Caswell Franklyn, General Secretary of Unity Workers Union
In June 2013 Government embarked upon a retrenchment exercise, in the public in order to reduce expenditure. By the time that exercise ended, 6,000 public servants were placed on the breadline. In effect, Government inflicted a 100% salary cut on those workers; many of whom are still out of work today.
After much cajoling, to show solidarity with the suffering masses, Government was persuaded to make a token 10% cut in the salaries of parliamentarians and other political appointees. I well remember, when the idea was first mooted, one parliamentarian showed his opposition by insensitively declaring that he could not afford a salary cut because he had bills to pay and children to support, as though those 6,000 public servants did not have similar commitments. In the end, however, parliament approved orders by the Minister of Finance setting out new salaries for parliamentarians and political appointees. The new salaries amounted to a 10% cut.
In accordance with the Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries (Remuneration and Allowances) Act and the Senate and House of Assembly (Remuneration and Allowances of Members) Act, the Minister of Finance must publish orders to vary the salaries of parliamentarians. These orders must then be approved by both houses of parliament.
On February 7, 2014 the Minister made orders setting new salaries for parliamentarians. The orders did not contain any provisions stating or even implying that the new salaries would only be effective for a particular period. For all intent and purposes, the salaries in the 2014 orders became the new salaries for parliamentarians. If the reduction were intended for a specific period, the order would have said so and there would have been no need to return to the House, since a restoration would have been automatic, as was the case when public servants’ salaries were cut in 1991.
On April 15, 2016 the Minister again published orders setting new salaries for parliamentarians. When the contents of those orders were revealed, the public outcry forced Government into retreat and the orders were not debated. Eventually, Government spokesmen started to spin an explanation to say that the change in salaries was merely a restoration of the old salaries that had been reduced for a specific period. I do not recall any Government spokesman saying in February 2014 that the decrease in salary was only a temporary measure. I am not too big to apologise if anyone can direct me to Hansard (the official report of parliament) or any newspaper report which stated or even suggested that the 10% reduction was a temporary measure when it was instituted.
After a period of sustained propaganda, it would appear that Government felt comfortable enough to debate the measure. While introducing the resolution, Minister Sinckler was at particular pains to point out that the salary increase was not in fact a salary increase. He will be taking home more money, and if I have read the order correctly, he will also be back paid to April 2016. But he somehow believes that all Barbadians are mindless political dullards, who would actually accept what he said without question.
In his contribution to the debate, the Prime Minister made an apples and oranges comparison when he suggested that there was no difference between what they were doing now and the the restoration of public servants salaries in 2000. In the first place, the Public Service Reduction of Emoluments Act reduced the salaries of public servants, by 8%, for an eighteen month period and when it expired, salaries reverted automatically. Further, the salaries that were restored in 2000 were the actual amounts that were deducted from the workers emoluments. This was done when the economy improved and the Arthur Administration was in a position to return the money without adversely affecting the country’s finances. Is the PM suggesting that the economy has returned to health and the country can afford this largesse to politicians? If that is so, public servants who were sacrificed should soon be getting a decent salary increase after an eight-year wage freeze. Maybe, the improvement in the economy might only be enough to take care of the DLP politicians.
AC, I’m tired of proving how stupid you lot are and you’re not making my attempts difficult because you always write shiite thereby exposing your stupidity.
When asked why they have been unable to implement policies they promised during election campaigns, the BLP and DLP usually respond with the excuse of them being confronted by “mess and an empty Treasury” left by the previous administration due to their financial mismanagement of the economy, which inhibits them from implementing policies.
During their 2008 election campaign, the DLP promised “Good Governance,” which was articulated on pages 46 – 48 of their 2008 election manifesto. They promised to establish STATE-FUNDED Constituency Councils and to “IMMEDIATELY introduce integrity legislation.
Rather than introduce the policies of good governance, which DOES NOT REQUIRE any EXORBITANT AMOUNTS of FINANCE to IMPLEMENT and would serve to minimize corruption, while promoting transparency and accountability, this inept DLP administration PREFERRED to ESTABLISH the Constituency Councils with a number of DLP yard-fowls, requiring an ANNUAL BUDGET of over $1M.
“Well on that note yard-fowls, I then join the chorus of laughter..”
If any individual of reasonable thought were to take into consideration how this greedy, corrupt DLP administration “stealthily” went about the 10% restoration of their salaries, they would immediately know the reasons why the DLP has NOT embraced the tenets of GOOD GOVERNANCE.
Perhaps because transparency and accountability will prevent them from sharing the fatted calf.
Feathering their nest is a DLP tradition. Most people seem to forget what they did in 1991. Just prior to passing a law to reduce all salaries in the public service by 8%, the Sandiford Administration increased the salaries of MPs by 10%.
Sent from my iPad
@Frustrated Businessman aka ‘Nation of Laws’ my ass. January 31, 2017 at 7:23 AM “The adoption of either the US or EC dollars would…”
@Hal Austin January 31, 2017 at 7:26 AM “Caricom should have harmonised its financial regulations years ago. It should also form currency and customs unions.”
Barbados was until 1973 a part of the East Caribbean Currency Authority/East Caribbean Central Bank until Errol Barrow pulled us out of that union, and the Authority moved its operations to St. Kitts. Maybe if we ask nicely “pretty please” they will let us back in again.
Ok so you hate Constituency Councils , So that is your right , But guess what there are people who voted for present govt that like them ,
You guys had fourteen years to do as you dam please after fourteen years the country is saddled with high debt part and parcel contributed to runaway spending by the blp and you squabbling about Constituency Councils steupse
We can see BU Blogger getting better at calling both Parties Crooks,Liars but you all missing the SCUMBAG. Well that word will come as you get near to elections,
Its good to see the minds of the people is coming along well from “Plantation Deeds”
As times goes on most will be able to look back at old post to see how your minds are changing as more and more crime can be seen with your own naked eyes.
1.SamLords was it 1.5 Billion USD$ Fraud? Investment turns into LOAN ? Paying it back will be a Bitch and at what rate? CLICO land? or Violet Beckles ?So no investment by CHINA without Clear Title ? More taxes and more taxes to come, After elections
2.Was it 1Billion USD$ to try to get all things going again by middle of 2017 to Early Elections 2018 . Vote buying loan? No investment .
Total ELECTIONS FUNDS 2.5 BILLION USD$ =OR =5 BILLION BDS$
4.Or now another lie of taking 1 Billion UDS$ China funds on hold for elections and .5BillionUSD$ for Sam Lords?
Tell me when does the “SCUMBAGGING” COME INTO PLAY?
6.If you dont know the truth ask a Question,
Everyone who believes in crooks will be taken for a hard ride, Both Parties are crooks , you can never win when both sides are liars ,Look at both with both eyes match the word to the lies they speak and stay on FACTS,
As in America when both sides are no good, You pick a side or you don’t vote, for this reason is why Hilary is not President now, The Moors refuse to vote for her for her Husband locked up over 2 million Moors for bull shit, That was her voting base, Nor could the people vote for the wife of the man who locked up their love ones,
Burney Need to Run even as a 3rd Party, Then we would know if Hilary cheated to win the Nomination,
Now in BIM you want to vote MIA Clinton or Fumble Trump? and fighting about it,
Dont get tied up , You can not win voting either of those parties, We have to truth and will keep at it until the rest of you wake up ,
Focus on the Account , Audit General+ Plantation Deeds and you will see the truth,
We, Weclome Any Debate with the on a Live States to answer Any and All Questions, rooted in facts and History, MOF ,, as told before in the UDC meetings ” When Ever You Are Ready” Crook’Liar and Sumbag he is, bold face lair,
REMEMBER, HOW DOES “CLEAR TITLE DEED” OF PLANTATION PLAY INTO THIS EQUATION? 70 YEAR OR MORE yes We Have that, BANKING LOANS?
Caswell Franklyn January 31, 2017 at 9:31 PM #
@@ Anytime DBLP feel they save money by robbing the workers, they feel they did work and much get 10%of what they say they saved added to their own over-paid-checks,
That is the ministers dam money there is no disputing that fact
The ministers are hired and by law just like any employer are due their wages , Everybody ca see through the high drama displayed by dishonest mottley not to have the ministers retrieve their monies
For Mia to be turning the issue into a political football is disgusting and would certainly bite her in the a.ss as all and sundry knows that she belly ached when asked to volunteer a ten percent of her wages
That she needs to explain instead of pretending that she has a moral duty to act on behalf of other interest when the long and short the only interest that really maters is hers ,
Okay, let me try to bring this down to your level.
The DLP made TWO PROMISES under the caption “Good governance.”
1) Establish STATE-FUNDED Constituency Councils.
2) Introduce good governance, focusing on accountability, transparency and freedom of information, which DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY FUNDING.
What was PRIORITY for the DLP?
They IGNORED the PROMISES of GOOD GOVERNANCE, characterized by accountability, transparency, following the rules of law, declaration of assets by public officials and a code of conduct for ministers, in FAVOUR of Constituency Councils, which were established during the onset of the economic recession and, according to the Auditor General, have so far not adhered to government’s financial regulations.
The DEMS introduced the Constituency Council Act in 2009, but cannot draft integrity legislation after 9 years in office.
If the government had kept its promise, the Auditor General’s reports would not contain the usual discovery of financial irregularities.
This is a common sense issue, but you lot view everything with political lens.
@ acJanuary 31, 2017 at 9:59 PM
“That is the ministers dam money there is no disputing that fact
The ministers are hired and by law just like any employer are due their wages …”
So too are the many income tax payers who are still due their legally entitled refunds from 2013 to 2015.
What you have on your hand as leaders are a bunch of low class selfish goons who can easily fit in the same classless pod as people who invite guests to their poorly maintained houses but proceed to serve themselves drinks and food before the invited guests.
No class these people have. Just look at their demenour or deportment and you will see their lack of social sophistication and intellectual breeding.
I am sure Gabriel will agree and even BushTea should remember Master Lokey in identifying the village and family they all came from.
Steve B (except for his ‘pretend’ vocalization) is a complete disgrace and abject letdown to that learning institution which has the proud motto of: “Religione, Humanitate, Industria”. Not selfishness, deceitfulness and downright lies.
“Lives are in the making here
Hearts are in the waking here
Mighty undertaking here
Up and on, Up and on
We are arming for the fight
Pressing on with all our might
Pluming wings for higher flight
Nine years under this inept DLP administration, Barbados is “saddled with higher debt,” which has doubled the amount incurred by the BLP during their 14 years, “part and parcel contributed to runaway spending by the DLP” on projects that lack accountability and transparency.
And what do the DEMS have to show for this accumulating this extremely unmanageable high debt?
Barbados having to grapple with unprecedented consecutive credit rating downgrades by the regional and international rating agencies, continuous depletion of foreign reserves and failed economic policies.
Ask David Estwick……. He PUBLICLY ADMITTED your inept DLP administration’s policies are responsible for Barbados’ economic plight and gave you alternative solutions which you refused to accept.
Recall David Thompson’s speech in November 2006:
“Under no circumstances, however, we will kill the fatted calf to welcome any such persons back into our fold.”
“We have learnt our lesson as a party. The fatted calf, under David Thompson’s watch, will be slaughtered and shared among those of you who have stood this course…”
Even Carson Small, Stevie Wonder or José Feliciano can see why GOOD GOVERNANCE is NOT a PRIORITY for these DLP crooks and their yard-fowl supporters who believe everything they do is correct.
@ Miller
Do you mean …
Despite my age I fear no man…
Attacked, I will defend
I know the village you are from…
It is a dirty village, YOU are worthless fella…
You do NOT know it…
Sit down!!
LOL
And by the same laws, Lisa Marshall was due her severance payment within a specific time period. And how did the DLP punish her for asking about funds that were rightfully due to her?
They used their pseudonym “Douglas Leopold Phillips” to post an article to BU on the DLP’s website, in which they exposed information from Lisa’s personal file, while implying she was a thief.
These same crooked politicians went to parliament to restore 10% of their salaries, including that of the Speaker Michael Carrington, who with-held (a FANCY WORD for STOLE) John Griffiths funds for a number of years and ignored his requests for settlement.
It is almost criminal for the tax payers of Barbados to be called upon to pay an unqualified Jackass like Jepter Ince a pension when he reaches the age of 50. How does a person who doesn’t know the difference between and the words physical and fiscal, and believes the Barbados dollar cannot be devalue be a big wheel in the ministry of finance. Stupse
Bajan in NY
Ince is one of the bright sparks in the present administration and he is highly sought after for advice by his colleagues. I kid you not! You should recall that his boss in the Ministry of Finance did not know the difference between 0.7 and 0.07. Mind you, he might have been absent from primary school the day when that was explained, or probably, he just went to the bathroom for the few minutes the explanation would have taken.
The question of the difference between 0.7 and 0.07 is one of innumeracy, not knowledge of finance. It is a reflection of the educational system in Barbados that someone could become a finance minister without a basic knowledge of fractions,, which all 14 yr olds should know.
Here is a challenge for minister Jones, and one of the few good benefits we can get from China, maths teaching.
decimals
@ Hal Austin
You mentioned that Decimals word about three times.
Such was the effect of how your repeated it that the ole man spoke to the granson and he provided this “stoopid cartoon” to immortalize your words.
“My Name is Bond – Chris Decimals Bond – from the effed up Secret Service of Fumbles”
All de ole man going say is “Thank You”
http://imgur.com/a/nW4IM
Piece
I love it; you’re the best.
Sent from my iPad
@ Caswell
Bushie is beginning to think that Stinkliar may have interfered with one of your decimal points in earlier times…
While you are known to be a fella with no regard for man or beast, your disdain for the character – Cris ‘stink-liar’ Bond, is particularly noteworthy….considering the number of upstanding people who have tried to lock you up; tarnish your name; slander you; and generally to bring you to a ‘Christian’ understanding of brass bowlery…
Spill de beans nuh man….
Bushie
I don’t understand what you mean; you know that I like girls. I am not a Dem.
Sent from my iPad
Miller&Bushie
I thought the gentlemans name was spelt….Lopey……
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/600000-britons-could-die-at-any-moment-experts-warn-a7556316.html
The QEH management and staff now have to be more vigilant than ever when british tourists presents with any illnesses while on vacation….hundreds of thousands of them carry a defective gene called….drop dead suddenly…their families would try to sue QEH….despite knowing this.
LOL @ WW&C
Don’t we all have that ‘gene’?
…which is why it is an amazing wonder that we spend so much of our energy worrying about shiite that we will leave behind…. rather than contemplating the POSSIBILITIES and POTENTIALITIES that exists during the short time we have before the ‘gene’ kicks in….
Vincent
I thought the gentlemans name was spelt….Lopey……
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Miller getting on in age… these things happen… 🙂
@ Vincent HaynesFebruary 1, 2017 at 9:38 AM
The man’s name, as you rightly pointed out, was “Lopey” and not “Lokey”. It was a ‘mare’ (sorry, I meant mere) typing error.
I must have had Loki the Norse god of a printer’s devil on my mind while reminiscing about Bush Tea being a ‘Thorn’ in the side of poor old Rubber the Nut of a professor.
That mischievous boy Bushie along with the clown duo of Mayers and Husbands never eased up on those two ‘old geezers’ for nutty professors.
You see the miller is not faking his credentials as a blue blooded golden boy nurtured by Harry Sealy to be a ‘model student’.
Don’t recall any V H but my ‘outstanding’ contemporaries included neither Piggy Warner nor Pepe. LOL
millertheanunnaki February 1, 2017 at 2:33 PM #
Chuckle…….As Bushie suggested age….
Although if you were there with Larry Mayers you would have been one or two classes behind me….possibly one as I recall Mr Thorne aka Rubber Nut his sojourn there with us was short…….if it was another Mayers you would have been above me……….do you recall the Allamby-Haynes fight?
My contemporaries are Duesbury,Connel son of Saul now deceased,Brathwaithe of sheep fame,Archer the auctioneer,Burton,Cox,Alleyne,etc,etc
@ Caswell, we have all this knowledge of the DLP’s inadequacy yet they are still in office.
Miller
Caswell made the point that there was no restoration because the wording of the original Instrument made a statement minus any caveat.Therefore what we have is a new salary for these parliamentarians and not a restoration of any 10%.Its a Pension grab to make sure these poor rakey parliamentarians become eligible for a higher pension.Pensions will strangle this economy and the first adjustments to streamline them should be a review of pensions for parliamentarians sincere one of the reasons advanced was that it would discourage bribes.Tell that to Lowe and his company of lowlife chop sutters.
As far as I know Steve B went to St Leonard 2ndary.
We had the sad case of dogs causing the demise of a citizen.Unfortunately,Gambia had a similar case in which the 8 year old son of the new President Barrow suffered a similar fate
last month.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38843251
David January 30, 2017 at 5:08 PM #
“@Walter
Stay focus……”
David,
As you might suspect, I am pretty busy at this point. However, given the demographic profile of Barbados, pension considerations are predictably rushing to the front-burner of national discourse. Thousands upon thousands of Barbadian lives are now directly and potentially affected by the presence or absence of pension cheques flowing to households.
In an attempt to add more structure and shape to the national discussion on pensions, I intend to get an article or two to you within the next week.
Thank you Walter.
Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI January 31, 2017 at 3:33 PM #
“@ Hal Austin
One would not wish to impute that those “4 years spent in Chicago” were not selling insurance for Prudential, as opposed to “designing and valuing” policies, of one’s employer for sugn would impugn the bonafides and credentials of “he who is beyond reproach’, heheheheheh”
Piece Uh De Cock Yeah Right,
When you have finished “skinning yuh teet’ like a roast dog”, I have an assignment that will test your capacity for introspection.
Please read over your comment above and see if it makes any sense to you. Don’t worry about whether it makes sense to BU readers. Whilst you are it, please ask yourself why so many of your comments increasingly reflect shameful patches of ingrained and reinforced childish ignorance.
You appear to fall asleep (intellectually speaking, of course) whilst you are blogging.
Meanwhile, economic and financial storm clouds are hovering all around us. More than ever before, we need intelligent and serious-minded discussions to guide anxious Barbadians towards feasible solutions.
For Heaven’s sake, WAKE UP!
@ Waltr Blackman
Why am I mentioned in the above. I am not associated with Pieceoftherock
@ Walter BlackmanFebruary 2, 2017 at 3:13 PM
“Meanwhile, economic and financial storm clouds are hovering all around us. More than ever before, we need intelligent and serious-minded discussions to guide anxious Barbadians towards feasible solutions.”
Well Walter, tell us more of what you see in your crystal ball of doom and gloom? We are sure ac and Alvin will be glad to hear.
But there is one fortune cookie you don’t want to pull from your jar full of ominous predictions.
In light of the volte-face track record of your political boss, especially when it comes to firing people and selling State-owned assets, you will not gainsay the arrogant assertion and utter the bad word “Devaluation”, would you now Walter boy?
Is a permanent haircut ‘needed to ‘smarten up’ the local economic and financial landscape?
Would you agree that by throwing the devaluation cat among the growing pension-demanding pigeons all hell would break loose?
But why not look on the bright side of the black equation and see that those pension liabilities-both actual and contingent- would be significantly reduced in real ‘monetary’ terms?
Oh Oh…my comment seems to have disappeared…
@ PPK
Sometimes to sleep is best since in one’s waking hours one will encounter such fanciful dreams that can only be part of a dreamstate.
yes here is a point for true introspection and worthy of your waking hours Walts my man.
You thread two successive tales of the waking Dream called the DLP, one in 1991 which you ended with the usurping of Sandiford, your words, not mine, and one from 2007 until now which is the worst waking nightmare that this country has ever known
Yet, and here is the incredulous dreamstate summary that makes me aware that i am truly dreaming, yet you return to Barbados and throw your towel in WITH THE SAME EFFERS who have successively show themselves to be incompetent dufuses while you would have us beleive that you are part of the “…intelligent and serious-minded” persons championing “discussions to guide anxious Barbadians towards feasible solutions.”
Consider this Walts, while you do your introspection, per the man playing the child, you better than most can understand why I will continue to highlight you and your shortcomings … epitome of the perpetual child now wishing to play “the man”
Any serious politician as you would wish us here to beleive that you are would have used to opportunity to say look “regarding those 4 years in Chicago, I worked as the actuary at such and such a place and these are my credentials.
But you are not a “serious politician” are you Walter PPK but rather a man whom “serious politicians need to fear when (i) your traitorous behaviours are exposed (ii) your credentials are questioned (iii) you get cussed (iv) you get dissed as a charlatan or (v) you feel threatened.
Like i said previously, I shall make it my business that “my outreach” in your constituency will highlight your infelicities.
This is the problem with people like you “GOD died and you are now GOD and when you speak all men must genuflect”
You broach no alternative facts or opinions and like the rest of the DLP hounds that you now seek to join you bring that sameness to the table even these 20 years hence.
Irrespective of what is going to be said to you regarding “focus” it WILL NOT IMPINGE ON YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED…
Signed
Piece uh De Badword that is Going to Continue to Give Walter Blackman an Opportunity to Show His True Self Here on BU Before an Electorate Foolishly Votes to put Him in the House of Assembly
. @ Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRIFebruary 2, 2017 at 7:14 PM
“You broach no alternative facts or opinions and like the rest of the DLP hounds that you now seek to join you bring that sameness to the table even these 20 years hence.”
Piece, you refer to them as “DLP hounds”. But we can discerningly ‘smell’ from a mile away you are missing a most ‘shitty’ adjective.
Why is PKK asking at this late stage for a conference of a think tank from among the men of wisdom in these matters of high economic and social science?
Wasn’t such a request broached by many before and was haughtily dismissed in an arrogantly overbearing way by the top brass of that dangerous lying politburo?
Didn’t they claim that they had all the expertise in house with an outstanding inventory of skill-sets right in the bosom of their deceitful lying party in no less the persons of ingenuity and unmatched competence than the Stinkliar the so on and so forth and fifth Einstein totally proficient in the place-holding of decimals to turn $7.00 into $7 million, “shortly; Jester Inch the outpatient with a physically fiscal deficit disorder; Dumbville the don of porn capable of transforming a condemned chicken wing into a naked act of disappearing departure; Kellie the clown prince from Sin Lucie with a first class honours degree in even discipline under the sun; and even Greenverbs (the untouchable tax-planning cheat as clearly established by the same PKK).
It boggles the mind in a most discombobulated way to even start to contemplate how Walter PKK can find any form of intellectual concordance with those outstanding graduates from that modern-day George St. Academy with a sleeping giant called Fumble RIP Van Winkle as its ‘principal’ spokesman, specializing in the ‘fine’ art of social and economic devaluation and demolition of Barbados and having as its motto: “We will never produce one single graduate with the insignia marked “DT” who will ever lie, cheat or steal”.
@ Piece
@ Miller
I am here enjoying the lashes you all putting in the Walter PPK, but also counting the money from you all for copyright of the PPK in Walter Blackman. from day one on BU, I knew he will need protection, hence I give him PPK, he like it too, but can’t used it without harming the DLP troopers
The brutal truth is that there is not one single problem that our economy is experiencing today that was unpredictable. Our economic input in real terms, has been declining since the early 70’s. How can any small open economy grow when manufacturing and agriculture have been showing no significant growth for over thirty years ? We were supposed to be saved by Arthur’s service economy and that has almost disappeared. We have an economy totally dependent on tourism and to maintain that a high percentage of the profits have to be ploughed back into it, in order to maintain it.
The question which really confronts us is if either of the two major parties has the ability to get us out of this morass. The answer to that must be a resounding NO.
We are therefore left with an intellectual crisis which must be addressed. Failure to do so would mean that ten years from now, we will be addressing these same issues with the same result…nothing will change.
Well said William…
But if you think that we can withstand this shiite for ten more years you have a huge shock coming…..
David
The Governor of the Central Bank had a discussion forum on Thursday night under the heading It Matters Fiscally (IMF). The Governor has had enough of Stinkliar and Stuart and now does not care whether they listen or not, he is calling a spade a spade.
Stuart will enjoy alone the legacy of being the first PM in the history of Barbados to take the country to the IMF and have the dollar devalued.
Sent from my iPad
No devaluation of the Barbados dollar seems to be the mantra of this Government. I have to ask what is so sacred about the exchange rate? They have presided over the devaluation of everything else in this country.
Sent from my iPad
“No devaluation of the Barbados dollar seems to be the mantra of this Government. I have to ask what is so sacred about the exchange rate? They have presided over the devaluation of everything else in this country.”
Please enlighten us as to what are the benefits of devaluation. Don’t you realise the price that economies such as ours pay for devaluation? For example many are saying that others have devalued such as Jamaica and Trinidad. Trinidad has an oil industry that guaranteed them foreign exchange. Jamaica is yet to recover from IMF assistance. There is something call the use and abuse of statistics- Do you know of any primary school in Barbados still using pit toilets ? If you were to read tomorrow that the worst or poorest economy in the world had “grown” by 8% would you pack your bags and go there? Dont you know that some economies can grow by 16% and the average wage is less than $40BDS per month ?
@Don’t Devalue the $, Devalue the Prime MinisterFebruary 4, 2017 at 6:38 AM
“Stuart will enjoy alone the legacy of being the first PM in the history of Barbados to take the country to the IMF and have the dollar devalued.”
You come across as a rather inquisitively smart person. But not smart enough to know that the boss man means what he says.
After all, he is a man who never breaks his promises since they are always ‘sweet-coated’ in a get out IMF (it’s not my fault) clause.
What you have done is to openly reveal Fumble’s revised plan to call early elections (earlier than previously planned) but clearly written in yellow and hidden in plain sight in his white shirtjac pocket.
The only thing left for the Guv of the CB to do is to stop sullying any more his professional reputation and obey his moral conscience by resigning.
Let his political master the titan of Bajan Pseudology be the fall guy and electoral sacrificial lamb in the oncoming hubristic revenge of the god Dolus.
The above was directed at Caswell Franklyn
Miller
I disagree with you for this simple reason, the desire to ‘sell’ and ‘privatize’ state enterprises and state assets is more alluring than the prospect and early election loss even if it avoids the dreaded IMF, devaluation and his shredded legacy.
We will not go early when he has ‘shit’ to sell and money to make.
@William SkinnerFebruary 4, 2017 at 10:03 AM
“Please enlighten us as to what are the benefits of devaluation. Don’t you realise the price that economies such as ours pay for devaluation?”
Can you think of a fairer way to impose an across-the-board haircut to the conspicuous consumption habits of Bajans?
If T&T and the others had to undergo such a cut in ostentatious living what is so special about lazy-ass Bajans who continue to live the easy life of Riley without earning the necessary foreign money to pay for that high ‘costing’ imported lifestyle.
What are the alternatives to devaluation to force Bajans to live within their meagre means in an economic house made of sea water and sand?
Supposed it is recommended that from April 2017 the importation of all vehicles (other than commercial vehicles) should cease for an initial 2 years to help protect the fast dwindling foreign reserves which are slowing undergoing official rationing?
Which is more important in the grand schemes of necessary things? Imported Japanese, Korean and German steel-donkey carts ‘propelled’ on deeply ‘potholed’ roads by costly imported fuels or processed foods and vital medicines for the dangerously expanding army of Bajans stricken with a cornucopia of non-communicable and other ‘unknown’ diseases which could fill a revised version of the medical encyclopedia?
Which politician you know would ever support such a proposal to cut back on private cars? Certainly not Dumbville or Steve B the sartorial King Dyall of the HoA; given the self-centred way they behaved when they had to sacrifice a slice of their salary for the sake of the fiscal survival of the nation?
Miller
Stop the importation of cars when Simpson controls the majority of the sales and soon a monopoly
on all fuels including gasoline and diesel? Don’t talk rubbish.
The brutal truth is that to devalue or not is not in the hands of Sinckler or Worrell. The person pulling the strings is Janet Yellen, chairman of the Federal Reserve, and President Donald Trump and his advisers.
I am sure they do not go to bed at night wondering how the Barbadian economy is going to survive. The truth is that devaluation and foreign reserves are symbolic of Bajan masculinity, our manhood, Bajan virility, of how we can punch above our weight, that we are just as muscular as the Yanks and Brits.
But we are about to see a currency war – in fact a trade war – which Trump has already launched.
Between November 9, the day of the US presidential election, and the end of December, the Greenback rose by 6.5 per cent, in other words the Bajan dollar rose in value, whether Sinckler, Worrell and Stuart wanted it or not, or even realised that it had taken place.
This has been the case throughout the so-called strong dollar policy which every president endorsed since Clinton. Since 2014, the Greenback (thus the Bajan) has risen by 25 per cent.
Because the narrative of how our economy is performing is a mark of faith (foreign reserves, devaluation), we no longer discuss the essential need for the dollar to be revalued. What is more, if it does, Trump’s shouting of America for Americans, his protectionist mantra, will make US goods and services even more expensive to their exporting markets.
The only good that will come out of this will be for those exporting to the US market, who will get higher prices, but for those importing, such as Caricom, US commodities, goods and services will be even more expensive. These are the dark shadows hanging over little Caricom nations.
Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser, has fired a shot at the EU, the world’s biggest trade market: 500m people, a per capita income higher than that of the US and potential for even higher growth.
Finally, the printing of electronic money is de facto devaluation, which in itself is not bad, but which must be managed carefully, through mechanisms such as capital adequacy on the banks. That is the role of inflation targeting.
I suggest that we should go back and look at the debate around the Plaza Accord and Nixon’s destruction of the gold standard.
As John Connally, the Treasury Secretary, said at the time, as a number of UK publications have reminded us: “The dollar is our currency, but it is your problem.”
Barbados is in it up to its neck. We are in real trouble.
@ Own AreaFebruary 4, 2017 at 10:50 AM
O A, the way you talk it is as if that son of Simp would soon be the total owner of what’s left of the plantation called Bimshire.
Are you suggesting the name Bim should now be called “Simpland” with the son of a backra johnny the Mon(k)ey Sun King?
Is he slowly becoming the banker of last resort and the evangelical Shylock of the money-lending world?
The last man with your initials O A predicted the fall of the Bimshire economic empire.
One wonders if the forecaster had been returned to the throne in 2013 what the ‘Privatized’ landscape would look like today.
Would it have been painted in T&T red and black or with the ‘yellowing’ entrepreneurial colour of Bajan born and bred rednecks with a few ‘blackies’ thrown in as ‘blinds’ for good public relations smoking and mirror reflecting?
When is this setting Sun king of local entrepreneurship going to be a real risk taking capitalist and take the Four Seasons potential forex earning project off the hands of the current fiscally comatose administration?
@ Hal
Yours is by far the best analysis of our situation WRT the exchange rate to date..
We are like a carpenter insisting on $200 per day, while doing shiite work …and doing so in an environment where other carpenters are offering top notch workmanship at half that cost…
…and then we have the gall to argue that we should not reduce our rate because ‘it would not be good for us….’
LOL
ha ha ha
Oh shirtttt!!!
Of course no one ever contemplates upgrading our quality and quantity of work so that our customers actually get $300 worth of work for our $200 charge…..
Heaven forbid – ’cause we would actually have to be productive and to insist on having competent leadership …and on running efficient operations in order to do that…
So It is not that “it is not in our hands…”
It IS that we are so brass bowl retarded, that we are incapable of doing what is needed….
@ Hal,
A very clear analysis.We can beat up the MOF, GOCB, PM and Leader of the Opposition, as much as we like. What the world is witnessing is a new wave of imperialism. It is the culmination of world economic planning since the end of WW2. It was only retarded by the so-called cold war. We are running away from the realities of not having a single effectively managed Caribbean economy. The problem with “home grown” remedies is that they must come with a discipline and responsibility from both the government and the governed. Check Cuba.We are not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices.
Why should we not beat up on these guys appointed by the people to use their knowledge and expertise to formulate mitigating and growth policies to sustain quality of life for all Bajans? They will receive no pass from BU.
Thanks, William. We must continue to put the case for a progressive monetary policy.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38843251
The dog that killed the eight-year-old son of Gambian President Adama Barrow has been put down, a government official has confirmed. Habibu Barrow died in hospital after being bitten by the dog last month at his aunt’s house in a coastal resort near Banjul. The attack happened before Mr Barrow was inaugurated and while he was still in Senegal for his safety. The president, who recently returned to the Gambia, missed his son’s funeral.
Reports say that Habibu – one of the president’s five children – was mauled by the dog and sustained a head injury. It is unclear why the dog attacked the young boy. The animal, which had been certified rabies free, was put down on Tuesday, with a quick procedure. The government official said the dog belonged to the aunt and had not attacked anyone before. He said the attack had worried the family and they were comfortable with the action taken. “We thought it’s not safe for the community if the dog was on the streets,” the official said. Many homes in the upmarket area of Fajara, where Habibu was staying along with his mother and other siblings, have security dogs to ward off intruders.
Mr Barrow, who won elections in December, was living in neighbouring Senegal at the time after the previous Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, refused to step down.
He returned to the Gambia last week after Mr Jammeh agreed to leave the country.
FIRST: Dogs are stupid, if they were not would they hang out with evil human beings?
SECOND: Dogs gave up their wolf-ly freedom for a human mess of pottage. Therefore they are lazy as well, if they were not lazy would they have given up their wolf-ly freedom for a bowl of human leftovers?
THIRD: Dogs regard everybody who is not a daily member of the household as a stranger, as a threat.
FOURTH: The dog regarded this eight year old boy as a threat to his aunt’s household.
FIFTH: The dog, which is incapable of rational thought killed the threat to auntie.
SIXTH: A little boy goes to spend some time with his auntie, and ends up dead, dead, dead.
SEVENTH: The dog did not get a reward, it got a bullet to the head, or if lucky an overdose of a powerful anesthetic.
NINTH: Dogs are stupid. Wait…did I say that before?
@ David,
There is a broader picture here that we cannot ignore. Of course we have placed them in charge and then what? They are attempting to solve new problems with very archaic approaches. The current Central Bank Act leaves no room for creative approaches hence the Act itself stymies the intellect of a Dr. Worrell. That is why Sinkler is adrift ; he is seeking solutions from a stagnant intellectual pool that permeates both government and opposition. As Hal Austin suggests , we need a monetary/fiscal policy that deals with our collective reality. So beat them up all we like-that is not and can never be the answer. We all seem to be heading to a serious case of hyperventilation.
@William
And how do you think change will be initiated?
https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2017/02/03/zero-interest/
Nothing but crooks, I told you all removed your money from Sir Richard and Sir Cow,
All this is also with Clico , First Caribbean CIBC was Beatrice Henry Banks where they handed over 100 million to the DBLP government , Crooks
Not clear title to land no loans , no loans , no land loans, no building, no car loans nothing. no returns on your deposit, no pennies, no cents, so you cant even get .01% Barbados Bridge All fall down or was that London Bridge ?
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/barbados-parliament/internet/barbados-parliament-barbados-plantation-deed-land-scam-fraud-i-have-been-robbed-bridget-1353837
@millertheanunnaki February 4, 2017 at 10:33 AM “Which politician you know would ever support such a proposal to cut back on private cars?”
If we depend on politicians to lead us we will forever be in trouble. We must take the hard decisions ourselves. In 1999 I made the decision not to own a private car. Believe me it is possible to live happily and efficiently in Barbados without a car. i did not want to have a ton of imported metal, glass, plastic and expensive imported fuel hanging like a millstone around my neck.
if it costs $10,000 BDS per year to keep a car on the road in Barbados (cost of the car, insurance, fuel, repairs, taxes and licensing) then that is $180,000 I haven’t had to spend, take away maybe 20% for bus and taxi fares and that leaves me about $144,000 ahead.
I am not saying that we should all abandon private cars, but every individual and every household should examine their own individual income and expenses.
If we depend on politicians to do for us what we MUST do for ourselves we will be forever in trouble.
I haven’t gained any weight is 18 years either, a big [or maybe I should say small] additional benefit of being car free.
Loving it.
David
A local Trump will emerge and toss all the rule books aside…..that can be the only outcome.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/04/thousands-march-london-protest-against-donald-trumps-travel/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_wa
Warn the local Donald that Bajans have a long, long history of voting with their feet, and an even longer history [developed during the era of slavery] of sabotaging “their master’s” everything from spitting in the master’s soup to harming their favourite babies.
Just tell the local Donald these things.
@ David,
Change cannot be achieved overnight. First order of business is to reform the education system. There is no magic wand. Unfortunately political nit picking is now a major pastime. If you need to understand the importance of how education can be effectively used check 1961-76 which with all its flaws drove the development which laid the solid foundation of the middle class that we have today. You may also want to check what Japan did after world war 2. Sometimes the change benefits the coming generation more than it does the generation that effected the change. Now we can sit and play smart 24/7 but that achieves nothing.
@William
So we have come full circle with the debate -you will need a Black Jesus to emerge to champion for change to the education system?
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-signs-executive-orders-watering-down-dodd-frank-financial-regulations-n716481?cid=eml_nbn_20170203
Change can come overnight with telling the True in the Morning. The dealing with Truth, Truth is always here covered by lies and fraud,
Trump maybe off in many ways but you see change come fast right or wrong, So to make things right we dont need long talk , We need Action, The Fire must be put out,
We need to move from teaching to Education of facts,
@David,
Nothing has come full circle it is just that we choose to leap frog over reality. Calls to radically reform the education system reached its zenith in the mid-seventies. Of course those who believe that this call started last week would not have been aware of how the status quo resisted the call.
@Violet C Beckles CUP
The truth has been told now for over forty years. We just can’t handle the truth, my friend.
@Violet C Beckles CUP
The truth has been told now for over forty years. We just can’t handle the truth, my friend.@
The true must be told no matter who can handle it or not, After a plate of food and a tall glass of water, All things will settle down and we get the shit out of the way,
You use the word friend, is true for I, We are not you enemy. No one have to move not even you, As long as the truth is told,
The people of Bim needs to be free of this grip of the DLP and those who profit from lies,
The Nation and its People come first ,
That is the Mission and Orders given that I, We carrying out.
The level of dealing with what We dont know and run from what we dont know, even that in which to Help, Help is needed, and it will come with or without Help, Nothing stays hidden for ever , Ask King Tuk
This road Barbados needs open Heart Surgery .We can not take another 5 years of this madness
My friend ,
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/20/russia-china-bankdeal.html