The recent announcement to postpone the payment of salaries to civil servants on the eve of Christmas has to be viewed as insensitive by the government. Bear in mind there is precedent for paying salaries early at Christmas time. There is the recession which has impacted Barbados and by paying salaries early could have served to mitigate current hardship as well as pump the moral in the civil service. The decision to postpone the payment of salaries seems to feed the view the government is managing a ‘problem’. Even before the decision to delay salaries BU sources had confirmed that the Inland Revenue has been holding refunds and several government agencies have had overdue payables to the frustration of the civil servants responsible.
In recent months several individuals and companies have been complaining the Nation newspaper is being delivered late or in some case not at all. A BU source has confirmed the Nation newspaper printing press has been underperforming and in need of serious repair or replacement. We have a case above where the government may not be levelling with the people; so too the Nation Publishing company. Let us not forget the sufferation of the callers to VOB talk shows who have had to tolerate technical difficulties for over two years now. How do we measure best again? It seems we now live in times where the public aka consumer is being treated like jobby. We pay for a service and now routinely get mediocrity in return.
Tourism arrivals to Barbados and many of the Caribbean islands has been trending downwards as a result of the global recession. According to Barbados tourism officials, tourist arrivals for 2009 is expected to decline just under 10%. We should ignore the political howling on this matter and accept that Barbados is a high-priced destination located farthest from a key market of North America relative to our Caribbean neighbours. A fall-off of 10% year over year although not what we want we should take it. The caveat of course is the average spend should not fall-off significantly.
Barbadians are be glad to read the West Jet Summer Schedule. Beginning May 3, 2010 West Jet will be flying 5 times weekly at a price of CAD179.00 per seat.
The more we live on the planet the more startling the hypocrisy which continues to manifest itself. A story making the rounds in the last week suggests billions of dollars in drug money is responsible for propping up the financial system around during the current global financial crisis. The revelation was made by no less a credible source as the Head of the Drugs and Crime Office at the United Nations Antonio Maria Costa. While the OECD and regulators based in Luxemburg overseeing the Basel Accord continue to target our insignificant jurisdictions with their regulations demonstrating indignation; the developed world (G7) continue to dance to a different beat.
It is the holiday season, eat, drink and be merry but act responsibly in the process.
FairPlay says “The government is saying the first six months would be rough therefore all persons should go into survival mode”.
On the question of paying Public Servants later than the practice that has been in place for the past 50 years let me say two things. Firstly, the DLP is not a party that manages crisis situations very well. Whenever the Dems are in office Barbados goes through a fiscal crisis with or without a global recession.
Secondly, can someone please tell me which public servant would be willing to take the Government to court for paying them earlier than the eighteenth of December.
How can it be that this Government can find millions to bailout Clico in circumstances where corruption has been identified as the reason for its downfall but cannot find the money to pay our hardworking public servants? What about the millions in taxpayer’s money that has been committed to Clico through letters of comfort but not a word about it in our Parliament?
How is it that the DLP can find millions to spent on political patronage such as the community councils, summer camps, monthly parties at Illaro Court for Taxi Drivers, NCC workers, community groups, school children and the likes to promote their political interest, but cannot not find the money to pay its bills?
The Governments says that next year is going to be rough and that Barbadians should tighten their belts but yet the Dems are traveling in numbers, staying in the best hotels and raising the biggest of parties. Quite frankly I do not think they care one iota about the people that voted for them.
Interesting that the local media houses has remained mum regarding the cashflow problem which government is currently experiencing. We understand the need for the PM to push the confidence factor but isn’t time for Bajans to be discussing this matter BEFORE the crap hits the fan? The discussion may help to shape a behaviour that all is well.
@ B.M.S.N., knowing the connections of this “civil servant”, she received her gratuity in one fell swoop! yet the former C.E.O.
who she succeeded is still on the waiting list to receive his….I am not saying that $200.000 will break the government but what are they doing with the money they are raking in from the heavy taxes of the last budget? seems to me the treasury is administering a case of “Preference Payment for those who have the “right connections
@Royalrumble Well said … this is a party of “frills and thrills” that is where the money is also going …
This happens when your Estimates are based on unrealistic revenue.
Debt that is causing this exacerbation of the recession on barbados is the $500 Million on Cricket World Cup, that will be paid for years to come, another few hundred million on a wider Highway and (the only one that was needed, although again, contract poorly managed), a new prison for a couple hundred million, ALL in the space of a few years.
Lunacy and the previous administration was warned then, before it was incurred, including the end effect of disablement of fiscal flexibility but they went on merrily ahead.
So, do not have the nerve to blame this Government for the insane (non-productive debt) that exists now.
What productive capacity is Kensington? Or a wider highway?
At least the prison produces vegetables for its own consumption.
As a writer noted above, the amount of ….that is getting spouted here is ridiculous.
I am not affiliated with either party, but had to answer this, because this idiotic party-partisan blame game without acknowledging the real isues and the factual basis of the situation, is sickening.
Question: what exactly does Barbados export in significant quantity to raise substantial foreign exchange?
Obvious answer tourism, financial services.
Funnily enough, the next one I would put is human capital, our trained personnel going overseas to work, succeed and send money home, invest at home.
Which is why I would actually encourage more training of nurses etc and more training of excellence in nurses etc, and encourage more to go overseas.
Things like rum etc do provide some comfort money, but nothing compared to the first two.
But, we import everything else.
Therein lies the roots of the problem.
Diversification is necessary, while continuing to improve those two products.
Well said Crusoe! Well said!
@ Crusoe
“What productive capacity is Kensington? Or a wider highway?”
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It is called infrastructure unless I am dumb, and may more be about priority than uselessness.
There is a clear correlation between access to transportation routes and their ease of use (i.e limited congestion) and productivity. One can not produce if one is stuck in traffic.
What impact did the recently held CLOBI tournament had on our tourism industry during October and what will the upcoming World 20/20? We so often decry government for not supporting sports and when they do, it is still criticised.
Ironically you spoke about diversification but can not see the link with first class sports facilities. Just like there is a need for infrastructure to support our creative industries.
You remain swathed in the old ideal that academic pursuit alone pays dividends, so we should just continue to export nurses not more cricketers, footballers, Rihannas, Hals etc who all have the potential to make 10 times what nurses earn.
Rum is a strong export product, but how man of the inputs are or can be sourced locally? As for the prisoners and agriculture….when they start growing rice, wheat and corn then we can start talking.
Infrastructure for productive capacity is useful. Infrastructure for non-productive capacity not.
Kensington is social but non really productive.
A new state of the art manufacturing industrial park, or a state of the art music centre for developing musicians, or a new medical training centre for young doctors, nurses or medical technicians is.
You misquote me in accusing me of being swathed in olt time thinking.
I am all for the exploring alternative revenue generation such as music etc. Indeed, I was preaching this many years ago.
The question is one of returns and capability of revenue generation.
To be blunt, regrettably cricket is a game of the past and we must accept it rather than extend the pain, while medical training including nurses, music, football are major money spinners.
Where is the football stadium and training centre?
Getting a number of our players into international clubs to earn millions is the future.
Indeed, there are more international football clubs than one can count, unlike cricket. And the money is better.
Secondly, the reality is that productive capacity in industry is a feature that was ignored for the past twenty years, but it is necessary to reduce imports and generate exports.
My apologies for the mislabeling, and I see that you do agree (and have been a proponent for some time) with the potential of sports persons even if a little skeptical about cricketers. But shouldn’t everyone have a fair chance? The footballers have had government land and international funding for how many years now? There was/is suppose to be a new badminton, volleyball and netball indoor facility and national stadium too.
Not so sure ignored is the correct word either, again maybe more of being of lower down the list of priorities, as I am sure I have heard talk about fashion and furniture industries. It is all about “capitalising” on available opportunities, and I think that is what happened during the last decade or so.
I am still lost about reducing imports substantially…tell me what we can produce that allows us to be competitive.