Moontown

DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN – THE DEBATE

FEBRUARY 1, 2007

It was said of me that I behaved as if St. Lucy was the only parish that was neglected. I retorted by saying that it was the only female parish to be neglected and that it was the only one where the men population has exceeded the female without the residents being included in the decision. It seems that one Attorney General will over rule the other by bringing Summervale to St. Lucy. These decisions are being made, site visits have taken place and somebody somewhere has ignored protocol. At some later date, somebody will seek the blessings of Lucy’s son Elmo.

It seems to me that too many people believe that they can take Lucy’s son for granted and that they are free to ignore him and thereafter freely call upon him to clean up the mess. Let it be known that Lucy’s son is nobody’s puppet on a string. Those who feel that because he might do things to accommodate the country or its constituents, but it does not mean that I am not obligated to anyone.

Lucy has been blessed to have many wonderful families within her midst, but the one that stands out is the O’Neale’s family. This family has demonstrated that it is not selfish or poor great. This family has identified with the masses of people of Barbados at their own expense. None of them had to give up their livelihoods to enter politics to accept what was offered by jealous minds. They were called communists, madmen, racist and some even questioned their ability. They have all made significance sacrifices for the poor.

It is clear that this family will have to continue to produce at a greater propensity than others for their contributions to be accepted. It is bad when this occurs externally, but it worst when it occurs by men whom you held in high esteem over the years, now to see them singing for their tea in their twilight years. In life, one should never assume that anyone has reached their ultimate goal and it is clear that most persons have a price.

Over the years, I have trusted people at face value, only to be disappointed. Many people will find it hard to believe that I could have reached this point, but I have and it is going to be hard to change me.

I want to thank those persons who have trusted my offerings and have not allowed jealousy to preoccupy their minds hindering them from seeing wisdom at its fullest. This country Barbados needs thinkers and if I have devoted my time trying to find the solution to its economic and social problems, I should not be treated as a person who has no pedigree and should be seen and not heard.

As I grow older, I have become more appreciative of the works of the Right Excellent Errol Barrow. He spoke many parables which I can understand and appreciate. I have been exposed to many types. I am now blessed in knowing the wolves in sheep clothing and those genuine persons who would guide you and not stab you. In life, I have reached out to all, some have responded, while others have distanced themselves. A fried is a person who will defend you at all times if he really knows you and he ensures that negatives are turned into positives. Too many times persons claim to be your friends, only hoping for an opportunity to join the enemy against you.

Parables are spoken by wise men to create the capacity to think. Too many of us want something handed to us on a plate. Achievers work extra hard to earn what they need and it is sometimes taken from them by persons who should know better. It is strange but true, that losers back losers because of the jealous mind. Selfish persons back what they can see, hoping that it works out in their favour.

The Right Excellent Errol Barrow has left a legacy and this can be the goodwill needed to allow the players to be successful, providing they know how to use and work it. These players must get back to basics. Knowing the philosophy and preaching it genuinely to his followers will help in delivering us from out of the wilderness.

The statue of the Right Excellent Errol Barrow should now be used as an impetus to develop the growth of the country by having an example of how to be middle class and still being able to appreciate the masses. Development has deprived districts from having role models to lead the underprivileged. Those of us who believed that we have developed and no longer can be seen under the tree or by the street corner because it does not look sociable, should ask ourselves what we have done to help correct the social ills.

A man should be guided by his output and not by appearances. Time has a way of depreciating good ideas. Most ideas stored many years ago might not be relevant unless such persons had foresight.

The development of St. Lucy is the development of Barbados.

Peace, love, unity, humility, wisdom and understanding.

RICE AND PEAS; MACARONI PIE

STEAMED FOOD; BAKED CHICKEN

SEA CAT; BBQ PIG TAIL

FRIED FLYING FISH; GRILLED KING FISH

CHICKEN STEW; FISH GRAVY

STEAMED VEGETABLES

POTATO SALAD; TOSSED SALAD

After series of consultation, the World Bank yesterday presented a grand proposal which in essence reflects priorities and strategies which will transform the public sector of Antigua and Barbuda and the rest of the OECS countries over the next four years.

In presentations to the meeting, Christina Malmberg-Calvo, the World Bank’s sector leader for Sustainable Development, and Rolande Pryce, the country officer for the OECS and Barbados, outlined the institution’s priorities for the subregion. These include supplying human resource needs by facilitating access to education and training; creating jobs; improving health services and the quality of life of the most vulnerable.

Minister of Finance Harold Lovell, during the welcoming remarks, indicated that this exercise is also being carried to ensure that Antigua and Barbuda’s priorities fall in line with that of the World Bank.
“The idea is for us in Antigua to get the input of the World Bank but similarly there will be missions to the other islands and we are seeking to ensure we are all working on the same page.”

The bank adopted a multi-country approach to the OECS, to maximise the impact of resources and improve the cost effectiveness of bank resources. Such an approach would also permit access to potentially larger sums for borrowing.

Giving a brief outline of the proposal was Country Officer for the OECS and Barbados Rolande Pryce.
According to Price, the World Bank’s strategy is a joint strategy between the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation.

“The context of the strategy will look at how we see the OECS, the challenges and then indentifying the priorities that the OECS governments have articulated.”

Pryce said the strategy will be done in a two phase approach a subregional approach given the deepening to the regional integration which was showcased during the recent signing of the OECS Economic Treaty and the World Bank’s support and areas of engagement.

“We see the islands of the OECS have political and economic limitations due to their small size and their small population.  They are extremely vulnerable to external events ranging from natural disasters and natural events.   We also look at the problems which are faced by the countries and one of these is high debt and looking after social issues.”

She also indicted that the government priorities were extracted from two regional documents; the OECS development strategy and the ECCU’s eight point plan which will be used as the platform for launching this new strategy.”

The objective of the strategy will be in two-fold building resilience and mitigating the impact of the crisis and increasing competiveness and stimulating sustainable growth which is similar to the last strategy for 2006-2009.

“As we discussed with government, we believe that the priorities under the previous strategy is still relevant. These are still things we want to do and we are focussing our attention on these areas, but now we have thrust the interventions into four segments; that is promoting fiscal and debt sustainability, protecting the poor and building capital, and enhancing the environment for private sector lead growth a very critical point.”

Given the fact that the OECS is lagging behind in the recovery the first approach of the strategy will be crisis and intervention.

“In the next 18 to 24 months, that will be our main focus; then in a mere two and a half years, we meet to do a progress report and see how much more should be done in the second half.  In the second half we will be implementing these priorities.”

At the end of the meeting, participants in attendance largely agreed with the development strategy as outlined, but pointed to the need to build capacity in such areas as public/private partnerships, corporate governance, management training, and entrepreneurship.  The bank was also asked to consider adding issues related to crime and safety, Freighting and transshipment, food security, air and sea port development and micro-financing.

The World Bank/IFC team will hold similar consultations in Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Grenada from Tuesday to Friday. (Antigua Sun)

Arthur Hall and Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporters
Golding

THE GOVERNMENT has started talks with key stakeholders in an effort to get buy-in to its medium-term economic programme and a planned debt-management scheme.

The debt-management scheme will be a key component of any deal which the Government strikes with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and will involve domestic debt holders taking a cut in their interest rates.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Finance Minister Audley Shaw and other government ministers yesterday met with several interest groups as a precursor to a planned address to the nation by Golding tomorrow.

Among the groups summoned to Jamaica House were the opposition People’s National Party, the Jamaica Bankers’ Association, trade union leaders, and the media.

Other stakeholders are expected to have their moment with government officials today.

While the Government has not provided any details on its talks with the various stakeholders, it has indicated that the debt exchange would not include Jamaica renouncing any of its debts.

In meetings with stakeholders yesterday, the Government discussed recent economic developments, the country’s economic recovery programme, and outlined its debt-management programme.

The Government emphasised that it must bring into a sustainable range resources that are devoted to servicing local debt. It indicated, too, that this must be done in a manner that is fair to all bondholders. Details of the debt-management programme are expected this week.

After missing its own deadlines to furnish the IMF with a letter of intent, the Government yesterday announced that it had signed off on the document during its four-day retreat, which ended Sunday.

Shaw

The letter paves the way for Jamaica to re-enter a borrowing relationship with the IMF.

Tomorrow’s announcement by Government will also release details surrounding the IMF.

“The country will be made aware on Wednesday of the full details of economic policies going forward, which will allow some well-needed breathing space for the productive sector to grow and be able to create employment,” Information Minister Daryl Vaz told The Gleaner last night. Finance Minister Audley Shaw told Parliament last year that Government had no choice but to engage the IMF for balance-of-payment support. Shaw said that signing off on an agreement with the IMF would allow Jamaica to access multilateral funding.

Golding also confirmed that the debate on the IMF programme and other economic programmes would take place in Parliament next Tuesday. The IMF is expected to review Jamaica’s application on January 27.(J/ca Gleaner)

THE ANNUAL Barbados Jazz Festival gives Barbados the kind of exposure that cannot be truly measured in dollars and cents, says its promoter Gilbert Rowe.

“A lot of people measure the benefits of a jazz festival only by the number of people who come to the event, but that is absolutely wrong,” said Rowe, of GMR International Tours.

“That is only one of the benefits and only one of the yardsticks by which to measure. Another way to quantify those benefits is the publicity internationally that it brings to a destination, which most of the time cannot be paid for,” he told the DAILY NATION on Saturday.

He explained that the week-long festival, which started last night, was featured on cable stations internationally, and also attracted a number of foreign entertainment writers.

“For example, when BET puts on a programme an hour-and-a-half long, when you extrapolate that compared to a 30-second advertisement in the United States market which could start at US$10 000 . . . you could obviously see the financial benefits there alone,” he stressed.

Rowe said there were other benefits derived from the festival, including the transfer of technical knowledge, “which also can never be valued over the last 17 years”.

This year’s festival headlines 1970s Motown star Smokey Robinson, as well as a wide range of both contemporary and classic artistes like Etienne Charles, Babyface, Lalah Hathaway, Robin Thicke, Warren Hill and the Cuban Classics.

Rowe said because of the Jazz Festival, the entire genre of jazz, non-calypso and non-pop music had improved by “leaps and bounds”.

“We have a significant amount of artistes now who have CDs. There is now a renewed interest in this thing we call jazz and it has broadened their horizons to their betterment . . . .

“They have sent a message outward that we have a pool of talent in this country unmatched in the English-speaking Caribbean and we have a large number of musicians in this country who can comfortably hold their own on any stage in any part of the world,” he said. (Nation News)

(TM)

NIS director, Ian Carrington. (FP)

by LEIGH-ANN WORRELL

BUSINESS OWNERS waited until the very last minute to try to take advantage of Government’s employment stabilisation programme and waiver of National Insurance interest and penalties offers.

That’s the word from Ian Carrington, director of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

“On the last two days [of December], a whole host of people came rushing down to our offices to try to beat the deadline, even though they had the whole year,” he said during a recent telephone interview.

Although official statistics would not be available until the latter part of the week, Carrington said that “quite a bit of people” from both large and small businesses came in to take advantage of the offers.

Introduced last May by Prime Minister David Thompson, the employment stabilisation initiative allowed employers to access as little as $1 000 to $100 000 or more for a maximum five-year repayment period.

To be eligible, employers must maintain the current number of employees and the total payroll expenditure as at June 30, 2009, to qualify, and the levels must be in line with NIS records as at June 30, 2009.

In addition, employers must comply with NIS obligations as at that date and must continue to pay employee and specified employer portions of NIS contributions during July 1, 2009 to June 30 this year.

The employer should also be experiencing cash flow problems, to be substantiated by audited financial statements and the most recent management accounts.

They must also be making employer contributions to the National Insurance Fund as at June 30, 2009, and not be in arrears.

Any employer benefiting from this scheme was ineligible for the Waiver of Interest Programme, where 50 per cent of total interest and penalties due from outstanding contributions were waived, with a period of 18 months and up to five years to repay it. This programme has been available since November 2008.

In order to deal with the influx, Carrington said he advised his staff to take the information from the business and analyse it to make a judgement after.

“We wanted to ensure that we accommodated as many people as possible,” he added.

Of the two programmes, Carrington said the interest waiver was the more popular choice among employers. (LW) (Nation News)