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A Tax Plan

Submitted by Frank Forde In this our 50th year of independence, I am aware that blacks and other ethnic groups especially the whites made a contribution to the country. The question is, who made the greater contribution and if one follows the history of Barbados, one can clearly see that without labour and capital, Barbados…

Submitted by Frank Forde

barbados_revenue_authorityIn this our 50th year of independence, I am aware that blacks and other ethnic groups especially the whites made a contribution to the country. The question is, who made the greater contribution and if one follows the history of Barbados, one can clearly see that without labour and capital, Barbados would not be at the level of development as it is today.

Both blacks and ethnic groups contributed to the development of Barbados; the blacks contributed labour whilst the whites contributed labour and capital. In addition to the capital, the whites made a significant contribution to tax revenue.

Now if I were to follow the history of direct taxation in Barbados starting from the Income Tax Act,1921, the major portion of the taxation was provided by those persons who were in receipt of income above the tax threshold and these were known in the Inland Revenue Department as “CAPTIODs.” C stands for companies, A for persons engaged in agriculture, P for professionals, T for traders, I for investors, O for others who did not fall into the above categories and D for divided which were mainly partnerships. Tax rates were high as well as income and this revenue assisted the government of the day to provide free health care, education and other services.

In the eighties, when it was recognised that agriculture was declining and the tourist industry which was now the major industry could not provide the revenue that the agriculture sector provided, due to the concessions given to that industry, Barbados had to look for other sources of revenue and it turned to the offshore sector. At that time, Barbados went into it half heartily as there was resistance from various sectors and groups who felt that Barbados did not need foreign investment and that it could make it without such investment. Remember St. George’s University and “cadavers.” Now we are begging such universities and other businesses to locate here and today a large percentage of the population still believes that Barbados does not need such investment. Legislation enacted to encourage both foreign and local investment contained too many restrictions/ conditions that restricted some investments. This was done to protect the so called small man, who remained small despite all the incentives that were given to that sector. Numerous countries which were underdeveloped and encouraged foreign investments have surpassed Barbados in developing their export industries and as a result provided substantial employment for their citizens.

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72 responses to “A Tax Plan”

  1. I Brathwaite Avatar
    I Brathwaite

    Codgy, I ain’t read the speech at the top yet but as I just arrived and caught your comments I was most interested in de remark that ** The private sector is supposed to be driven by risk taking. They avoid risks by asking for government subsidies , waiver of taxes and within recent times the transfer of public lands.

    That sounds true but when we look across Barbados and de world we does see all sorts of big-ass private fellows tekking risks COMPLETELY on de backs of government and de people.

    Wha was CLICO. Dem big boys tek serious risks wid the insurance investment dollars because dem KNEW that the government would essentially be forced to cover the ‘jeopardy of failure’. They knew dem was insulated personally and dem had real propa people pon dem Board of Directors so serious risks was shift there too. As you say they were supposed to be truly risk takers and hedge dem failure against the private market facilities not rely on government.

    Wha is the recurring decimation of financial markets wid big times failures eva number of years? Dem fellows playing at being risk takers but got the gov’t pon de hook as a last resort.

    Yea Codgy, I think that en trute the last part of your speech is really the beginning and ending of life in business that, ‘They avoid risks by asking for government subsidies , waiver of taxes and within recent times the transfer of public lands’.

    That has been so for a long time…major agricultural subsidies in US and developed world; companies using every legal and even some illegal tax avoidance strategies and more.

    My lil two cents. I really don’t know enough in the econometrics and all that to say nuff more deeply or nutting so but I just wanted to say them few words.

  2. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Bernard Codrington,

    You have summed it up nicely. Not risk takers but leeches are these so-called business people. I will not thank them for sucking my blood.

  3. I Brathwaite Avatar
    I Brathwaite

    Bro Artaxmeister, wait you can’t flip a coin and see the other side too? My two cents if you would allow me pon your remark–
    ** A friend of mine told me her daughter, who is about 31 years old, refuses to cook because she does not want to be “old fashioned” like her mother and there are many fast food restaurants in Barbados, which gives her another reason not to cook. Similarly to her, many younger folk are of the opinion that it is faster and more convenient to buy food than to go through the burdensome task of preparing and cooking a meal.**

    Let me tek on a SIMPLE mind set. If dem don’t cook den the money they spend supporting not only the fast food employees wages but also dat brother dey in Tweedside Road and all de others bout de place.

    If they real smart and conscious den dey gine buy vegan only or drink nuff protein shakes and fruit/veggie smoothies and all dat stuff.

    Now of course it means dat they can’t cook to save dem backside in a pinch but so waht. For years now manufacturers did catering to people like dat and nowadays dem is Bajan places wid dat type of ready-made food too.

    I handstand completely your view and en trute in mek sense but see there is a real practical flip side too.

    Remember that many black bajans grow up wid a maid in dem house because de parents dem working rough hours and decide to balance de home life wid a helper to do some cleaning and cooking a few days a week.

    Look at the new dissing generation as ‘hiring a cooking helper’ a few days a week. In dem case 7 days cause if you can’t cook yuh can’t count either. hehehe.

    I know its an effed up analogy but at days end it’s really the same ting— money flowing into the economy to peoples who really need it.

  4. Frank Forde Avatar
    Frank Forde

    It appears that we must educate our people on the importance of foreign investment. All countries benefit from foreign investment. if one looks at the major industrial countries including united states and China, foreign investment plays a major part in their growth. Foreign manufacturing companies set up plants in these countries and these foreign companies are always welcome by the citizens of the countries. I was therefore surprised at the comments made on the article ” Canadian newspapers blast – Barbados offshore sector.”As i said in my report, it is only a minority of the people in Barbados who do not like foreign investment and I hope that is not the case.
    I heard over and over again that Barbados should follow the Singapore model of development. As far as I am concerned, the country never followed this model. Singapore has developed on the inflow of foreign investment and if one were to visit that country and see the development one would be amazed. A visitor like me saw so many container ships taking goods to other countries and at the airport planes were taking off every 5 minutes. I said to myself what is this.
    It was only recently that I was on Airbus site and looking at the Airbus A380 aircraft to see the cost of this aircraft and the cost was US $320 million. Singapore bought 15 planes. This does not include a large number of 747,767,777,A340, A333,A320 and many other planes which numbered around 100. These planes are used to carry goods to various countries and to bring tourists to the country.
    I also found out that the largest shipping company in the world is based in Singapore. Do you know that Barbados and Singapore were at the same stage of development in the fifties? How did Singapore get to this stage – FOREIGN INVESTMENT. As far as I am concerned, I do not want to hear any thing further comparing Barbados with Singapore.

  5. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    I Brathwaite June 22, 2016 at 9:57 AM #

    “I know its an effed up analogy but at days end it’s really the same ting— money flowing into the economy to peoples who really need it.”

    @ I Brathwaite

    Yes, I agree, “money flowing into the economy to peoples who really need it,” because judging from the long lines at Chefette and KFC (especially on weekends), Burger King, etc, I’m sure Bizzy and Haloute are the “peoples who really need the money.”

    While the smaller restaurants continue to go out of business, KFC and Chefette continue to expand. And this fact “is a real practical flip side too.”

  6. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Artaxerxes and I Brathwaite (both meisters)

    When you come to a party and got to stand up in a corner because the fellows who dancing will make you shame for some men they go home and say “that was a bad party” for me, even though I am one of the fellows who stand up on the women’s toes, I say “dem men can dance” and try to copy them.

    With all due deference to the matter of self enfranchisement that is one of the points put forward here de ole man would like to say this.

    I too have been one of the fellers who after “dancing” late into the wee hours of the morning at ***, went to Baxters Road to Pink Star (once called Pink Pussy which caused a big thing in Barbados back then) and consumed my bit of the cholesterol heart blocking chicken.

    But let the ole man clarify one point that may put a third perspective in the mix.

    The close board design that was in Pink Star in 1970 which might have allowed the cockroaches to hide 40 odd years ago STILL EXIST there today while Chefette and KFC, though still cooking the same cholesterol artery hardening foods, have premises that are conducive to an eatery.

    De ole man ent saying that we abandon the quaintness of our Bajan eateries but the same way that they modernized the countertop with the perspex glass container that keeps out the flies they need to upgrade the interior, a “refresh” which gives the visitor more confidence in their product as our nation moves at brek neck speed to obesity

  7. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Frank Forde

    But I going mek this mistake and speak about Singapore and barbados.

    But not in the way you are accustomed hearing about it.

    Last night I saw a Mr. Erskine Griffith a Former controversial? PS of Finance in a video.

    I use the word controversial because i have seen a few commentators here speak to his tenure some of who intimate that he was a part of the problem that our nation finds itself in today.

    Behold, A Mystery Frank Forde, for as Mr. Griffith spoke it was like if a veil was being peeled away from my eyes as it related to the disjuncture between government policy and government programming.

    The man said it so eloquently “every one tis talking about generating foreign exchange, but when you ask these pontificators about how it will be done, NOT MAN CAN TELL YOU HOW!!”

    Imagine that.

    Here is a man in his 70’s distilling the problem that defines the phenomena known as Singapore and the maelstrom known as Barbados AFTER HE HAS BEEN PART OF THE VERY SYSTEM THAT EFFED IT UP FOR ALL HIS TENURE.

    Just like you, talking here pretty, about “educating young people” about the importance of foreign investment’ you too are one of the “waste foop” brigade I respectfully submit.

    Wunna theorists are in essence why we are where we are, caught up in simpleton things.

    Who will bell the cat?

    Here is the thing Forde I feel that wunna feel that young people stupid. Conversely I feel that their spongelike brains can and will absorb things that your ad my calcified cannisters CANNOT!

    Imagine if, when a child at lawrence t gay school or any school. is 7 years old and i (as his teacher) says to him, or her, I want you to help me run this school.

    Imagine if i frame that lifelong national exercise around (a) the (costs of) chairs in my class room (b) the (maintenance of) desks (c) the maid (who cleans the floors) (d) the gardener (who cuts the lawn) the painter, the plumber, the mason, the teacher, the ministry….

    Imagine how building his/her world what this does for that child?

    Then imagine if i layered that with a second practice by asking them each to tell me what they would do to help with those costs?

    Elongating the concept of the School raffle ticket among young fertile minds, you feeling me?

    Imagine then that I take each of those children’s ideas and I plotted a chart of the ideas of what each child can do to “run the school” and take the best of the ideas and “implement” them?

    And in addition to the stupid reward for best attendance, i gave a reward of $100 savers account at FCIB or any one of them parasitic institutions, for the most diligent student?

    Suppose then I migrated the Practicuum of “Foreign Investment” that you and people of your ilk only like talking bout here pun BU cause you gets a good feeling in your loins for that concept, suppose I now carry it to secondary school and give awards for the best student, and or the best school, that implements its “run my school” programme with incentives like attachments to the Harvard School of Business during long vacations? Attachemtns that the Alumni of said schools who want to do something for CUNTRY would be more disposed to do, what do you think so far Mr. Frank Forde?

    You understand why Singapore is so far ahead of Barbados?

    Because kind sir, who loves to repeat the well trodden faeces of the masses, you and I are killing our indigenous solutions which as I have just laid out to you, Mr. Anti-Singapore Model, will cost us nothing but VISION.

    But again kind sir that is not tangible and does not require us to waste US$236 million on Edutech

    YOu and your people cant touch that and rape us of any resources can you so that idea to inculcate the correct ethos of “foreign investment” for a Small Island Developing State will be lost on people like us, enemies to the Nation of Bulbados

  8. I Brathwaite Avatar
    I Brathwaite

    Codgy, tell me bro is this statement below what you did mean when you talk bout private enterprise shouldering risk and leaving gov’t to handle the soft side do-good stuff.

    ** “I’ve made a fortune by using debt, and if things don’t work out I renegotiate the debt. I mean, that’s a smart thing, not a stupid thing.”

    “How do you renegotiate the debt?” he who wants to be the president was asked

    “You go back and you say, hey guess what, the economy crashed. I’m going to give you back half.” **

    OH shittte. Let this man be president yah. Propa moves.

    So when dem private boys come wid all dem Harvard and Oxford talk and bambozzle yah brain all dem basically saying deep deep down is– we are going to do great things for the economy but if things crash no problem, we will come back and renegotiate to get you outa dat. We got your back —- To juck in de knife.

    Sweet fah day.

    Maloney and Trump like dem does rice at the same house yah.

  9. I Brathwaite Avatar
    I Brathwaite

    Rockmeister, wha exactly you saying tho. If the Pink Pussy change to de Pink Star yah don’t think dat is an improvement pon de inside. And outside too.

    Now I ain’t went in deh recent cause de last time I was down in dat area I cool my heels dey pon de corner Westbury Rd. It was kool and ting and did look quite modern and propa.

    Somebody did tak bout sons tekking over businesses from fathers so it is all bout succession planning, bro. De Artmeister upset dat de lil small places dem closing down and de KFC and Chefette mekking more and more blenza.

    But leh me tell yah, I Brathwaite remember when dat Pink Pussy man uses to live dey below Codrington Road someplace bout off Spooners Hill. He uses to be quite low-key and thing but I know dat he musee uses to corn nuff money from he place there in Baxters Rd back den.

    I would hate to think that he didn’t see heself as as big maguffy bigshot and mek sure that he had propa succession plan to groom he big boy to tek over.

    Now if he did send he off to chef school or econ school den all like now that place might be a pieca fancy eatery wid a throw back Pink Pussy section (all warm and fuzzy, like) and it would quite the story. Yah think.

    So who is to blame bro. The old man who did well for he family all dem years but couldn’t convince the son to look far ahead, de boy heself or we who going someplace else to eat cause we went to Disney over in a way and we expectations high as shiitee dese days.

    Or maybe de fellas got a stall up at Oistins now too.

  10. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ I Brathwaite.

    First of all I got to apologize to you bout that poster wid Adriel Nitwit Brathwit.

    from the way that you talk here you cannot be no family to that dufus.

    You are truthfully something else.

    Briggs lived in Pioneer Road next to the old Lawrence T Gay.

    Let me see if de ole brain can speak to your points as prolix as you do.

    Succession planning among Blacks. Wow that is a thesis in itself but the young man is there in spite of all things, he battles on.

    Briggs was a humble man, always with a smile and a wicked, beautiful .357 magnum with an autoloader, he was not a man to toy with.

    In one sentence you crafted what the legacy factor with a Chefette is and what it is not among us niggras and that is another thesis about why we are what we are. Suffice it to say that it has to do with Vision, Hope and GOD. But I dun dere.

    There is a place in Baxters Road through the street obliquely opposite Pink Pussy/Star that sells the best salt bread in barbados.

    Judging from your ability to flick through the dialect and shift gears intellectually and socially I am guessing that you know where I mean.

    The thing that i would try to point out is that such absolutely exquisite salt bread “will live and die” in the unknown street BECAUSE WE NIGGERS HAVE NOT LEARNT how to pass on an inheritance in any sphere of our endeavours.

    You know why I “suck up to men like Jeff Cumberbatch” I Brathwaite?

    He is one of the few men who delighteth in having his students, his proxy progeny, become brighter than he the teacher is!!

    Do you understand what that means in terms of a man expending himself so that his chilrun will be better than he is?

    I done talking with you though cause you see you, you mekking me disturb the blog topic “A Tax Plan”

  11. Frank Forde Avatar
    Frank Forde

    Frank Forde
    I like Topcat. It appears that he likes cartoons and I also like cartoons. He says that he is a colleague of mine but I believe he means a former colleague. Topcat reminds me of the worm in the cartoon holding a sign which reads as follows – construction catastrophe – BOBCAT vanishes and the worm is saying; here kitty- kitty, here kitty- kitty. Topcat is trying to find something or the other but cannot find it.
    I thought that topcat as a professional as he makes out to be would help explain to the public his professional opinion on the numbers as set out in the table of 2007.
    As it appears that no one is interested in numbers in the table of 2007,I am going to make my own analysis of the table.
    The table shows the contributions made to direct tax by the various ranges of taxpayers and I am concerned about the top ranges. A lot of these taxpayers are employed in the offshore sector and if we continue to lose companies in that sector it will have a major impact on revenue. In all you have 25,815 contributing $305,175,893, 40,360 contributing zero, 16,500 contributing zero and getting reverse tax credit refunds, 15,000 exempted from paying tax because they are below the tax threshold. I must go further and state other persons that are not paying tax; the voluntary idle, the unemployed and non contributory pensioners who do not fall within the above category and children. Now the Government has to provide for these groups and the 39% of taxpayers cannot be expected to bear this burden. Remember that Government has lost a significant part of its offshore income.With expenditure increasing, revenue must be stabilised or increased. Barbadians cannot run away from this scenario and it is time that they are made aware of it before it is too late.
    Topcat believes that indirect taxes would solve our problem and he says that I don’t like indirect taxes. I must remind him that over the years when there were fiscal deficits, direct tax took a hit. With so much exemptions in VAT, revenue has decreased.

  12. Frank Forde Avatar
    Frank Forde

    Frank Forde
    I like Topcat. It appears that he likes cartoons and I also like cartoons. He says that he is a colleague of mine but I believe he means a former colleague. Topcat reminds me of the worm in the cartoon holding a sign which reads as follows – construction catastrophe – BOBCAT vanishes and the worm is saying; here kitty- kitty, here kitty- kitty. Topcat is trying to find something or the other but cannot find it.
    I thought that topcat as a professional as he makes out to be would help explain to the public his professional opinion on the numbers as set out in the table of 2007.
    As it appears that no one is interested in numbers in the table of 2007,I am going to make my own analysis of the table.
    The table shows the contributions made to direct tax by the various ranges of taxpayers and I am concerned about the top ranges. A lot of these taxpayers are employed in the offshore sector and if we continue to lose companies in that sector it will have a major impact on revenue. In all you have 25,815 contributing $305,175,893, 40,360 contributing zero, 16,500 contributing zero and getting reverse tax credit refunds, 15,000 exempted from paying tax because they are below the tax threshold. I must go further and state other persons that are not paying tax; the voluntary idle, the unemployed and non contributory pensioners who do not fall within the above category and children. Now the Government has to provide for these groups and the 39% of taxpayers cannot be expected to bear this burden. Remember that Government has lost a significant part of its offshore income.With expenditure increasing, revenue must be stabilised or increased. Barbadians cannot run away from this scenario and it is time that they are made aware of it before it is too late.
    Topcat believes that indirect taxes would solve our problem and he says that I don’t like indirect taxes. I must remind him that over the years when there were fiscal deficits, direct tax took a hit. With so much exemptions in VAT, revenue has decreased.

  13. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Frank Holder

    I have two problems

    I have eye problems, I cant see to well, that is what old age does.

    The second problem is that I am a man and you know we men we never read instructions cause we are Mr. Fixit and dun know what to do.

    I came here and read your Article “a Tax Plan”, did not see the critical item “READ FULL ARTICLE” in BOLD and IN RED, whent down to the rest of the blogs, saw other comments, saw your response regarding FDI and launched into my rant.

    Came back saw you say table, scanned the blog 3 times for a table and then saw READ FULL ARTICLE.

    Apologies.

    Again however I posit that CAPTOIDs and FDI are external initiatives which, as you went to pains to explain, make us residents dependent on and leave us victims? of these treaties and externalities.

    Even the very acronym CAPTOIDs when one examines them in detail contains very little, if any, industries that represent “real indigenous manufacture” (agriculture is not really manufacture is it)

    Barring for example the ophthalmological enterprise up by the airport and one or two similar enterprises we are dealing with consumer type, minimal addition end point products and retail services.

    I guess my simple point is that while the mechanics of taxes of which you speak and their external vagaries are noteworthy, my primal consideration is “the constitution” of what is being taxed and how, incredulously, it has changed very little from 1921

  14. Hopi Avatar
    Hopi

    @Frank Forde…..Why did you find it necessary to start your piece off by breaking down the contributions to Barbadian society by ethnicity if that wasn’t the gist of your post? Why the need for forgiveness and who should be forgiven?

    Is the 16,500 a part of the 40,360 or is this in addition to the 40,360?

    The unemployed, the non-contributary pensioners and children fall within which category?

    What has brought about the increase in expenditure and is this increase necessary?

    Sir kindly check your figures because ur decimal points are off somehow causing some confusion.

    Where are the stats for FY 2013/2014?

    Let me see if this gets pulled like the previous on landless/Emmerton lane.

  15. Topcat Avatar
    Topcat

    Frankie boy you are losing it in your old age, I didn’t say that we should forget foreign investment and return to farming . I am telling you that we never got much out of the so call off shore banking sector . I am glad you mention Intel, do you remember what happen when the tax holiday was over? Didn’t Intel pull l the stumps and leave us stranded? Frank we don’t want anyone giving us fish, what we need is for someone to teach us how to fish! We need to be able at least to feed ourselves and stop the foreign exchange drain via food imports. We also need to develop sustainable industries that would earn foreign exchange along with the tourist industry. Not foreigners coming to exploit our people for ten years and then leave as soon as the concessions expire.

    The main problem with government finances is shortage of cash due to the non performance of the revenue collecting departments. If you and the other persons entrusted with the job of collecting government revenue had function we would not be in the position we are in today. The main problem facing this country is management.

  16. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    If his article was dismissed it was because of the first paragraphs. I still refuse to read the rest of an article written by someone who starts off in that manner. How could a man who starts like that ever think straight?

    Judging from the first paragraphs I would guess it is the hangers on to immorally seized capital who need the forgiveness.

  17. Topcat Avatar
    Topcat

    Fankie can you please tell me the level of compliance for the periods those figures represent? While you are at it explain why so many foreign investors have pack up and left. Also please give hard head persons like me an analysis of the Cayman Islands.

  18. Topcat Avatar
    Topcat

    Hehehe Frankie boy VAT took a hit and not direct taxes that is based on earnings? Do persons pay taxes when they are unemployed? I understand why our tax system perform so poorly with someone with such limited tax knowledge managing it. You want me to analyse your distorted figures when we both know that they do not represent fully the level of earnings in this country because of the high percentage of non-compliance. You know that over 75 percent of the self employed professionals pay little or no income tax. As far as that nonsense you stated with regards to farming and education. You are even more backward than I thought. In this day and age you are saying that educated people are not needed in farming? So degrees in Agriculture are useless and your professional designation is more important? Pompous asshole I feel so sorry for people like you who are so blind that you can’t see that the same nations that you want us to go a begging to use agriculture as their backbone for economic growth. Look at the amount of money America puts into agriculture. If agriculture isn’t important why is America selling everything it grows. Check the amount of foreign exchange we utilized purchasing fruits from America.

    When it comes to Singapore it is obvious that you don’t have a clue about what you are talking about. Singapore’s main industry is manufacturing followed by fuels and lubricants. Agriculture products play a great part in Singapore’s economy. Because of its location it is know as one of the crossroads of world trade. The foreign investment you are referring to is what has this country in the mess it is in. We need to find our niche and develop it, I feel it is in the agricultural industry. Look at the cost of cashew nuts. we need to replace sugar and develop our alternative energy sector and get down to basics. We don’t need any more exploitation from foreign investors!

  19. Frank Forde Avatar
    Frank Forde

    i always believe in facts and not speculation. How do you know that 75% of the self employed professionals pay little or no income tax? How do you know the level of their earnings? One should be able to estimate the level of their earnings by the level of earnings in the country. Education is a tool used to develop a country and the country must ensure that persons with the right skills have a right to get a job. It appears that you have not read my paper. I said in my paper that agriculture was the backbone of this country and it provided the tax revenue that help the country to provide FREE HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION AND OTHER SERVICES. So one of the subjects taught is agriculture and i fully support the teaching of agriculture. As a boy growing up, my parents earned extra money by the so called kitchen garden and I kept a cow and raised pigs. I am a country man. So I am wondering if you are one of the persons who do not have a clue of agriculture.
    In one of my replies, I stated that I visited the port in Singapore and I saw many container ships bringing goods and taking goods. I went on to say that i was amazed at the level of business. So don’t tell me that I am not aware that Singapore also has many industries including indigenous industries. The tourism industry and the export industry are the main industries, so that is why there is a need for so many planes and ships.
    Why do we need foreign investment is because Barbadians are mostly poor people including myself and do not have money to invest in big projects. Barbadian are mostly talkers with champagne taste and mauby pockets. Foreign investors have already made significant investment in Barbados. Look at the tourist industry, the manufacturing industry, banking industry, financial sector and wholesale and retail sectors.
    You are a person of the past and looking at small things and that is why the country is still in its infancy because of small minded people. when I was growing up I was always taught to think big. Anyone who knows me would tell you that I never shy away from an argument and that is why I am ignoring some of what you said about me.

  20. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Frank Forde
    Anyone who knows me would tell you that I never shy away from an argument and that is why I am ignoring some of what you said about me.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    It is impressive that you do not shy away from an argument, but if you persist with the shiite about ‘foreign investment’ you will continue to lose the arguments with Topcat.

    What is it about your education that does not see the idiocy of having foreign STRANGERS, who qualify largely by having money to spend, taking ownership of your national asse(t)s?
    What would you expect to be the long term impact? …not that they will expect to make MORE money off you than they invested in the first place?
    What would you expect to be the impact on job opportunities for locals? ….not menial work …while the ‘big’ jobs goes to the friends and family of the foreign owners?
    What would you expect to be the impact on local culture, enfranchisement, pride and development…?

    This is a SIMPLE case of selling one’s birthrights for a mess of porridge, of penny-wise and pound-foolish thinking….. of national prostitution.
    …WAIT!!…It it you that mentored Owen? ….well wunna have managed to reverse all of the gains made after emancipation by Barrow, Crawford and Tom…..

    Topcat is right about the need to identify local niche skills and talents …and, by the sweat of our brows, to produce quality goods and services that the world wants to buy…

    ‘Foreign investment’ Bushie’s ass!!!
    ..that is just fancy language for pimping.

  21. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Frank Forde
    Do you know that Barbados and Singapore were at the same stage of development in the fifties? How did Singapore get to this stage – FOREIGN INVESTMENT.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Wrong again.

    Singapore got to its present stage by EXCELLENT leadership and by wise financial planning.
    Foreign investment SOUGHT OUT Singapore …because of its success.

    Brass bowls who go around soliciting investments CANNOT compare themselves with Singapore’s experience. The latter is called prostitution /pimping.

  22. Topcat Avatar
    Topcat

    Thank you Bush Tea I give up on Frank Forde he is a hard head asshole. He said in one of his articles that if we want to go back to farming it meant that a lot of money was wasted on educating persons just to have them work in farming. And now he is back peddling.

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