Ambassador Daniela Tramacere
Ambassador Daniela Tramacere is the head of the European Union (EU) delegation to the region, and has recently publicly challenged my assessment of the region’s trade agreement with the European Union. The trade agreement is called the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), and I determined that it was not in the Caribbean’s favour.
Ambassador Tramacere recited several parts of the Agreement that were beneficial to the region. I agree that there are a great many aspects of the trade agreement that are favourable to the Caribbean region. There had to be a great many beneficial aspects in order to balance the few critically damaging aspects. Surprisingly, the Ambassador then specified one damaging part of the Agreement, namely, that a Barbadian company “can send certain employees to the EU to provide these services for up to six months at a time.”
The EPA actually notes that the contract cannot exceed a duration of 12 months and the employee cannot remain in the EU state beyond a cumulative period of 6 months. What is the trade impact of these crucial barriers? It essentially disqualifies persons in the construction industry from providing their services in Europe for any project over the scale of a house.
The normal profit margin for working on a house would be used in travelling and accommodation expenses in Europe. Therefore, Caribbean construction professionals are unlikely to be competitive in small projects. However, Caribbean construction professional can be competitive on projects that cost tens of millions of dollars at the scale of a hotel, airport, sea-port, highway, hospital, etc. However, the contract duration of such projects exceed one year – which effectively disqualifies Caribbean companies.
Just in case a Caribbean company were to be competitive on a lucrative 11 month consultancy project, the EPA effectively disqualifies that company with the 6-month residency limit. A Caribbean consulting company would normally have one highly qualified key professional in each consulting discipline, with several junior professionals. However, in competitive tendering, the qualifications of the most senior staff are used.
By limiting residency in the EU to 6 months, the Caribbean company would need to provide two highly qualified professionals for every competitive key post. This would require that the company approach a Caribbean competitor to share the project. Further, it is not like a relay race where one simply hands over the project baton. To limit liabilities and mistakes, both senior professional persons would need to be working on the same project from the beginning. This is not only highly inefficient, but it will ensure that the Caribbean’s tender is uncompetitive since it could include double fees for each residency post.
Despite the Ambassador’s defence of the EPA, the evidence is clear – after 10 years of the Agreement, the promised benefits have not been realised. Why? Because our most lucrative industry was classified as “sunset”, and sacrificed for the risky “sunrise” cultural industries. The EU actively encourages our risky and least-likely-to-be-competitive “sunrise” industries. Why, because they have the real prize – construction.
Perhaps the Ambassador is unaware that the EU has won and we have lost. I cannot fault her or the EU, for they were negotiating for their interests and not ours. We lost because of our approach to negotiating trade agreements is fatally flawed – which the EU negotiators must have realised very early. The EU has secured the Caribbean for their children, while we have given up our children’s inheritance.
There are other disqualifying aspects of the trade agreement that are just as damaging. If the Ambassador sincerely believes that the trade agreement is actually in our favour, then if it is found to be as damaging as I have described, then would she be willing to allow the region to correct our grave mistake and renegotiate the most damaging aspects to our children’s inheritance?
@Grenville
@Alicia
So did the Regional Negotiating Machinery fall asleep at the negotiating table?
Caribbean government officials lack negotiating skills, they are dreadfully inadequate when negotiating contracts, they never manage to benefit the people sufficiently. ..
…..Barbados is woefully undeveloped as it pertains to their official’s negotiating and contracting skills, the people ALWAYS end up the losers….dont know if they do not understand contract law, which is an elementary course for any lawyer…or they are too in awe with those they negotiate with to focus on what they are reading, or they just dont understand the terms of the contract…..but something is wrong.
The nonsense they contract always disenfranchise the people.
WW&C at 8:30 PM
I agree with you. Were the private sector bodies consulted? Were they part of the negotiating Team? They are the ones who would benefit most. I do not think that we have deteriorated so badly that the persons who are the net beneficiaries were not consulted nor were part of the negotiating panel. Just asking.
Get real. The EU is a foreign power, conquering non developed countries.
Can’t you all see this is part of the capitalist class to continuously enrich the whites,so called.Black man is not supposed to play any major role in the capitalist way of thinking.He is seen as a serviceman not as an entrepreneur or a professional.Ask Cow,Bizzy,Kyffin or Bjerkham.
The Whiteman never does anything in the favor of any non-whiteperson, Not even Ministers in the CHURCH nor Ministers in the House, Selling labor and souls is what they are there for, Still looking for a JOB= Slavery 5 bds, Work= 10 bds, Keep getting what you as for and still Bitching , Still not learn how to ask your Masters for what you want, Nothing but landless people, Wake Barbados Wake Up, They need from US we dont need for Them ,Columbus is the same coming different in 2017 same ending,
People sick of the whitemans faces in the Caribbean , can you not see who they are sending? white women, They wont even hire a Black face to sit down with you,
Seem like you not learn from Cahill, Different sheep same Wolf,
@David at 8:06 PM…as usual you ask the provocative, ‘set the house on fire’ question … oh lawdie!
This general rhetoric is the SAME as that from Trump that the US negotiators are piss-poor. In his view and that of earlier bloggers basically they or the regional folks couldn’t strike a beneficial deal even if they were selling cold water to travelers across the Sahara.
Fah real!
Why is that the “the Regional Negotiating Machinery fall asleep at the negotiating table” if as Grenville says ” I agree that there are a great many aspects of the trade agreement that are favourable to the Caribbean region.”
I have been involved with colleagues on contract negotiations against first-world players and at all times success was based on the strength of the negotiating position and of course the knowledge, confidence and skills of the participants.
Some Caribbean folks I have seen over the years are damn scary good and of course some aren’t.
I have to believe that folks on government negotiating teams bat to similar averages. Surely they can’t be all bad.
Trump’s remarks are thus absurdly off-the-mark and so too would be any others in that vein.
Grenville also made another telling point that …” I cannot fault her or the EU, for they were negotiating for their interests and not ours…”
That frankly is a crazy wrong concept….these country-to-country contracts should be all about providing opportunities for our small companies and consultants to play on the big field and should be skewed to our favor to facilitate that.
Grenville needs to explain the remark viz : ” We lost because of our approach to negotiating trade agreements is fatally flawed – which the EU negotiators must have realised very early.”
Realistically we do not have the bargaining power to force the EU’s hand in matters such as this so if they are simply negotiating for ‘their interest’ then we might as well not start discussions in our supposedly flawed way.
Free trade deals between unequals are always one-way trade deal. Caricom is a prime example. Trinidad, with it’s oil and gas, is able to subsidse it’s whole business sector with almost free electricity (.05us cent per kwh) and cheap diese oil. To add insult to injury, Petrotrin sells its refined petroleum products in the Caricom market at a premium price, while outside Caricom market it sells at a discount. That is why Trinidad alone captured around 85% of trade surplus in Caricom .
Don’t expect anything different with EPA. It will only get worse. Bidding on goverment contracts will destroy the local contractors.
As Grenville knows full well, these agreements are written and handed to local officials for signature. Most of the local reps are clueless and overawed to be travelling overseas, more focused on getting into the Malls and mostly unaware of the implications that these agreements will have on local business…
It just happens that this particular ‘weakness’ affected Grenville personally, but all those so-called ‘free trade’ agreements were just scams to allow the developed countries to kill the productive sectors of developing countries.
They routinely come up with sweet sounding ‘Free Trade’ agreements and then introduce ridiculous health, packaging, labelling and other ‘guidelines’ and restrictions to ENSURE that we are uncompetitive.
Because we are so addicted to their trinkets, we are forced to play their games… Those people are pass masters at the game of albino-centric materialism…. so we can NEVER win.
Brass bowlery…!!
We need to abandon the Babylonian albino-centric culture (as Bob would have put it), and learn to trust our own instincts.
Only a mad man- or a fool, enters a battle where the opponent gets to choose the weapons AND to make the damn rules too…
Very instructive.Preferential treatment for sugar was negotiated successfully. ACP was negotiated successfully. What is the problem now? Form and no substance? Who are we looking to to negotiate on our behalf? Are we really serious?
@Bernard
Who had the stronger hand at the negotiating table? Was it the ACP countries or EU. Why were only 19 of 77 countries ALLOWED preferential treatment?
The world does not owe Barbados anything. Wake up, people.
ummm.. now you understand why Trump banished the TPP.
Is Grenville a madman!
Bajan construction professional firms are not well known for having any particular patents, industrial processes, revolutionary building materials, master planning expertise or any other value propositions to make them competitive in large markets, population concentrations.
We are not even convinced that local construction processes can easily be transferred to countries which have to deal with 4 seasons, or extreme weather (Sub-Sahara Africa) etc.
Moreover , not even the basics of project management – time, resources and quality have been mastered by the Bajan construction culture as evidenced by perennial delays and cost overruns.
We have never seen any outfit in the Caribbean which can product a minimum of 1000 units per week, example. Or build a house in one day, as an easier task. With the exception of some villages in St. Vincent – a house a day.
Further, we wonder how this minor issue, in the scheme of things, could attract the attentions of a party leader, so-called.
Grenville, if you want to encourage your obvious propensity to talk shiite, it maybe better to embed that brassbowlery with the cultural norms from the places, not only Barbados, involved.
@Pacha
While what you say is correct to a point it does not negate the concern express that the RNM should have ensured there was an adequate reciprocal clause as far as construction opportunity is concerned. How can the industry plan to grow expand?
David
Yours is a school boy’s analysis.
Do you really think there could be any reciprocity in the construction trades between Europe and Barbados.
For us the agreement deals with the reality
That reality is the agreement recognizes that the construction culture in the Caribbean is in its infancy, and will always be.
How many builders, workmen have spent a lifetime doing bad work in Barbados.
Grenville himself, has previous argued, rightly, that 90% of the structures in Barbados could not withstand a cat 5 hurricane.
There are no capacities to even quickly rebuild from a hurricane.
These are contradictions.
@Pacha
You are missing the point. If the EPA design affords the opportunity for the RNM to ensure a final agreement that encompasses key sectors of our business we should have reasonable expection for its inclusion. COW Williams Construction for example has built roads in St.Lucia and a few islands in the Caribbean. Who is to say there is not the pathway to grow into the opportunity. The bottomline is that the EPA has not been taken advantage of and the RNM did not execute an agreement that is fairly reciprocal. It is all academic anyway.
An industry can plan to grow by first fixing all the problems in construction at home.
Do you think the Europeans would put up with the shiite that passes for good work in Barbados, or the people who do it.
The whole culture from top to bottom needs a revamp.
Sugar and Banana was negotiated successfully because there was no reciprocity. And even then, we struggled to fufill our quota. You wait and see, USA and Canada will soon want a similar EPA deal. No more preferential agreement. Strictly, reciprocity .
@ Pacha
While you are correct in your assessment, the point Grenville is making relates to the deliberate disconnect between fair and reasonable reciprocity in the agreement. Who is to say that there does not exist a local outlier that could penetrate the European construction market if given a level playing field?
With the agreement, this is not even possible.
These agreements are the modern day equivalent of offering to sell guns to the Indian in exchange for their birthrights (land and mineral rights). The Indians took the ‘deals’ with the expectation that this would have resulted in fair trade (battles), but then realised that bullets were not forthcoming as needed…
We all know how THAT exercise ended….
Any modern Black people who trust these peoples with their future, and who are fools enough to toss away such birthrights as their land, their trading rights, and their local production ownership, …FULLY DESERVE whatever the hell they get in return. If we cannot learn from history then we should expect to repeat it…. and hopefully when our grandchildren escape from THEIR coming slavery, they children may learn from OUR idiocy…
What Bushie would like Grenville to discuss is how HE proposes to deal with these multilateral trade agreements….
David
Sorry
COW has been doing work in the islands for decades
So, why would the EU need to be involved in these relationships between regional states?
Indeed, many Caribbean firm and people have been doing all the time.
@Pacha
We can agree to disagree.
Interesting…..on the one hand we are saying that our highly educated technocrats are incapable of negotiating deals for our construction industry and on the other hand they did a dab job on bananas and sugar.
Another blame game……in the final analysis we the people are responsible for our own destiny…….one day we will collectively start to take an interest in matter around us and take action.
Another confusing article, and, as Pacha alluded, delusional into thinking that Barbadian construction firms could actually compete with European firms for construction jobs in Europe. Can local construction firms even meet the risks and insurance, and bonds? Clearly the EPA isn’t focus on construction as a whole (for obvious reasons), but components such as architecture, interior design etc. From my limited knowledge of EU consultancy firms, I believe most contracts for professional services (other than construction) are less than 12 months. Not to mention skype, dropbox, facetime, conference calling, emails etc etc. Identifying one aspect of the agreement, which seems unrealistic, to label the agreement as bad seems like nonsense. I wish Grenville would tell us what impact EU construction firms and professional service providers are having on local businesses.
@enuff
How is construction defined under the EPA? You understaWhy OSA wanted a transition period of 25 years?
@enuff
Do you recognize this statement?
“It was always intended that the CSME would challenge and make more competitive the operations of Caribbean enterprises by confronting them with faster, deeper and of broader liberalisation in their regional market, arising from the CSME, than they would have to face as a result of the commitments we enter in our bilateral and global arrangements.
Here lies the essential link between the programme to create the CSME, and the work on our new external economic realities. However, the link is being broken.”
“Grenville himself, has previous argued, rightly, that 90% of the structures in Barbados could not withstand a cat 5 hurricane.”
Which means Cow’s work is also mediocre and shoddy, his roadworks are crap and designed to last 3 years until the next contract, the firm that builds roofs which Maloney heads also does crappy mediocre work, they do npt have the skills or talent for building that one would find in Europe….and if unable to build efficiently for perpetual summer temperatures in the Caribbean, how can they build for harsh winters in Europe when they have no knowledge of those specs.
……the one sided agreements contracted by unskilled officials is disgraceful to say the least, that includes all other contracts,.
“It was always intended that the CSME would challenge and make more competitive the operations of Caribbean enterprises by confronting them with faster, deeper and of broader liberalisation in their regional market, arising from the CSME, than they would have to face as a result of the commitments we enter in our bilateral and global arrangements.
…………………………………………………….
What an empty statement………fullsome and puerile……saying nothing.
@ Enuff
Boss, you should not underestimate the professional competence of Grenville’s engineering firm. If you did some research you may find that among the partners have been some world renowned experts in the construction industry with specialities in hospitals, earthquake construction etc….highly respected in Europe and North America…and with international agencies like PAHO etc.
Just because mediocrity abounds in brass bowl land (and runs things), does not mean that sparks of brilliance do not also exist.
Grenville’s main problem may be that he mistakenly thinks that the kind of brilliance that deals with predictable engineering issues with prescribed SOLUTIONS, can equally be applied to deal with the brass bowlery of human ‘beens’…..
It DON’T WUK so….
People are just TOO foolish and unpredictable….. take Vincent for example… LOL 🙂
Besides there are also SPIRITUAL issues at stake….
Bushtea
No one is underestimating the competence of local engineers. Competence, however, isn’t the only ingredient necessary to compete.
David
I am no EPA or CSME expert (as Bushie believes lol) but I assume OSA wanted a 25 year lag time to “catch up”. Making Caribbean enterprises more competitive is portrayed as selling off silverware.
@enuff
Exactly!
This is why yours and Pacha’s critique must be informed in context.
@ Enuff
Competence, however, isn’t the only ingredient necessary to compete.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Correct.
Another CRITICAL one is a level playing field.
LOL
Bushie NEVER said you were a CSME expert, but that you were “totally and completely misguided” on that subject.
OSA wanted 25 years so that we could continue in the begging mode, depending on preferential treatment and handouts.
Can you imagine the leaders of a country COMPLAINING that they were being seen as too well off to keep on begging for international handouts?
We had PMs of this country going around complaining of no longer being able to BEG … because the place was doing too well…
OHHH Shirttt!!!
Naturally those same shiite leaders have now taken us back to the place where they can be comfortable again….. talking alms …this time from the Chinese… while still owing the former benefactors…
REVERSE development led by brass bowls.
Bushie
Chuckle…..ah see duh truffe duz hurt…..cuddear……run to BBE fuh sum guidance an SPIRITUAL advise…..wha’er dah iz…..um looks like yuh sorely in need of it.
YOU GET THE GOV’T YOU’VE CHOSEN
Some say the white man came from above oh oh!
That is if you believe that supernatural stuff. UFO
The locals treated him not like a beast
Like the three wise men from the East
Like how Columbus founded the West Indies
Then try to convert the poor Indians! Please!
When that failed they went buffalo butchering
Leaving the Red Indians starving and cowering
Coveting land from humble folks with their flags unfurled
Settling up their own towns and villages all over the world
But in their wake they left many in tears day after day
All over the good land which was never theirs any way
They maltreated many a people who cried long tears
Someone got to be punished for we know God cares
You can sing, and run and jump with all your might
For karma is bitter sweet when it comes back to bite
When some countries got their freedom
Their governments thought they’re dumb
They too tried to do like the Caucasians
Who maltreated the local Amerindians
They built cities and made kingdoms
Living it up drinking coke and rums
They lived the good life like the imperial master
As they too put the little man on the back- burner
As their own folks live in poverty
Amidst their masters’ proclivity
For years the people took it and did nothing
The doers willfully neglecting them sneering
The reapers of the ill gotten gains in their castles in a moat
You take it staying quiet for you don’t want to rock the boat
Tears have been shed every day many going insane
And someone has to pay, here comes karma again
Living the likes of a hog as they shed tears of joy
As they plot and scheme to carry out their ploy
Wives, mothers and children became high brows
Covered from head to toe as their belief allows
But the poor farmers keep toiling and trod on
Eking a miserable living to bring in the bacon
And months became years and fades
And decades ran into more decades
Until the people ran out of tears
They swear and shed their fears
Their anger reached every man, child and wife
For all they ask for is just to live a simple life
Their anger reached a pitch they want to get even
They were ready to face torture of even an AK47
The cry for freedom and democracy was in the air
And every man in South East Asia wanted a share
And so in Tunisia, one day in a little town called Tunis
Using a format called Facebook the locals found bliss
The folks sent messages to one another
Innocently talking and in serious chatter
When Muhammad Bouazizi, a farmer doused himself in kerosene
Which was seen all over the world to show his wrath of that mean
Ben Ali, dictator who lived like a hog for over 27 years
As unemployment grew, people die shedding long tears
All about their welfare and hardship in rage
Actually, bottom line they wanted a change
Citizens were called to silent arms and demanded democracy
Ben Ali trembled in his boots but stuck to his despotic policy
And when the smoke cleared the dictator was kicked out
The people rejoiced as they sang tears of joy and shout
As they pray and hope for a better tomorrow
But the fires were burning all the way to Cairo
Hundreds and thousands were alerted who care
And they all met at the famous Tahrir Square
And the words that went out were “We have taken up
Enough of this, we’ve to bring this nonsense to a stop”
The news spread like wildfire all the way to Benghazi
But was trampled by tanks, guns of an insane Hosnie
And Mubaruk refused to budge as the people persevere
Strengthened by the victory in Tunisia they didn’t care
T‘was do or die they made up their minds shouted out their demands
To oust Mubaruk after 30 years of stealing the wealth of their lands
Eventually he packed up his bags and left after 30years of conniving
As the Muslim Brotherhood stood silently on the sidelines watching
The fires had already spread to Libya a kettle of a different brand
Democracy was a word Muammar Gaddafi could never understand
As he dined with prostitutes in Cannes in Europe like a leech
At home he ruled with an iron hand banning even free speech
Bucket a guh a well everyday, one day
Eh battam guh lef my Nannie used to say
As Tripoli seethed and the people protested
As men women and children were slaughtered
Using jet fighters, tanks and mercenaries from Africa
As his own soldiers refused to kill their own in Libya
Hiding behind his high walls madly raving
With his two evil sons aiding and abetting
After 42 years of wallowing in the Libya’s troughs he can
He said he’d kill any opposer to the last woman and man
The world is shouting that this is a crime against humanity
But all words fell on the mad ears of a man bent on insanity
As the UN and the USA threatened and warned
That no more innocent Libyans should be harmed
Gaddafi answered by sending planes to shoot at oil rich Brega
Threatening before he goes he’d burn the oil wells of Libya
I said we get the Gov’t. we’ve chosen
Sometimes the voters are left frozen
And they have to put up and abide
Their time and flow with the tide
Cause they’re evil forces at work out there
And the innocent are cornered in dire fear
Like what happened in the 1960’s in Guyana
When the British stealthily agree with the USA
To stifle the PPP and oust Dr.Cheddi of Guyana
For they thought Guyana would be another Cuba
History has proved after 28 years Cheddi was not
But Burnham was and that was what Guyanese got
In Africa and Europe dictators arose
All eventually got the peoples’ blows
Those who don’t have it want it
But really can they handle it?
Democracy is what they want
They shouted give us in any slant
In the garage we want a good motor
An oven, a stove and the refrigerator
A detached home is so so
A townhouse or a condo
A job in the bank and money inside
No matter what they promise to abide
We see water it’s not a mirage
We also want a car in the garage.
Many times we have seen great incorporations
And the architects ending up in incarcerations
Look back in History with the great Mahatma
When he and Jinnah were fighting for one India
Jinnah caused India to split is a fact
He was the brains of the Luknow Pact
Jinnah never wanted an Independent India
He was too violent even rejected satyagraha
Every time Gandhi preached cooperation
It was met with the Lahore Resolution
The same thing happened in Guyana’s PPP
When the Muslims rejected the Jagan’s Party
In that case the CIA’s puppet Mr Langley
Gave Richard Ishmael $2.08M for perpetuating the 80 day strike
Also to the Muslims and the Trade Union Council and their like
The Muslims split the Indian vote and formed a PNC coalition
Joined with Burnham who later kicked them out in jubilation
Greedy rulers from Stalin to Mussolini
From Ben Ali to Mubharak to Gaddafi
And the others in poor Africa
Even Burnham from Guyana
All have one common denominator
And that is the built in greedy factor
Their coffers are bare yet they spend much on war
Their people go hungry as the leaders dine on caviar
Even the educated started our good then made a mess
This shows greedy rulers can’t rule I have to confess
How can these so-called leaders sleep deep at night
When their people sleep with a bug infested plight
When they practice the opposite what’s preached in Mecca
Covering their women from head to toe sheltered by Sharia
Laws as they defile and use other women like play things
Paying top dollars for sexy women who party and sings
They pray 5 times per day pointing towards Mecca
As they bank the people’s money to be used later
At the Cayman Islands, Swiss or the country they all hate
Or just invested it in stocks and bonds and in real estate
Since the last time we spoke
Some thought it was a joke
Since then we saw the fall of the South East Asian Empire
A dire land of totalitarians and some secular pundits for hire
Tempered by monastic vows
Treating their women like cows
Governing wretched peoples yet who sneered and applauded
Praying to their God when the Twin Towers were bombed
A people who always want the green US dollars
But funneled the money for domestic owned wars
And sat and took it decade after decades
As that part of the world became Hades
Fast forward to Toronto in Ontario, to live
With the Liberal Party vs the Conservative
You would never believe politicians can be so sick
One would surely think one is in a Banana Republic
Wasting and covering it up is the order of the day
And all the poor taxpayers don’t have a darn say
Billions of dollars wasted to save their party some seats
As erasing tapes and emails done secretly at their meets
The fists would fly and guns would be drawn
But all dumb Ontarians do is smile and yawn
But really you have to blame it on the naive lesbians
Pride has voted as a block maybe they got the billions
They wasted so many billions on their latest dumb hydro*
Scheme asking us to foot the bill $585M for their fiasco
Their last budget is another spin of chicanery
Digging a hole for their death to the cemetery
When the people put party before sound economics
It always come back to bite them where it ticks
Only time would tell in the next few years
But then it may be too late for long tears
Kathleen Wynne, a Lesbian, Leader of the Liberal party, a cohort of Dalton Mcguinty who prorogued the gov’t when he was the leader and about to be dethroned, left to teach at Harvard University, after creating a corrupted nepotistic debacle with our Hydro system, leaving the txpayers with a $585M debt. Wynne’s popularity dropped from 60% to 12% and going down. She refused to quit /resign, but time is not on her side. Bajans beware! Take care of your people and they would be loyal to you.
“A triple whammy that has hit Barbados.”
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/94687/headlines-trouble-brewing-offshore-sector
Dear All:
In response.
David: The RNM “experts” considered the draft agreement a secret, so they refused to share it before it was signed, despite repeated requests. I eventually obtained a copy from the Europeans, because they wanted as much feedback as possible before they signed. See the following link to the initial article to which the EU ambassador objected.
https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2017/02/22/how-to-deal-with-president-trump/
Bush: The EPA was an inheritance for our children. We gave away our children’s inheritance to the children of the Europeans.
Enuff and Pach: Clearly you have no idea what the Caribbean construction industry is capable of, or what we have built. Perhaps the RNM were listening to similar uninformed comments when they were negotiating the EPA.
Best regards,
Grenville
https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2017/02/22/how-to-deal-with-president-trump/
It would appear from the above that our technocrats are on the ball and fully aware of what they are doing…..despite it not being in the long term interest of our country…..they come from amongst us……we are them and they are us…….all of us have agendas.
The negotiators on the island lack negotiating skills, they are idiots, everything is a secret from tge people, while EU and US negotiators are intelligent enough to know you MUST have feedback from the PEOPLE, but the idiots for negotiators from Barbados run off and sign secret contracts and ALWAYS lose…..they have no shame, over and over they do the same stupid things like they got a curse.
http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2017/03/24/us-1-g230-is-murder/
This is an interesting read as it shows how in the views of some a govt can harm a country.
I am sure Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Galliford, Laing O’Rourk, Skansa, Bouygues, Lend Lease, Ogilvie et al were trembling in their boots.
@enuff
What you failed to grasp is that to get to a point (in this case standard) in the future you have to begin readying to achieve it from today.
It is why Arthur was negotiating for a 25 year transition with the EPA and it is why companies using the CSME space as a playground was/is important to perfecting the process. Strong international companies have a strong domestic market presence.
Do you know when VECO was given the contract to build the Dodds prison it had no domestic record of constructing prisons?
Good management is the key. To manage well you have to listen,read and understand . Understanding is the bedrock of wisdom. It is not about the politician it is about the people. You must serve the citizens , not self.
@ Enuff
Don’t be silly now…. it does not become you….
Referencing large, first-world-based infrastructure companies is a childish red herring.
Further research will show that EACH one of these giants started out as nobodies, and were able to grow to impressive heights, thanks to opportunities which they grasped. Most of these first-world organisations enjoyed unfair advantages, thanks to third world leaders who, like you apparently do, have no confidence in the abilities and potentialities of their own people, and also to unfair trade agreements like the moot.
Bushie recently interacted with some highly acclaimed educators at a certain European university, who were – to a man, convinced that the bushman COULD NOT have been educated in the Caribbean…. LOL the whacker is multi-cultural 🙂
Given the same opportunities that they were, Bushie would likely now be a senior EU leader…. instead of whacking brass bowls like Vincent, angela and Alvin….
All things considered, a fair analysis could well find that a few local companies perform better than many of these international giants …. pound for pound.
Give Jack his jacket.
Grenville is a brilliant engineer and he is correct about the shiite trade agreement that we signed.
Now… can we get together and cuss his proposed ‘SOLUTIONS’ style political philosophy?
@ Bernard Codrington March 25, 2017 at 8:20 PM
What is this Boss…?
Cliché time?
Very inspiring, but not saying a pang….!!!
Crooked UK Lawyer
Scheming Linda Box forced the historic Yorkshire solicitors to close down Box, 67, stole millions from client accounts at Dixon, Coles and GillBox even stole £63,000 of Church of England cash belonging to the Bishop of Wakefield’s Fund when she was a registrar and a ‘pillar of the community’She was jailed for seven years at Leeds Crown Court after admitting fraud
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4346652/Crooked-lawyer-stole-4million-firm.html
So when will the local thieving lawyers be locked up fir stealing client’s money, that is a bog blot of dosgrace on Barbados, thoeving lawyers, thieving Michael Carrington……….apparently again.
….that is a big blot of disgrace on Barbados, thieving lawyers, thieving Michael Carrington….et al.
A WORLD WITHOUT WOMEN What this world would be Without our women Don’t be stupid, dummy There would be no men For behind any ordinary man There is a good woman There would be no world No country No flags to be unfurled So empty For women bring love into play for all This sometimes adds to man’s downfall What would the world be without fashion It would be a real mess Living in a bomb-shelter without ration Seeing a man in a dress It would be like a hive without bees Living in a desert without any oases Imagine a world without any bikini No G-string It would be so barren, no beauty A sad thing There would be no healthy beach And nothing for all men to reach No matter how man prays to the above He’d be left with a world so barren He would never be able to fall in love In a world so dull and foreign It wouldn’t be a world but a big joke Like drinking good rum without coke Men would be left facing the wall For men without women There wouldn’t be any Taj Mahal A cock without a hen It would be a sad, wretched world indeed And men would have no use for their seed And those commercials about hygiene and Secret For which men have no need They say their pH-balance don’t make them fret For which men take no heed But whether they use Massengill or wear panty-hose A rose by any other name is still a bleddy rose Men would surely go robust and bust The macho stereotype so sterile, so vain What would men do with all that lust Like going the other way in a one way lane That’s one sensation of which they would be deprived Which can’t be replaced no matter how they contrived Without women there’d be no heartbeat Men’s hearts would not last very long That would be the cause of men’s defeat There would be no love in their song Their world would be in monotone With poor men’s hormone all alone
No night life without night-gals Boring, boring Men can’t have fun with their pals I’ll be snoring It’s women who maintain the balance and checks And men can’t live without this opposite sex Men would not need bedrooms No marriage no honeymoon No brides and no bride-grooms Like a song without a tune Then men may really learn a thing or two For without women they can’t find a clue Finally last but not least A man without a woman Will resort back to a beast And become a lesser man Sailing a sunken sail-less ship without a mast In a planet just hit by a nuclear holocaust.
Bush Tea March 25, 2017 at 9:33 PM #
@ Bernard Codrington March 25, 2017 at 8:20 PM
What is this Boss…?
Cliché time?
Very inspiring, but not saying a pang….!!!
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HAhahahaha….muh belly…….COMPREHENSION bozie……..QED
Ah duz keep tellin yuh effen yuh climb yuh tail expose an yuh gine git whacked.
Hi David:
The decision to give the prison project to VECO was perhaps one of Barbados’ most short sighted decisions. The lost opportunity for Barbados was very significant.
Best regards,
Grenville
Agreed Grenville. Imagine if the local consortium was given the contract to build Dodds how its Customer List when responding to RFPs would be enhanced.
Hope enuff and Pacha following.
Grenville,
That was an Owen Arthur decision, the great economist.
FOREX ON HOLD FOR 2 MORE MONTHS.
Justice Olson Alleyne allowed the court order to remain “with the consent of all parties” involved until May 26 while the substantive lawsuit by Rubis West Indies is set for hearing on Monday.
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/95169/injunction-sol-remains#sthash.YyVDD0Fb.dpuf
@Hants
At this juncture do you think the MoF needs to make a public statement regarding how recent actions that will delay Hyatt and BNTCL sale will have on government’s finances?
The MoF has a responsibility to make a statement to the people of Barbados.
However it seems the MoF and the PM are the ” strong silent types”. lol
The NIS from inception was under the control of the Prime Minister’s office.From the advent of Stuart as PM and Sinckler as MoF the control was moved to the Minister of Labour Dr Byer,a neophyte in things Finance and Wealth Management.This has allowed the Board of Directors of the NIS to pull the wool over the eyes of a Senator who has no say in money matters of government because it’s a cardinal principle of our system of governance that money matters cannot originate in the Senate and a Minister of Finance must be a member of the Lower House.How come a Senator who failed to garner enough votes to gain a seat in the Lower House now has oversight,stewardship and responsibility over a Fund of 5 billion dollars of taxpayers pension funds.Can this woman be imprisoned for failing to account for the proper management and oversight of this important asset?The answer is blowing in the wind like the words of the cabinet.
@Gabriel
Suspect that responsibility for the NIS is in name only.
@Grenville
The Ambassador’s article in today’s BT is a forced response to your attack of the EPA with the EU?
How do you reconciled with government’s response that struggling Caribbean economies has affected EPA take up.
BU’s inquiry is how will the trigger of Article 50 affect the arrangement. Has DOMREP benefitted?