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The following was posted by commenter Wargeneral on another blog to list the achievements of the Mia Mottley led government since taking office in 2018 – David, Blogmaster

Call me an apologist or whatever but to say that this administration has “nothing tangible to show” would require you to demonstrate what you mean by that.”

TheOGazerts

The record of this administration includes:

The reduction of the debt to GDP ratio from 175% to 114% at the end of 2023 through a mixture of debt restructuring, primary surpluses (primary surplus for 2023 was 2.5 % of GDP for march 2024 the primary surplus target is 3.4 percent of GDP).

The relatively brisk economic recover from the economic shock brought about by covid-19. During Covid the economy contracted by 14 percent but it grew by 10 percent in 2022 and 4.5 percent in 2023.

This was driven by a fairly strong tourism recovery and a ramping up of airlift,

An increase in goods exports seen here:

https://nationnews.com/2023/01/25/exports-barbados-20/ .

Food Science Centre:
https://www.washingtoninformer.com/barbados-international-food-science-centre-a-boon-for-exporters/

This government changed BIDC to Export Barbados and the agency already built an International food Science entre which is a shared use facility which helps small food and beverage manufacturers to reach export quality and scale. If you pass by newton now you will see another constriction site where they are about to build a life Sciences Park.

And an Increase in foreign Investment and construction to levels not seen since 2006. This is according to developers and Real Estate companies. Construction wages are also increasing. https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/01/11/super-rich-middle-income-have-big-appetite-for-piece-of-the-rock/

Non-Sugar crop production increased in 2023 by 24 percent despite drought in the first half of the year and excessive rain in the last three months. This was helped by government’s FEDD programmer to bring more young people into agriculture and this government spent millions building catchments to get water to farmers like this one in St. Phillip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV6PDPdx8VM
sugar production also increased in 2023 by 22 percent and under this government farmers were paid on time for the first time in years.

Note that Barbados NEVER recovered from the recession of 2008-2014. During the period 2008-2013 Real GDP contracted by 9 percent from where it was in 2007 and by 2018 the economy was still 4% smaller than it was in 2007 in real terms. So now that the economy has recovered from Covid in 2 years lets hope that 2024 is the year in which Barbados finally recovers from the 2008-2014 recession.

Building a new Geriatric Hospital, expanding the existing A&E at the Hospital.

Repaired more roads in five years than the pervious government did in 10 years examples being Wildey to Collymore Rock, Lears, East Coast Road, Shorey Village, Rock Dundo, Highway 1, Yorkshire and many others.

The government currently has 3 separate road works project current ly goin on in the Chinese Scotland district Project, CAF road project, a small roads programme which is currently paving smaller roads in St Joseph and St. James like these:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=842033944593623&set=a.498311468965874

The government just started a $30 million accelerated road paving programme which begins today.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=866592985471052&set=a.498311468965874

Reinstituted tuition-free accesses to Barbadian students at UWI provided that they give back a number of hours to various state and private programmes.

Gave poor people $600 a month in support to help them get through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Started a One-Family initiative to encompass a Family-based approach to the delivery of social services to the poor.

Increase the Reverse tax credit from $650 back to $1300 (which people got last month) and actually started back paying it after a previous administration stopped.

Started a six-month construction gateway programme to train as many young people as possible to take jobs in the construction boom which is currently ramping up.

Currently undertaking national discussions on education reform, constitutional reform and parliamentary reform.

Repaired this country’s relationship with Guyana.

The one that put a smile on my face was they at last started the reform of State Owned Enterprises by privatizing BAMC, which will now be run by a co-operative lead by fellow blogger Colonel Trevor Browne. As seen here
https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/01/12/new-sugar-firms-to-begin-operations-on-monday-under-different-environment/

I hope that this is used as the model for any future divestment of SOEs. Now! onto dealing with CBC.

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70 responses to “BLP Achievements!”

  1. I have seen the future Avatar
    I have seen the future

    Not going to bash the police.

    It is a BLP and DLP thing.

    Why do I feel that one morning we will wake up and see the Tonton Macoute or the Mongoose Gang?

    May we never get a Papa Doc, Eric Gairy or Mugabe. Wait ..
    The present is the foundation of the future.

  2. BAJE Avatar
    BAJE

    We need transparency, thorough investigations into police misconduct

    There is no mistaking that the safety and sense of security enjoyed in Barbados are, in no small part, due to the daily efforts of the men and women of the Barbados Police Service.

    We are well aware that the sworn duty to protect and serve, especially in these times, is anything but easy and certainly not for the faint-hearted. The public expects law enforcers to solve crimes, preserve law and order, and ensure that guilty offenders are punished in a court of law.

    Solving crime and protecting a nation is serious business, requiring courage, intelligence, integrity, and professionalism. This involves tough decisions by officers who encounter difficult situations while confronting increasingly sophisticated lawbreakers.

    In addition to strong investigative skills, sound judgement, and problem-solving techniques, officers must avoid any acts or situations that could give the impression that they are above the very law they seek to defend.

    Recent widely publicised incidents portraying officers in a suspicious light are jarring and must be addressed promptly and transparently. For instance, an expletive-laden video and audio recording allegedly involving a female police officer and a male arrestee have sparked shock and calls for action. The Police Service has responded swiftly, appointing a senior officer to investigate the matter.

    Similarly, incidents involving a break-in complaint by Daron Kirton and a viral social media video from Donisha Best have raised concerns. Thorough investigations are promised, but the track record of delivering timely public reports on the conduct of their own in controversial matters has been found wanting.

    While understanding that not everything can be exposed to the public, we emphasise that faith in how the police function is critical. Failure to disclose relevant information harms the image of the Police Service more than it helps.

    To maintain the support of law-abiding citizens, the police cannot afford to risk losing respect, support, and confidence. Establishing policies that promote collaboration between the police and the communities they serve can enhance police legitimacy and create a strong image.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/01/18/we-need-transparency-thorough-investigations-into-police-misconduct/

  3. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    When is the next Election?

    https://nationnews.com/2024/01/19/50-million-split/

  4. John Avatar
    John

    Muscle Mary still around?

  5. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/01/20/ev-m-50-on-road-as-government-vehicle-upgrade-begins/

  6. David Avatar
    David

    Citizens should not be congratulating government for what should be a matter of routine but thanks anyway.

    BRA: Tax refunds for 2022 completed

    The Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) says it has completed the tax refunds for 2022 Reverse Tax Credits (RTC) and 2022 Personal Income Tax (PIT).

    In a release yesterday, headquarter services leader, Carolyn Williams-Gayle noted that PIT refunds and RTC payments were issued to more than 44 000 taxpayers last month.

    “In total, $42.2 million was paid to taxpayers, $21.5 million in PIT refunds and $20.7 million in RTCs. The vast majority of those payments were deposited directly to taxpayers’ accounts at their selected financial institutions, while eight per cent of those payments were issued as cheques. This is significant headway in the thrust to transition from issuing payments via cheques to direct deposits.”

    Williams-Gayle also indicated that a number of deposits had been returned to BRA from financial institutions as a result of account information errors, amounting to just over two per cent of the total refunds and attributable to situations where incorrect details were entered.

    “Some of the files sent back to us were because some taxpayers had selected the wrong credit union from the list; entered information for bank accounts that had been closed; entered card numbers instead of account numbers; included branch and transit codes with the account numbers; incorrect addresses; names spelt differently from what is on record at the financial institutions; messages typed in the account number field – these kinds of errors have resulted in further delays of payments as they now have to be reprocessed and reissued,” she explained.

    Williams-Gayle urged taxpayers to take some time to review their TAMIS information and ensure that the details are up-to-date and accurate so BRA can reissue those deposits.

    “This will assist in ensuring that the refund process, from filing to payments received, is as efficient as possible. For those persons who did not receive their refund or tax credit payments as anticipated in December, please update your bank details in TAMIS by February 28, so we can reissue the deposits to the financial institutions. We are imploring taxpayers, particularly as the next tax filing season approaches, to take special care and check that their personal and baking details are current and accurate,” she stressed.

    The manager reported that additional refunds and tax credit payments are being processed for those who filed their returns after December 22, 2023. Those persons number 914 to date.

    She highlighted that there was also a marked reduction in the number of refund cheques issued which has significantly reduced processing timelines and reminded taxpayers to keep their personal banking and TAMIS details secure.

    (PR)

    Source: Nation

  7. Hants Avatar
    Hants

  8. David Avatar
    David

    Here we go.

    Worrying Chinese loan for St Joseph

    IT IS SAD that we did not get proper advice when signing that loan with the Chinese to fix up the problems in St Joseph. Or did we get advice from local people or so-called advice?

    I remember clearly that I published an article ( A Call About The Chinese Loan)

    – not about why the loan was given, but about the terms of the loan. My impression was that we grabbed at the loan because the rate of interest was low. However, I pointed out in my article that the Chinese bank held all of the aces from start to finish, and I questioned the security that was given (I did not specifically know).

    I guessed that there was some form of security, that it may have been a compromise to future generations. Now we may have to rely on the security covering the loan. I would like to be a fly on the wall when the discussion is taking place.

    I quote from my article.

    “We are going to see that despite the low interest rate of the loan, the bank in China has several ways of making profit (on the loan), just as a bank today has many ways of making profit outside of loans and overdrafts.

    “Furthermore the contractor on the project that controls the schedule and pace of performance, the personnel of workers and who is responsible for submitting this to the bank in China is a Chinese contractor. The same contractor dictates the type of material for the project and the source.” A toxic arrangement. Toxic mainly for us the taxpayers.

    No quick fix

    The geography of the area should be well known to the Government. It is the constituency of the Attorney General. Perhaps efforts by local engineers and workmen would have already been involved in efforts to fix problems arising. Even so, local residents must have indicated that there was no quick fix. However, I believe that the Government was encouraged by the low interest rate and terms and maybe the reputation of the Chinese for solving problems.

    Broken gabions are not holding and there is slippage.

    It seems that the contractors have thrown up their hands.

    We now have a problem.

    We have to go back to the contract that was apparently unfavourable to us. The loan is still accumulating “low interest”. We are still being billed for the Chinese that are here and the value of the work done so far is in Maxwell’s pond.

    Government has responsibility for the future of housing the affected residents and the list goes on. We need to examine now what remedies are prescribed in the contract, the low interest contract. Above all, we have to decide how to break the contract if the work is irreparable. But the loan was a cheap loan. Breaking the contract does not break the loan arrangement in so far as what has been drawn down (we hope), but there can be other considerations.

    Contract insured?

    Breaking the contract only breaks the work arrangement. What penalties would there be for non-completion? Will there be proportion sharing? Is the contract insured or partly insured and where are the insurers? Here or in China?

    Government should let the country know what remedies are open to us. What happens to the many Chinese that are left here? What work will they be doing? Are they just relaxing in their accommodation?

    Will there be a penalty imposed on the Chinese for failure to overcome the odds in getting the job done? After all, they are the experts.

    Is there in the contract an arrangement whereby workers can be transferred to other jobs?

    In addition to all of this is the plight of the people living in the area. Those people would be worse off now as the area will probably be unusable and an urgent solution needed at the expense of the Government – I presume.

    There is need for an early decision. That decision should be known to the Barbados public. Just as the cheapness of the interest rate was saluted as a great deal.

    Should we try for a total termination of the contract with the company doing the repairs and the cessation of interest on the loan?

    Probably a refund of interest already paid. That would be a great deal.

    Harry Russell is a banker.

    Email quijote70@gmail.com

    Source: Nation

  9. David Avatar
    David

    We getting it from the horse’s mouth, how do we intend to hedge against what is expected as a country?

    Challenge for Goddard shipping division

    GODDARD ENTERPRISES LIMITED (GEL), which is Barbados’ largest conglomerate, is reporting a challenging 2024 for its shipping division, as supply chain disruptions and other issues impacted operations.

    Shipping division revenue fell from $17.1 million in 2022 to $13.1 million last year, GEL reports in its 2023 annual report.

    Wendell Beckles, divisional general manager responsible for the shipping division, said that “the 2023 financial year was yet another challenging one as the division continued on its recovery”.

    “The nationalisation of stevedoring services in Barbados had the single most devastating impact on the division’s bottom line with over 75 per cent of the revenue of our Barbados operations vanishing in April 2023,” he said.

    “A complete re-engineering of the business is underway with the aim of transforming the operation into a highly diversified, agile and profitable entity. The transformation will be fueled by the commissioning of a brand new off-dock bonded warehouse facility that will facilitate the deconsolidation and delivery of imports as well as the receiving and freight forwarding of export cargoes.” Beckles said that “to augment this, a full-fledged brokerage department has been established to execute the efficient clearance of both sea and air freight shipments”. He also said: “With most of the global supply chain disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic now abated, the company will be pivoting more towards the fulfilment of its over-arching strategic plan with investments in global supply chain solutions.” Despite the reduced revenue, Beckles reported that the shipping division “recorded a modest profit for the financial year just ended, which was quite an improvement in comparison with the prior year”.

    “This was achieved despite some of the unprecedented challenges faced. The division will continue its diligent efforts at expanding its networks and representations, diversifying its operations and effectively mitigating enterprise risks to further improve the division’s profitability in 2024,” he said.

    However, Beckles added: “With global inflation remaining unchecked, increasing frequency and severity of droughts and other weather events, the ongoing war in the Ukraine and increased instability in the Middle East, we anticipate that many challenges will continue to present themselves.

    “These challenges have the potential to spur a new wave of supply chain disruptions. The division will therefore be positioning itself to benefit from the opportunities that will undoubtedly arise from the challenges.” (SC)


    Source: Nation

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    up taws to lines.

    https://nationnews.com/2024/01/23/rowe-removed-as-deputy-speaker/

  11. David Avatar
    David

    Your thoughts @Enuff

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2dTpelAyz6/

  12. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The triumverate.

  13. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    So…… The BLP fired their Deputy Speaker after the shortest debate in the history of the elected assembly of Barbados and the PM basically said we are doing him a favour because he can’t do the job if he has a sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

    What does Maxwell and Carrington (former Speakers) have to do with Rowe’s issue? Oh, they were DLP Speakers lest we forget.

    I read where the former MOH (Dr. Browne) has some concerns about the process under which Rowe was turfed which confirms my theory that her “resignation” was not what it was portrayed to be, and she didn’t jump but was pushed.

    According to the article in the Nation quoting Dr. Browne, the present Speaker of the H of A who presided over the proceeding, briefly represented Rowe in the past (WTF)

    Yuh can’t make this s..t up

    Case Closed.

  14. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ David,

    https://nationnews.com/2024/01/24/andrea-franklin-new-btmi-ceo/#

  15. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/01/24/btmi-names-new-ceo-and-coo/

  16. David Avatar
    David

    This is an amazing story.

    No ultimatum’ in BGIS-Public Affairs merger issue

    Article by Barbados Today
    Published on
    January 26, 2024

    The island’s largest public sector trade union has backed off from giving the Ministry of the Public Service an ultimatum to respond to grievances by employees over the planned merger of the Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS) with the Public Affairs Department.

    Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Wayne Walrond said on Thursday that the union has dispatched an “urgent” letter to that ministry and expects it would respond in a reasonable time to a request for talks on the merger that it fears would result in the supersession of the existing BGIS staff.

    “We have not given them an ultimatum, but I am looking within a reasonable time that we get that dialogue going,” he stressed.

    Some of the upset information officers who reported sick on Wednesday remained at home again Thursday as the union made clear it would be monitoring the ministry to ensure it doesn’t drag its feet in replying to the request for an urgent meeting to get to the bottom of the proposed merger.

    “It is my understanding that some workers reported today as still not feeling well,” Walrond told Barbados TODAY.

    “The NUPW has sent off an urgent letter to the Ministry of the Public Service seeking dialogue to seek clarity on the proposed merger that was touted and to have accurate information on the status of it. The workers would have had concerns with some of their portfolio being taken over by Public Affairs over a period of time, and they would have concerns that promotional positions on offer in that department could create inequity, particularly where those positions should have been considered for the long-serving GIS officers.”
    Courtesy Garage: Nissan Frontier Jan 22 – Feb 4 300×300

    Concerned that it appeared there would be “consequential supersession if certain appointments are made at Public Affairs”, the union official added: “We have sought to have an urgent meeting to bring clarity on this state of affairs and that we deal with not only pay but with terms and conditions of service.”

    Walrond said the union wants to ensure that there are adequate consultations and negotiations in dealing with the issues so nobody would be disadvantaged.

    Since the early days of the former West Indies Federation with a single officer in 1958, the BGIS has served as the government’s public relations and information arm. The Public Affairs Department, created by the Mia Mottley administration, is described on its social media outlets as being “committed to disseminating timely, credible information on Barbados’ public service”.

    The impending merger is slated for April 1, the start of the government’s new financial year. (EJ)

    Source: BT

  17. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @David
    They (BGIS staff) should have seen this coming, when the Gov’t creates a secondary unit complete with hand picked cronies to mirror BGIS functions it was a fait accompli.

    The Union could protest but we know it isn’t going anywhere, those BGIS staff are like lobsters in a pot, the water is gradually getting warmer until…… The “P” in Public Affairs is for Propaganda.

    Many hands make light work.

    Case closed.

  18. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    It does not make sense. Improve the bench strength of BGIS if you have concerns, why create another unit at a time finances tight we are told?

  19. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    A silly rant
    Just to be certain, I had to look up the word ‘supersession’ and it meant exactly what I thought it meant.

    Some things irritate me and one is when you use a five dollar word that possibly obscure your message to your members. I know that some will say he was using the lexicon of a unionist, but his intention should be to keep the wider public informed and not send them rushing to their dictionaries.

    A second irritant are those who use two fifty cents phrases and at the same time claim that they have destroyed all those who think differently when it is obvious to everyone else that their effort was (not enuff). It is always amusing to see them taking a victory lap.

    Looking forward to the day when we realize that a two dollar word is even more adequate than 5 dollar words and that 50 cents phrases are (not enuff) woefully inadequate.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    Food for thought on tourism’s role

    I am concerned about the role of tourism in the Barbadian economy. Although tourism economics is not my specialisation, Barbados can be considered a “mature” or even “old tourism destination”, based mainly on an overused “sea and sun” model.

    Tourism offers employment to Barbadians, but it does not contribute significantly to foreign exchange earnings as a result of the all-inclusive packages of many tourists.

    Government therefore, relies heavily on tourist arrivals as an index of growth and performance of tourism.

    This illusion of tourism growth has not been accompanied by quantitative approaches to calculate net earnings from tourism, or the positive and negative multiplier effects of tourism on the economy.

    I have not seen such an analysis in the public domain, as well as the calculation of the net loss of foreign exchange in terms of fuel, and other imports to support the tourism plant and other infrastructure.

    Not a good idea

    Since I am not a tourism economics specialist, I would also like to know what research work has been done on the macro impact of the Barbados tourism model, in the first two decades of the 21st century, compared with the analyses of the work of Zinder and Associates (1969); Armstrong, Daniel and Francis (1974); Bryden and Faber (1971); Levitt and Gulati (1970); Doxey and Associates (1971) and Marshall (1977).

    I also believe that the idea aired in the public domain of building 12 hotels along the South Coast is not a good one. The heavy traffic and congestion along the South and West Coasts, and the worsened population density with added tourists, will create high public costs for water, sewage, transport and energy management, which will also result in a serious outflow of foreign exchange.

    Different types of tourism

    Barbados needs to develop different types of tourism, such as medical tourism, heritage tourism and a strong agricultural sector. Agriculture is the key to buoyant growth of the Barbadian economy. If agriculture continues to be neglected or performs badly, the foreign exchange constraint to growth becomes more critical.

    The services sector, though very important, is a large user of foreign exchange.

    Overall and finally, we need an economic model to estimate domestic tourist spending and the foreign exchange loss from tourism.

    If we fail to do much of the above as indicated, the single sector emphasis on tourism will keep us in the apron of the International Monetary Fund for a very long time. I rest.

    – Professor Michael Howard

    Source: Nation

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