… Kevin Greenidge, explained that the “win-win” 18-month programme is designed to repurpose government’s expenditure, in an effort to push capital programmes that do not directly relate to tourism; for example, road works, the Barbados Water Authority’s vineyard project, the refurbishment of schools and the digitization of the public sector…
Source: BGIS
The government launched the Barbados Optional Savings Scheme (BOSS) last week. BOSS is a direct response to the crippling effect the COVID 19 pandemic has had on the global economy. All economies in the world have had to manage the fallout from the unprecedented high unemployment to respond to a man made economic recession triggered to safeguard public health.
The blogmaster has listened to arguments for and against the BOSS and the trend for every issue these days is determined by ones political inclination.
What the COVID 19 pandemic has done to is to create an unknown variable that makes it impossible for policymakers and individual households alike to engage in sensible financial planning and forecasting. However, what is known is that a deep revenue hole has been created in the financial budget for 2020/2021 and there is nobody on the planet who can predict the time it will take for economic activity to climb to pre Covid 19 level. The result is that whether in the USA, UK or Barbados unemployment has spiked.
The blogmaster is no fan of policies that will result to increasing the national debt or printing money. Especially coming after the recent debt restructuring that has had a toll. However, Barbados must execute policies to boost economic activity to buy time until the global economy to respond. Will BOSS achieve the objective, time will tell. What are the alternatives to BOSS?
It is easy for political leaders and others in civil society to shout at John Citizen do not do this, do not do that. If one listens to the same crew for alternatives, there is silence.
Service based economies like Barbados are presented with a greater challenge of recovery because there will be a dampened appetite for air and sea travel. It means thousands of workers will be negatively affected for months and years to come, there is no doubt. BOSS should not be seen as a panacea to solving all of our problems, it is meant to be a mitigant, to keep public sector workers employed are redirect circulation of monies in the construction sector. The government has accepted the moral responsibility – for now – to keep public servants employed during the pandemic. Those criticizing that cutting public sector workers salary is illegal, give us the alternative. If it is illegal the law can be amended for the good of all? The private sector has already responded with lay-offs and severing employees. Where does the government derive tax revenues tom pay public servants?
It would be negligent of the blogmaster not to take the opportunity to express concern about the financial state of the National Insurance Fund. The noise created by the pandemic has served to mask many of the problems the island had been battling. The inability of successive NIS Boards and governments to make public audited financial statements should be of equal concern by several of the budding political parties and traditional media. Do we know if the fund is able to live up to its tagline? Why should politicians on a whim and a fancy make decisions to grab NIS funds- our social security monies- to construct unnecessary buildings; fire station, lend to private projects; Four Seasons by avoiding rigorous qualification.
For as long as BU has had a presence in the Barbados space there has been a view echoed by the BU intelligentsia that Barbados is a country living above its pay grade. The blogmaster has to express disappointment that leaders in our tiny society have not been bold enough to address the issue of the need to recalibrate our unsustainable lifestyle. Politicians seem stuck in the mode of boosting popularity at the expense of what is in the national interest.
Goal #1 of a politician is to be elected to office. Goal #2 is to get reelected by any means necessary.
Sometimes the actions of goal #2 are in the national interest but if they happen to not to be, then goal #1 takes priority over everything else.
Panday put it best. We have lived it through many years, and many different faces.
Link: https://newsday.co.tt/2017/12/02/politics-own-morality/
Just Observing
” Kevin Greenidge, explained that the “win-win” 18-month programme is designed to repurpose government’s expenditure, in an effort to push capital programmes that do not directly relate to tourism; for example, road works, the Barbados Water Authority’s vineyard project, the refurbishment of schools and the digitization of the public sector… Source: BGIS”
The government is stating that it will be at least another 18 months before Barbados expects to see racist pale skinned people return to the island en-masse. In the meantime they will stop pushing tourist capital programmes. Can you imagine any government that priorities spending their public purse on short term visitors rather than on their own citizens?
The government are now saying that Whitey is not coming back for a long time lets spend some money on national projects such as water, our sewage system, neglected buildings and all the other neglected national infrastructure. Which group is more likely to gain financially from these domestic projects? Will it be the William’s clan, the Maloney boy or A.N. Other.
The quote below the picture once again shows the euphemism that is so typical for the Caribbean. When North Americans, Chinese and Europeans talk about shit, the Caribbean natives talk about delicious chocolate.
” for example, road works, the Barbados Water Authority’s vineyard project, the refurbishment of schools and the digitization of the public sector…”
Road repairs and a fresh coat of paint and some new chairs for a few schools are no infrastructure programmes that create new value for the public, but only necessary repair measures that are decades overdue.
But the biggest joke is the digitization of public services. Personal computers have been around for over 40 years. Nevertheless, in the past 40 years, the public service in Barbados has been swelling like a boil. Digitization is intended to replace human labour, not the opposite.
On the face of it, BOSS is a very good sell to the public. It was well presented and has a lot of upside.
Caught between a rock and a hard place by the downturn from COVID, although the Govt had warned pre COVID, that harsh measures were coming, the only way that Govt could cut its expenditure was via its wage bill, which is a large portion of the said expenditure.
The wage bill outlay is for the most part civil and public servants’ pay, and the pay of Govt representatives which now are not only substantive MPs but the numerous other junior MPs, gurus, czars, consultants and hangers on. We understand that recently Govt hired VAT Refund consultant, another at the Ministry of Social Services and another as a Skills Retraining consultant.
most if not all public / civil servants knew they were going to take a hit- it was just a matter of what kind. the govt could not cut salaries that needed a legislative change and firing public/ civil servants was a hard sell.
This BOSS bonds started out as Forced Savings when that was not palatable it then morphed into National Meeting Turn and finally BOSS.
BOSS represents saving bonds that mature in 4 years with a 5% interest rate attached. There is an 18 month to 2 year early redemption date where holders can sell at what the market offers.
Instead of salary cuts this is what is being peddled to Govt workers as a percentage of their salary. There is a sliding scale % according to the level of salary. We have no issue with this. Those who are cash strapped and want a larger cash salary have an option.
The Govt has made a big song and dance about the option and that workers can opt out. This seemingly gets rid of that ticklish problem of it not being forced and that of whether bonds can be deemed legal tender or not, as Govt is mandated by law to pay its workers in legal tender. Therein lies the rub.
A percentage of the salary of every eligible Govt worker and I believe this includes MPs and the various hangers on will be allocated to bonds. Afterward the worker can indicate if all or a portion is to be converted to cash. the Central Bank buys or keeps the bonds, to be sold in the secondary market for which there is a record/register of likely purchasers. The bonds are guaranteed by Govt-it is written into the bond contract. Therefore, there will be very willing buyers- a 5% interest rate is better than anything being offered by commercial banks nowadays
The much-touted option is really an illusion and only comes after point of sale. That is the only way this would make any sense as there would be no point in having the worker decide at point of sale whether to buy the bonds or not- remember the object is to decrease the wage bill.
The problem with the opt out is that if all or a majority of workers opt for cash the Central Bank will end up with the bonds until they are sold, which is like offering the bonds to certain members of the public with civil and public servants given the first choice to buy.
That notwithstanding we applaud the Govt for devising a strategy to cut its expenditure in a humane manner. We contend then that Ministers, gurus, czars, advisers, consultants and other hangers on should covert about 30%-40% of their salary to bonds. That would give public/ civil servants a lot of confidence in the efficacy of the bond proposal and who knows, it may spur production.
Of course, I do not want my comment to be understood as criticism of the government. Even if we are once again completely bankrupt. Even the best government in the world can do nothing against reality. The fact is that we are 100 percent dependent on tourism. Even the stupid talk about diversification does not change that at all.
One cannot plant peas and reap corn. The COVID-19 notwithstanding, we are reaping what we have sowed. That being said, it is time we move on from petty politics and political one upmanship to a more enlightened culture of national discourse. The simple truth is that PM Mottley has not left the political campaign platform. Her national presentations may have been of a higher quantity than her failed predecessor but the quality has been substandard. Even with the BOSS project/ strategy , which I fully support, she has been all over the place until finally, it got the correct name and some clarity. She has too much political capital to be so sloppy.
I am involved with a blog, that does not reach a fifth of what BU achieves. However it’s readership is extremely wide covering several countries. It is closely monitored. Quite recently we published an article involving Sir Hilary Beckles and within forty eight hours, we received an e-mail from his office instructing us to change our reference of him from Dr to Sir. We immediately complied.
The point is that the Blogmaster of BU cannot continue to call for a higher level of accountability from the political class without insisting on a higher level of discourse on BU. His current stance is steeped in hypocrisy.
If a blog without the numbers of BU is so closely monitored, it follows that BU is closely watched as well. BU is no more underground as my breadfruit tree on the property I have in Barbados. Simple as that.
I think that we all , myself included, must assist in taking BU to a higher level of discourse. I have even decided to no longer criticise those who hide under false names,for so doing, but I expect them to be more respectful in their involvement.
COVID- 19 has stripped us of all innocence. In order to rebuild our country we must come with ideas and not insults. BU has a pivotal role to play in the post COVID era.
Finally, I sincerely hope that we can continue to deal with the COVID as competently as we have so far done. Our management of the COVID so far is superior to that of the USA whose catastrophic bungling needs no repetition here.
So what’s going to be Mr. Blogmaster: RH or JA or a new direction to better the Herculean effort you have invested in BU to date.
It’s time to make “ we are all in this together”more than a slogan .
Remember what happened to “ Pride and Industry”.
@William
BU is not traditional media, disruptive language by the use of colloquial vernacular has its place. That said your feedback is noted.
>
@ Greene May 31, 2020 8:24 AM
Our government should convert 100 percent of the pensions for the many lazy and unsuccessful former DLP ministers and other DLP officials into bonds. So that they would no longer live like the whites, but once feel how the black population had to suffer 10 years under the intellectual deficits of a figure called Chris Sinckler.
“the digitization of the public sector”
Not so long ago Tom Adam’s son was controversially installed as a government senator. There was much talk of him bringing bitt coin technology to Barbados. A notorious industry not to be dabbled with by the ordinary man and woman. Meanwhile in Kenya, they had developed a mobile payment system which lifted two percent (one million) of their population out of poverty. A system of payment accessible to the masses.
Why limit digitization to the public sector only. If the government wants to bring growth to Barbados especially to the poorer majority population than they should immediately open the doors to Mpesa from Kenya.
@David
“Where does the government derive tax revenues tom pay public servants?”
FIRE THE F_ _KIN CIVIL SERVANTS or at least reduce by 60% and problem solved, this will also bring the NIS situation to the NO MONEY front page.
TIME TO LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS HAS COME. THE WHINNING AND BEGGING DONE.
Everything government has suggested to date is GARBAGE, infrastructure improvements mean more debt, no revenue, tourism development mean more debt, and no guaranteed revenue.
Same old same old has finally reached the bottom of the barrel which is full of holes causing unbearable leakage.
It’s time to embrace the bloggers FAILED STATE designation and move to personal survival mode or people will STARVE.
@ Tron
You stated:
“ Of course, I do not want my comment to be understood as criticism of the government. Even if we are once again completely bankrupt. Even the best government in the world can do nothing against reality. The fact is that we are 100 percent dependent on tourism. Even the stupid talk about diversification does not change that at all.”
Let me ask you something. Have you ever seen a tourist plant a tomato or stake out a cow or sheep o the pasture? Didn’t the off shore business bring in foreign exchange? Do we export anything? The same civil servants you constantly berate are now going to , I hope, invest their salaries in assisting with our capital works program; the same working class you call lazy and unproductive will now be asked to work for less to keep their jobs but more important, to keep construction afloat.
It is fair to say that we have attempted to diversify and ended up with tourism as the only heavy roller but that has to change.and your ideas may only keep us floating until the next crisis comes along. We have to do better.
@ David
Thanks for your response. I’m not looking at the language or vernacular. I’m saying that the level of discourse can be improved, mine included.
The traditional and new media are now fighting for the same market share. BU is no exception. The only difference is that BU carries no ads.
@William
You have noticed that when the blogmaster has something to say he will post a blog, agree the comments section of the blog has been a disappointment in recent years.
Does “boosting popularity” include touting Peter Wickham for a chargé d’affaires position in France?
Well i have been alive long enough to know that one man’s politiciking” may be the “cry” of another group of people. People are usually guided by their personal circumstance when voting. They sort out the “FACTS” from the “CRAP”. They ask themselves what a govt has DONE vs what a political aspirant has the potential to DO
@DLP TV
We can judge or appraise the current state of civil society in two ways.
1. The quality of leadership as represented in the political and NGO class
2. The quality of society defined by the sum efforts of all of us.
@ William Skinner May 31, 2020 8:41 AM
This is my spin. If I relieve the government of all guilt we need other scapegoats.
The savings now projected for civil servants will bring only little, because we still have about 30-50 percent too many civil servants. It would be better to pay the real service providers, such as garbage collectors, police officers in action and nurses, better and to reduce the ballast in the ministerial bureaucracy in return. By the way, it is not the DLP that is to blame for this misery, but OSA, who abused the public service as a social welfare scheme.
For the rest, I am a very accurate observer. How many times do you think I’ve seen employees sleeping, singing and chatting instead of working.
p.s. Your example Sir H. is really revealing. By insisting on his title, he proves to be a hypocrite. On the one hand, he condemns colonialism, of which these titles are a part, and on the other hand, he is eager to be always addressed with his title, like a colonial official.
@ Tron
So when we send home the civil servants would this not put more severe pressure on the same “ welfare state “ you so vehemently attack?
If you were to take an objective look at our development from the time of adult suffrage until present, you would have to conclude, that our public service , is one of the finest in the entire region and perhaps the Commonwealth.
Do you seriously believe with the mostly visionless leadership we have had since Tom Adams departed, that we could have survived without a basically professional public service?
The period to have restructured the economy was the mid 80s. Barrow left; Sandiford bungled; and Arthur decided to spend his time marginalizing Mottley and calling Harold Hoyte a negrocrat; Thompson left; Stuart failed and now it’s Mottley’s turn. In all fairness to her COVID knocked her down. Even in boxing, we don’t hit an opponent when they are down. I have to honestly give her time to get back up. It’s the fair thing to do.
But throughout it all, the public service may not have
exceeded expectations but it served us quite well under the circumstances.
BTW I am still of the view that given a fair chance Sir Harold St John would have probably been a better leader than all the aforementioned.
As for Sir Hilary- he looks good in jeans. That’s how he was once described to me ! He is more media than might. Ask those who were with him in the Mutual Affair.
Spain has instituted Universal Basic Income. Barbados should do this as well.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sunday-finance/spain-gov-t-okays-basic-income-scheme-to_195247
@ William Skinner May 31, 2020 1:08 PM
Who says we have to fire anyone? That’s just the local establishment saying in order to maintain the status quo.
I repeat my proposal now for the tenth time: we can achieve a 30 per cent reduction over a period of 10 years if we retire civil servants at 55 and at the same time do not hire new civil servants or only those in need (police, workers, nurses, but no new S grades). Pensioners are cheaper than active civil servants. If the DLP had started this in 2010, we would not need a BOSS now.
School and university graduates can then adapt to this change and choose alternative jobs, such as drug dealer, plantation worker or rich entrepreneur or consultant 🙂
Moreover, like nearly all other commentators on BU, you are possibly subject to the belief that a big bureaucracy is a good bureaucracy. Many empirical studies and theoretical studies show that above a certain size, a bureaucracy is inefficient and impossible to reform. I refer here to the Niskanen theory and others. We have long since crossed this line under OSA. – If you now challenge me with Scandinavia as a counterexample: You can’t compare these countries to Barbados. The work ethic there is very different.
@ peterlawrencethompson May 31, 2020 1:38 PM
It’s ONLY true in name.
In functional terms, it is SUBSIDIARY social assistance, as is already common practice in many other European countries. This “basic income” is dependent on a needs assessment of income and assets. Therefore, only about 850,000 families will benefit from it. Costs approx. 3 bill. EUR/y. A real UBI would be independent of need, so also COW and Bizzy would benefit 🙂
Greece does not know any subsidiary social assistance until today. After the expiration of the unemployment insurance you fall into the bottomless pit there. That’s why the thesis that Greece has an excessive welfare state is not true. On the contrary.
By the way: We don’t need a basic income in Barbados. We already have the civil service, where many ministry civil servants get their money without working.
@ Tron May 31, 2020 10:53 AM
“The savings now projected for civil servants will bring only little, because we still have about 30-50 percent too many civil servants. It would be better to pay the real service providers, such as garbage collectors, police officers in action and nurses, better and to reduce the ballast in the ministerial bureaucracy in return. By the way, it is not the DLP that is to blame for this misery, but OSA, who abused the public service as a social welfare scheme.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What should be of focal concern is what alternative funding arrangements are available to make up for the loss of revenue from the hotel room levy and the airport user charges which were earmarked and, presumably, ring-fenced to underwrite the operations of the various tourism marketing agencies.
What about the SSA and BWA with their heavy dependence on those recently imposed levies designed to wean those’ public goods’ suppliers off the ‘tax-earned’ finances of Central government, and by extension, large annual subsidies from the Treasury many of them requiring parliamentary-approved supplements before each fiscal year-end?
With a crippled private-sector tax base where is the money going to come from to underwrite the loss-making operations of so-called commercial entities like the BIDC, Transport Board and CBC and still meet its obligations to the UWI and other non-income generating government dependent agencies?
Now where is that Doctored Robinson report when it is required to administer the ‘correct’ medicine to those SOEs?
PS: Your assessment of Sir H is ‘spot on’. Just another colonial-bred jackass in a monkey suit living off the taxpayers while hiding behind the walls of academia.
@William
You maybe interested in this article. The blogmaster thought it to be an interesting one to sync with your first comment.
Sir William
The general tenor of your first contribution is why we dubbed you “Sir”. Truth be told!
That you would accede to a demand from the office of Beckles to recognize a colonial title appears to be grossly inconsistent with your own developmental arc.
Or do you feel legally obligated to so do?
Was there an issue with your readers knowing which Beckles was meant? Are there more than one Beckles(es) who could have been meant – one a d/r and the next a s/i/r?
Why do you feel the need to bow to what PLT has called a dominant respectability ethos in Barbados?
We are not at all surprised that with all your history of radicalism you could be made to bow, lower than low, to the same colonial edits some once thought you abhorred.
You ask for a higher level of discourse. One of the things this writer reads into that is your innate and public hatred for the language used by ordinary Bajans daily. A language which this writer has heard you use, privately, on many occasions.
That comment is tinged with a level of pseudo-sophistication pretending to see some nonexistent value in the banishment of Rh and JA from public discourse. For us there are no substitutes within or outside your colonial linguistic leanings which could ever replace them.
At the end of the day Sir William you are no more than a ‘little Englishman”. It can never be that from such a mental disposition can any Caribbean development ethos could emerge.
The Bajan speaks like this. Instead of demonizing the oral tradition you should be lifting it up.
You remind me of the likes of the Layne-Clarkes. We would prefer to locate you along with the great Derek Walcott. Walcott, was when offered a knighthood, told Sandiford to stuff it where the sun wouldn’t shine.
This writer has gone to countries where children speak/write many languages coterminously. Why do you think that you Sir William is the protector of the colonial linguistic realm.
Is this attitude not that of the quintessential, linguistically unaware, political backward?
Do you have any similar demand of the Oxford dictionary which has words like ‘fuck’ in it. Or does the English have to accept ‘rasssoul’ and ‘jackass’, as epithets, before the Queens pleasure is well served?
Lastly, this failure to forgive and forget these characterizations of yourself is childness. Moreover, it tells the world that you are less than a man of substance.
Such a person has no role within the discourse you are calling for.
George Lamming
@ David May 31, 2020 2:01 PM
Mr. Blogmaster, it seems you have the capacity to fill that obvious void left by the ‘Advocate’ in its previous incarnation.
Why not try to drive some modern day ‘E-advertising’ traffic in the BU’s direction?
There is clearly some space for such.
There are some ethical businesses out there willing to you make use of your BU medium to promote sunrise products and services to satisfy the fast changing demands of the coming ‘new’ commercial age which people of the ‘black diamond’ hue ought to take advantage of.
We are confident that even the enlightened dinosaurs in the BU family would support such a move to help push the agenda of not only “black lives matter” but also black businesses matter to support and ensure the survival of the African Diaspora.
The current pandemic is Pachamama’s final lifeline offered to the black and ‘coloured’ people in the West.
@Miller
Members of the BU family are free to drive traffic to BU. The blogmaster does what is possible within the constraints available.
There is a strong rumour in Barbados that the president is planning to reshuffle the Cabinet. Apparently Marshall is to go and will be replaced by Thorne (a victory for Caswell?), Kerrie Symmonds looks to be out of favour. Mascoll is going to the Senate, according to the rumour, and a possible ministry, and Dr Greenidge is back to the IMF.
Barbados is sin turmoil.
First of all as you correctly stated it is a rumour, even if true, is it not routine for a government to its reshuffle cabinet from time to time? Especially at midterm?
@ David Bu
How is the prologue that introduces your submission any different from what the Bu household has been saying since the beginning of BERT? The diversification of the economic structure and the de-emphasis of investment in this mature Industrial sector,was like a Litany. Even with the advent of COVID you and other commenters appeared to be still supportive of this wastage of investment capital.
It is now clear to the latter day converted that the old tourism model is not fit for the post COVID economy. We are already have an excess of hotel capacity.
I think we need to take this discussion out of the party political straight jacket and concentrate on the way forward.We the public is not interested in how politicians are perceived, I am 90% sure that none of them see their role as that of winning an election. They see their role as provided effective management of the res publicae of Barbados. The other 5% you may put in the tail ends of the Bell Curve.
@Vincent
The blog,aster is a Vincent disciple, things need to evolve you say.
I should have typed:” I am 95% sure instead of” 90% sure”.
@ Hal Austin May 31, 2020 2:44 PM
It’s all from the rumor mill. We heard the same thing on the Stuart – Sinckler – P. Inniss gov at least ten times. A reshuffle hardly makes sense, since all parliamentarians are either ministers or special ambassadors. So nobody can really be punished or rewarded as long as our leader sticks to the principle of the unity of power between parliament and government.
On the AG: Yes, it was a mistake to admit a mistake, because he did not commit a mistake. See my constitutional advisory opinion. However, the substitute has even less knowledge of constitutional and administrative law.
On Greenidge: Why should the IMF take back a loser who has economically driven Barbados to the wall? Just asking. I wouldn’t even trust Greendige with 10 BBD to invest. Greendige is ripe for the rum shop, not for the high seat of the IMF.
@ Pacha
As always you swing your cudgel with malice. I specifically said to the Blogmaster that I was not referencing language but content and level of content. Please read my quote.
Secondly I operate in certain standards. I was merely pointing out to a David that the blog with which I am associated is followed and I would imagine that BU a much more bigger following. I don’t give out honors and if you or Beckles want to be addressed in any particular manner. I respect that.
As usual I would ignore which box you choose to put me in. Your critique brought the usual smile to my face.
You know Beckles better than I ever would. Call him and cuss him. Lol
For the record here is my response to David:
Like
William Skinner May 31, 2020 8:46 AM
@ David
Thanks for your response. I’m not looking at the language or vernacular. I’m saying that the level of discourse can be improved, mine included.
The traditional and new media are now fighting for the same market share. BU is no exception. The only difference is that BU carries no ads.
Please learn to read carefully Pach
“Apparently Marshall is to go and will be replaced by Thorne (a victory for Caswell?)..”
So Justice Cornelius resigning?🤔
Your options are limited when your employer informs they can no longer pay your current salary but are willing to keep you employed at a lower pay grade. Public servants can be thankful the Government believes in the need to maintain goodwill and placed an offer on the table via BOSS. The challenges facing the Barbados economy do not support this option remaining such for long. Bottom line, if you want to continue working you have to take a pay cut.
BOSS is a crisis measure. What happens if Barbados economic crisis worsened. Has the Government looked at less than optimistic scenarios to determine revised projections and options. We are heavily leveraged. Cash flash pensioners have had their worth adjusted down ward via the hair cut on bonds. The planned turnaround for the economy in 2020 flip flopped into an economic contraction leading to the planned cut in public worker’s salaries. Supposed there’s a hurricane and the revenue freed up from Government’s lower salary bill has to be diverted to other pressing needs. Which of the capital projects become a priority and what will be the basis for the choice, social welfare or foreign currency needs. What are Government’s other revenue options now that pensioners are financially tapped out and public servants will be joining the working poor.
Is there a long term plan where serious thought had been given towards a restructured economy. Along with agriculture to reduce imports, should we go into health tourist. Do we have enough qualified technicians that we can attract start up electronic companies after all our wages and salaries will remain low for some time to come. However our lovely island and weather remains attractive. What about desalination. The employment of young people. On line studies. STEMS. Apprenticeships. In summary what is the vision for a new Barbados & how will we get there?
@ Mr. William Skinner
your 8.28 a.m. comment is noted and what you are seeking to do is very noble
Part of what you said de ole man quotes
“…COVID- 19 has stripped us of all innocence.
In order to rebuild our country we must come with ideas and not insults. BU has a pivotal role to play in the post COVID era…”
Once upon a time in a galaxy not long ago dere live a man called **** before the incarnation of Piece the Prophet.
Like you, that man, during the days that were before these Covid times thought of these idyllic outcomes which you refer to when you say
“…must assist in taking BU to a higher level of discourse….”
Every now and again i ask the question (but get no answer) as to what is the mechanism that lets contributors know that any government is serious of engaging with its stakeholders?
You said AND I QUOTE AGAIN
“…In order to rebuild our country we must come with ideas and not insults. BU has a pivotal role to play in the post COVID era…”
What does that mean?
What you are saying, in theory sounds great and noble, but de ole man respectfully suggests that in practice this chant is meaningless.
De ole man will express what i mean for your consideration and hopefully your response.
De grandson, bless he soul is a computer fellow who does do he likkle ting at de bank and ting.
Where he does get paid!
Here you, and others are talking about rebuilding the country and bringing ideas and not insults but in the same breath the insult that the country is offering to its citizens who might be so disposed is that it is NOT RESPECTFUL of these citizens.
In fact it not only insults us IT DOES US GRIEVOUS BODY HARM and hunts us to extinction while paying the Claire Whats Her Face and White Hoaks MILLIONS OF DOLLARS!
And this is the point that all this pretty talk here misses
Nothing in the actions of this OR ANY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT, makes any serious tangible accommodation for any real ideas Mr. Skinner.
Your your are expecting people who work for a living to give of their time and effort to rebuild a country AND NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPENSATION that others are making for obviously doing nothing.
So you need to set this respectful involvement in the Context that UNTIL SUCH INVOLVEMENT IS COMPENSATED and that those citizens are not raped of their contributions so that the ingrunt retarded minister can tek de credit for it, THEN CUSSING AND ABUSING THEM has its place
Having just read several of the comments and analysis of how the country should keep government employees on the job, one must conclude there is opposition for the sake of it.
@ Piece
Insightful as always.
Compensation for ideas has never occupied my mind. My only interest is the betterment of our country. As one who went to battle, I have no starry eyed convictions about the monster we are up against. In terms of the need for ideas and not insults, I merely meant that contributions to BU should not be grounded in attempts to belittle others by referencing where they live; apparent level of education etc.
Unfortunately the Blogmaster , is the one who introduced language and “ vernacular” into my submission.
However I must state that there are those on this blog, who use the finest “Queen’s “language when they are responding to those they consider to be of their perceived intellectual level. I have refused thus far to expose them.
So, as the elders say: Pick sense from that”. I have been involved in public discourse for sometime. Whether we choose to like it or not , the yard fowls we have to deal with are not the tee shirt wearing on top the back of the truck variety. It’s the intellectual yard fowls.
Even you have been castigated after you used BU and did brilliant cartoons to bring down the failed Stuart regime. You are now on a course to bring down Mottley and company and to elevate Atherley and his crowd. I don’t consider you a dreamer or someone living on some “ galaxy”. I honestly think that you want the country to do well. I don’t think you are an intellectual fraud but we have different methods and approaches. For example: I think that your advice to Atherley to install Caswell as the leader of the PdP is brilliant because at present Caswell has more credibility going for him than the entire cabinet. His recent public undressing of both AG Marshall and PM Mottley is already legendary.
So, you do your thing Piece and this dreamer will do his.
You are certainly no hypocrite in my book . Peace.
@William
You asked for sensible intelligent debate. How can you ask for Caswell to be made leader of PDP if he is on record not interested in elective politics?
Also a unionist will not command the support required from the dark shadows who finance political campaigns.
Btw the DLP lost the government rather than the BLP winning. A large number of the DLP base also stayed at home last election.
>
@ Piece
BTW my suggesting that David put BU on a different course is nothing new. Some months ago, David said that he was contemplating another approach.If my memory serves me correctly, Pacha endorsed the idea. He or She , agreed to write a regular column. I don’t know if that is still in the works. I reference @Pacha as “ She” because I have often heard the person who writes under that title say that Pachamama will reorder “ Her” earth. Respect due all Suh.
Peace.
@William
The approach was to disable comments on the blog. The blogmaster decided no.
@ David
“@William
You asked for sensible intelligent debate. How can you ask for Caswell to be made leader of PDP if he is on record not interested in elective politics?
Also a unionist will not command the support required from the dark shadows who finance political campaigns.
Btw the DLP lost the government rather than the BLP winning. A large number of the DLP base also stayed at home last election.”
First, Caswell could change his mind. He once said on BU that he was not interested in serving in the Senate or any other political office.
Second, Mia Mottley was resurrected after being pummeled by Arthur and now has all the seats
Third, Nobody thought that Stuart will ever get back in Parliament far less become PM and even took his party to an election victory
Finally, I don’t know if the Dees stayed home but rest assured if they don’t get their act together real soon, they might not get any seats next time again. Quite frankly in recent times, especially the last six weeks or so , the official opposition has been better on message than the government.
There is nobody who would welcome Caswell’s elevation as a political leader more than the blogmaster, at this point the blogmaster does not see a path in the near term.
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@ David
Ok. Thanks. I think you should at least try to attract some ads.
@ David
Did we ever see a path for anybody , especially a Black person , with a name like Barack Obama becoming president of the USA?
With positive political hard tail ground work and the rapid building of constituency branches etc Atherley and company could become a force. I don’t pay much attention these days to George Bell pontificating. He needs to explain why the Workers Party never made it. He also needs to explain where his progressive politics is buried. His put down of Atherley and the PdP would have been laughable if it were not so damn sad. He has no right to be calling out other people’s efforts as “mock parties” Where the hell is the Workers Party Comrade Belle? Sad. Very sad.
Mr Skinner you stated Piece the franklyn poochlicker is on the way to bringing down Ms Mottley and her government.Where is the evidence of this? Are you high? I am here in Barbados unlike you and see no evidence of this.Shite talk and conspiracy theories never won any goverment yet.This talk about Mr Franklyn as leader what will that solve? Mr Franklyn does not have thr popularity base in Barbados to win any seat far less an election so reel and come again as you seem to be in la la land.
@ William Skinner May 31, 2020 1:08 PM
“If you were to take an objective look at our development from the time of adult suffrage until present, you would have to conclude, that our public service , is one of the finest in the entire region and perhaps the Commonwealth.
Do you seriously believe with the mostly visionless leadership we have had since Tom Adams departed, that we could have survived without a basically professional public service?”
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An excellent observation which can be substantiated by historical evidence and achievements.
Barbados was well reputed to be the source and exporter of well sought after management services to other ‘civil services’ in the English-speaking Commonwealth.
The Bajan civil service was a ‘professional’ institution sometimes ‘managed’ by the cream of the local academic and intellectual crop.
Even today that same public sector workforce is ‘populated with a cadre of highly educated and trained people.
That leaves one to question the ‘need’ to hire so many (emphasis on ‘so many’) advisors and consultants on such an ongoing basis as prevails today.
One can understand the option of engaging, occasionally, the ‘outside’ professional services of those with specialized skills to advise/consult on special projects.
But this perceived permanent state of affairs of having advisors and consultants on full-time duty when the same skills can be found within the same well-trained and costly bureaucracy is totally baffling especially when the money borrowed to meet the monthly payroll is at a premium.
What has gone so terribly wrong? Has it been infected by the poor quality of output from the paper qualification mill on the Hill?
Or is it a case of politicians wanting to be both masters and servants in making decisions in the public sector?
@Miller
It is important to avoid conflating different issues. You may have well trained civil servants even now after all the political interference BUT the bigger problem continues to be the systemic problem. A bureaucracy not fit for purpose because …
>
BUT the bigger problem continues to be the systemic problem. A bureaucracy not fit for purpose because …
A problem to be solved by adding more layers of bureaucracy via hordes of consultants/ ministers/ advisors/ tsars?
As Miller rightly pointed out, this horde of consultants/ ministers/ advisors/ tsars posseses no particular level of skills or talents that cant be already found in the civil service.
Or am I missing the point too?
@ David June 1, 2020 8:00 AM
Because…., of what? Downright partisan political interference as in the case of the two DCoPs debacle?
Or are you saying that in spite of all the mod-coms (ICT, etc) the Bajan civil service is not fit for purpose even with the support of so many statutory bodies and agencies?
Maybe our ‘friend’ Senator Franklyn can offer a more informed assessment of the situation.
@Miller
You are not that naive.
The consultants or opportunity to surround yourself with “your” people has always been with us. The other point to ponder is as the civil service modus operandi has been allowed to collapse under its weight, the requirement to circumvent it in order to get things done became a greater priority. Owen Arthur took it to a different level.
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@ Lorenzo m
It’s unfortunate that you persist that because you live in Barbados , you have a better understanding of the political goings on. First you must read carefully what I write and not where I live. I live in both places and another third island in the Caribbean. Perhaps I should send you my annual travel plans. I pay more taxes into the treasury than you can imagine.I assure you that I played a bigger role in the last elections than 98 percent of you know it alls on BU.
Now , when I say that Piece is on his way to bringing down the current regime, I was merely saying what he desires or is attempting to do so. Not that it is an accomplished fact.
Secondly you are one of those who delighted when Piece was going after the failed Stuart regime. If he now chooses to put his talent in the Atherley pool , who are you or me or anybody else to judge whether he can or cannot have similar success.
You are it seems an intelligent and I think polite person. Would you kindly start to see our country and try your best to be more objective. I have had to shift my strategies to be even MORE nationalistic because I saw the real possibility of my country being wiped out through no fault of Sinkler or Mottley.
You guys seem to be stuck in some place that all you see is one thing.. Oh before I forget , I usually get my high from a shot or two from pure white rum.Currently I am enjoying El Dorado 3 year old. Hopefully we can link up when next I am in Bim. I would have been there for about the third time this year if not for COVID.
Our government is doing an excellent job with COVID far superior to what is transpiring here in the USA.
I have already endorsed BOSS. Peace.
@ Miller
We live in a culture of political scape goating. It is a miracle that anybody wants to be a teacher, public servant, nurse or police in Barbados. Here is how it goes:
Politicians carry their party favoritism into the Ministry Of Education. Mess it up: Blame teachers;
They take it into Finance: Blame public servants;
Into the Police force: Blame police
Into the QEH: Blame the nurses.
We can never put the blame where it is due because we must protect and defend our parties. That is the major damage that the country has had to endure.
Even in death we try to blame our political enemies. Here is an example:
Sometime ago , a regular caller to Brasstacks , committed suicide after losing his two sons by tragic circumstance. Peter Wickham was the host on the program. Callers were expressing sympathy because the man was a well liked and respected caller especially in matters of agriculture.
Peter Wickham, could not even forget Stuart and the nonsense the DLP was doing that day.
He brazenly told callers not to allow the doings of the Stuart administration to make them so depressed that they go and commit suicide.
Now that man’s suicide cane from the grief of losing two sons and there was Peter Wickham trying his best to connect such a profound personal tragedy to the Stuart administration.
That is the level of scape goating to which our beloved country has sunk.
Is it a case of many hands make light work or too many cooks spoil the broth or too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
Is it a case of a rolling stone gathers no moss or if you remain one place everybody will piss on you………
You are correct . The civil service has been saving this country from going under despite the efforts to complete destroy and rape it by others.
So let me get this straight. The government says it wants to take S122.5 million out of public sector workers pay over the next 18 months to fund capital projects and generate non-tourism economic activity. Two years ago, then President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Eddy Abed, declared that the private sector had $8 billion in savings in the local banking system. 122.5 million is just over 1.5% of 8 billion. Explain to me again why a Special Covid 19 tax can’t be levied on those holding these huge savings but anywhere between 7-20 % of public sector workers pay can be diverted. Plus, who is going to be getting these public work contracts if not the same local elite? All the more reason to tax them in the first place.
@Tee White
Let us understand your suggestion right, you are promoting a tax on savings?
@ David
Let us understand your suggestion right, you are promoting a tax on savings?
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You can call it that if you like but presenting it in that way misses the point because I’m not calling for any tax on the savings of workers and other ordinary people. The fact that these business owners have so much loose cash sitting around, while workers, even before Covid 19, are mostly living from paycheck to paycheck or struggliing with unemployment and the government says it’s flat broke shows they are taking too much out of the economy. So a special Covid 19 tax on this excess money is just a way of taking back some of their excess share. The ironic thing is that the government plan seems to be to give it straight back to them.
@Tee White
Please tell us how government should filter the savings accounts to be taxed.
What a tangled web we weave when……?
Skinner the essetial point remains i am on the ground you are not.There is nothing to suggest any of the opposition parties have any chance of winning the forthcoming election in my view.As for being happy with Piece before tje last election let me make it clear to youPiece had little to do with the last results the ex government were extemely poor . In my view we had the worst PM AG and Finance Minister among others that resulted in their heavy defeat and i cannot see them returning in under ten years neither the mock party and no shite talk can change. that.This is about running a country not a bread shop and requires serious people going forward.
@ Miller June 1, 2020 7:55 AM
We can spin it any way we want. The Barbadian civil service has reached a size in relation to the total population and economic performance where it is no longer reformable and is massively obstructing the growth of the private sector.
30, 40 years ago, the state sector was much smaller. That is long since history. Many studies prove the harmful influence of an oversized state apparatus. We do not have the Scandinavian work ethic to manage a large state sector. We do indeed need state service providers such as police officers, judges, garbage collectors, hospital nurses and the like, but not the many ministry officials, consultants and the like.
As a historical notary, I would like to conclude by saying that this was not PM Stuart’s fault, nor that of our present Most Honourable Prime Minister. During his reign, OSA transformed the state sector from a service to the population to a job creation facility of last resort. OSA is also responsible for prohibiting wage cuts for civil servants. Against this background, I really cannot understand why some here call OSA a great economist. OSA may have acted like a Marxist economist, nothing more.
In other words, the current government must now clean up the mess that OSA has left behind.
@ Lorenzo June 1, 2020 1:18 PM
“. In my view we had the worst PM AG and Finance Minister among others that resulted in their heavy defeat and i cannot see them returning in under ten years neither the mock party and no shite talk can change. that.This is about running a country not a bread shop and requires serious people going forward.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lorenz(a), your very nasty red slip is showing as you hang out your dirty linen to air!
Is this the same “Finance Minister” who has been resurrected from the political dead and placed like a stiff in a chair as a key man of one of the Queen’s Economic Recovery committees?
Isn’t that the Ace of Spades card of hypocrisy played by your Red Queen?
Now what did the fired doc from the Central Bank do that was so unforgettably and unforgivably bad as to keep him still in political hell?
Is there no room in the red Queen’s bosom for acceptance of any contriteness by Doc. Worrell even if he was to sing the praises of the ‘BOSS’?
Miller you can talk as much shite as you like.I am not Ms Mottley and hence can call a spade a spade. Mr Sinckler, s record is there for all to see.Therefore i stand by what i said. Nothing to do with Ms Mottley, s decision which based on the damage he caused i do not agree with. I done with you and that.
What manner of person can credibly believe that the PdP has a chance of saving more than one candidate’s deposit in 22/23 far less win a single seat far less ever become a potent force on the political landscape?
What manner of person can look at the politics of 1989-1999 and decide that based on that the PdP is in any way capable of electoral success?
What manner of person believes that Bishop Atherley or hypothetically Sen Franklyn can untie the political shoelaces of Richie Haynes, the best Prime Minister Barbados never had? Two gentlemen, one with just about an average electoral record and the other for all of his crusading few take notice of him and fewer take a considered positive view of.
What manner of person believes the circumstances of the present time with a remarkably popular government is more amenable to third party politics than the 90s with an unpopular and embattled government?
What manner of person is able to ignore, in commenting on the Civil Service, the reality that so many ministers and government policies have been felled at hands of the relished complex procedures of the Service both here and across the sea?
What manner of person does not recognize that politics is occasionally unsavoury and that partisan politics is an unwavering feature of politics across space and time and not confined to Barbados, to recent history or to so called “black sell out leaders”?
What manner of person ignores the harmful politicising effect of the 74 amendments?
What manner of miscreant believes that sitting on a broad based advisory council is a “key position”? What manner of reprobate believes that there is hypocrisy in seeking broad-based opinions on the way forward? What manner of person allows themself to be so taken with such monstrous mischief as to wilfully attempt to decimate the truth?
What manner of persons make up some parts of the BU commentariat?
@ Lorenzo June 1, 2020 2:40 PM
Are you getting punch-drunk? We certainly know you can never be Ms Mot(t)ley; only the horn extended from her rear to expel hot gases.
But we can clearly see and acutely hear when a ‘foul’ of a man is down on the canvass in the pit for political yard birds.
It’s time you raise your head, man and point it to the political sky of self-respect and learn to start calling a spade a spade and not a red queen.
They are all members of the same political club and social friends and you are NOT one of them.
Why don’t you take an enlightening listen to Classic’s calypso hit: ‘All Dem in Bed Together” while taking key note of Gabby’s: ‘All Dem and Bee politricians mekking mock sport at poor Lorenzo’.
In here got in too many clowns.🎪🎪
@Khaleel Kothdiwala June 1, 2020 3:07 PM
What manner of hellion regularly labels others as political yard fowls yet then lambaste them and deride them when they express a view that disagrees with the party they usually support?
What manner of wastrel believes that deflecting their own yard fowl status onto others changes reality in any way? What manner of wretch believe that they have been invested with the sole right to label commentators expressing their opinions as yard fowls when they themselves express only one view without fail? What manner of rapscallion believes that a person expressing views that occasionally support one political party or another makes them a “yard fowl”?
What manner of circus clowns make up some parts of the BU commentariat?
The relevant question is why do political supporters love to circle a mulberry bush?
>
Or why some live to contrive untruths to mislead in order to achieve their narrow destructive ends.
@ David
Please tell us how government should filter the savings accounts to be taxed.
#######
There are a number of countries in the world which have functioning wealth taxes. Individuals have their net wealth assessed, including their savings, and those above a certain threshold have the wealth tax applied to them. There exists no practical reason why the government of Barbados couldn’t raise its $122.5 million through this route. There does, however, seem to be a political reason. Namely that touching the island’s 1 percenters is out of bounds. They can’t be asked to put one red cent on the table but public sector workers can be asked to give up immediate access to up to 20% of their monthly salary. At least one positive thing now is that the workers will have a choice and are not going to be part of the ‘forced savings’ regime. We shall see what they say to the government’s suggestion.
(Quote):
Or why some live to contrive untruths to mislead in order to achieve their narrow destructive ends. (Unquote).
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Sounds just like the kind of line which can be found in the politrician’s playbook always carried in that red bag.
Yes, that politrician’s Pandora’s box always guarded by Prometheus in the form of the ghost called Abijah!
June 1, 2020 3:49 PM
“Yes, that politrician’s Pandora’s box always guarded by Prometheus in the form of the ghost called Abijah!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I felt that when the Prime Minister was in Opposition she ought not to have spoken so definitively to the matter of young Abijah Holder as she did. The circumstances were terrible but she made certain overtures that were obviously impossible to keep and therefore it ought not to have been done. But that’s gone now and can’t be undone.
However the attempt of some to prolong the agony of that family in the present day and use a deceased young person as a pawn for the DtM agenda truly is not only distasteful but also repugnant.
Preach that sermon of morality to the ghost’s mother who has been charged for her own child’s slaughter.
And what is the status of the person responsible for contributing to that beastly act of gross negligence and disrespect for the Laws of the land while driving around in a duty-free merc along the same roadway?
What is the status of the case? Is it still languishing in the Court?
@ David June 1, 2020 4:24 PM
All that can said is that the man who “accidentally’ shot his son to death while cleaning his gun did not have to wait that long to have his day in the Two Barbadoes’s court.
But Karma and her sword of Justice move in most mysterious ways.
@WS
What is “pure” white rum? A shot (snap?), I thought you only dealt in Bishop’s?
@ Enuff June 1, 2020 3:16 PM
“In here got in too many clowns.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just couldn’t allow that invisible one to pass like a ghost at night in a cemetery for the political yard-fowls.
We are really so proud of you- the true political vampire on BU- to see that you are able to see yourself in the mirror of reality.
BTW, how are those ‘daily’ meetings coming along in NYC with you vicariously sitting in the chair singing in the red PR choir?
Oh, how we miss your nemesis the “Bush Tea”!
@6:34
Sir William Skinner
What a cheap trick!
So it must be your estimation that Pachamama as a single individual could reorder the world.
That Pachamama as moniker must have the type of confused orientation which has been long supported by you.
That Pachamama as a single planet could usher in this new age.
That this writer who tries to be observant of Her behavious is the Pachamama
We have long estimated that you have something else to say.
Suppose Grandma was posting here, as a media institution would that kind of thinking be so conjured.
There”s no need to hedge
@ Miller,
” I felt that when the Prime Minister was in Opposition she ought not to have spoken so definitively to the matter of young Abijah Holder as she did. The circumstances were terrible but she made certain overtures that were obviously impossible to keep and therefore it ought not to have been done.”
At least one BLP supporter has the testicular fortitude to definitively criticize the Prime Minister of Barbados. lol
@ Hants June 1, 2020 5:46 PM
Occasionally, it requires the sheer innocence of a politically partisan child to expose the deceit and hypocrisy of his elders seasoned in the double-dealing art of subterfuge and chicanery.
“Look mummy and daddy from the Muslim mosque, the red Empress has no clothes on! She simply a red witch in white, right Daddy!”
“NorthernObserver June 1, 2020 4:55 PM
@WS
What is “pure” white rum? A shot (snap?), I thought you only dealt in Bishop’s?“
It’s a Bishop alright! Lol
By pure white I mean not contaminated by any chasers. Good
@ws
Ah-ha. Pure = straight. The true definition of intestinal fortitude. In St.John, a bishop is 4oz, apparently reduced from 5oz (gill) in former times.
@Comrades Skinner/NO, as one who hit quite a few back in the day I enjoyed that exchange about snaps and bishops of white rum. Don’t know if you two remember the days when a guy would stop by a shop window and down a snap of white while still sitting on his bicycle, before going home to have his lunch (which the lady in the house would have on the table if she knew what was good for her) – lol.
@ Mr William Skinner
Thank you for your kind remarks.
De ole man does love my country and I abhor those men and women who plant to do it harm.
There is much that you have said that de ole man will revert to presently.
But before I do I must remark on the immediate comment you elicited from the Honourable Blogmaster
He said and I quote
“… David June 1, 2020 6:31 AM
@William
1.You asked for sensible intelligent debate. How can you ask for Caswell to be made leader of PDP if he is on record not interested in elective politics?…”
It would seem that, in the limited reasoning of one the Honourable Blogmaster Borg that the Senator Caswell Franklyn is not within the same “elective Politics” which he formerly was known to have shunned.
But it is interesting how rapidly he shot off this response like if he, the Honourable Blogmaster, is also the Public Relations officer of Senator Caswell Franklyn
“2.Also a unionist will not command the support required from the dark shadows who finance political campaigns…”
Have you ever heard such unabridged, undiluted hobby?
This statement by the Honourable Blogmaster falls into the same strain of Pornville Inniss who sought to argue that Bajan Politicians are corrupt so his teifing was excusable.
Look what the clown said
“…Also a unionist will not command the support required from the dark shadows who finance political campaigns…”
The Dark Shadows who Finance political Campaigns LIKE THE DARK SHADOWS WHO FINANCED HIS BOSS MUGABE’S CAMPAIGN AND WHO SHE INVITED TO THE OPENING, OF PARLIAMENT!
say he did not print dat Mr. Skinner?
That is on his record forever!
He George Linnaeus Banks has shown who he respects, not law biding citizens but these dark forces.
But he ent dun there, looks what he gone and say
3.”…Btw the DLP lost the government rather than the BLP winning. A large number of the DLP base also stayed at home last election…”
So every wee he comes and pretends that he dissatisfied with the DUOPOLY but here he is proudly declaring that there is no hope for the PdP cause the DlP voters “stan home…”
Any with that comment he has shown to ALL BU READERS where his loyalties lie.
Well done Mr Skinner YOU PULLED HIM OUT HIS HOLE!!!
Quite good, so far
Bajan in NY/ NO
I certainly do remember! Also if you feel a little cold coming on , you go straight to the shop keeper and she pulls one from under de counter. And just so the cold gone .
It was not uncommon to hear a fellow say : “gimme a Bishop”and then there was “ choking de Bishop” first cousin of Ms. Palmer lol
Then there was that bottle of rum high up on the unused shelf , catching cob web from the roof. It never came down.
Yes gentlemen , authentic rum shop culture.
Memories………………
The Chinese IMF report is quite clear:
“To secure fiscal space for investment in physical and human capital, transfers to SOEs need to decline after the global coronavirus pandemic with a combination of stronger oversight of SOEs, cost reduction, revenue enhancement, and mergers and divestment.”
““A strong recovery after the global pandemic will depend on accelerating structural reforms.”
It would be really good if our leader dismissed Greendidge.
There are credible reports that some private employers are deducting five per cent of employees wages. If so, who authorised this deduction? Can Workers opt out?
It shows what can happen when one employer (government) imposes an unfair condition on its employees. What is the money deducted by private employers being used for? Is this an issue that should be debated?