Governor of the Central Bank Cleveston Haynes delivered his review of the economy for the year just gone. He was as expected optimistic about prospects for improvement. However, underpinning his optimism was his assumption the rebound of the economy will be based on TOURISM. The blogmaster does not need to expand on what this means.
Review of Barbados Economy in 2021
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68 responses to “Review of Barbados Economy in 2021”
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Governor upbeat
Central Bank boss however wants less reliance on tourism
CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR Cleviston Haynes is confident that a strong tourism rebound, including an influx of English cricket fans, and expanded construction activity, can drive Barbados towards double-digit economic growth this year.
However, the economist is not prepared to wager that the economy will grow by the “best case” forecast scenario of 14.2 per cent, stressing that 2022 outcomes will be heavily influenced by Barbados’ continued vulnerability to external shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and high commodity prices.
Haynes is also keen for the country to accelerate its diversification from current tourism industry overreliance, especially through agriculture, renewable energy and other sectors with the potential to earn high foreign exchange.
First press conference
He gave these assessments yesterday during the Central Bank’s first press conference for the year, during which he reported that the economy grew by 1.4 per cent last year. It was helped by a tourismled 11.5 per cent expansion between October and December.
“For the second successive year, COVID-19 tested the Barbadian economy’s resilience to extreme shocks,” he reported.
“Industrialised economies rebounded strongly from the 2020 economic decline but the persistence of the virus, with its rapidly emerging variants and its after-effects on the global supply chain, dampened domestic economic activity, contributed to higher inflation and shaped the direction of public policy.
“The bank estimates that the economy registered mild growth in 2021 as new waves of infections at home and abroad slowed the recovery of the tourism sector and kept output well below prepandemic levels,” he added.
He said the good news for tourism was that “long-stay tourist arrivals in December were at their post-COVID peak, reaching 47 per cent of the corresponding prepandemic level of 2019, as the relaxation of global travel restrictions, the phased reduction in health protocols and pent-up demand contributed to a rebound in international travel”.
With visitors from the United Kingdom and United States accounting for 74 per cent of arrivals, the Governor is banking on a further boost from the English cricket tour this month and in March.
“Clearly with the stadium only at half capacity it’s not as much as it ordinarily would be for an English tour, but I think we are very hopeful for the Test match that there will also be another set of English tourists,” he said.
“So in essence we have got two bites of the cherry – another set of English tourists who come to watch that [Test] match – and I am told the numbers could be as much as 5 000 persons for the match in March.
“So I think that this will have a positive impact on our tourism because on the one hand, it fills rooms but when they come they spend. Therefore our small business sector benefits from their presence and I can’t quantify for you the exact number but I think having them here contributes towards the earnings of foreign exchange.”
Range of forecast
Haynes said the Central Bank had a range of economic forecast scenarios that pointed to double digit economic growth for Barbados this year, but stressed this was dependent on everything going “perfectly well”.
“There are scenarios for a strong rebound in tourism, there are scenarios for a strong pick-up in construction activity, and you could get both of those happening together. And then there are scenarios where you only get a strong pick-up in tourism but we are unable to implement at a fast enough pace our investment programme,” he explained.
“The point that we want to make is that in this particular environment, because there are so many unknowns, because we are recovering from such a large fall-off in economic activity in 2020 and very modest increase in 2021, the actual forecasting has some fairly wide ranges because we are so dependent on tourism as our major economic activity.”
His hope is that efforts to diversify the economy will make progress this year.
“A lot of this obviously will have to be private sector driven. What we have to do, in my view, is that we have to go on to strengthen our agricultural sector. We want to be able to get new investments into the country that build on the knowledge and the skills of our citizens,” Haynes said.Source: Nation
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Return to IMF likely, says Howard
Too early to say, counters Greenidgeby COLVILLE MOUNSEY
colvillemounsey@nationnews.com
BARBADIANS ARE BEING TOLD to brace for a second trip to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the Mia Amor Mottley administration when the clock runs down on the Extended Fund Facility later this year.
Professor Emeritus in economics at the University of the West Indies Michael Howard, speaking to the DAILY NATION on Tuesday prior to yesterday’s report on the economy by Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes, said Government will have little choice but to continue to borrow from the IMF in order to implement any meaningful programme of stabilisation and growth.
However, Government’s Senior Economic Advisor Dr Kevin Greenidge is insisting that it is too early for such a determination.
Howard contended that even if the tourism sector was back to its glory days and firing on all cylinders, it was still not likely to generate the foreign exchange needed for sustained growth.
“We have to go back to the IMF because I do not think the economy on its own could generate enough revenue to set us on a sustaining development path.
“It is clear to me that we still have to borrow, and borrow enough money to sustain the foreign reserves because if we don’t have enough foreign exchange, we cannot pursue growth.”
He added: “Even when tourism was doing well, our foreign exchange was not commensurate with the numbers because of the all-inclusive nature of tourism. So, we have to generate foreign exchange and we still will have to continue some level of borrowing.” In response, Greenidge said many factors will have to be considered before Government makes any decision on the IMF.
“Professor Howard is entitled to his views [but] we have to wait until the programme comes to an end . . . . We have to wait until the end-of-March data comes in and see how the economy performs, have a view on macro modelling and what the outlook would be, and then the decisions would be likely made at that time,” he said.
“The majority of countries go for successive programmes, especially when there are reforms to be continued, which is the case with the BERT [Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation] programme, as we still have a lot of work to be done which was halted for COVID-19. The BERT programme will have to continue in some form or fashion whether or
not you go for IMF support.”
However, Howard warned that Barbados could ill-afford a programme as ambitious as BERT, arguing that targets such as a six per cent surplus would stymie growth.
“I don’t think that the Government has any other choice. I think that they have to enter a new arrangement with the IMF, but it has to be an arrangement that would give us some type of fiscal space to generate growth.
“All we have been doing is borrowing money. We have not been raising a lot of revenue and I think that the IMF is going to be around in Barbados for some time,” he said.
“The problem is that if we want to continue with the IMF, we might be asked to go back to the target of a six per cent surplus.
“We have to decide whether we want to pursue a six per cent surplus, which might inhibit economic growth because it would mean that you would have to raise revenue or send home some people or reduce public sector expenditure. These are some of the tough choices that have to be made.”Source: Nation
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Stick with fiscal discipline, Governor advises
BARBADOS CANNOT AFFORD to ditch fiscal discipline if Government opts out of another International Monetary Programme (IMF) arrangement when the current one expires at the end of September.
Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes made this clear yesterday as he also welcomed the imminent introduction of a procedural fiscal rule to keep Government’s financial management in check.
Speaking during a press conference to review Barbados’ economic performance in 2021 and give projections for this year, he said the Central Bank had preliminary discussions about the IMF programme, but “we have not yet sat down with the Minister of Finance to discuss in detail what we will do after the end of the programme”.
He said it was important for Barbadians to understand “this is not about the IMF, this is about Barbados and putting the country on a sustainable path”.
“Whether we do so within the framework of an IMF programme, of an IMFmonitored programme, or we go it alone, some of the prerequisites will remain,” he added.
The Governor said for Government this was primarily about “being able to finance your activities such that even if you come out of an IMF programme, I don’t think that persons should believe that you will suddenly start to run large deficits again.
“Because if you run large deficits you have to be able to finance them. What our recent past has told us is that as you run these deficits you need to borrow more and more. Your debt ratios therefore are going to go up, [and] that has implications for how markets respond to you,” he explained.
“So while you may think
that you want to run a five per cent primary deficit for example, if the markets are unwilling to finance you, then you get back into the situation that we were in before where we simply build arrears.”
Haynes added: “So there has to be, IMF or no IMF, discipline in how we manage our fiscal affairs and we have to manage it in such a way that we provide that confidence both to domestic and external capital markets, that such funding as we need we will be able to get because…there will be need to borrow from time to time.”
Asked if Barbados would have to continue “fiscal tightening” this year, including trying to achieve a six per cent primary surplus, the economist said: “Government has to now develop its budget for the coming fiscal year, [and] determine the size of the primary balance that it will want to target.
“Tightening should not automatically mean that you have to increase your tax rates or reduce your labour component. I think those are the things that persons fear. Sometimes it does happen, but it is not an automatic feature once you get the economy into a growth mode.” ( SC)Source: Nation
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Haynes: Higher prices will be order of the year
CONSUMERS will continue to face high prices this year, says Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes.
With Barbados’ fuel import bill having increased by $175.2 million last year when compared with 2020, he said the higher energy cost was a major driver of inflation.
Haynes said yesterday during his review of the economy’s performance last year that the global trend of rising inflation was reflected in domestic prices last year.
“The retail price index at November was 4.6 per cent higher than at 2020 year-end, driven in large measure by higher import prices,” he reported.
“Soaring international freight costs arising from disruptions in the global supply chain added to the hikes in energy and food prices caused by the revival of global economic activity. Domestic food prices were elevated mainly due to meats and vegetables.”
The Governor also said “the domestic rise in prices was acutely felt in the price of gasoline, diesel and electricity, but continued discounting of clothing, footwear and furnishing and household equipment dampened the domestic inflationary pressures.
“Given the fall in prices in the second half of 2020, the impact of rising prices on the overall price index was not evident until the second half of the year and the 12-month moving average measure of inflation rose to 3.2
per cent only from 2.9 per cent a year earlier,” he added.
Responding to questions during an online press conference, Haynes said the Central Bank’s assessment was that “prices will remain elevated” in Barbados.
“As always, some prices will go up and some will come down, but I think on average prices will remain high,” he said.
He said measures, including Government’s plan to keep freight costs at pre-COVID-19 levels, would help, but that this was “relatively small assistance”.
Haynes added that inflation measurements showed that Barbadians paid more for transportation, electricity and food, which he linked to higher energy costs. ( SC)Source: Nation
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The “OFFICIAL” quarterly comic strip is out, once again as expected it’s the usual optimistic unsupported Disney ALL IS WELL, patient moved from death status to recovery in ICU. I do not understand how this gentlemen can sleep at night , well maybe he prescribes to the TRUMP self believing Lies philosophy. And it’s SAD to think Barbados claims to be getting above, above what is the question.
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Jamaica had larger COVID cases than Barbados
Jamaica has recorded growth figures of 14.2 percent -
Always remember the Central Bank Governor is a creature of the Minister of Finance. Remember how we cussed Dr. Worrell ?
We may not choose to cuss Mr. Haynes but it’s the same old, same old , until the Minister of Finance or Prime Minister is ready to let you go.
Yep. The economy is going to get better or is actually going to get better. What else do we seriously expect any Governor of the Central Bank to say.?
At least he did say prices will not come down. We already knew that; they were supposed to come down after the NSRL was removed that’s about three plus years ago.
Oh well; how are you this morning, Dr. Worrell ? -
@ angela Cox
Be careful with such comparisons. We have to take the size of the population of JA and other things into consideration. The JA dollar is Monopoly money when compared with our dollar.
The IMF has been in JA. for over forty years.
As recently as two or so years ago, primary schools in some parts of JA. were still using outdoor pit toilets.
Rural JA is not near where we are although we have issues with water and so on. Basic electricity is still unavailable in some parts of rural JA. Our housing stock and public transportation are ahead as well.
So saying JA economy grew by more than us must be put in context.
BTW, if you were to read the comments of Haynes, Howard and Grenidge carefully you would discover that our economy isn’t rosy at all.
Quite frankly, I haven’t heard any comprehensive statement on the economy from the Minister of Finance, for sometime. Her long silence is deafening to say the very least.
Peace: -
@William
This is not a fair comment. DeLisle Worrell made controversial statements and decisions which immersed him controversy. Haynes continues to be circumspect in his pronouncements and actions.
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Apart from Caswell and Grenville, there are VERY few ‘men’ left in Barbados. Just a bunch of wussies who have to squeeze their legs together when faced with any challenge to avoid wetting themselves. How a so-called ‘leader’ can come each and every year with such BS and read it with a straight face baffles the bushman’s mind.
Thank God we have some females who can stand in the breech,,,, Of course the price that we will pay for ’emotional leadership’ is quite another matter….
But in ANY event…. our donkey is grass. -
It is his job Bush Tea, it is what economists do, project based on assumptions. Of course the quality of the assumptions if we used 2007 financial meltdown will open up that profession to attacks. We know your views about the discipline 😀.
#economicsisnotascience
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@ Wily Coyote January 27, 2022 6:01 AM
(Quote):
The “OFFICIAL” quarterly comic strip is out, once again as expected it’s the usual optimistic unsupported Disney ALL IS WELL, patient moved from death status to recovery in ICU. I do not understand how this gentlemen can sleep at night , well maybe he prescribes to the TRUMP self believing Lies philosophy. And it’s SAD to think Barbados claims to be getting above, above what is the question.
(Unquote).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++That’s the best piece of comic relief for the year. It certainly outstrips MAM ‘alibi’ for calling snap general elections -right in the heart of a pandemic with the public health authorities being forced to struggle with a most infectious variant of Covid- and whose inevitable results only reinforced what was patently obvious.
Maybe the Guv is merely the pharmacist filling the prescription of sugar-coated lies to sweeten the bitter medicine to be administered anytime after April fool’s day.
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@Miller
Give it time. Once the Senate is configured we will hear more.
Will Mia part ways with the IMF?
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“Apart from Caswell and Grenville, there are VERY few ‘men’ left in Barbados. Just a bunch of wussies who have to squeeze their legs together when faced with any challenge to avoid wetting themselves. How a so-called ‘leader’ can come each and every year with such BS and read it with a straight face baffles the bushman’s mind.”
its not leadership that is the problem
but the level of thinking of everyone else
that is more concerning
Barbados need all 300,000ish to up their gamePositive Thinking
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“It certainly outstrips MAM ‘alibi’ for calling snap general elections -right in the heart of a pandemic with the public health authorities being forced to struggle with a most infectious variant of Covid- and whose inevitable results only reinforced what was patently obvious”
Barbadsos (SOS)
when the social media echo chamber chatter had just started up banging on about 2023 elections with partisan propaganda tropes and memes…Mia shot from her hips with the starter pistol calling “ready steady go” (bang!).. and they were off.. the sprint was over quicker than Jamaican Bolt.. and the Barbados title holder remained current champion.. easy as DO-RE-MI ABC 123
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Kiki
Where have you ever heard of 300,000 sheep ‘upping their game’?
Sheep are sheep.
Their ONLY hope is to find good shepherd. Leadership is everything when dealing with sheep.
Our system of political stupidity that requires the sheep to select ‘leaders’ based on their sheep-like qualities is our undoing.
THAT is why we are doomed. …brass bowls leading brass bowls…@ David
#economicsisshiite -
@ David January 27, 2022 8:04 AM
“Give it time. Once the Senate is configured we will hear more.
Will Mia part ways with the IMF?”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++Do you mean we should wait for the President’s Speech?
Isn’t the HoA where the real action takes place when it comes to financial matters?
How can MIA part ways with the IMF at this time?
Can Hong Kong declare Independence from Beijing?Which other international loanshark can Barbados turn to in order to keep the game of imported conspicuous consumption going?
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“Where have you ever heard of 300,000 sheep ‘upping their game’?
Sheep are sheep.
Their ONLY hope is to find good shepherd. Leadership is everything when dealing with sheep.”it makes perfect sense for little lambs to follow the flock without questioning why but just doing it as it is in their best interest
human adults must think for themselves instead of being followers
human children have a growing consciousness and will automatically know what they should or should not be be doing instead of blindly following adults
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“human adults must think for themselves instead of being followers”
LOL ha ha ha oh Shiite!!! Murda!! Bushie belly…..!!!
You obviously do not grasp the concept of ‘brass bowls’…..
Bushie out…. -
@Miller
The IMF served its purpose to permit access to concessionary funding, see our foreign reserves. What is required is for some semblance of fiscal discipline handling government’s finances. Do we need the IMF to do what we know is the correct thing to do?
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@Bush Tea
Going back to your reference to Grenville and Caswell, there is a point to consider. Do you recall the view it is sometimes better to force change from within? The Trojan approach?
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If we knew the correct thing to do and how to do it, we would be lending the IMF money.
Boss…
We DO NOT know what we must do, and we are INCAPABLE of even doing the little shiite things that we commit to doing … like a working justice system, a working sewerage system ….. steupssss or EVEN a basic way to pay drivers licenses.
Face it boss
We are talking about 300,000 clueless sheep led by a bunch of ‘politicians’ who are there because they can do no better by way of jobs but who are loved because they are so much like the sheep they lead -
Bush Tea we have to believe. Life is a journey with wrong turns along the way. We have to continue to search for that light at the end of the tunnel. Yes there will be casualties along the way but we cannot give up!
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“Do you recall the view it is sometimes better to force change from within? The Trojan approach?”
~~~~~
Those days are long gone.
In order to gain admission ‘within’, one has to sell one’s soul to the ‘insiders’. Once admitted, one is then so COMPROMISED that you at best become a poppet (like a central bank governor) who must stand in public and recite embarrassingly idiotic speeches. or young KK who sounds more like a preprogrammed robot than a bright enquiring young adult.REAL leaders CANNOT and WILL NOT compromise their conscience…at ANY cost…. and so will not even pass the ‘admission’ stage.
You EVER see Caswell admitted anywhere?
His ass has be fired more times than Portville’s boiler.
LOL ha ha ha -
Caswell and Grenville are outliers. Caswell is a disrupter and Grenville operates right of center.
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“Yes there will be casualties along the way but we cannot give up!”
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…so who do you think will constitute those casualties Boss…?
Not Brass bowls who keep making the same ‘mistakes’ along the way.? -
It that case they will be replaced, in the same way Bin Ladin and all the other so-called terrorists that rise up to replace and pursue what they believe to be just causes.
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Caswell and Grenville are ASSETS.
However we judge them by SHEEP standards so it becomes clear why you think they are disruptive.
So we have gone with the ‘good old Sheep leadership’ that is not disruptive or out of center….GREAT!!if you always do what you have always done…
you will always get what you have always got…
…except that ….three is no more rope. -
Bush Tea the blogmaster respects what both of them do. As you know both of them have received unfettered access to the BU platform years ago. That said people will behave based on how they have been educated. It will take time to unfreeze that mendicant mindset.
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@ David January 27, 2022 8:57 AM
He who pays the forex-starving piper calls the tune.
How else would the IMF recover (with interest) its shareholder funds invested in Bim unless it is present to dictate fiscal policy and direction?
Hasn’t this promise to institute fiscal discipline been in the pipeline since December 2013?
Has the level of transfers to the SOEs been significantly reduced as promised?
Just look as the still obese cabinet with a new chief of staff and entourage of consultants and advisors (merely replicating the role of permanent secretaries and technical officers) and see if that is sending a genuine signal of fiscal responsibility?
At least the sugar industry will be finally buried. Which set of investor with foreign money will be prepared to buy a rundown factory in an industry about to go under the weight of subsidies as demanded by the IMF?
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@Miller
Would you expect the pandemic caused government’s finances stress because of pandemic spend? Let us be fair.
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“You obviously do not grasp the concept of ‘brass bowls’…..”
Bajans are Humans not animals
{defined as beasts of burden, bred in colonies, physically disciplined how to behave}The development of the Mind is the master key
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Our third IMF programme (CS loan with IMF clause) passed smoothly into the fourth IMF programme. The fifth programme will be based in the same way after the fourth programme expires. The fifth programme is already in the drawer.In other words, we will remain under IMF custody for at least 12 years, from 2013 to at least 2025.
So we are not economically or financially viable as an island state. All we can realistically do is to unconditionally promote tourism.
I therefore advise our honourable government to finally abolish the Corona tests for fully vaccinated persons on entry. We are a stronghold of Corona variants anyway. What should happen besides? Our government should therefore take the BAMP board and all other critical doctors into protective custody.
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@william skinner
Your response to Ms. Cox is on point. Without the proper context numbers don’t mean anything. -
@ David January 27, 2022 9:44 AM
Ok, fair comment.
And the IMF has indeed taken that in account; hence the backing off position taken during 2020 and 2021.
But 2022 is the year of make or break with MAM calling elections to ‘empower’ her administration to make serious corrective fiscal decisions.
How then do you explain the indiscipline before the pandemic and going forward with plans to increase the politically-hired payroll?
Remember the IMF is the bank of last resort; not a welfare agency for fiscally indiscipline members.
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“only about a quarter of the Treasury Notes has been taken up by individuals and financial institutions.”
https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/01/27/slow-bond-take-up-central-bank-reports/
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@Hants
This was predicted in this space.
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@David
“Will Mia part ways with the IMF?”
What are you doing, trying to out FUNNY the GOV. If MIA g kicks the IMF “OUT” she has to come up with some $3.5B to settle the account, well maybe, its doubtful the eastern Yellow Giant would cough up this amount of CASH or even be prepared to receive expropriated property in that amount.
MIA has herself as the de-facto DICTATOR, however she has herself in a bit of a SPOT, THAT IS BETWEEN A ROCK and HARD PLACE and the Vaseline is running LOW.
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@Wily
Prime Minister Mottley was elected a week ago by the people in an election deemed to be fair.
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@ David et al
One word in the Governor’s report says it all: fraught.
He said words to the effect that forecasting as he outlined in this environment is a “ fraught” exercise.
It’s a word with a whole lot of synonyms.
We did not elect : Grenidge , Haynes Howard or Robinson.
It is time for the Minister of Finance to tell the country in detail ,and not sound bites to the party faithful ,the exact state of the economy and the detailed fixes she intends to implement now that she has been given the fresh mandate she asked for. That’s what is called leadership.
Peace. -
@Wily
“The “OFFICIAL” quarterly comic strip is out”
the accuracy of your humour was much appreciated. -
Even without COVID, forecasting tourism revenue is going to be tricky going forward. The baby boomers are getting old and no longer willing to take the 8 hour flight, we now have to depend on Gen X. Good luck with them, they are way less predictable than their parents, looking for value for their money and they want adventure.
We could promote the NIS as the world’s only financial black hole and allow tourists to visit the singularity on Collymore Rock where they can throw money in and watch it be gobbled up. -
@Redguard
Your comment would be very funny if it wasn’t serious.
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@ Redguard January 27, 2022 3:30 PM
In science fiction, artificial black holes are used to generate energy, especially for engines for interstellar flight. So the NIS has enormous potential. The hole is so big, it should be enough for a hyperspace flight to the next galaxy and back within a week.
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Xxplosive debt
2018 Barbados went to IMF as it couldn’t maintain debt repayments for Government Bonds
2022 Barbados plans to leave IMF and restructure debt with some new Government BondsMove
AlongThere
Is
Nothing
To
See
HereXxplosive (Instrumental)
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Economy emerging from the doldrums – Starcom Network
https://starcomnetwork.net/blog/2022/01/27/economy-emerging-from-the-doldrums/
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Dr JR’s two +/- 45 sec soundbites need to come with lightning bolts.
What a friend calls…blinding glimpses of the obvious. -
Wait Bush Tea where you now arise from? Just in time for another 30 to 0 thrashing of your dems.This talk of brassbowls coming from a man who big up Mr Thompson as a leader years ago with no evidence to back it up.It is simple brasdbowls or not the people have spoken and clearly they want nothing to do with the dems at this time.Imagine Mr Blackett talking about who should offer them senate seats when he should be grateful for the offer in my view.Tells me they need a proper leader.The grapes real sour for the dems both overseas and here.Everyyday they are on Brasstacks griping.It will not help them.Bottom line you all got your asses kicked.Deal with it.I gone.
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We need to hear more.
NIS moving to statutory body
By Colville Mounsey colvillemounsey@nationnews.com
The Mia Amor Mottley administration has approved a March 2021 request for the National Insurance Scheme to transition from central government to a statutory body.
This was confirmed by Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, who told the Weekend Nation that he would be in a better position to release the details of the transition after he is briefed on what steps have been taken during the last three weeks, when the country was in election mode.
“The short answer is yes, the transition was approved by Cabinet, but I will be in a position to give more details after I am briefed as to what was done in the last three weeks,” Jordan said.
A source said that the decision was taken by the last Cabinet prior to the January 19 General Elections, raising questions as to what changes would take place at the state-owned social security system as a result of the development. This is the very question which the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is demanding answers to, making it clear that there must be full consultation before the entity moves forward with any transition.
Acting General Secretary of the NUPW Richard Green, said that he had heard through unofficial channels that the transition was approved, but was awaiting the details. He said that he was concerned that the lack of information could lead to fear among the staff of the NIS, and he was therefore urging members not to jump to any conclusions until all of the facts come to light.
“Just like with any transition the union would want as much information as possible and in a timely manner that there can be consultation on these things, well in advance of any proposed time for a transition. When these things happen and there is an absence of information, there is a lot of fear and workers want answers and this could lead to a lot of rumblings within the department. This was an issue that was on the table since last March and we have not heard anything officially as yet. What we want is full consultation on these matters,” Green said.
The NUPW has voiced objections in the past to the move, but yesterday Green said that their mission at this time is to ensure that the workers are no worse off from when they were part of central Government.
“The NUPW’s position is that if there is a transition, employees are treated no less favourably than their previous terms and conditions. As with any transition, we would be looking for an enhancement of the terms and conditions of employees as an incentive for them to transition to a new entity,” he said.
Even though the NIS has a board, it is still operated by central Government and directly falls under the portfolio of the Minister of Finance. Last March, Chairman of the National Insurance Board (NIB), Leslie Haynes QC, said that the COVID-19 pandemic had thrown into sharp focus the need for a more efficient and unencumbered NIS.
Haynes explained then that even though NIS has a board, the organisation was still required to go through the red tape of central government, a mode of operation which was not suited to responding to the urgency of the health crisis.Source: Nation News
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Are to take these talking heads seriously?
CTUSAB’s urgent call to new Govt
The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) wants Government to resume meeting the Social Partnership as a matter of priority, and to address the possibility of the country further extending its loans programme under the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In a press release issued by general secretary Dennis De Peiza, on post-General Elections expectations, he said it was important that Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her Barbados Labour Party administration, engaged the Social Partnership and other stakeholders to achieve a society which can enjoy a greater degree of inclusiveness.
Further, De Peiza noted CTUSAB wanted the Government to pay attention to the structure and form of the Social Partnership, as was established under successive protocols.
“It is the expectation of the Congress that Government will immediately get down to business of addressing the burning issues that include the restoration of the economy, employment creation, development of a new prices and incomes policy, and to commence and conclude the process of constitutional reform.”
De Peiza said taking into consideration the recommendations coming out of Article IV Consultation of the IMF Country Report for Barbados, dated November 29, 2021, the sum total was that Barbados should resume a fiscal adjustment programme.
“It is critical that Government commences discussions and consultations with the Social Partnership. Obviously, [with] intentions to implement the recommendations.
CTUSAB contends that it is important to address the implications which a new or extended IMF loan will have for the country,” he said.
The general secretary added that in the absence of an elected Opposition, the Congress was highly aware of the implications for the functioning of the Parliament of Barbados.
“The Congress therefore calls for greater consultation with individual stakeholders and at the level of the Social Partnership. It is proposed that this could be best achieved through the process of tripartite consultation,” he said.
De Peiza also offered congratulations to Mottley on “the unprecedented victory” in the January 19 general elections.
The Congress also commended the effort of the Democratic Labour Party, the Alliance Party for Progress, Solutions Barbados, as well as the independent candidates who contested seats.
(PR/RA)Source: Nation
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