Discussion re COVID 19 and the Economy

The following is a short discussion with President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) Dr. Linda Williams (Epidemiologist). Dr. Natasha Sobers ( Epidemiologist) from the UWI, Cave Hill and Senior Economic Advisor to the government Dr. Kevin Greenidge – Head of the CBC TV 8 Sanka Price lead the discussion supported by Head of News at Voice of Barbados Stetson Babb.

COVID-19 Discussion: Interview with BAMP Representatives

265 thoughts on “Discussion re COVID 19 and the Economy


  1. With vaccinated people able to spread the Delta virus
    Mia should be worried
    The virus does not sleep.and the portocols only serves limited purposes
    Human beings are social and like to touch
    There is no jab to control the emotions of human beings
    Reason why small islands should have steered clear of the virus and worked in a unified manner amongst themselves


  2. David,

    Why are you worried? We have it on good authority that covid is in our rearview mirror.

    Travel advisories matter not, red zones and green zones matter not, new variants matter not. All shall return to 2019 normal since the only thing in its way is lockdowns which will not be happening. The world has the technology to adapt vaccines to new variants and they can be manufactured purchased, delivered and administered in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. If necessary, all the people of the world will line up and be vaccinated…and vaccinated…and vaccinated… and vaccinated…

    There shall be no further disruptions.

    Sit back and relax! Tourism will be back in time to save our economy!


  3. DavidAugust 5, 2021 11:11 AM

    The whole world should be worried. It is why we refer to it as a pandemic

    Xxxxxxxxxx
    It is clear that with any issue that affects govt negatively who are willing to use your cloud of asinine defense to protect govt
    Did not this govt allowed social engagement by way of parties jam packed bus rides amongst an overseas Travel group called Haywire on Barbados shores recently in the midst of a pandemic
    Did u not hear the silence of govt response
    So how you can make a charge with your nimble response of wanting to show that Mia is worried
    Given the numerous photo pics of the Haywire group maskless and enjoying themselves


  4. “Do you realise that the USA was giving out these advisories from time to time?”

    Indeed, there was a time the US was warning about going to Barbados and yet the US was handling Covidi worse than Barbados was.

    At that time I was thinking ‘I would rather be there than here’. I never said it to the lobby.

    The Barbados team has done a wonderful job managing Covid-19. Mia chose wisely.


  5. DavidAugust 5, 2021 12:57 PM

    Why you don’t give the advice to Ron DeSantis.

    #steuspe

    No I am telling u so u can give the advice to Mia
    Better yet tell her to stop blaming and shaming the people
    When she like DeSantis allowed people from hot spots to enter their countries


  6. I Said

    We Will not be going back to 2020 lock downs. There Will be flare ups But they Will be handle differently now that we have vaccines.

    Not going back to. ** 2020.** Lockdowns

    Not going back to 2020. Type / kind of lockdowns

    2020 is there for a reason

    comprehension skills???


  7. re The whole world should be worried. It is why we refer to it as a pandemic.

    The whole world DONT HAVE TO be worried YET.

    CAUSE IF WE ARE TO BELIEVE WHAT JESUS SAID IN MATHEW 24:4-8 WE AINT SEE REAL PANDEMIC YET.

    AND IF WE ARE TO BELIEVE WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS THROUGH JOHN IN REVELATION 6 WE CAN SEE THAT THIS CORROBORATES MATHEW 24:4-8, UH LIE?

    AND THE ECONOMIC HAVOC ACOMPANYING COVID TELLS ME THAT THE EVENTS PPREDICTED IN REVELATION 18 WILL OCCUR JUST AS PROMISED THERE.

    NOW COME ON AND MOCK GP BUT BEFORE YOU DO, READ 2 PETER CHAPTER 3 ESPECIALLY VERSE 9

    This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

    2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

    3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

    4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

    5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

    6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

    7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

    8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

    9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

    10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

    11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

    12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

    13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

    14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

    15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

    16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

    17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

    18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.


  8. #BREAKING- Vincentian PM Dr Ralph Gonsalves injured outside of Parliament during protests in Kingstown; persons are protesting Public Health Amendment Bill – which requires certain categories of state employees to take COVID-19 vaccine in order to work in specified frontline jobs


  9. Q. WHO WILL SOLVE ALL THE CHAOS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD?
    A. HE IS CALLED THE LAWLESS ONE, OR THE MAN OF SIN OR ANTICHRIST

    Q WHEN WILL HE COME TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD?
    A HE IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH HE WILL EMERGE FROM THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT WELL DESCRIBED IN DANIEL 9.

    Q. WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE HAPPEN?
    A. NO ONE KNOWS “THE DAY OR HOUR”…….BUT THE SAME PASSAGE THAT SAYS THAT WE CAN NOT KNOW “THE DAY OR HOUR” IN MATHEW 24, TELLS US THAT WE CAN KNOW THE GENERAL TIME.
    MOCK GP …BUT BEFORE YOU DO READ MATTHEW 24 AND ASK THE SPIRIT TO HELP YOU TO SEE.

    IT SEEMS THAT A PLAN IS COMING TOGETHER.
    DONT YOU LIKE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER?
    I NOW UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MEANT BY ” MEN’S HEARTS WILL FAIL THEM FOR FEAR”


  10. RE Somebody bust open the PM of St. Vincent head with a rock outside Parliament
    WAS THE ROCK INJURED IN ANYWAY?


  11. I wonder how you recognised the comment was meant for you. Was it because it was full of IT? IT of course being the opinions you were expressing.

    My point remains that none of us, INCLUDING DONNA, knows what will happen with this pandemic. We can express our opinions but WE do not KNOW. We can only HOPE.

    I repeat, I HOPE you are correct to be HOPEFUL. (You stupidly called that trying to save face, so I guess I HOPE the pandemic runs rampant and wipes us all out, thereby proving me right.)

    So to finish my point, we cannot depend almost totally on tourism to provide for us in the manner to which we have become accustomed. We have to do SOMETHING differently.

    Now… what are our points of disagreement again?

    Over and out!


  12. John2 July 31, 2021 1:23 PM

    Donna

    We have a vaccine and the techonology to make a new one to adjust to the mutants when needed. We – as In the world is not going back to early COVID-19 lockdown etc
    We Will live with covid ad adjust to suit But not going back to those days
    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    John2 August 3, 2021 9:48 AM

    Didnt god give us brains to think?

    Neither fauci or Said we are 100% certain that we are are not going back into lockdown

    We Said we dont THINK we Will go back into lock Down

    I have no argument just opinions

    My opinion is that we are over the worst But we must still be on Guard. There Will be flare ups But there Will not be the lockdowns like In 2020

    The vaccines are working
    The Numbers show it.
    We have the ability to use booster if necessary
    We have the Technology to adjust the vaccine to the DNA of the virus (if needed) according to how they evolve .

    Maybe another novel virus But not covid 19 or it mutants
    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Severely Challenge at comprehension!
    Do not pay attention to details!
    Poor memory !


  13. I repeat, I HOPE you are correct to be HOPEFUL. (You stupidly called that trying to save face, so I guess I HOPE the pandemic runs rampant and wipes us all out, thereby proving me right.)

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Talk about stupid?
    Why would i or anyone Else Think that of anyone for any reason farless just to be right?


  14. I wonder how you recognised the comment was meant for you. Was it because it was full of IT? IT of course being the opinions you were expressing.

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Because i am not as stupid as tou would like me to be


  15. If tou have an opinion on what we should be doing differently. Why dont u Express it instead of trying to lead Down ur Rabbits hole?

    This is like Miller trying to g’et me to say something about the hyatt / malmoney situation


  16. For the foreseeable future tourism will gradual come back to play a great role In our economy – unless we find Oil

    The us no greater fx Earner and employer that tourism.

    Other sectors Will grow But none of them has the potential as tourism ( fx and jobs)
    Growth In tourism Will also cause growth In other sectors like agriculture

    We all know and agree that diversisity is best


  17. That should be – “severely CHALLENGED at comprehension, DOES not pay attention to detail.”

    I see grammar is also a problem.

    Silly man, I ask again – what is our disagreement?

    Oh lord, give me faith!


  18. By the way, if I was trying to save face by saying that I hoped you were right, it suggests I did not mean it.

    THEREFORE, I must have HOPED you were wrong.

    SMH. Images of the 3 yr olds again! Never, never did I have this problem!


  19. If you are referring to this prolonged and seemingly pointless exchange, yes, it IS crazy! Or it is driving me crazy. I cannot get this man to understand what I am saying. We seem to speak different languages. I cannot accept it and so I persist.

    You and I disagree on almost everything but I do not think we misunderstand what is being said.

    This is the second time I have bashed my head against the brick wall. The first time was to do with the St. George bi-election. ( So, my memory is actually very good.)

    On that occasion, I gave up. Now again, I admit defeat.


  20. You cannot THINK what our disgreement is?

    The last disagreement i Can REMEMBER is
    U implying that i Said lock Down are over with

    After u realised ur mistake You tried tiu ile trick of savning face by takling about diversfying the economy

    Before that i was pointing Out that people dont normally follow the advisories and that the last advisory by the usa was and improvement – You n the other had seemed to Think it was an indikation of bad thing to come ( for our tourism)


  21. PM

    By the way, if I was trying to save face by saying that I hoped you were right, it suggests I did not mean it.

    THEREFORE, I must have HOPED you were wrong.

    SMH. Images of the 3 yr olds again! Never, never did I have this problem!
    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    am not surprised at your reaction. After trying on two occasions to BS my opinion on two occasions and probably realising how stupid you fauci/god response was you tried to save face by HOPING i am right. then tried to lead me down a rabit hole and i refused to follow.
    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Maybe i give You to much credit In understanding

    Maybe i should have sad – You tried to save face by pretending you hope i was right

    Hoping was put In caps for a reason

    How Can u hoping that that we all g’et wiped out (or whatever it is u Said) be face for u after u realised u fauci/god comment was stupid?


  22. No stopping tourism show
    By Barry Alleyne barryalleyne@nationnews.com
    The show will go on!
    That was the feeling across Barbados’ tourism landscape yesterday after the United States government advised its citizens not to take non-essential trips to the island in the sun.
    Players in the sector say they are not expecting the US advisory to significantly impact winter tourist arrivals, with bookings having already significantly increased since Barbados was placed on the green list of the United Kingdom (UK), the country’s main source of tourism revenue.
    Roseanne Myers, chairman of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), the entity entrusted with promoting Barbados’ image to the world, said the advisory was not surprising. “It’s just the way the world is forced to operate in these times (of COVID-19),” she told the Weekend Nation.
    “Barbados continues to perform extremely well regarding the management of COVID-19 with a positivity rate below two per cent. It is well recognised that the Ministry of Health continues to manage the situation very well, has not relaxed vigilance and makes the results of testing known daily,” she added.
    Myers noted that since the reopening of the US market on May 8, which targets vaccinated travellers, they had seen an excellent increase in airline loads into Barbados, week to week, and the last quarter of 2021 was already quite strong.
    “We acknowledge the recent US advisory but the Barbados record speaks for itself, and discerning travellers will continue to judge based on the COVID-19 mandates and the data that Barbados has not dropped its guard and remains an excellent choice for a safe and rejuvenating vacation.”
    Protocols
    She said BTMI would continue to highlight the protocols established to keep everyone safe and inform potential guests, airlines and trade partners of the relatively low number of virus cases being experienced.
    “Our travel partners continue to express their confidence in Barbados and remain committed to recommending and selling the island as a destination of choice for their clients. The only way to respond to such advisories is to keep the scourge of COVID-19 under control for our own safety as residents here and that of visitors. The BTMI must ensure the results are known to all and to let the travellers judge the actual data for themselves.”
    Chairman of the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Geoffrey Roach, said the advisory might not even affect hotel bookings in the short term.
    “It’s too early to say how this would affect us. Most of the bookings we are seeing are out of the UK market. From what we’re seeing out of the US market, I’m not convinced that advisory is going to stop those people who want to travel from travelling.”
    Roach said they anticipated that as the months go by, UK arrivals would outstrip American visitors anyway.
    “From our discussions with tour operators, the signal is the demand from out of the UK for Barbados has remained high. Since we’ve been placed on the green list, the interest remains high and we expect that is going to continue,” he said.
    Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins said countries across the world were faced with making decisions to safeguard their citizens.
    “As we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic, countries continue to make decisions that they consider best for their citizens, Barbados included. We are confident Barbados remains safe for Barbadians and visitors alike,” she said moments after exiting a Cabinet meeting.
    Advisory
    Cummins said it was noteworthy that many countries had also been issued similar Level 3 advisories. The United States Centres for Disease Control issued the Level 3 advisory yesterday, encouraging its citizens to avoid travelling to Barbados because of its current struggles with COVID-19.
    In the past six weeks, Barbados’ virus numbers have dipped and risen from week to week, as public health authorities have attempted to contain several clusters. Local transmission also forced Government to re-institute an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew since last month. That curfew is set to be reviewed by August 8.
    In the advisory, Americans were warned against coming here for non-essential travel, and to vaccinate should they decide to visit. Unvaccinated Americans were encouraged to stay at home.
    “Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers,” it added.

    Source: Nation


  23. so I guess I HOPE the pandemic runs rampant and wipes us all out, thereby proving me right.)

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    That thought never once entred my mind ,
    You May have a hard head. But i dont Think any person would hope the pandemic would run rampant ( and just to Prove a point or be correct).

    We both may Think the other one is stupid But……….not that low/ crazy
    If i had thought that is what u meant then i would have been calling You Out on where your Heart is

    It never one entered my mind until You Said it

    Just saying. Thats my last on that part


  24. Exactly! That is why your “saving face” response was absurd. The comment was obviously a genuine sentiment. I am not the self-destructive kind. I was simply urging caution in the midst of hope.

    And advocating that we change our mindset towards tourism as our one and only saviour. It has proven to be a fickle saviour.

    As the cliche goes, “It cannot be business as usual.” We must turn our thoughts to “business unusual”.

    That was all I was saying even from the Central Bank review blog.

    A mere five percent growth after a shutdown and reopening shows us how dependent on tourism we are. It is therefore not good news.


  25. ClassifiedsRead ePaper
    Home / Covid-19 / COVID-19 watchdog eyes City shopping mall as potential ‘super-spreader’

    COVID-19 watchdog eyes City shopping mall as potential ‘super-spreader’ – by Emmanuel Joseph August 6, 2021
    The Government’s COVID-19 watchdog has zeroed in on the bustling Swan Street shopping thoroughfare as a potentially explosive spreader of the virus.

    “We have been seeing a worrying trend developing in Swan Street where you have a number of persons who gather there,” c, head of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit told Barbados TODAY. “Swan Street is one of those areas where a lot of people go shopping…. There are a lot of crowds and so on. We will be looking into that to see what we can do about that.”

    He did not elaborate on the likely restrictions to be introduced to the busy street mall.

    Chapman said it is not good sense for people to spend their time in a crowded area just liming.

    “I know we want to be close to one another and so on, but it is something that we will be looking into and see if we can help minimize the risk in places like that,” he said.

    Chapman also revealed that more than a dozen protocol breakers are facing charges in court.


  26. Bridgetown again!!

    Where do the people who test positive live?

    Map those locations.

    Below 200 feet on the south or west coast … or not?


  27. 8:27

    We been there done that already
    I Said my piece on tourism already and already disagree with you that the 5 % turn around is not good – we look at it from different angles


  28. I got a feeling it won’t be too long before we see both Biden and Harris impeached.

    Cuomo will go the same way too unless he resigns.


  29. Maybe i should have sad – You tried to save face by pretending you hope i was right

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Pretending was definately the wrong Word

    Long day and was end of night before i closed Down


  30. Who would imagine that those fools on the rocks should still be clinging onto a tourism industry decimated by covid-19. Eighteen months have elapsed and these morons are still unable or unwilling to restructure their economy.


  31. TLSNAugust 7, 2021 4:06 AM

    Who would imagine that those fools on the rocks should still be clinging onto a tourism industry decimated by covid-19. Eighteen months have elapsed and these morons are still unable or unwilling to restructure their economy.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Economic activity in Barbados has always been dictated by outside interests.

    You find that the “Offshore Sector” is the major plank of the economy, not Tourism and the Offshore Sector is going through its challenges with its close links to criminal activity.

    The brief period post WWII where sugar was king was just that … brief!!

    Even that period was a reflection of the extreme shortages of the commodity outside of Barbados.


  32. The biggest problem we have with our economy is the criminals don’t want to get caught.

    They are laying low.

    True from before COVID, during COVID and after COVID.

    Maybe we need to throw the criminals to the wolves.


  33. Economic performance ‘positive but tenuous’
    By Tony Best Former Governor of Barbados’ Central Bank Winston Cox has referred to the second-quarter report on the country’s economic performance as “positive but tenuous vibes for economic growth” in the country.
    Following the report delivered at a recent conference by the current Governor, Cleviston Haynes, he said for him the key “takeaways” from the bank’s recent news conference ranged from the emergence of “green shoots” of possible economic expansion in Barbados and a crucial need for an uptick in the global and national rates of COVID-19 vaccinations to a continuation of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) efforts as a vital socioeconomic safety net for people during tough times caused by the pandemic.
    Just as important, Cox said, was the evidence that at last the international financial institutions – the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank – had accepted the fact that “small, vulnerable and open economies” like Barbados needed all the help they could get.
    Positive things
    “There were some very positive things contained in the Barbados economic outlook which was outlined by the current Central Bank Governor,” Cox told the Sunday Sun. “One was that the IFIs had recognised the very high vulnerability of small states and open economies like Barbados. It was clear the financial institutions had recognised that countries like Barbados were extremely vulnerable and required support.”
    “Small open economies, Barbados among them, were dependent on the benign influences in the international economy and they were at even greater peril than the unfavourable impact” of worldwide economic downturns,” he said.
    “Small countries suffer sharply if there was a downturn in the global economy and it takes a bit longer for them to reap the benefits of an upturn,” he said.
    A second “takeaway” was what the current central banker called the ‘green shoots’ of economic growth appearing in Barbados.
    “If the uptick in the international economy does not continue, then those green shoots can easily turn brown and usher in a period” of prolonged economic stagnation, he added. “Yes, we have to nourish the green shoots as best we can by providing the kind of domestic investments which the Governor has identified. They also require the continued upturn in the international economy if they are really to yield results.”
    Reduce the expectations
    He said that next were the “fiscal difficulty” and the financial adjustments which would allow the Government to reduce the expectations of the country’s primary surplus.
    “It is yet another positive sign of evidence of [International Financial Institutions] understanding the economic challenges” confronting countries like Barbados,” he said. “I am getting the feeling that the financial institutions aren’t as resistant to the idea of the vulnerability of small economies as they were 20-30 years ago” when they erroneously asserted that small states were “more nimble” and had more flexibility in their responses to negative international economic conditions.
    “I came away from the Governor’s review feeling better about Barbados’ prospects and an important component of my feelings was the sense that the IFIs were beginning to understand the problems” facing Barbados and its Caribbean neighbours and the financial support they need and Barbados was receiving,” Cox contended.
    He said Barbados was “coming off a period of declining output but rising fiscal deficits and the financial institutions had demonstrated a high degree of flexibility in their dealings with Barbados.”
    “It seems to me that what the economic report suggested was that the room given to Barbados (by the IFIs) to adjust to the circumstances it faced – the freak storm, the damages caused by Hurricane Elsa, the volcanic ash (from St. Vincent) and the first
    quarter lockdown triggered by COVID – the room seemed to be there,” argued Cox, who agreed with Haynes that there weren’t any quick fixes to Barbados’ economic problems.
    “Economic recovery is a long process that involves improving the welfare and benefits to people. It is a process that is continuous and slow,” he warned. “It is not going to happen overnight.”
    No control
    Switching to the issue of rising oil prices and their impact on people’s pocketbooks, Cox said that as an oilimporting country, Barbados did not have any control over the rising prices.
    As to when Barbadians could reasonably expect tourism’s return to good financial health, he struck a note of caution, saying much would depend on successes in boosting international vaccination levels.
    “It is quite possible to achieve it (tourism rebound by 2023) if more and more people in different parts of the world were vaccinated and if we can help stem the tide of the mutations of the coronavirus,” he said. “The international effort to vaccinate people is as important for Barbados as is its own campaign to vaccinate its people. As more people get vaccinated, more of them will travel and tourism growth will return” to Barbados.
    He described the prospects for economic growth by 2023 as being both “tenuous and tentative” with a high degree of uncertainty.
    “We are not out of the economic woods. We are still in it. We must avoid fiscal deficits becoming a drag on the economy. Clearly, robust growth in international travel may bring benefits to Barbados.”
    Turning to the NIS, Cox indicated satisfaction with the way it was functioning as a “safety net” for Bajans, providing pensions, unemployment benefits and a pool of investible funds. “That’s the way it was designed to perform.”
    However, what was needed, he insisted, was “continued growth in Barbados’ foreign reserves but they should be a result of earning them but not by borrowing.”
    The Central Bank, he said, had done a good job in managing the reserves.

    Source: Nation


  34. EX-BWA CHAIR SUING
    By Maria Bradshaw
    mariabradshaw@nationnews.com
    Dr Atlee Brathwaite, the former chairman of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), is suing Auditor General Leigh Trotman for his report into the BWA which was laid in Parliament last year, and which made several references to Brathwaite’s conduct heading the statutory entity.
    In the claim form which was filed in the High Court on July 9, the 86-year-old retiree, who is being represented by attorneys Philip McWatt and Sumaya Desai, is seeking, among other things, monetary damages, an order quashing the report and/or portions of it that set out the findings of the Auditor General in relation to him and his conduct, and a permanent injunction restraining the Auditor General or any governmental body from acting pursuant to the findings contained in the report.
    AG aware
    When contacted yesterday, Attorney General Dale Marshall told the
    Sunday Sun: “I am aware that a claim has been filed by Mr Atlee Brathwaite in the High Court seeking relief in respect of the report of the Auditor General, which was laid in Parliament in 2020.
    “The named defendant in the case is the Auditor General himself. I won’t comment on the merits of the claim but will say that the claim will be vigorously defended.”
    In the claim form, a copy of which was obtained by this newspaper, Brathwaite is contending that in Chapter 4 of the report, Trotman “made numerous references to the applicant and drew many adverse findings concerning his management of the Barbados Water Authority, which said findings the applicant was never made to understand were likely to be made against him and for which he was never given an opportunity to respond”.
    It added that portions of the Auditor General’s report were carried in an edition of the Nation newspaper dated June 5, 2020, and the public perception of Brathwaite was such that it caused immeasurable damage to his reputation.
    “The publication of the report has also adversely affected the health of the applicant and his wife and caused him significant distress,” the claim further stated.
    Brathwaite is seeking judicial review of the administrative act of the Auditor General “in making adverse findings of” and concerning his conduct for the period when he acted as chairman of BWA, according to the filing, “without informing the applicant of the specific allegations against him or of his proposed findings, and/or inviting him to comment and/or respond to the allegations or proposed findings he purported to make”.
    He submitted that by including those adverse findings in his report, Trotman acted in breach of the rules of natural justice in that he failed to advise him of the allegations or proposed findings he was going to make against him in the report; and failed to give him an opportunity to respond to them.
    Brathwaite further charged that the Auditor General exercised his discretion “improperly or unreasonably” in failing to advise him of the allegations or proposed findings he purported to make in his report and offer him an opportunity to respond; and that Trotman took into account irrelevant matters in coming to his findings in respect of him.
    ‘Acted arbitrarily’
    “The respondent acted arbitrarily and irrationally or otherwise abused his power in failing to act in accordance with accepted and recognised rules of natural justice in reaching the findings he did with respect to the applicant,” the claim stated.
    Sources told the Sunday Sun this was the first time that a citizen has brought a lawsuit against the Auditor General for his annual report. The Auditor General is charged with auditing and reporting on the accounts of the Supreme Court, Senate, House of Assembly and all departments and offices of Government.
    The matter is to come up before the High Court in October.

    Source: Nation

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