Manufacturers welcome Budget measures but seek clarity
The Barbados Manufacturers Association (BMA) has expressed mixed sentiments as it welcomed key measures in Monday’s Budget, while calling for greater clarity and support for domestic producers. BMA President Rakeesh Bernard said his members did not get everything they wanted, and neither was everything clear. He said the association would be in discussions with the […]
Thorne to Govt: ‘What are your words on US-Cuba medic issue?’
Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne has challenged Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kerrie Symmonds to declare Barbados’ stance on the United States’ injunction against countries employing Cuban medical professionals, contrasting their silence with the clear position taken by regional neighbours. Thorne urged the government to articulate its stance with […]
Govt ‘putting housing over food’
Opposition leader Ralph Thorne has condemned the government’s land-use strategy, accusing it of prioritising housing developments at the expense of farming and proceeding with major projects without adequate public consultation. In his reply to the Budget in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Thorne highlighted the acquisition of lands at the former Bullens Agricultural Station […]
Govt ‘inflating growth figures, misleading public on economy’ – Thorne
Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne has accused the government of misleading Barbadians by presenting inflation-driven price rises as genuine economic growth, alleging that the administration is distorting economic data and failing the working class. “Now it is conceded that there has been some economic growth coming out of COVID-19, obviously and quite naturally,” he […]
Thorne says crime fight has serious shortcomings
Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne on Tuesday blasted the government’s approach to crime, accusing it of shifting the responsibility for crime-fighting on to the public. During his budget response in Parliament on Tuesday, Thorne took direct aim at what he described as a deeply flawed and morally bankrupt crime strategy, further dismissing the government’s often repeated […]
Democracy under threat- Thorne claims
Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne on Tuesday delivered a stinging rebuke of this country’s leadership charging that the Mia Mottley-led administration was moving away from the democratic principles on which Barbados was built. Charging that the government has reigned over a period where the rising cost of living was eating away at the dignity of families […]
Dormant accounts for resilience fund slammed
In a scathing critique, Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne has condemned the government’s plan to seize up to half of unclaimed and dormant bank accounts warning that this move could set a dangerous precedent by violating property rights and overstepping constitutional boundaries. The Budget proposal aims to redirect funds to support climate resilience efforts, but Thorne […]
DLP members back Thorne, criticise budget
A small but spirited crowd gathered in Palmetto Square on Tuesday afternoon to show their support for Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne ahead of his much-anticipated response to the Budget. Arriving at approximately 2:50 p.m., Thorne was met with loud applause, cheers, and chants from his supporters. Demonstrating his ease with the crowd, he lifted a […]
Police probe unnatural death at Brittons Hill, St Micheal
Law enforcement officials are investigating the unnatural death of a man found in Brittons Hill, St Michael on Tuesday night. Around 10:10 p.m., Police responded to a report that a man had collapsed outside a house at Villa Road. Upon arrival, they were directed to the lifeless body of a male with multiple wounds […]
Experts warn wage hikes, tax measures risk fuelling inflation
A combination of minimum wage increases, tax adjustments, and public sector wage hikes could propel the country towards economic instability, economists and private sector officials warned on Tuesday in response to the government’s Budget . Though the experts praised the social benefits of the Budget and the potential short-term relief being offered, they are alerting […]