We have no doubt that we can and will grow our economy further and faster. We know we can bring unemployment down to even lower levels once we unleash the over $1 billion of foreign direct investment we have before us with projects such as the Sandals Casuarina expansion which has started, the Sam Lords Redevelopment Project which has also started, the Hyatt Centric and even the much maligned Four Seasons Project which, God willing, can get started shortly – Extracted from the Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals
In his 2016 Financial Statement and Budgetary presentation Minister of Commerce Donville Inniss suggested that the application to build the 15 story Hyatt on beachfront in a UNESCO World Heritage site was reviewed by the Town Planning Department with conditions and final approval by the prime minister is a fait accompli. Have a listen from 5:40 minutes of the video presentation.
The extract at the top of this blog was taken from the 2016 Financial Statement and Budgetary proposals delivered by Minister Chris Sinckler. The veracity of the statement can be crosschecked by watching his budget presentation. His attempt to use the above statement to defend what he conveyed about the status of the Hyatt project raises a couple observations. Either the MoF is challenged with comprehension and writing skills or he takes Barbadians for fools. It is obvious to the BU household any which way the statement is read (or viewed) that his uncertainty about the status of the projects in the pipeline was directed at ‘’the much maligned Four Seasons Project’’ and NOT the Hyatt project . For him to feel so emboldened to refer to ‘’God willing’’ as a disclaimer about the status of the Hyatt project rings hollow. It reinforces the growing public belief that this is a government committed to governance by stealth, an approach seemingly ensconced in the way business is done by the Cabinet of Barbados.
The BU household will resist the temptation to sully the office of the minister of finance by describing Sinckler has a pathological liar. It has become patently obvious his is a poor reaction to the onslaught in recent days by social justice advocate David Comissiong. No need to mention the disparaging remarks about Comissiong delivered by the son of a fisherman Inniss under the cloak of parliamentary privilege.
A poorakey parliament indeed!
It is instructive(?) that Sinckler’s feeble attempt to deflect criticism about the Hyatt project was shared to the media on the sidelines of the opening of another Berger King fast food restaurant. It serves as a reminder that this government gave a washpan of concessions to Cost U Less, a retailer and a user of scarce foreign – Who are the local partners in Cost-U-Less. The BU family bar a few will be able to connect the dots!
In Inniss’ contribution to the debate we are reminded he avoided calling a member of the other side a liar by retreating to the euphemistism terminological inexactitude. The games Honourable Members play in the highest law making Chamber in the land.
To expect Sinckler’s resignation OR his sacking is a wasted expectation.
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