Moontown

KERRIE SYMMONDS’ COLOUMN

Weekend Nation ( 22/11/02)

Apparently unable to sustain his own effort at writing a column, Democratic Labour Party Senator Clyde Mascoll has retreated from print media.

It is nevertheless good t o see that the intellectual base of the party has not died, but lives on in the writings of the “Honourable Member of Parliament for St. Lucy”. In last Friday’s Edition of the Barbados Advocate the public was treated to a lesson in what one would only call Kellmanomics.

Mr. Kellman outlined his recipe for success for the Barbadian economy, a critical ingredient of which was “a shift from direct to indirect taxation so as to increase production.” Were they on speaking terms, Senator Mascoll might have explained to Mr. Kellman that an entity’s ability to produce cannot, as Mr. Kellman seems to believe, be solely dependent on any particular method of tax collection.

This is especially obvious in the cases of some sectors such as agriculture which enjoy considerable tax relief but do not boast commensurate levels of production. Production capacity must also be a function of efficiency within the particular sector or company.

This efficiency is determined by issues such as availability and utilization of a suitable trained work force, the use of new production techniques and the implementation of more cost effective management systems, to name a few.

In addition, Mr. Kellman seems oblivious to the regional and international trading climate where increasing emphasis has been placed on direct taxes and low across- the -board tax rates which better facilitate trading activity.

At the level of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to which the DLP Government joined us in April 1994, countries have had to give certain commitments that they would embark on this shift to direct taxation.

Moreover, some of the decisions made by the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body seem to suggest that governments can in fact be accused, found guilty and penalized for having tax regimes which are inhibitive to free trade.

Even within the Caribbean Single Market and Economy member governments have undertaken to arrive at a harmonized tax system so as to allow CARICOM based businesses to compete more effectively, while at the same time creating an attractive investment climate.

It was nonetheless comforting to note that Mr. Kellman has finally come around to the idea that we need to attract foreign investment since only a short while ago he was insisting that we should be encouraging domestic investment.

However, this author fails to see how this will be done if our tax policy is at variance with the rest of the world and totally uncompetitive and restrictive to trade.

Lesson two in the course of Kellmanomics sought to offer excuses for the severe hemorrhages in our economy during the early 1990s. In this vein, Mr. Kellman observed that in times of recession, “The new Money Laundering Act should have the effect of restricting capital flight, a safeguard not in place during the period of the 1990s.

Mr. Kellman has not been more absurd since his claim that the amended Tenantries Act was the cause of a number of house fires. The Barbados Government passed the Exchange Control Act in 1967 and this Act has been administered by the Central Bank of Barbados since its establishment in 1972.

In principle, this Act allows individuals to convert the equivalent of US$3 750 per year without special permission if they are travelling outside the country by merely applying to a local bank. Amounts in excess of US$3 750 may be obtained upon application to the Central Bank.

Profits and capital from foreign direct investment may be repatriated if the investment was registered with the Bank at the time the investment was made. The flow of capital from Barbados has always been regulated.

The Central Bank also limits or delays conversion depending on the level of international reserves under the Bank’s control. Capital flight cannot be blamed for the 1990s crisis.

Indeed it is doubtful whether the issue arises at all. In similar vein, Mr. Kellman would wish to attribute the crisis to confrontational unions rather than deal squarely with the issues of fiscal imprudence, administrative discohesion and failure to inspire private sector confidence.

The new found Kellmanomics is yet another way in which those in George Street now attempt to distort reality and avoid taking responsibility for their own actions.

It hit me as strange that Kerry Symmonds would attempt to write an article about economics and doubly strange that he would want to respond to Denis Kellman since Arthur has observed that Kellman’s understanding of economics should not be taken lightly.

Clearly a favourite of Arthur, Symmonds should remind Arthur that, as he (Symmonds) quite rightly notes, increasing emphasis has been placed on low across-the-board tax rates and that the 40 per cent tax rate now paid by Barbadians is the highest in the region.

But it may be prudent to ask whether Symmonds’ focus on Kellman was really about economics or has the Senator being told that he should move his sights from the South and go way up North?

DERECK ALLEYNE

Government is seeking to further develop Oistins bay Gardens in Christ Church in order to make better use of the facility. Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy said they would be working  with the vendors to accomplish this. He was speaking during a tour on Friday of bay Gardens with Ministry of Tourism personnel as part of World Tourism Day activities.

“John Boyce (Member of Parliament for Christ Church South); Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. and the fisherfolk are working together to make better use of this facility.

“Bay Gardens has been rated the Number 1 tourist attraction in Barbados by Zagat. It is September, yet there are visitors all over and we are looking to have even more activities  here so it can be an entertainment centre year-round instead of just crop-over,” he said.

Sealy said there was a similar project being looked at in Moon Town, St. Lucy and hinted at even more locations as long as there was a heavy visitor presence.

However, the tour also revealed some of the problems at Bay Gardens such as problems with flooding. Representative for the Oistins Craft vending Association (OCVA), B Lana Steele said this problem occurred whenever rain fell and blamed it on the large trucks passing along the path between food and craft stalls which she said compacted the ground. In addition to this, she said there was no drainage system in the area.

Former OCVA representative Rodney Hinds said the path also needed altering to accommodate people with high heel shoes, as he said he had witnessed women falling as they tried to traverse it.

He also said they needed help improving their stalls to offer more protection from the elements and look less like “shanties”.

“Some believe craft vendors’ stalls should look like a shanty town but I don’t believe that,” he said.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Barbados and the Dominican Republic, Senator the Honourable Maxine P.O. McClean and H.E. Carlos Morales Troncoso held a meeting on September 25, 2009 to discuss bilateral cooperation between Barbados and the Dominican Republic, with a view to identifying ways and means of deepening the relationship.

The Ministers underlined the amicable and cordial nature of the relationship since it was established formally in 1972, and the need further to foster cooperative and productive relations.  They noted with satisfaction the close collaboration the two states enjoyed within such fora as the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), CARIFORUM and the Association of Caribbean States.  They also noted that the CARICOM-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement provided an important framework for the enhancement of trade and economic relations.

The Ministers agreed relations could be further enhanced by the conclusion of a bilateral cooperation agreement between their two countries as soon as possible.  The objective of the agreement would be to facilitate joint action in mutually-agreed areas of priority and interest.  Among the areas identified were culture, education and training, and trade and investment.  The Ministers agreed to meet again at the earliest opportunity to review the progress made towards the conclusion of the bilateral agreement.

FIELD PEAS AND RICE; MASHED POTATOES

MACARONI PIE; BAKED CHICKEN

BAKED PORK; GRILLED KING FISH

FRIED FLYING FISH;STEAMED VEGETABLES

LAMB STEW; FISH GRAVY

PICKLED GREEN BANANA; COLE SLAW

Frantica Boujoules, by all accounts represented St Lucia well. Obviously the judges saw something great in Boujoules’ physique.

St Lucia’s Frantica Boujoules fared well among the competition, securing the third place at the 2009 Gay Caribbean/USA Pageant.In the talent segment, the contestant called on all St Lucians to unite, followed by a performance of Sandra Lorde’s song “St Lucia Unite.” Boujoules paid tribute to St Lucia’s enchanted rain forest. The presentation went over well, resulting in a tie with Guyana for best swimwear.

Mimi Mancini of Jamaica was crowned winner of the 2009 Gay Caribbean/USA Pageant. Mancini was over the top in the talent segment and brought the house down with an impersonation of Dance Hall Queen Lady Saw.

Second place went to Vanessa Flowers of Guyana. Barbados’ Rehanna B was positioned at fourth while Madame Fleur De Fleur of Martinique came in the fifth spot.

The show was a tremendous success with a large crowd in attendance. The organizers recognize that the show
would not have been a success without the help of many persons and institutions. To this end, they wish to thank the media, NYPD, Unity Fellowship Church, the contestants for their determination and all those who supported.

Long lines during registration at the University of Guyana (UG) are quickly becoming a thing of the past as the institution has invested its meagre resources in achieving a friendlier student environment with a modernised Registry.

Vincent Alexander

As a result, UG’s Examinations, Admission and Registration departments are undergoing massive change that has already been trickling down to the student population, which has been calling for reforms for years.

UG Registrar Vincent Alexander in an interview with Stabroek News recently emphasised that the move to establish a student records management system that facilitated online registration was not merely in response to the long lines, but was necessary for the university to become more effective and efficient. With no additional allocation, the university has basically “cut and contrived” to ensure the implementation of the system, which will benefit students as well as the institution, he said.

The new semester begins on Monday October 5 and already the university has completed registration of it 3,000 plus students and each transaction was done electronically and with minor hiccups. The usual long lines at the Bursary and Admissions department were hardly visible this time around. In years past, many had lamented the tedious registration process, which involved long lines and took students almost an entire day to get registration started.

Additionally, students would still have to make trips to those departments for registration confirmation and the issuance of pertinent documentation to complete the process.

The process was longer for loan students, who would have to await loan confirmation before they could hope to complete registration. At times, the semester got started and students were still queuing to seek loan confirmations, necessary to complete registration.

This is not the first time that the university has moved to introduce a student records management system, which had always been in the pipeline, but according to Alexander a different approach has been taken. “What we have done this time is to build an in-house system with permanent in-house resources,” he explained.

He noted that in the past consultants came to the university, designed software and then left and they were the ones who knew the most about the software and so in their absence many problems were left almost unsolved.

He said a software design department has been set up, providing the institution with the type of capacity required to do what needs to be done. In addition, the university has upgraded the position of records supervision to that of assistant registrar–records and data management, which is headed by Barbara Prince.
‘A breeze’
With the establishment of its new student records management system, the university is also in the process of setting up electronic databases of all students’ records to facilitate students being able to go online in the future to access the results of examinations. Retrieving transcripts and other student services from the registry’s end will become more efficient, Alexander promised. “So it’s a total reorganisation from our end so we and our students will benefit,” he said.

With the new system, students apply online, then visit the campus to confirm and verify certificates and other records. An invoice for payment is issued online and after payments are made at a commercial bank and evidence of payment is deposited, students could go back online for approval of registration and then visit the campus for physical delivery of their identification card.

The time span for the completion of the process varies since some faculties are more equipped than others and some work faster than others.

Additionally, another hiccup has been cases where students are not as computer-literate as others.

To aid the system, Alexander said the records and data management system has established facilities on campus for students who do not have ready access to computers or those who may not be computer savvy to help them to register.

When this newspaper visited the campus earlier this week on a registration day, around 15 students were seen at the Student’s Loan Agency. A few students were scattered around and fewer were seen heading for transportation to the city.

A group who were seated near the School of Education and Humanities building lauded the new system.

All of them were continuing students and they expressed relief and expressed the hope that things are better overall. “We see what happens overseas and always wish that we could have it here and it was time for UG to cut out the lines. I mean, we will have little hiccups but at least it is not like before,” a third year student said. She did not want her name mentioned but said she felt more needed to be done to bring UG on par with universities around the world.

Another pointed out that registration was a “breeze” for him and indicated that he felt that it should have been done lone ago.

A Communications major said she was awaiting confirmation from the loan agency and was hopeful that the “virus would spread” so everything will be done technologically to prevent the additional stress which students experienced on campus.

Staff response
According to Alexander, the university has tried its utmost to involve Registry staff in the entire process and so they were aware that changes were coming.

Though most of the staff has not been retained, every effort was made to ensure that no one was laid off. Instead, he said, many were put to fill slots in other departments where it was felt they would be competent. Those filling the position are mostly those who qualified themselves while working at the university.

Prince, meanwhile, emphasised that the new system has created a friendlier atmosphere since the answers to most queries are now at “fingertips.” She said it meant too that registry staff is more equipped to respond to student queries in a timelier fashion and could carry out internal work at a fast rate, since most information is now only a click away.

She pointed out too that the system is now more transparent and Alexander interjected that it made the university more accountable, lending to more confidence and fairness in the system.

As Registrar he said from time to time he would be approached by student with issues and in times past he would have to physically send for the students file which would have taken hours and sometimes days. Now, the new system allows him to tap in immediately to the student’s records and respond in a more timely fashion.

Stabroek News (Guyana)

The new system is being hosted overseas by a reputable firm. However, because of the way the modernisation programme is being approached, Alexander said a fixed cost has not been established. He emphasised that the university is now delivering a better service at no additional cost to students.

He said its salary bill has not increased significantly but noted that there had to be additional expenditure in computers, software and the setting up of the internet ready network. The university is funding the programme from its current budget with no special allocation for the process. UG receives a yearly subvention from government, which Alexander says it is grateful for. “We cut and contrived with our meager resources to make this possible,” he said of the new system.

Stabroek News (Guyana)

The Ministry of Labour is intensifying its work to reduce and eliminate child labour in society and anyone found employing a child for wages, especially during school hours, will be prosecuted, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

And this message will be taken to the community through the Tackling Child Labour through Education programme (TACKLE) and parents will be charged for forcing children to go to work for money, GINA stated.

Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir has said that there are challenges with child labour and delinquency and so the Ministries of Labour and Education are partners in the TACKLE programme to impart certain key skills to children who are disadvantaged at an early age.

TACKLE was launched with an agreement signed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Euro-pean Union (EU) and the Government of Guyana (GOG). Funding for the programme is provided by the European Community (EC). Guyana is among 11 countries chosen for the programme based on its placement on the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index.

Meanwhile Nadir pointed out that there is a difference between children engaging in chores and being given an incentive by their parents, as opposed to employers encouraging children below the age of 15 to work for wages. Child labour is against the law.

In most cases underage children who are employed are exploited by businessmen who are not willing to properly compensate them in exchange for their labour.

The ministry is currently increasing its capacity to conduct inspections at work sites as is evident with the recent return of some labour inspectors from Italy, GINA said.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has promised that there would be no cut in social programmes if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) assists Antigua and Barbuda, but Opposition Leader Lester Bird is seeking to prove otherwise.

In his weekly address to the nation, Bird said the United Progressive Party (UPP) regime would have very little scope for implementing any programmes of social benefit to the people of this country.

According to him, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will want its own money repaid, and it will insist on the repayment of foreign debt as a priority.

“To get the money, the UPP will have to widen Personal Income Tax (PIT); expand the government sales tax; increase company tax and property tax; and sell off state assets such as the port, APUA and the airport,” Bird stated.

“If this is allowed to happen, we will be impoverished in our own land; once again the hewers of wood and carriers of water.”

The ALP has been protesting the government’s decision to approach the international lending institution for its assistance in pulling the country from the pressing economic difficulties.

Bird further stated that the Extended Fund Facility (EEF) that the IMF has in mind for the UPP would hurt the economy and the well-being of residents.

He said that its terms are difficult, while explaining that the rules for accessing EFF funds have been tightened to ensure that only those countries with longer-term problems are eligible and repayment periods have been shortened from ten to seven years.

“Repayment periods have also been shortened on stand-by loans, which must begin to be repaid after two years and should be fully repaid after four and surcharges have also been introduced on stand-by and EFF loans,” Bird added.

The former prime minister has again promised to continue staging marches and street demonstrations in an effort to stop the UPP government from entering into any agreement with the IMF. “We have to redeem our country from the disaster of the UPP and put it back on to the path of progress and prosperity,” Bird stated.