← Back

Your message to the BLOGMASTER was sent

The Barbados Estimates Debate for 2016 – 2017 is currently being debated in Parliament. Although many Barbadians are sucked into the theatrics of the annual budget presentation, the more meaningful debate about ordering the country’s finances is meant to be discussed in our system of government in the Estimates debate. It is now evident that the government through its agent the minister of finance has not been honest with the people regarding the finances of the country. Also disappointing in the last year has been to observe the the reputation of the Central Bank taking a huge hit. Further we have had our leading bankers who should know better supporting the charade of Pinokio politics.

Follow the debate on CBC 100.7 and Parliament TV.


Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

267 responses to “Barbados Estimates 2016 – 2017”

  1. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    I am truly amazed by Donville, wow

    Whu happen wid he?

    Where he get this perspective from?

    Man he is putting some licks in his own administration

    I am surprised by this denouement!!

    Whu Donville you got more balls that i thought!!


  2. WW&C i detect a lot of fluff and hot air please define :creative imagination” in economic terms using barbados as an example
    In other words how creative would you like the govt to( be) with barbados limited resources which is highly dependent on tourism revenue


  3. Hants March 15, 2016 at 5:01 PM #

    “What concessions will ATL Autobahn get ”

    http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-Butch–Stewart-backs—1-5-m-income-tax-break_53926

    Good link

    So now, when the ordinary taxpayer pays for a new Benz for a Minister, Butch gets his slice before Simpson gets his slice, and neither of them is operating at a physical deficit.


  4. some of the blp ministers spend too much time listening to brass tacks reason that they are void of any thing of relevancy and originality to add to the debate ;for eg gline clarke and cynthia Forde well cynthia i can.t helpi to zoom in on her mannerism as she tries to act professionally spewing yardfowl rhetoric


  5. “some of the blp ministers spend too much time listening to brass tacks reason that they are void of any thing of relevancy and originality to add to the debate…..”

    Similar sentiments could be expressed about DLP ministers as well, and I gine menshun uh few.

    Denis Kellman, Denis Lowe, Mara Thompson, Donville Inniss, James Paul, Irene, Esther, Patrick Todd, Adriel Brathwaite, Ronald Jones, Richard Sealy, Steve Blackett, Michael Lashley, Maxine McClean, Irene, Esther, Reggie Hunte, Patrick Todd and Jester Ince (my spell does tell me tuh replace “Jeptar” wid “Jester,” but I t’ink de latter is a befitting name fuh my “physical deficit” frien’ because he sporty) “are (also) void of anything of relevancy and originality to add to the debate.”

    It is evident Sinckler listens to “Brass Tacks” too, because he dedicated an entire constituency branch meeting held at Elerslie Secondary School to cuss the moderators, to the amusement of cheering yard-fowls. David Ellis played the recording the following day.
    Remind Chris dat de people still waiting pun de information he did was promise tuh sen’ tuh VOB, when he did pun “Brass Tacks Sunday” ‘bout t’ree years ago.

    It seems as though the DLP hierarchy sought the services of a “gag order” to silence Kellman, probably because he “spent too much time listening to (and calling) “brass tacks” to talk shiite.

    Maxine McClean only calls “Brass Tacks” when Corey is moderator, thinking perhaps he is the youngest, therefore she could intimidate him.

    And since Donville loves to be in “the spot light,” he never refuses anopportunity to go on “Brass Tacks” to “thump his chest” as he “tries to act professionally spewing yardfowl rhetoric,” while describing people who may have a different perspective as BLP operatives and shouting his favourite lines: “bring solutions” and “it can’t be business as usual.”

    Look, shiite people does exist in BOTH de BLP and de DLP.


  6. Why ?

    “BARBADOS’ VISION OF becoming the international financial wealth management centre of choice in the western hemisphere is now one step closer to reality.”

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/78999/barbados-domicile-choice#sthash.9wB4243j.dpuf


  7. A whole lot of frigging wasters.
    Who would ever believe that the present Minister of Health is a qualified Mechanical Engineer ?
    Who would ever believe that the Barbados Government, via the Ministry of Health , operates a junk yard in the middle of The Bridgetown World Heritage Site?
    Who would believe that 3-Wheel vehicles, including ambulances, donated to the Barbados Government have been thrown into the junkyard without being utilised? Easy Come, Easy Go!
    http://i.imgur.com/ifyOTSS.jpg?1

  8. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    AC…if I have to define creative imagination to you, you do not need to know…what I can tell you is that 3 of my grandsons have creative imaginations, they are 10, 9, and 4 years old.

    Grown ass old men and women in parliament only know how to borrow money to keep the country and people in permanent debt, take bribes, protect their corrupt business partners and esteemed criminal friends, corrupt the whole island without conscience or care, etc, etc.

    What I can tell you is that the above is not the actions of intelligent people with creative, productive and progressive imaginations…if you cannot figure that out…how sad.


  9. Arthur interesting but yet controversial statements were a necessary component to the debate although strung with differing proposal gave solutions with directions…. a different and more platable presentation than the usual prepared speeches of attacks and political rhetoric by the sitting opposition ,
    cant help but agree with his take on the 500 million restructuring of sugar but disagree on Sam Lords and the marina which needs to be fast tracked as they are good investments to the tourism industry
    He was also one point with barbados necessity to construct a growth path on export and to my mind especially envisioned and driven by organic farming


  10. ac
    I know you would support the need for Sam Lord’s and the Pierced Marina, without Tourism you would have to go back to obscurity and the printing business.
    Do you manage to finally get Chang out the way and secure for yourself the ‘commission’ from the Chinese??

  11. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Due Diligence. …what did I tell you…just came across this article. Both sets opoliticians keep doingvthe same crap over and over to the taxpayers…DBLP scam artists and thieves.

    Missing money
    Added by Barbados Today on March 15, 2016.
    Saved under Politics

    inShare
    Opposition Leader Mia Mottley wants answers about a $55 million loan, which she says was borrowed by tourism officials from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) two years ago to purchase the Almond Beach Resort at Heywoods, St Peter.

    Repayment of the loan was due on January 31, 2016 under the original agreement.

    However, Mottley said, this has not happened since the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII) requested an 18-month extension days before the repayment was due to the NIS.

    Addressing a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) meeting at its Grantley Adams House, Roebuck Street, headquarters last night, Mottley pointed out that a condition of the loan was that the money had to be repaid immediately if Almond Beach was re-sold.

    However, she said even though the Jamaica-based Sandals Resorts had purchased the property some six months after the loan was secured by BTII, the money was yet to be returned to the NIS.

    Reading from a letter the BTII purportedly sent to the NIS on January 27, Mottley said after ignoring the initial agreement to return the money upon re-sale of the property, BTII had requested the 18-month delay.

    The Opposition Leader charged that the BTII had also violated a loan stipulation that the NIS Board must consent to the sale of the property.

    “But they sell it. They get the money. They went to Cabinet in May, and they decide that they ain’t paying NIS in January,” she alleged.

    The Opposition Leader also criticized the BTII for giving late notice to the NIS of its request for a delayed repayment, in view of the Cabinet decision in May.

    “They write the NIS eight months later, four days before the loan due, and say they ain’t paying,” she told the meeting.

    Mottley further questioned the reason for the delay in repaying the loan, since BTII reportedly sold Almond Beach at a profit.

    “What they do with the $55 million?” she asked, calling on Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler to explain if there was an urgent and compelling reason to withhold the money from NIS, which faces its own challenges in meeting the needs of workers. “Was the $55 million so urgently needed?” she asked.

    The Opposition Leader also accused Sinckler of complicating matters for the NIS by sending a ‘Letter of Comfort’ to its board assuring that central government would repay the money in February or March 2016, despite BTII’s request for the 18-month extension.

    “But this letter of comfort is only valid for February and March to March 31st,” she said, pointing out that there is just a two-week window for Sinckler to honour his repayment commitment.

    She also highlighted the terms and conditions of the loan agreement between NIS and BTII, while highlighting what she said were mistakes made by the statutory corporation in the way it lent the money; alleged unlawful acts by Cabinet; as well as what she described as the refusal of the minister with responsibility for NIS to defend the interests of the entity.

    Mottley explained that there was no formal mortgage agreement at the time of the BTII loan.

    She also charged based on her information, Cabinet was not a party to the initial loan agreement and therefore acted outside of the law in authorizing BTII to withhold repayment.

    However, speaking in parliament today both Sinckler and Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy sought to downplay Mottley’s charges.


  12. The much bigger point Arthur made is that the government must be very careful not to commit to projects where there is every possibility it will have to assume the debt given the gross debt to GDP of 160.


  13. Cherry Picking The Barbados Flag

    Several days ago the Nation Newspaper published a letter from an individual. Unfortunately, we did not take note of his name, so, we will call him Mr. Letter Writer (but if any of you remember the letter and the date in which it appeared, please email us).

    It seems that Mr. L. Writer was most displeased with Anderson Cherry’s display of the Barbadian flag on his skips. The reason for his displeasure being that a skip is no place to display our flag. Fair enough.

    Cherry himself is no stranger to controversy (see here, here and here) and some may wonder: Is the flag on the skip a commercially oriented publicity stunt? Is he being patriotic in his own special way? Or, both?

    Continue reading at …

    Previously on http://www.sucksalt.com: Senator Wilfred Abrahams Leads From The Front. Suck Salt is a quasi-satirical blog. Questions or comments should be sent to: editor@sucksalt.com


  14. Mia needs to be schooled and taught the definition of parliamentary debate most importantly on the level of discussion which would include all of the populace attention and on which there is a “take away” on how the countries challenges should be confronted formulated on solvable policies
    Her reactionary mode of confrontation is unnecessary on serious issues during these high level debates and should be left outside parliament and feed to her loyal supporters during election campaigning

    Good mawning Sammsung do u know me ?


  15. Here we go again.

  16. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    So AC….the disappearance of 55 million dollars of taxpayer’s national insurance pension money is not important enough for high level debates and discussion….was it your money or that of the politicians for whom you yardfowl.

    I told you you have a very limited brain capacity for seeing what affects the taxpayers…geez


  17. My apologies, David, I’m guilty of the offence “here we go again” as well. And although I should probably let some of the consortium of yard-fowls’ comments go over my head rather than respond, sometimes the temptation is too overwhelming for me to remain silent.

    The level of debate as exhibited by many politicians from BOTH BLP and DLP, to quote a phrase from Owen Arthur, is “POORAKEY.” Let me give a few examples.

    Rather than discuss why he did not follow the protocol of “First In, Last Out” during the retrenchment exercise at the NCC, reveal information about CAHILL, discuss the reason for the delays in garbage collection and his plans for an efficient service and generally discus “his way forward” on environmental issues, Denis Lowe made a spectacle of the House, by using the time allocated to him to talk shiite about how he grew up poor and ran ‘bout bare foot, and subsequently displaying a piece of paper, he purported to be his PhD.

    What about Chris “Mr. Bombastic” Sinckler? After asking us not to be critical of his administration’s policies, but rather bring solutions, how does he REACT to anyone (ESPECIALLY WOMEN) who dares to present an alternative perspective? Ask Mia Mottley, June Fowler and Marla Dukharan. Perhaps in the heat of the moment Sinckler forgets he has a mother, wife and daughters.

    Do any of you EVER REMEMBER what Stuart, Mara Thompson, James Paul, Patrick Todd, Reggie Hunte, Jester Ince, Irene, Esther, Maxine or David Durant SAID DURING DEBATES in the Lower and Upper Chambers of Parliament?

    After listening to their contributions, do any of you get the feeling they were “schooled and taught the definition of parliamentary debate most importantly on the level of discussion which would include all of the populace attention and on which there is a “take away” on how the country’s challenges should be confronted formulated on solvable policies?”

    The pot calling the kettle black.


  18. The fact is that barbados have to create debt in order to stimulate growth which leads to jobs and funnels revenue.Although it might be a necessary evil if well planned and implemented at attacking social and economic challenges can bear fruit.Less OSA forgets his administration created the debt that is tied around the taxpayers neck which he now suggests that a sale of barbados assets would be a quick remedy.
    However his idea of export is worthwhile pursuing


  19. @AC

    It would appear he not only knows you but know you quite well. Who is Cheng and what is the talk about a commission? Is he talk about your appointment to a commission or is a reference to another type of commission?


  20. Samsung. / Swing low whoever you are keep dreaming


  21. Was Bernard Codrington who intervened in the debate a a while back to suggest that Barbados need a vision leading to a road map based on how we want to grow as a nation. It is a complex matter which cannot be addressed by narrow partisan dribble.


  22. @ac (Pete the Sailor-man)

    Stop padding up and ducking yah need to face the bowling.


  23. Bernard Codrington needs to be more specific..
    Question a vision made up of what and leading to where
    Most people in barbados is of a mindset that govt role is to create and find them jobs .there is where most of barbados problems lies with an inactive educational system who as yet to show enough proof that most graduates armed with degrees can propell barbados on path defined by manufacturing


  24. “OSA forgets his administration created the debt that is tied around the taxpayers’ neck which he now suggests that a sale of Barbados assets would be a quick remedy.”

    I plead guilty, but I must respond when I see shiite.

    Yard-fowls spew rhetorical party political diatribe in defense of their particular political party, even though they demonstrate their ignorance by engaging in such an activity.

    The consortium can only convince the “political naïve” THAT THE VERY FIRST TIME BARBADOS INCURRED DEBT WAS FROM 1994, WHEN OWEN ARTHUR BECAME PRIME MINISTER OF BARBADOS.


  25. After reading all the comments, I predict that the next emergency loan from credit Suisse for 15 % interest per year is just around the corner to finance iPads, Mercedes and other hot stuff for the local establishment. The establishment wants the luxury of the first world.

    In economic and political terms, Bim already lost any kind of independence to Credit Suisse. The budget is not drafted in Bridgetown anymore, but in Zurich/Switzerland to ensure that instalments and interest are paid properly. No wonder that certain Barbadian politicians frequently travel to Zurich. Did the masses know that???


  26. ac is regurgitating what she reads on the FB pages of DLPites.


  27. Tron

    I think you are being optimistic that there will be a “next emergency loan from credit Suisse for 15 %”

    CS is in the business of making loans, collecting the interest, and having the principal repaid.

    Do you really believe that CS will continue to make loans to a country that has a Debt/GDP of 130% (or 160%) and where debt service represent 60% of its revenue.

    The budget going forward will be drafted in Beijing.


  28. DD
    who was paid a fee on the CS loan as the ARRANGER last time around????


  29. @Due Diligence

    Optimistic? Unfortunately, you might be right.

    CS might be bad, but China would screw up little Bimshire. Even an American military intervention could happen. The question is however, if China is willing to bail out Bim and for what price.

    The alternative would be devaluation. We all know the outcome: The foreigners who obtained loans in local currency will make a fortune, the locals suffer like hell. A takeover which will kill the leftover of independence.

    God bless Barbados.


  30. i notice that in BARBADOS TODAY that Mrs Thompson lamented that public transportation to the polyclinic in St John even for St John residents was difficult. She claims patients travel from Kendal to town, and then from thence to Gall Hill

    I have said from the very beginning, when I wrote the plan for the NHS via a system of polyclinics in 1985, that there should be no clinic at Gal Hill St John, because of the transportation system.
    Why are they now discovering that?
    I said that here on BU in Jan 2008

    You place services where transportation flows naturally
    You dont place services and then seek to change the natural flow of transportation that has existed for time immemorial


  31. Note Mara Thompson spoke for a lot less than the time allotted.

  32. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ David [BU]

    Mara spoke less because, like the famous statement that Jeff Cumberbatch uses in his blog, “even if you put lipstick on a pig, it will still be a pig!!”

    How many times will one have to say this to us ingrunt Bajans??

    Do not vote for bvhkhvnts because THEY WILL NOT WAKE UP IN PARLIAMENT ALBERT EINSTEINS!!

    You know them to be “female rabbits” today, barring the miracle of changing water into wine, they ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE TOMORROW!!

    DO NOT GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO EF US UP!!

  33. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    So how is it these politicians believe they are the only ones on the island have the right to express their freedom of speech, they better get over their swollen headed selves. They try to stop and retaliate against those who speak the truth, threaten them with slander, defamation and other bulshit lawsuits, but believe they are the only ones should have that freedom, or the right to information….how self-serving:

    Payne: Watch your mouth Mr Sinckler!
    Added by George Alleyne on March 16, 2016.
    Saved under Local News, Politics

    inShare
    1
    Parliament was thrown into recess for 15 minutes tonight after Member of Parliament for St Andrew George Payne accused Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler of making a serious threat.

    At issue were remarks Sinckler made yesterday in reference to an RBC economist during his presentation of the Appropriations Bill 2016 in the House of Assembly.

    This prompted House Speaker Michael Carrington to call a 15-minute recess to check the records of yesterday’s proceedings.

    Following the break, Carrington returned to the chair and ruled that whether the utterances of the Minister of Finance amounted to a threat was a matter of opinion, while stating that Sinckler was at the time exercising his right to freedom of speech.


  34. @wellWell et al,
    What is the present National debt of the U.S. govt? How did it get there? Why is it that the Federal Government has to raise the debt CEILING AT EVERY SITTING OF CONGRESS?Do you think that government or any government can exist without borrowing? When you buy anything from outside where do you think the money comes from to pay for it? Do think this govt can exist without borrowing?
    I do not understand why this seems so understandable to me and seems so difficult for others.
    by the way, how can a member of parliament be a yardfowl?

  35. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    GP…I have seen you post that very comment on here, but politicians and yardfowls, both unable to think creatively or progressively, do not look for the solutions posted to social media, they look for the gossip or the truth and can only think of manufacturing ways to retaliate when they dont see themselves being worshipped by intelligent people.

    They are now unable to undo the idiocy they created in St. John and are incapable of creating any useful solutions…they should be laughed at….unfortunately it’s the poor and sick people of the parish who will suffer from the incompetence of the politicians they unwittingly voted for…what a shame.

  36. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Alvin….I have only one question for you….when did Barbados go to war with 2 middle eastern countries to get themselves a deficit which they cannot reduce?

  37. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/britain-announces-sugar-tax-soft-drink-manufacturers-article-1.2566370

    Ha-ha…ya’ll dont like change, but you will be forced to use your brains and create another industry for good of country.


  38. I must give jack his jacket in this case Ms Agard for her excellent presentation on Ag. and on BWA…..kudos to you ma’am


  39. David i hate to respond to your ridiculous taunts .but you too are ridiculously grabing at straws


  40. @Alvin Cummins

    USA, UK, Europe, Japan etc borrow in their own currency. They will never be bankrupt, since their central banks can print new money to pay the debts. That is the reason for the optimistic ratings.

    In the case of little Bim, the MoF mainly borrows in foreign currency and under foreign jurisdictions. We bear all the risk for external factors and cannot kill the debts just by printing more BBD. Maybe that is different with NIS.


  41. Is this the same George Payne who is in a legal battle with Hinckson with all kind of accusations associated with slander and assasination of character tird to the appointment of Mia new leadership


  42. Yeah, um is dah George Payne, de same wun dat wash Irene in licks, not once, but twice.

    You know ef she gine run in 2018?

  43. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2016/03/16/forde-too-many-paedophiles-walking-scot-free/

    More work for the taxpayer funded government ministers, legislate and criminalize men and women raping children, it’s another very ugly practice sgainst innocent victims, do some work..

    Is that why the authorites now have this vendetta against ND…I wonder, these accustions are now coming from a member of parliament though.


  44. @ Georgie Porgie,

    You are a Bajan. They won’t listen to you. You would need an overseas consultant as a front man.


  45. @ Well Well & Consequences,

    I hope the MP has reported what she saw to the Police.

  46. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    So the gov’t borrows $55M from the NIS to purchase Almond Heywoods. All good. I assume the said property was the security against said loan. All good. They then sell that property to one Butch Stewart. At the time that sale was effected the loan from the NIS should have been repaid? Especially since the sale amount reported and the loan value were different amounts.
    The Government should then have created a new loan from the NIS to SamLords, with that asset being security for this new loan. Yet, if we read what Sealy was quoted as saying, they actually transferred the loan monies to Sam Lords, AND extended its repayment from Jan 2016 by 18 months. What is the security for the loan? Or did they actually transfer this money to another account, because why would Sam Lords need a loan?
    This is particularly troubling since the NIS seems to have a newer website which omits any area [which I can find] to Annual Reports which had been several years out of date on the former site. Instead they have a generalized page on “Investments”.

  47. Georgie Porgie Avatar

    Hants March 16, 2016 at 1:59 PM #
    @ Georgie Porgie,

    You are a Bajan. They won’t listen to you. You would need an overseas consultant as a front man.

    YOU RIGHT THERE HANTS
    I HOPE YOU SAW THAT 100 BY GAYLE TODAY. LOL

  48. Georgie Porgie Avatar

    HANTS
    The late Professor Standard, who was in the first class of UWI medical school , and one of our pioneers in Public Health set up a Health Center at Sic cross roads and two satellite clinics to this Health center at the Glebe St George and at Gall Hill St John.

    In 1985 when I wrote my proposal, as well as on the presentation on BU in early 2003 we showed that whereas that these locations were probably great in the mid 50’s that in 85 and beyond, these clinics could best be replaced by one clinic below the junction of highways 4 and X, for the purpose of serving the majority of the folk of both St George and St John.

    And you are indeed correct in that consultants were brought in AT GREAT COST in the seventies to advise Guvment on setting up the NHS.

    Apparently after coming and gathering all the info from who so ever will , they could not provide a workable solution.

  49. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    Even in telling the story of Jesus the Christ Fumbles is telling lies.

    “2,000 years ago….blahhh blah blah”

    Jesus would have been 16 yet, according to Fumbles’ version Judas went out and betrayed Jesus 3 days later.

    It would appear like if the affliction of not being able to count is endemic among the DLP.

    And then talking about “I rebuke thee, and a plague on your houses” as if the first among equals tink he is the Son of GOD!!

    Now we are going down memory lane about external events

    I gots to go and feed the dog and carry him water and i gots to remember that I cant use de hose


  50. Yeah i thought that was the same George Payne who was commissioner and overseer of the decapitation of Mia fall from grace as the appointed leader of the blp. Wuhloss talk about pot calling kettle black.wuh loss muh belly

The blogmaster invites you to join and add value to the discussion.

Trending

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading