is amazing is that this man receives a salary from the Nation newspaper for doing BLP pr. The Nation newspaper has clearly lost its way.

    Like

  • Ignorance definitely knows no bounds.

    Reminds me of a man who has an allergic reaction to orange juice, but keeps on buying and drinking it so he could complain to everyone of his allergic reaction.

    Like

  • NationBLPnewspaper

    So sad when people are so politically blinded that they cannot call a spade a spade or they turn a blind eye to the obvious and undeniable bias of an entity which promoted itself as “all the paper for all the people” because they agree with the journalistic prostitution.

    Like

  • The thing with me is I don’t let such nonsense occupy my thoughts or bother me.

    You can also be accused of being “politically blind” if can’t SEE what you are accusing the Nation of doing, is being blatantly done by CBC and the Advocate. But you don’t see anyone referring to this on BU, because it’s trivial.

    For example, CBC repeated Sinckler’s budget wrap up speech; they have televised speeches made by Stuart in his capacity as leader of the DLP; they refer to the DLP Friday luncheon “lectures.” You don’t see anyone come to BU accusing CBC of “journalistic prostitution.”

    Yet you are the only one who finds it necessary to buy a Nation just to complain. If you feel so strongly against it, THEN DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY BUYING THE PAPER.

    So what is your opinion on CBC’s and the Advocate’s obvious affiliation with the DLP? Are you prepared to define this relationship in terms similar to how you accuse the Nation.

    If not, then I will have no choice to say to you “it’s so sad when people are so politically blinded that they cannot call a spade a spade or they turn a blind eye to the obvious and undeniable bias of an entity…..”

    Like

  • Using the cloak of parliamentary privilege allowed MAM to ruthlessly prosecute the CAHILL and Trans Tech matters. The whole country is talking about the issue and this is a good thing. The substantive debate should have taken place during the Estimates.

    Like

  • Port wasting money, charges Toppin

    Barbados Port Inc., operator of the Bridgetown Port, is under attack for selling and then hiring the same tugs for more than their sale price in the long run, and wasting millions on a questionable architectural design project.

    Opposition Shadow Minister of Tourism Ronald Toppin levelled the accusations during his contribution to the 2015/2016 Budget debate last night.

    Toppin spoke of “pretty rotten” dealings with the Port’s two tugs, and suggested electioneering as the reason for the design project, carried out just before the last general elections.

    Toppin said that earlier in this year when people were struggling to pay their bills, “the Minister of Tourism called upon all of us to pay increased fees and charges to do business at [the Bridgetown Port]”.

    But in labeling those new port charges unfair, he went on to allege what resembles a pennywise and pound foolish transaction carried out by the state-run company under authority of the Minister of Tourism.

    Opposition Shadow Minister of Tourism Ronald Toppin
    Opposition Shadow Minister of Tourism Ronald Toppin

    “The Barbados Port sold two tugs for BDS$8.6 million to an overseas operator. Then the same Port turned around and leased back the same tugs from the same people that they sold them to for the sum of US$3,600 per day . . . BDS$7,200 per day.”

    Toppin said the lease agreement was for 15 years.

    “A lot of people don’t even see $7,200 in a year but the Port . . . can lease back tugs for $7,200 per day. This was sanctioned by the Minister of Tourism.”

    He multiplied the daily rental by the number of days of one year and noted that for 15 years the lease equals $39.4 million.

    “It is a dry lease. It is not that the Port sold all the tugs and transferred all the headaches to the new owners,” he said, explaining that despite the lease, the Port remained saddled with “all the maintenance costs, the labour costs when the tugs go on dry dock.

    “So add all of these to the near $40 million and see what it comes to over 15 years.

    “That is over 40 million reasons why people have to pay for health care, can’t get money from the Welfare Department, and now why they have to pay more land tax.”

    According to Toppin, the Minister of Tourism said he had “gone into this arrangement because you won’t have to worry about buying a new tug down the road for $30 million”.

    But the Barbados Labour Member of Parliament for St Michael North said: “I don’t know how the Port could sell two tugs for $8 million and [is] now saying that down the road they would have to buy one for $30 million. But the Port is going to be spending well over $40 million . . . down the same road that the Minister spoke about.”

    Toppin charged that Government “made sure on the year before election, they got a . . . payment out of the port to an individual”.

    He said: “In 2012, a very significant year when election money had to be secured, the Port made sure that it made a payment of [US] $10 million as its portion, to a friend of the Democratic Labour Party –– at least at the time.

    “US$10 million as its share of the cost of having design work done in relation to a project that was supposed to consist of a whole lot of fancy, piers, hotels, new terminal, a whole island, all fancy stuff –– a project of which a study done had said its economic viability had not been established, but they spend $250 million.

    Describing that design project as “a total waste of time”, he said: “To this date the project has not got off the ground, and I doubt it ever will.

    “Twenty million more reasons we are going to have to pay university fees, increase VAT on food and a tax for using mobile cellphones.”

    http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2015/06/18/port-wasting-money-charges-toppin/

    Like

  • NationBLPnewspaper

    The “strange ” but obvious thing about the Nation newspaper is that you could take the columns written by Albert Brandford, Pat Hoyos, Frances Chandler,Tennyson Joseph, Clyde Mascoll and Harry Russell and switch the names and no one could tell because they all sing the same song week after week.

    Six writers being paid by a Newspaper and acting as the BLP public relations machine.

    Like

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