Submitted by Grenville Phillips, founder of Solutions Barbados
Dear Prime Minister: Recently, there have been a chorus of calls from prominent Barbadians, insisting that you call an early general election. Allow me to offer some unsolicited unbiased advice on this matter.
As our Prime Minister, you are responsible for projecting calm during turbulent times, and you are doing this remarkably well. You are also responsible for holding your Ministers accountable for how they are managing the Ministries which you have entrusted to their care. Your Ministers typically receive feedback from the public in the form of complaints. Therefore, you can measure their performance by how effectively those complaints are addressed.
The recent repeated complaints about: pot holes, water shortages, long queues, delayed responses, late payments, etc, suggests that these Ministries are not properly managed. The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is designed to permanently address complaints to the satisfaction of the public. Allow me to suggest that you direct your Ministers to implement this quality management system with dispatch. Please note that implementing this system will not cost the Government any additional money and requires no enabling legislation; therefore, your Ministers should have no excuses.
Mr Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance is different from the other ministries. The Ministry of Finance’ performance is objectively assessed by the International Monetary Fund and external rating agencies. Unlike the other Ministries, the performance of the Ministry of Finance can send most of us into a level of poverty, where we would long for the days when all we had to complain about were potholes and long waits.
It is tragic to see the Ministry of Finance floundering despite their best efforts. They have explained the economic context and have developed careful strategies to address Barbados’ economic problems. Regrettably, their strategies contain fatal flaws which limit their effectiveness.
There are currently three published strategies for addressing Barbados’ economic problems. The first is the Government’s ‘Medium-term Growth and Development Strategy, 2013-2020’, which is not working. Therefore, the Social Partnership has been tasked with defining a new economic strategy.
The second is Minister Estwick’s strategy which the Cabinet has reportedly rejected. This strategy has not been made available for public scrutiny; therefore, we can only speculate about its contents. The third is Solutions Barbados’ strategy, which has been available for rigorous public scrutiny for the past 2 years on SolutionsBarbados.com. It is based on proven solutions, and does not attract the austerity that former Prime Minister Arthur predicts will be in his plan.
Mr Prime Minister, we still have options, but Barbados’ success depends on how well you manage your Cabinet. Developers of ideas tend to become so emotionally attached to their ideas that they find it challenging to let them go when their idea’s ‘past-due date’ has long expired. This is how it seems with the Ministry of Finance in developing fiscal strategies with fatal flaws.
A useful analogy is to consider a person making a pitcher of Mauby and mistakenly adding salt instead of sugar. After the person has used so much Mauby bark, and has included so many diverse spices, he is then unwilling to waste the final product. So he serves it in hope, while explaining its medicinal properties as justification. The public samples the salty product and voices its displeasure. However, rather than wasting the product down the drain and starting a new batch using sugar, he insists on tweaking the salty product, believing that someday, in the not too distant future, he will get it to taste better.
Mr Prime Minister, we have sucked salt for too long enough. It is time to tell the Ministry of Finance to let it go and consider another plan. The Ministry will doubtless request another tweaking iteration, but you must refuse them. If the Ministry of Finance adopts the Solutions Barbados strategy, then you will certainly save the economy from the foreseen ruin of continuing along the current path.
If the Ministry is unable to let go of their plan, then you need to shuffle cabinet responsibilities while you still have options, and place a Minister in the Ministry of Finance who is willing to properly examine alternative strategies, otherwise we are all sunk.
Pot holes and water shortage are here to stay . Even the Trinis with all their pitch and oil have to contend with bad roads. Barbados problem, is that, we have one of the HIGHEST road network density in the WORLD. Built-up through years of corruption. Building roads is one thing, maintaining it is another. We simple don’t have the resource to maintain this vast network of road at basic standard muchless international standard.
Urbanization has increased rainwater run-off and our aquifiers are contaminated. Also, we have a serious problem of storage. All off the above make Barbados a water-scare country, notwithstanding the decent amount of rainfall we get annually. Desalination is an expensive solution for the whole country. Every household should practice water-harvesting and conversation.
An excellent comment fortyacresandamule.
Forty,
If Town and Country planning imposed a condition on major commercial projects to provide their own heating (solar, wind or wave) and water (small desalination plants) that will ease the problem a little.
Mia interjected with the same point in the debate this week as it relates to the Hyatt project.
Phillips you better listen to this, and learn and stop with the fools games , understand what going on wake and stop putting people to sleep ,
@Hal. Fully endorse.
This is part one , of your Education on why and how we get to where we are today,
David, it is beyond laughable to read of this continuing water debate or even pot-hole problems.
Certainly the water matter was long identified as a major issue, the impact of which would be significant.
How else can one but laugh with cynicism at any politician who sat in a position of leadership and did not strongly ‘force’ her colleagues to mandate such change related to the point made by Hal @6:37AM, now making supposedly enlightened statements.
In fact I am quite surprised that there are no directives related to water tanks, management of run-off water, and related for commercial buildings. Surely there must be some water management directives.
Anyone here older than 50 who lived in Barbados in the 70s and 80s during the radio tenure of Rev. Andrew Hatch will certainly recall that he was particularly insistent about just that topic. That we are still seeking ‘ideas’ rather than firm implementation of the various ideas and concepts discussed back then is just completely laughable for our small economy that needs excellence of development…we cannot afford the apathy.
Pothole repair of course is about local district road management. That this is a problem is combined apathy, indifference and supposedly lack of money as it certainly cannot be about basic skill and competence to fix the damn roads.
@Dee Word
It is all about a visionvision;roadmap.
@David. Did you know that Barbados ranked 6th in the world in terms of road network density? We have 372 km of road for every 100 sq km of land. We have about 1600km of road in Bim. Hong kong , a richer country, almost three times Barbados landmass, and with 7 million people got 2090km. Go figure.
@fortyacresandamule
Yes it was drilled into our heads for those who attended secondary school -we have one of the most dense road networks in the world partly a legacy from our plantation days.
MORNING FOLKES
I am wondering if any from BU attended the Semis at the Usain Bolt complex. Or were too busy posting nuisance comments here on BU.
Our young people showed great grit and determination in their endeavors yesterday. Unlike the old people here on BU with their defeatist mentality.
Those young Bajans showed beyond a shadow that the future of Barbados is in good hands.
This is part 2 , Phillips , for what you are talking about doing is the same plan that has failed under Ponzi and Fraud, Now the crooks of the DLP and BLP looking to put Barbados in slavery the IMF and others to save his seat in the elections,
We will wait to see your replies on BU, for we have answers you have dreams or nightmares.
When you learn the roots then the DLP and BLP can be sent home, Don’t be a backup for fraud and Ponzi it does not work ,
fortyacresandamule March 16, 2017 at 7:16 AM #
@David. Did you know that Barbados ranked 6th in the world in terms of road network density? @@
Based on your post, now you can see where it was said CO William received 100 Million in contracts for roads each year for a time of the BLP?
We seem to have no road Quality or maintenance agreement on the flat roads painted in black oil.
Hal Austin March 16, 2017 at 6:37 AM #
Forty,
If Town and Country planning imposed a condition on major commercial projects to provide their own heating (solar, wind or wave) and water (small desalination plants) that will ease the problem a little.@@@@
”
to be clear, using the word “TOWN AND COUNTRY” its is not someone apart, that is the PM, he approves all the planning, so hope people are not fooled, Is that not the Prime Minister post to say yes or no? T&W=PM , same person, same same same Mark Cummins is just an overlarge fraud man the goat that will not speak up,
Why wouldn’t these upstarters recognize the fact that the magnitude of barbados economic problems are complex. Deeply entrench in years of political entilements across the board many of which where met with outrageous demands akin to blackmailing the best interest of the country
Many of those who are crtical of barbados economic problems are themselves partly to blame
The politics entwined in decision maki ng have now raised it’s ugly head and sits at the top of the tandem pole large and jn charge
Cutting off the head of the dragon would not be easy as those dark shadows lurking in the dark feels most comfortable with the way things are and they know the messages being sent to destablize barbados economy would not effect them but only the poor.
JACK ASS Article
Asking government to impliment ISO 9001 is like tasking a local monkey to build an A BOMB.
GOOD LUCK.
As’s….the magnitude of the US, UK, Canada, Japan’s, China’s economic problems are complex. ..they have millions, hundreds of millions and a billion people respectively….with huge areas of land mass…and they manage one way or.the next.
Then ya have the tiny 2×4 island with 285,000 people….it’s not the economic problems complex…it’s the leaders in parliament incompetent and incapable.
Obama inherited a disastrous, complex, destroyed economy. .., he did his job through multiple rating agencies down grades and weaned it back to a strong economy.
It’s Fruendel, Inniss, Sinckler etc dont know what they hell they are doing..they are INCOMPETENT.
This is something I believe is so true.
https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2017/03/16/paul-government-in-collusion-with-ratings-agencies/
@ Wily Coyote
Asking government to impliment ISO 9001 is like tasking a local monkey to build an A BOMB.
GOOD LUCK.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shiite man!! yuh did not have to be so blunt…..
We should try to let Grenville down gently when he push these Sunday school ideas to be applied in the midst of Hell.
These people cannot even work out what is wrong with paying hoards of lazy-ass people to do NOTHING in the snivel service, ..with money that they DON’T have, and Grenville is calling for ISO standards.
Even if he could get the monkeys to build that bomb, ISO 9001 is quite simply a process created by the first world countries to impede INCOMING trade from developing countries that would have enjoyed low wage advantages.
It is NOT a solution for us.
What is needed is a NATIONAL, INSTITUTIONALISED, MERITOCRACY established in Barbados, with a POLICY that says that those not prepared to perform, should be prepared to starve or beg….. and those who break the laws of the land, should be prepared for Dodds.
The solution is management at the micro level and management at the macro level. They are not interchangeable. Competence in one level does not lead to competence in the other. Those employed at the micro level can do their bit by not increasing the expenditure at the public sector level but produce goods and services for the private sector and for export. Thus increasing the foreign currency inflows.
The high level of debt service relates to the misconceived idea that one should borrow to shore up the foreign reserves. This is a mistake that was made in the 1990’s with the Japanese bullet loan. It was perpetuated by subsequent administrations. One should increase Foreign Reserves either by increasing exports or through Foreign Direct Investments (without subsidies).
Finally The Offshore Financial sector and the Tourism sector are mature industries. We need to plan ahead for new and growing industrial sectors.
@Bush Tea @10:16 AM
I agree with you. The only part I disagreed with is the suggestion of sending them to Dodds. That is an increase in public expenditure. Already the amortization of the loan along with the interest charge on Dodds is a foreign exchange drain.
Carson…what kinda contradictory nonsense is that.
David
Anytime there is some ‘well reasoned’ traditional economic logic it seems to capture the imagination of those whose minds reside in a bygone era.
None of this will work again
In the Youtube video above with economists, including Worrell, and others, all we hear is the regurgitation of an old reasoning we’ve been hearing since the 1940’s.
This logic falls well within the wheel-house of the ugly man from England.
It merely results in logical fallacies.
It does not consider a vast number of new economy structures.
These would include the recycling of deficits, the financialization of markets
These are two the largest contributors to the political-economy problems faced by Barbados.
They should tell us how new problems are to be solved using old equations.
hmmm, does not the same Grenville teaches, prepares for and implements this ISO through his “school or institute”? I suppose he will do the inspections and re-certifications as required. Seems like he is looking for work for himself. The Barbados Productivity Council sent staff to Houston (APQC), to learn how to do process benchmarking. Let them practice what they learnt.
@Pacha @10:49 AM
Yes. It was quite axiomatic. This time it is different and it did not register that there is a new “normal”.
Preparing a work place, business for ISO certification is not rocket science, they trained employees within the bank, or insurance company or whatever to make the necessary changes back in the early 2000s in the metropolises, a couple classes and reading the literature provided will do, it does not require speciality training, inhouse training would suffice, compiling information from the start of the business’ life is key to the process.
Pacha…their minds are too colonial in content and backward in implementation, they are just not moving forward, their very being is tied to stagnation, it is a mental state and terrible to witness.
The judicuary is infested with that stupidy and cannot move on….move up or make any changes, implementation is a backward movement…instead of designating timelines for judges to complete cases by giving the judges the tools and power they need to stop these low level attorneys, QCs included, from clogging the system with cases and unnecessarily dragging those cases through the system for 8,9,10 years, Adriel Nitwit Dimwit, is clogging up the magistrates court even further by transferring supreme court cases over to the already stagnant and ineffective magistrates court.., there will be no further movement there.
Ya have trials that start and months later ya still trying to get a date to continue the trial….remember, the trial started months ago, but it is in the best interest of the attorneys to not bring closure to the case and the judge has no power to stop that…and Adriel Nitwit sees nothing wrong with that…it’s a national disgrace.
Grenville
Be careful, be careful
Maybe the PM will write you back and state that engineers, like several metaphors in your letter, were never trained to save economies on death’s bed.
He may suggest to you, that these are not the times when grand monuments to self are to be built.
He may wonder whether yours is a fig leaf for a possible coalition government should you be able to displace the BLP as the official opposition.
We think it unadvised for you to make these approaches, even in jest.
Grenville, you sound like a the political neophyte you are
When there are people out there willing to help with strategy, communications.
For those unaware, I am not making this up, in the real world I know once a trial starts, even if there is an adjournment for a week or 2, the plaintiff should not have to wait months or years to get a continuation trial date to bring closure to and continue the frigging trial that already started.
….this shit makes me vex.,, steuups…and these clowns talk about being first class and world class and a lot of stupid nonsense.
Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger March 16, 2017 at 10:45 AM
James Paul does not write the Headlines for Barbados Today.
CCC
Once you are seen sniffing around so often, it is certain your party has to be in real trouble.
All hands on deck?
Carson…they are quoting what that fool Paul said.
Carson needs to read the comments from the electorate on that same article, they think that the whole cabinet and their yardfowls are incompetent fools, that is now the sentiment of the people.
@Carson C. Cadogan March 16, 2017 at 9:54 AM #
“This is something I believe is so true.”
GOOD, I’ve got a Bridge For Sale, no doubt your interested, Please FORWARD HARD CURRENCY IMMEDIATELY or LOSE THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.
I wonder why sensible people do not connect the dots…..we are a highly educated people,we know how to manage,the Auditor General has pointed to a number of areas in govt. overtime that no accounting for expenditure has been recorded………so tell me why ISO 9001 is required.
A case in point MTW has a number of depots around the island with crews tasked to maintain the road the cost of which appears in the estimates and reflected as used up at the end of the year…..so why are they not maintained?
Management has nothing to with it……the harsh reality is that they are us….so why should we expect better?
@ Bernard CodringtonMarch 16, 2017 at 10:26 AM
“Finally The Offshore Financial sector and the Tourism sector are mature industries. We need to plan ahead for new and growing industrial sectors.”
‘We need to do this and we need to do that’ have been the buzzwords of armchair economists like you for the past 20 years.
Just check out the many utterances from Sir Frank over the years about the need to restructure the economy and you might be to identify the similarity with what you are palavering about.
Can you suggest at least one new and growing industrial sector that can be recommended to either earn or save forex for the fast ‘heading-to-bankruptcy’ Barbados?
Here is one that can be food for thought:
Decriminalize the growing and use of marijuana not only to save significant forex through import substitution (use what you grow locally and eliminate the forex leakage via the underground economy) while creating the environment and acting as a fillip for the production of niche marketing high added-value goods using the by-products of the plant.
At least some of the thousands of the now idle overgrown acres taken out of sugar cultivation and production would be gainfully utilized (again).
Since the molasses to make genuine Bajan rum for export cannot be achieved why not try another ‘high’-end alternative to earn forex.
Here is a tip I first mentioned in my Notes..and do again. The prime minister should establish a policy delivery unit in his ministry, with a remit to work across all of government.
He should then call a Cabinet meeting and instruct every minister to come up with a ten per cent cut in spending within three months (closely monitored by his delivery unit). No ifs or buts or maybes. Failure means the sack.
@Hal
You have assumed this process was not exercised to support the Appropriation Bill/Estimates process?
We have two vast physical resources that are not seriously utilized. High purity limestone that has a wide application. Barbados landmass is 80% limestone. Secondly, our exclusive economic zone is our 400 times our land area. We should have had a thriving commercial fishing industry like Iceland.
@ fortyacresandamuleMarch 16, 2017 at 1:45 PM
“Secondly, our exclusive economic zone is our 400 times our land area. We should have had a thriving commercial fishing industry like Iceland.”
Good point about the fishing industry in the Atlantic Ocean but a bit too late.
That is already controlled and heavily exploited by other countries especially those like Japan, S. Korea other Far Eastern entrepreneurs.
It’s easier for the so-called local merchants to import stale pilchard and mackerel canned in Thailand than for the lazy entrepreneurial class to invest in that sort of productive forex-saving industrial enterprise.
……………, whosoever you are, you had better understand neo-colonial imperialist behaviour and recognize it when you see it.
The government of Barbados is told by Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s what it must do to its so-called fiscal deficit, that it must pursue further fiscal consolidation, that it must reduce its debt, that it must avoid borrowing credits from the Central Bank of Barbados, that it must cut its size, that it must avoid putting pressure on the country’s currency, etc, and that if it does not do those and other things, its supposed creditworthiness would be downgraded further (threats).
Well, it actually fails to do such – for whatever reasons – and its debt profile gets back to back down grades by two rating agencies and you are suggesting that Mr. Paul is out of his league, when it is so pellucidly clear that such rating actions are neo-colonialist imperialist, and are about cowering this government of a sovereign independent country into submission.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader in the House of Assembly metaphorically cheers on these rating actions, with no known patriotic stances taken by her against such neocolonial imperialist behaviours.
Also, no government has never defaulted on its debt obligations to any international financial institutions and holders of government paper are not fearing that they would not get what is promised to them. Yet, such rating actions!! Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s behaviour must be condemned, and a strong firm national response delivered to them.
Well, let me tell you, whereas DLP and BLP governments have over the years been grossly and recklessly mismanaging this country’s affairs and have refused to lead the way in carrying out substantial restructuring and transforming of many of the country’s affairs, still this is MY country and I will NEVER countenance any nonsovereign foreign body – of which Barbados is not a member – SCANDALISING AND PULLING DOWN OUR COUNTRY, under the guise of downgrading the creditworthiness of the government.
So, rather than message things that make sense, whosoever you are, you message things that make complete nonsense of such international relations behaviour by such nongovernmental actors. Go and read a course in international relations and under what realism means, if you have not as yet.
This is my Barbados and not the DLP or the BLP or PDC’s!!
MARK ADAMSON
FYI
VoB will have an officer from Moody’s on the talk show on Sunday, also the articulate 13 year old who appeared on the platform of the BLP’s March of disgust.
Mark Adamson is just as full of crap as is the current cabinet…Carson, ya need to see the writing on the wall and if you listen carefully, ya will hear the fat lady singing.
Glad to see the young leaders being exposed to the leadership environment. …they are our tomorrow and intelligent enough to see what is lacking in today’s leaders…,13 years old is the right age to be exposed, there were kings at that age ruling kingdoms thousands of years ago, dont mind the backward Blackett et al.
Good that Moody sent someone to debunk the misinformation government ministers and their yardfowls are trying to vpsit on the uninformed members of society, just to be reelected….this is the infprmation age, ya would think the idiots in parliament would know that neither the rating agencies nor IMF will let them get away with that wickedness of lying on these agencies in 2017….this is not the 1960s -the 90s.
David,
It has not. Stuart has said privately that he sees no need for it.
Yuh talking sense Hal, and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) would help with flooding and water retention.
Grenville is wrong
There are few, if any, options left.
Within the current paradigm.
All the current thinking, including his own, will take us over the brink.
Three hundred years from now we’ll have another example how ‘civilizations’ commit mass suicide.
“Mark Andamson. You are very correct in bringing to the conversation of neo-colonial imperialist behaviour. The hegemony being placed upon this vulnerable island. Barbados being a progressive small state within the global market. Barbados continues to be a target in order to ensure that the Plantation System (social control system) remains in place. Yes, the interests of these systems does want Barbados brought to its knees.
I asked several questions in another post one being, “Who’s interest does the IMF serve really”? The IMF has been accused in the past as being a tool for free-market countries only.
I ask again, would the interest of Barbadians be served if we allow our strings to be pulled by these agencies?
We need to protect ourselves.
ALANA BLACKMAN
I was actually looking forward to an elections date being announced right after the march. Cause I thought the march was going to bring down the Government(collapsed) I heard the paper said 9 000 was there,I heard somebody said 11 000 then I heard 15 000 so here goes 15 000 do I hear a 16 000?15 000 going once,going twice by weekend I expect to hear 25 000 . So what now then after the march seeing how the Government is still intact. Let’s look at the issues or some of them. I heard William Duguid on a whatsapp voice Note advertising the march and encouraging people to come out by saying March against the high prices in the stores really Duguid? High prices was always part of the Barbados business landscape even under the BLP’s rein. I well remember Owen Arthur in his capacity as PM calling the business sector leaders in Barbados to a meeting and asking them to low the prices of they products when proper pork man told him in no uncertain terms if I low the prices of the products in my supermarket then the Government have to compensate me,least you forget Duguid. If the prices weren’t high then why the meeting? Years ago there was a visitors magazine published in Barbados and the visitors always said they only concern was Bim is a high price destination and this Govt wasn’t in office then. Water woes was a next issue like anybody else I also want to see an end to water woes in Bim but in reality we always had issues with water or the lack of it in some areas. I well remember when this Govt/administration came to office they did a complete mains laying etc programme in St Philip starting from there by Beaulah church and when it was completed some people in that area said this is the first time in 15 years that they are receiving constant water flow and clean/clear water also. Other parishes used to cry out for the lack of water under the BLP’s rein the same St Joseph was one of those parishes. Anyway the water seem to have been reduced or eliminated altogether cause nobody is complaining any more. The State of the economy was a next area I don’t care what no economist as some is and ecuntomist as some prove to be,blp etc say unless we as bajans change our level and pattern of consumption and our thirst and or hunger for foreign goods,unless that import bill is significantly reduce then it’s like spinning tot in mud. We bajans don’t like or believe in what is locally produced here, and that has created a culture of import and once it’s from overseas then it’s great then we wonder where the foreign reserves are going. As I said we are more import driven than export,we don’t have any other resources to rely on (other than our own people) so we will at some point in time print money. The BLP have print money also so don’t be fooled they did it before and will do it again. Under the BLP’s rein when according to them (blp) “this economy was firing on all four cylinders,it was performing like Sir Gary in his cricketing hey days,Barbadians never had it so good and that administration had much more money than was previously available to any administration in the history of politics in Barbados” this economy then should have been restructured and diversify.
DALE WORREL
I showed this video sometime ago. However for those of you who may be relatively new to BU i believe it makes for essential viewing as it ties in with brother Bush Tea’s doctrine of mutual cooperation between individuals and groups. It represents the way forward for small island economies.
http://video.aljazeera.com/channels/eng/videos/earthrise—barbados-goes-green/3956713414001
Whatever happen to the contracts that were awarded to foreign companies to drill for oil in our waters?
Truth is a powerful tool that cannot be shaken or swept away . Truth has destroyed many govts and at it nucleus is a stealth called integrity
Carson…., what happened to the 2 billion dollar surplus the government foubd upon being elected…and wjy was the government nit capable of turning it into a 4 or 6 billion dollar surplus.
No one is saying the IMF and rating agencies are saints, what intelligent people are saying is that the government will not be allowed to use these agenciesmas tools or weapons to lie to, misinform and deceive the electorate to be reelected…I think that is reasonable….yall lie to the people constantly and consistently. …it cannot continue.
Carson…., what happened to the 2 billion dollar surplus the government found in the treasury upon being elected…and why was the government npt capable of turning it into a 4 or 6 billion dollar surplus.
And I remember vividly……..parts of St. Philip had severe lack of water issues just….last year.
When Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford demitted office he left 17 000 public servants. when the BLP left it was 27 000. Despite the auditor general’s warning previously to lay off staff and a wage bill too high for a $200 million to sustain, plus having to pay back barrack debt,the prison debt every January $30 million.
Does anybody know how Del Maestro was able to be introduces to Brathwaite at Transtec to be able to possibly construct a plant on his property at Kendal?
In a related question is Michal Lashley still leasing a vehicle from Transtec?
A prison that was built for $700 million in a $200 million economy then wunna have the guts, the temerity and audacity to talk about deficit. It’s like somebody working for $5 but spending $8.
Barbados is an IMPORT DRIVEN economy.
Not an EXPORT DRIVEN economy. That is why every 15 to 20 years we are finding ourselves in this situation.
Only the TOURISM sector is firing on all cylinders bringing in more than it fair share of foreign exchange. Followed by Financial services and rum exports.
Other than that all other businesses are foreign exchange users. That is why we are where we are.
Just look at one Bajan industry. VEHICLES. Sheet metal in all forms from all over the World IMPORTED into Barbados. How much FOREIGN EXCHANGE does Courtesy Garage bring into the country? How much does it use? How much FOREIGN EXCHANGE DOES PLATINUM MOTORS BRING INTO THE COUNTRY? How much does it use How much FOREIGN EXCHANGE does all the vehicle IMPORTERS and Parts IMPORTERS bring into the country? How much Foreign do they use?
Carson…the more ya rant the more ya show up government incompetence, why is the government still incapable of switching the island from an import to export driven economy….they are the leaders, why dont they have any sustainable ideas for the economy. …..
……why as Estwick said in his letter to Fruendel that the government has been printing money from their very first term in office……..that is nearly 9 years of printing money……and probably thought the rating agencies did not know….playing slick.
It’s all out in the open, the fraud, the ministers fake posing like they knew what they were doing…yall gpt exposed….go and read the link for ya self.
We like too much bloody borrowing!!!!
To support grandiose living. Constantly Mortgaging our future.
Intelligent leaders would know they have to restrict Simpson Motors, Coutesy and Platinum Mitors etc from importing vehicles….Bermuda dud it at least 10 years because they have real leaders, only one car per family….allowed.
Those car companies are not the leaders in Barbados…If the leaders were doing theor jobs, the car companies could not leak foreign exchange out the country.
Well Well
Printing money in Barbados was going on from the Barbados Labour Party time. It is nothing new.
The printing of money will not have no deleterious on the Barbados economy as the economy is not operating at full capacity.
Pachamama March 16, 2017 at 3:35 PM #
Grenville is wrong
There are few, if any, options left.
Within the current paradigm.
All the current thinking, including his own, will take us over the brink.
Three hundred years from now we’ll have another example how ‘civilizations’ commit mass suicide.@@@@
Pach. @@Grenville have been wrong from the start he just do not get it,,the man act like a fool, and he will end up on the same road as we are now,
He can not answer any of My questions, Just gives long talk. he really act like a DBLP dead head, He has No solution for Barbados just more of the same, You can not manage Fraud or PONZI, You must have Rule Of Law and Apply it , No matter what names pop up and apply it and not zig zag around names as the do at the land registry or Archives to avoid the truth,
“Clear Title” is how Banks make money, giving loans for homes and land,, Car loans, credit cars ect ,then you are able to get a few cents on your savings account ,
The banks leave Barbados and some downsize, CLICO is fraud and Ponzi, Sargico leave Barbados for they have no more fraud land to play with,
Barclay’s now Frist Caribbean and CIBC also seem now to run out of land,
Ask Phillips for a chart of the amounts of Loans we given out for housing over the years and see the DIP when fraud was talk about and some years some time you get 1 per six months or per year to a standstill?
Offshore banking has near dried up now pulling back the mask of the face of fraud and ponzi,
Think its a Joke>? We will watch the rush for projects in Barbados as election come to buy the votes with dreams of JOBS after 5 years.
We will also watch the DLP hang and the BLP kick the chair with a rope around Mia neck next,
Never seen so many crook lawyers MP group on a 3 legged Chair with a rope around their necks
Mia now seems to have to use the internet to Bypass the media news in Barbados,
The CUP have not spoken as yet,,, as we watch the fools keeping with lies, that they cant take back for the record.
Get a Clue Phillips, Hiding fraud and ponzi and ass kissing will not help you, We heard they had to on radio cutting you offf, At least you got on the radio as the news block on true goes on , Wake up man wake up, Once you get it, let us know, For the DBLP have to go ,, They will never replace one Sleeping Man for another,
Carson.., ya full of crap…print one more dollar by now and the middle or end of the year and yall will go into default. ….then ya should be bodily removed from the people’s parliament.
https://www.facebook.com/alexmitchell.el/
Dear All:
Roads
The amount of roads is not the problem. The problem is that roads were neither designed not built for the amount of traffic. More importantly, the roads were designed to minimize maintenance. The solution is to design and construct very low maintenance roads and drainage structures.
ISO 9001
The ISO 9001 Quality Management System can be implemented across the Public Service almost immediately, and significant benefits can be realised within 3 months. It should not cost the Government any money to implement the ISO 9001 system.
Options for Solving the Economic Problems
We still have options, but are rapidly running out of time. The Prime Minister needs to take urgent action.
Best regards,
Grenville
Grenville @ the only Option Barbados PM have is telling the Truth, if he tells the truth he may be re-elected if that is his dream ,
Why do you not want to deal with truth? Did you take an oath also to be a liar as a Mason?
No part of the government can deal with CUP , There is no room for liars at our table.. All willl be exposed,
http://www.iwnsvg.com/2015/03/17/acquisition-of-former-top-cops-land-in-canouan-unconstitutional-unlawful-and-null-and-void/
For all you crooks in office , wake up SB Rule of law, none in Barbados crooks of the court,
Grenville Phillips
At times suggests that lowering business costs lead to greater invested.
This is neo-classical economic nonsense.
The most recent proof is after decades of this in the USA suggest the reverse.
Cheap money, for example, were largely (95%) was invested into financial assets, horded, loaned overseas, etc.
This Phillips is the reincarnation of the junk economics of Richie Haynes as he aims to protect the moneyed classes.
Sometimes it is better to rant about nonsense than to try to add some intellectual weight to one’s personal views and simply expose one’s mis-understanding of essays grabbed from the internet.
Formal training in a discipline is far better quality than using Google to plagiarise ideas. Every Barbadian is now an economist, which is great. The same way they are all lawyers.
The Ugly Man from England
You must have Alzheimer’s.
How many times do you have to be told, assssshole, that we have never operated as such.
Everything we say here, whether right or wrong is our idea.
Anybody here, except you, can quiz us on any we say. In fact, we have had live commentaries with at least one BU contributor. Where for an hour at a time we defended our positions.
Now when, are you going to stop being the butt of a unique idiocy here on BU, as widely recognized?
Are you not the ugly man who up to a few years ago was pushing failed economic shiiiite here on BU every Friday?
Only last night Bushie had to tell you yuh talking nonsense
And after talking that shiite you still would not relent
Then finally tried to solicit ideas from this writer.
You are a proven idiot
Now, you may have the last word.
Take a look at this story and draw your own conclusions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-39311336
Some people will never learn…lol
Barbados used to import lots of beef from South America. A friend told me that when it boils up, it frothes a lot and smells bad. She wanted to know if the beef we get in Canada was like that. I told her to stop eating beef that it was either horse meat or bad beef.
https://www.facebook.com/NationBarbados/videos/10154137510550989/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
Grenville,
Please drop this idiotic ISO9000 implementation talk. The fact that you continue to peddle this nonsense as a saviour of Barbados’s problems shows you are total out of touch with reality and definitely not able to manage this island.
Barbados’s problem are largely cultural and developed over years under a colonial system which still scars us today. Any solution must address this and ISO 9000 certainly does not. It is only a tool.
PLEASE STOP THE IDIOTIC ISO9000 talk and put forward other practical solutions we can discuss
independent voice March 16, 2017 at 6:19 PM #
Truth is a powerful tool that cannot be shaken or swept away . Truth has destroyed many govts and at it nucleus is a stealth called integrity@@@@@
If you dont know how true that is, Wait till We get going, ,The NNEWS in Barbados dont come the CUP, To much truth for them and Most of BU,
Even when they talking about elections they skip over 2013 and go right to 2008,Just to Avoid the CUP, We know they drink from CUPs everyday and it must kill them to see it so close to their face and nose,
CUP of Blessing coming just Now, We will see if it will also be NEWS Block on BU,
So mantyy snakes in the media but we still going after the PM as top snake,
Did you hear or see how much in the Banks in Barbados and no loans can be had..
Just remember two words in All Banking, “Clear Title” Yes we got that, CLICO dead dead dead, Many need to be in jail, But they there shaking the PM hand talking 5 more years well them years passing and near done, Elections this time will make more History than 2013,
Free Press, Free Speech, Freedom of Information will keep many out of the DLP and BLP for a long time,Those two coverup PATRIES WILL DIE A SLOW DEATH NEVER TO RETURN , WE HOPE,
@ David,
We had a first in the UK parliament last week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39295244
@Exclaimer
No better place to demonstrate an all inclusive approach than in the parliament. What happened in the UK contrasts sharply this week with an MP in Barbados the parliament disparaging women who have not conceived children.
https://www.facebook.com/SupportMiaMottley/videos/1372246129509592/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
@ David,
It pains me to make direct comparisons between the two countries as Barbados is not a progressive country. I presume you are talking about the discredited Mara Thompson. Ironically, the same accusation was made by a UK female MP (Andrea Leadsom) against the soon to be crowned Theresa May during the most recent Conservative leadership contest after Cameron had decided to step down! The silly women stated that she would be able to run the country better for the simple reason that she was a mother of three in complete contrast to the childless Mrs May. I believed that she removed herself from the leadership contest as soon as she realised the folly of her statement.
I would welcome it if our beloved Mara were to take note.
The dummies for government ministers will allow any nasty crap from anywhere to be imported for the people’s consumption.
Grenville is cursed with the colonial slave mentality, that is all he can see, well scarred and damaged.
Stand up Bajans, stand up for what is right. Young political leader in the making. I am impressed.
the absolute solution
http://swissindo.news/about-neo-un-swissindo/