The Upper House is currently debating the Estimates 2020 – 2021. Debating is a strange word given the fact the Barbados Labour Party won all the seats in parliament 30 to 0. A wart of the government system.
The 2020 -2021 Draft Estimates document
Follow the debate from 10AM of Parliament TV.
A very low keyed affair this year. Surprisingly so.
@ David
I’m surprised you ‘said’ the ongoing Debate is “a very low keyed affair this year.”
Especially when one considers, previously, an adequately numbered Opposition would have ‘lively up’ the debate with political grandstanding and rhetoric, while using the opportunity to criticise the ‘government’ on some issue or policy. And, a fellow making a ‘political point,’ would have been accompanied by loud thumps on the table.
As it stands now, the Opposition is one (1) man, whose voice in Parliament is what you should have described as “low keyed.” So, ‘government’ would be essentially debating amongst themselves.
However, couldn’t you have presented a synopsis of the Debate so far, which would have prevented us from having to listen to almost 11 hours of YouTube videos, just to make any meaningful contributions to BU, on the topic.
@Artax
Low keyed as far as public and media commentary is concerned.
buyers’ remorse it sounds like
A man in serious debt would scarcely not want to be seen driving top end cars or keeping too much noise ; living lavishly. His creditors would ask him what happening. Better for him to keep a low profile and hope to win the lotto or find oil in his back yard.
Bottom line is country going into $230,000,000 further debt, hummmmmm
@ Wily
True that is the summary of 771 pages for sure. Add to that the fact that we debt service going be $300M more than budgeted this year and wunna can expect more taxation and economic contraction.
End of summary every body go to the beach now.
@ Wily
Are you sure? This government has been telling us how reserves have grown and how the economy overall will grow remarkably. Surely something is wrong?
Seriously, what has happened with the White Oaks provisional agreement with the external creditors? When are we going to get the full and final agreement.
This government has turned lying in to a fine art. It is disgraceful
@John A
Which debt ratio are you referring, domestic or foreign.
@ Hal
I find you asking too man questions today. What more you want to know?
The minister say WO going save us $1billion in the first year. The fact we debt service end up being $300M more than budgeted is just a “small” difference.
Plus the chief economic advisor said BERT was going to be the pillar of growth. Somehow though we coming up lean on the revenue side so we going tax wunna a little more to close the $200M shortfall.
You realise if we had collect even half the $400M we give way in VAT we could of had a balance budget? Anyhow kindness is a good thing plus we done give it away already.
If it wasn’t so said it would be laughable.
@ David
We had budgeted from memory a debt service of $575M in the first year and it ended up being over $800M. If you go to the earlier article titled debt restructuring a sea of change you will see it there. Came as a result of the inclusion of short term paper.
Surely Straughn must of known that when he made his proclamation of saving a billion dollars in year one?
My point is both the debt service and the shortfall on budget must now be financed. Anyhow don’t let me digress to an older article here, but instead stick to the estimates as Vincent dealt with that under the IMF article.
@John A
So you are referring to the domestic debt.
@David
Whether domestic or foreign it still has to be serviced. To me the relevant part is that the debt service cost has to be financed from revenue as well. All we ever got was broad statements about how much the restructuring saved us but as Hal questioned above where were the final specifics. We now know for sure it definitely has not saved us a billion dollars in the first year as promised.
My point is that the 2 are intertwined now as the ” success” of the debt restructuring will now have an effect on the estimates. Anyhow as I said I don’t want to muddy the waters in terms of discussing the estimates.
@ John A
Your energy is remarkable. Unlike some, you are spot on every time. There are only four ways for governments to raise money – taxation, borrowing, cutting back on spending, or growing the economy.
We know BERT will not grow the economy; people are crying out about taxation, government is borrowing like there is no tomorrow and sacking people and cutting back on projects.
The most important commodity in politics is trust, once you lose the trust of the people you are gone. In less than two years this government has lied to the public on so many occasions it has turned it in to an art. It cannot be trusted.
@ Hal
I will tell you that my biggest worry now is the impact this will have on our people, especially the ones at the lower end of the income scale. Add that to the fact that every additional dollar taken in taxation is one less for economic growth and one can’t help but ask where will growth come from?
We spent millions on a debt restructuring which has resulted in what in real terms? Clearly it has not helped our cash flow as we have come up with a $200M shortfall in year one. So pray tell where did the $billion dollar surplus cash flow the learned minister spoke of go?
All this and the dam opposition we paying quiet as church mice!
@ Hal
It doesn’t help when you have apologists and pro Duopoly media operatives dominating public discourse.
Read in the press that nobody knew that parliament was being moved. Do we know if the government / people own the building; is it owned by Ernst & Young. Are we paying rent?
Whatever happened to those calling for transparency?
The Duopoly Rules
@ John A
Do not follow David Bu down the rabbit hole. You should ,by now, be aware of his modus operandi of creating confusion to distract from the fundamental issues. National Debt comprised of both domestic debt and foreign debt. That is the official and generally accepted definition. Why all of a sudden does he want to parse them. When a budget is not balanced there has to be borrowing, as you quite rightly pointed out.
@ John A cont’d
Or tax . Which you also pointed out in this and previous interventions.
Another Gem:
Fisherfolk are no longer cutting up small dolphins. Dolphins weighing between 5 and 9 pounds are now being sold whole for $8 or $9 per pound.
The larger dolphins are being sold to hotels where they can fetch a bigger price.
End result : if a poor person ain’t got between $40 / 50 they can’t eat a piece of dolphin.
Go figure……..
@John A
You are all over the place this morning.
Let us start again. We have transitioned from a state caused by acculated deficits for ten years which equates to debt. The government took some austere bold decisions to destroy some of the debt in the system. It is commonsense that during a time of austerity there will be pain, it will not be business as usual. Now that the early phase of the austerity program is advanced there is a focus on ramping up investments and other economic activities. We can agree to the methods or approaches but you and I know things will not get better by flicking a switch. What we can agree is the need for actors to be transparent and lucid in their public messages.
@ William
I thought you knew that scam. At Oistins someone I know recently bought some flying fish and asked the hawkers to gut them first and she was asked to pay. Nothing about customer service. She then said she wanted the ‘melts’ and was told she had to pay for them, even though she had bought the fish and paid for the gutting.
She also ordered some fish (king or dolphin, or whatever) and asked for a few steaks and was told she had to buy the whole fish. She then asked for them to be cut in steaks and again was told she had to pay for that service.
@William, Barbados is a gangster country, from top to bottom they are out to defraud people, especially if they look as if they are from overseas. It is not just the lawyers.
At Massy’s in Oistins they sell a bottle of rum advertised for Bds$39.99. The same lady ordered a bottle hand over $40 and stayed around waiting for her change. After a time, she asked the rather plump check out lady for her change and was told “we do not give such change”.
Unfortunately she picked the wrong person who created a scene at the check out. It is theft.
Whether your change is one cent or a million it is their duty to give people their money.
@Hal,
man that is another issue that gets my goat- that cent business. Govt should stop issuing cents as a form of currency. it is a waste of time.
business should be made to fix their price to the nearest 5 or 0. i mean what is the sense of pricing something at 39.99? why not $40? man, the woman was right to ask for her cent change.
and to be honest i would stop issuing the 5 cents too and round everything off at 0.
i have learnt over the years to speak bajan in Barbados. if one can help it, try not to appear foreign and especially not black Brit. that is a magnet for ripoff artists in Bim. it seems to me that bajans view black Brits as easy targets.
Hal Austin
For some years now cents have been withdrawn from circulation. If you pay by cash the cost is rounded to the nearest 5 cent. There are no cents in our currency. I do not believe that a sensible and sensitive customer will make an issue of 1 cent in change.
@ David.
Let’s stick to the issue and forget the smoke.
We have a $200M deficit and a debt service regardless of where it come from that is over $300M more than budgeted. How we get this is only a exercise in semantics. Point is we here!
We also were promised by Straughn a billion dollars in surplus cash flow. That clearly was a joke as we now have a $200M deficit instead. Those are the issues we must discuss. The rest now is all history. The point is this is where we are now. So it is from here we must discuss. So again I ask where de billion dollar surplus cash flow gone dat we pay WO millions to get fuh we???
@ Vincent.
I very careful of the holes I jump in so you know I ain’t going down that one. Lol
@ Mr. Skinner
The nonsense you described with fish vendors has been happening in Barbados for years, and prices progressively increase as Easter approaches.
I’m not sure if you’re aware that, from Wednesday, May 7, 2014, Barbados Central Bank ceased issuing the 1¢.
As a result, the Bank introduced ’rounding guidelines’ for cash transactions, whereby payments would be rounded up or down to the nearest 5¢.
For example, items totaling $24.02 would be rounded down to $24.00, or $5.16 = $5.15, or $10.08 = $10.10. Similarly, an item worth $39.99 would be rounded up to $40.00.
Perhaps the cashier should have explained the ‘system’ to the customer.
To be fair, how can this be justifiably described as “theft?”
Artax & Vincent,
thanks for that clarification
so why shops do have prices at $39.99 etc?
@ Vincent
Thanks for that information, but it is irrelevant. The rum was/is ADVERTISED at Bds$39.99. If Massy’s knew they do not give one cent change, then the advertisement was deliberately deceptive or at least misleading.
In the UK MacDonald’s sells a medium diet drink at 99p and I have never heard of anyone not getting their 1p change. I used to run a small business and sold items at 99p, £1.49, 1.99p,etc and always gave back change. It is the common practice. What most small businesses do is keep a charity box on the counter in which most people place small change.
If you owe 1c change, then pay it. What the central bank wants to do about coinage is its business. As we are on about the central bank, they should get rid of the nasty $2 and $5 notes. I am sure not many people round down.
@ Mr. Greene
One of the CBB’s guidelines was for businesses not to alter prices in any way.
You’re behaving as though ‘ripping off’ people with ‘different accents’ or who appear as though they are ‘foreigners’ is SYNONYMOUS with Barbados ONLY.
Bajans have also been ‘ripped off’ in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, UK, USA, EU, Canada, China……..
It is DISHONEST ACT that seems to be INGRAINED in several cultures all over the world.
I had similar experiences in 90% of the other Caribbean islands I visited. For example, I landed in Tobago one night after 7 PM and while in Scarborough, I asked a ‘taxi man’ to take me to Young Street. He drove me around a hill and on to my destination and charged me TT$10. It was only the next morning I realised where I was staying was 2 minutes walk from the city.
We should be more concerned with eliminating this dishonesty from all societies.
Education 1/2 billion
We cannot keep spending 105 million on UWI and the most popular degrees are Management and Accounting.
With a reduced international business and offshore banking companies many of these graduates now have to fight for scarps in entry level positions at banks, insurance companies, credit unions etc. that a degree is not needed for. Government needs to stop financing these degrees.
We need to pivot towards developing skills. It should have been done 15 years ago.
We spend 30 million on BCC. BCC needs to focus on associate degrees that will develop skills, no more associate degrees in BSc subjects.
With the potential for medicinal cannabis we will need lab techs.
We spend 26 million on SJPP and BVTB
The construction boom that Guyana will soon experience will require skilled tradesmen.
@ Artax
I only commented on the fish thing because I read the article in the papers this morning.
I did not introduce and I have not commented on the 1 cent thing. It was @ Hal who introduce the 1 cent thing.
@ David.
Simply put these are the facts and reality as of today. I going list dem here.
We were promised $1billion in surplus cash flow by Straughn. HASN’T HAPPENED
In the last budget taxation increased by $400M, that and the promised$1 billion saving promised by Straughn, was supposed to have justified white oak bill. If all this was true it would of meant that we should of had a massive surplus. DIDN’T HAPPEN.
Now in case wunna forget a 2 YEAR MORATORIUM on payments or in bajan terms ” a little ease ” was part of the W0 team negotiations. I remember the lead advisor bragging bout dat too.
So as a humble shopkeeper I can’t understand when I add $1 billion dollars in cash flow to $400M in New taxation and subtract a 2 year ease pun payments I coming up with a $200M deficit. Especially when normal annual tax revenue is added to the tax income column!
All I going say is thank God I don’t add so in my one door shop or I would of long shut the only door I got.
I better rethink that 4 beers for $10 I offering come to think of it! lol
@John A
Was the public shown tables how this cash flow would trickle down? Is it time related? We need information.
@ Artax February 26, 2020 11:05 AM
“To be fair, how can this be justifiably described as “theft?” ”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If not ‘Theft’ what would you describe it as? Shortchanging the customer?
The onus is on the seller to mark the price at $40.00.
Then change the system to reflect the discontinuity of the 1 cent coin as legal tender.
Hal is right on this occasion. A congenital indication of a ‘failing’ state.
This not a case involving rocket science or the application of laws equally to all citizens and visitors?
BLP Manifesto 2018 PROMISED MINIMUM WAGE OF BD$8 (US$4) WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF BEING ELECTED ALMOST 2 YEARS LATER 2020 STILL WAFFLING…………….
Lowest MINIMUM WAGE IN USA IN 2020
Louisiana. Louisiana has no minimum wage law of its own.
Therefore, the federal minimum wage law applies.US$7.25 (BD$14.50)
Highest MINIMUM WAGE IN USA IN 2020
Washington D.C. has the highest minimum wage at US$14.00 (BD$28) per hour while California, Massachusetts, and Washington have the highest state minimum wage at US$13.00 (BD$26) per hour.
US MINIMUM WAGE IN EACH STATE IS THE LOWEST ANYONE CAN BE PAID WHETHER A MAID, GAS ATTENDANT, SHOP WORKER, GRASS CUTTER ETC.
YET BARBADOS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE FOR MOST LOCALS WORKING WHO ARE BEING PAID PEANUTS.
NO WONDER THE ISLAND IS SO FULL OF MONKEYS.
CONTINUE TO LIVE IN DREAMLAND AND PUNCH ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT.
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‘One step closer’ to national minimum wage
The process to determine a new national minimum wage is at an advanced stage, with the findings of a study on the matter to be submitted to Government by next Monday.
Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations Colin Jordan said today that while the governing Barbados Labour Party (BLP) had proposed a minimum wage of $8 per hour in its 2018 election manifesto, the final rate would be among the recommendations in the study.
Speaking in the Well of Parliament as debate on the 2020-2021 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure continued at Parliament’s temporary location at the Worthing Corporate Centre, Christ Church, he noted that the existing minimum wage of $6.25 an hour currently only applies to shop assistants, but the Government was extending the requirement for all categories of workers.
Jordan explained that research was still being undertaken by his ministry’s Manpower Research and Statistical Unit to determine a final figure.
“I expect to have on my desk, or at least on the Permanent Secretary’s desk, by Monday morning, a report of their findings into what that minimum wage should be…; if we should phase the approach,” he told the Chamber from the Well, where he was flanked by high-ranking officers of his Ministry, including new Permanent Secretary Karen Best.
Jordan referred to previous studies which recommended a phased approach to implementing a minimum wage.
“And so, while we had indicated in our manifesto that we intended to work with $8…because we understand that these things require a little bit more research…we have not said how we will get to that $8 and the timeframe. That needs to be based on good research, and that research is currently being undertaken,” he stressed.
Jordan, whose ministry has been allocated $7.1 million in this year’s Estimates, also indicated that the research would address whether that national wage should be applied across the board or be segmented by sectors.
“We also discussed with the public sector and the private sector and the Minimum Wage Board, and the question as to whether it should be related to the different sectors…different industries, came to the fore. That was part of the research that is being undertaken at the moment,” the Labour Minister pointed out.
“Now, I have not given thought to a mechanism…like indexing; we have not given thought to that as yet. But suffice that it was raised [by Minister of Transport and Maintenance Dr William Duguid], we will factor that into our discussions if we should do an indexing of the minimum wage.
“But what is clear, is that there will be a minimum wage set across the board. That is to say, beyond shop assistants. But whether it will be the same number for every sector remains to be seen based on the information that comes out of the research that is being done,” Jordan added. emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/02/26/one-step-closer-to-national-minimum-wage/
“Some” of the relevant debt numbers are found on the .pdf pages 732 of 770 onwards.
Certain of the Debt instruments are still ‘in negotiation’, as shown in the Appendices.
It ‘appears’ many of the seemingly larger variances in either revenue or expenses, are actually movements of programs from one Ministry to another. Some are one off entries (eg) Signature Bonus of $11,000,000, otherwise classified as a grant (just Ctrl F and 11,000,000 and see where it pops up)
Looks like somebody is planning a casino or other gaming facility?
Overall there are too many significant variances across single line items.
@ Miller
Had he paid by cheque or card he would have paid $39.99. Would Hal have made a song and danced if the price was $39.97 and the cashier returned 5 cents?
@ Miller
So, a mature petty individual, feeling proud making sure they let everyone know they picked the wrong person, by “making a scene” in a supermarket for 1¢.
And, in your opinion, this makes Barbados a “failed state?”
Sometimes you pick the ‘darndest things’ to nitpick, pick a noise and ‘talk’ shiite about.
As I mentioned, one of the CCB’s guidelines was for businesses not to alter prices in any way.
I’m sure if that same customer had gone into another establishment and bought an item for $39.97, they wouldn’t have objected or “created a scene at the check out” if the cashier gave them 5¢ change from $40.00.
It’s a silly argument. ‘Much ado about nothing.’
@ Miller, I believe you have something more constructive to comment on the Estimates Debate.
@ Northern
Yes I agree I had a look and any attempt at real reconciliation is pointless.
What is definate though is we have a $200M deficit after all the tra la la and long talk. There is also no evidence of Straughn’s billion dollar additional cash flow or Persauds statement that BERT was a “pillar for growth. ”
I said already you can hide and buy ground but you can’t hide and work it.
@ Vincent
You miss the point. I am not doing a song and dance. I do not buy rum, drink rum nor give rum as a present. The issue is not if a $39,99 bottle of rum was given away for nothing. It is that it was advertised for $39.99 and the customer was overcharged. Ignore the amount and think of the principle. Next time they will say they do not give change under $1.
What if it was a taxi driver and the fare was $25 and you hand him $30 and he sad he did not have any change? I will bet that if the customer only had $39.98 the check out clerk would have refused the sale or would have offered the customer the 1p. But Massy would have had the full amount, unless a manager approved the short change.
Another example is that a plastic carry bag in a supermarket costs 20p, but no matter how much the cost of your groceries you are unlikely to get a free bag from the supermarket. Just look at how banks do their rounding – always up in their favour, or down, if it is in your favour..
@ David.
Sorry in the delay in getting back to you. I agree with you 100% we need an explanation of how come we were promised honey and got salt. The thing is though at this stage even that is too late.
What we need to hear is what radical changes will be made to BERT that will factor in a real growth plan, as opposed to a growth in island wide austerity and further taxation. So maybe we will get the sinkler approach now and be offered THE REVISED BERT PLAN VERSION 2.0 who knows. One thing is for sure this ain’t working and it’s not me or any of the others saying so now. The numbers in the estimates have now confirmed all that we were saying 12 months ago would happen.
At the time we were being told oh give it time. The problem with a flawed formula is that all time does is exacerbate the failing.
One of the CBB’s guidelines was for businesses not to alter prices in any way.
You’re behaving as though ‘ripping off’ people with ‘different accents’ or who appear as though they are ‘foreigners’ is SYNONYMOUS with Barbados ONLY.
Bajans have also been ‘ripped off’ in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, UK, USA, EU, Canada, China……..
It is DISHONEST ACT that seems to be INGRAINED in several cultures all over the world.
I had similar experiences in 90% of the other Caribbean islands I visited
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SOMEONE WITH ONLY A SMALL ISLAND MENTALITY WROTE THIS BULLSHIT TO JUSTIFY THE FLEECING AND DISHONESTY HAPPENING IN BIM.
THEN GOES ON TO GIVE EXAMPLES OF OTHER CARIBBEAN ISLANDS TRAVELLED TO.
NOT ONCE GIVES A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN US OR UK.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN RIPPED OFF IN THE UK WHERE FAIR TRADING LAWS ARE ENFORCED AND COMPLAINTS DEALT WITH VIA PENALTIES IMPOSED VIA SMALL CLAIMS COURT.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN RIPPED OFF IN THE US BY ANY BUSINESS WHERE THERE IS ALSO STRICT ENFORCEMENT AND INVESTIGATION UPON COMPLAINT TO BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND SMALL CLAIMS COURT WHO SETTLE CASES WITHIN 90 DAYS.
HOWEVER TO DEFLECT THEY LIKE A FEW OTHERS ON BU USE THEIR PESONAL LIMITED EXPOSURE TO SHOW THEIR ASS WHENEVER EXAMPLES OF DISHONESTY ARE EXPOSED BY OTHERS IN BARBADOS.
IT REALLY MUST BE THE LOCAL BARBADIAN CONDITION TO DEFLECT FROM ONGOING REALITY.
@ Baje
Dishonesty has been so normalised in Barbadian culture that to protest makes one seem stingy. It is a mindset. We do it, but others also do it, so why single us out. Barbarism. Rule of the jungle.It is now offensive in the new Barbados to ask for honesty.
It is not just the boys on the block, the entire society is decaying.
@ Baje
Dishonesty has been so normalised in Barbadian culture that to protest makes one seem stingy. It is a mindset. We do it, but others also do it, so why single us out. Barbarism. Rule of the jungle.It is now offensive in the new Barbados to ask for honesty.
It is not just the boys on the block, the entire society is decaying.
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IT’S SAD BECAUSE ALL OF US COMMENTING WANT BETTER FOR THE ISLAND OF BARBADOS WHETHER WE LIVE THERE OR NOT ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS AND HAVE SUCCEEDED AND ALSO HAVE FAMILY LIVING THERE AMONG THE QUAGMIRE..
WHENEVER TRUTH IS EXPOSED ATTACK THE SOURCE OR DEFLECT SAYING HAPPENING ELSEWHERE.
THE BEST DECISION I MADE SEVERAL YEARS AGO NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS LEAVING THE CESSPOOL OF AN ISLAND WHERE DISHONESTY, GOSSIP AND NEGATIVITY SEEKS TO DESTROYS HONESTY, POSITIVITY AND PROGRESSIVE THINKING.
They ALSO do their best to also subdivide whether to label DLP/BLP or Local vs Overseas.
Unless they wake up real soon the Guyanese they use to look down on and gossip about will have the last laugh while they wallow in hardship and increasing TAXES PILED ON BY THEIR BELOVED POLITICIANS WHO SEE THEM AS BLOODY FOOLS.
The link to the Central Bank website explains how retailers are to manage the withdrawal of the once cent. The retailer is not stealing, simply acting as instructed by the authority Artax stated.
http://www.centralbank.org.bb/banknotes/circulation-coins/withdrawal-of-the-one-cent-coin
@ Hal
Both Artax and I have explained to you the reason for the perceived anomaly. If you feel comfortable in viewing the experience as another piece of evidence that Barbados is a failed state, you are free to do so.
@ Vincent
I appreciate what you have said about central bank policy, but that is irrelevant to the point. Maybe we are speaking different languages. It does not matter if Massy’s charged $40 or $39.99 for the rum; the point is that it should have been correctly advertised. If they advertised it at $39.99 knowing they were going to charge $40, then that was dishonest. Simple. It is the principle..
Central bank policy, or the production of 1c coins are irrelevant. I thought you would see the simple point I am making, basic reasoning. This is ethics 101, first year philosophy.
Your head is like moon rock.
@ Artax February 26, 2020 1:50 PM
“So, a mature petty individual, feeling proud making sure they let everyone know they picked the wrong person, by “making a scene” in a supermarket for 1¢.
And, in your opinion, this makes Barbados a “failed state?””
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Nitpick my donkey! It’s a matter of principle (and not emotions as the customer displayed) on which you often claim to base your arguments.
The customer was right to demand (as her money back) the difference between the advertised price and what the checkout person was demanding as the final price.
It is both the Central Bank and the retailers who are behind the times with their incompetence and downright disrespect for their customers.
“The customer is always right”:
How can the CBB withdraw the tendering of a coin but still allow (advise) retailers to advertise the sale prices of their goods and services reflecting and involving the same currency denomination (which no longer exists)?
Why not, Simply quote the selling price as Bds$40.00 instead of the non-transactional $39.99 involving a non-existent coin?
How much accounting energy and commonsense would such a simple straightforward procedure involve especially when price lists and labels are computer generated and printed?
Let us suppose it was a ‘white’ visitor from the UK or USA who was demanding their change (and blissfully unaware of the stupid CBB silly instructions) would you still consider them to be “making a scene”?
Barbados needs to get with the time(s) where the conducting of business is concerned.
What can you expect from a place which had as its (outstandingly proficient) Minister of Finance for over 8 years and who could not tell the difference between a decimal 0.07 Bajan bull-cow from a 0.007 percentage bullfrog?
When the same CBB is able to provide a proper accounting of that missing $300 million in foreign reserves then we would change our view on the competence of that institution.
Was the missing foreign reserves due to a ‘rounding-down’ error?
No wonder the place is condemned as a rather backward place to do business (except bribery and corruption involving Servants of the Crown)!
Fellows if you were paying by cheque or credit card you would in fact write the cheque for $39.99. It therefore is priced legally, however for a cash sale it is rounded up or down to the closet 5 cents.
Let us now return to frying bigger fish like the estimates. Let’s not get distracted over a cent at Massy.
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