Submitted by Kemar J. Stuart, Banking and Finance Student, University of the West Indies
My fascination with finance and budgetary analysis started started at secondary school because of the late PM David Thompson and with my persistence, I annoyed a UWI student at the time to tell me everything he could about finance.
In 2018 I am a benefactor of a Banking and finance education where conversations surrounded the policies of last MOF Chris Sinckler and his perceived financial mismanagement. The highlight being then opposition leader Mia Mottley going as far as no confidence motions, marches and even offering a sound economic point in which I will address.
Most notably in the 2016-2017 Official Budgetary Reply delivered by then opposition leader Mia Mottley on August 17 2016, where she offered a stellar point to then MOF Chris Sinckler. I quote “there is something called a Government Sinking Fund for foreign debt” ‘established under the External loans Act’ “which makes it absolutely clear that proceeds of the Government sinking fund for foreign debt can only be used to service foreign debt”. She highlighted this figure for this facility to be $322 million. She went on to say “the reason why this parliament passed a sinking fund for foreign debt is to make sure that when foreign debt becomes due and payable that the Government of Barbados is in a position to be able to pay because every year it puts aside 2 1/2% of whatever the foreign debt is.”
After such a beautifully orated economic and fact based solution Barbados received it’s first credit default on foreign debt courtesy of ‘I am not sure who’ since there are 3 Finance Ministers and 2 special economic advisors.
For clarity and to give the financial community some sense of stability, can any of the five economic wizards provide a financial analysis of the default with an explanation if the above recommended advice by then opposition leader Mia Mottley was considered before default, the gain/loss on the country’s international debt portfolio and derived benefits from defaulting ,lastly the financial projection of the debt portfolio given that we did not default and gain/loss Associated. Given the butchered approach to financing our interactional debt obligations what if the international community does not take any debt restructuring offers ? Is our special drawing rights going to be sold under the IMF condition to provide balance of payments support if the BERT plan fails?
Through the five of you one of you need to be man/woman enough to face the many possibilities that our financial fortune faces and gives us the raw deal surrounding our international capital market capacity
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.