Website flagged
Authorities have flagged a website soliciting travellers to pay for their visitor form for Barbados. In an alert issued on Saturday, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn dismissed this as fake and disassociated the government from the action. The website is reportedly charging US$39 as a service fee. Minister Straughn said, “Any information […]
CTUSAB slams government over labour representation
The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) has chastised the government for what it perceives as a deliberate attempt to undermine its status as the national trade union centre. CTUSAB General Secretary Dennis DePeiza also expressed deep concern over the government’s continued exclusion of CTUSAB from key international labour discussions. He […]
Education transformation revisited: version 2.0
The Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) education system has been referred to as’ in crisis’ by the World Bank Director for the Caribbean in January, and as ‘in shambles’ by Prime Minister Mia Mottley in her capacity as Chair of the regional grouping during the February Heads of Government meeting. We all agree that our own […]
Fisheries getting smart with tech
Barbados’ fisheries industry has taken a significant step towards modernisation with the deployment of smart scales and vessel monitoring systems, aimed at enhancing traceability, sustainability, and compliance. With a US$100 000 ($200 000) grant over two years, the initiative marks a transformative shift in the industry, a top industry official has said. On Friday, during […]
BCEN pushes for inclusivity, fairness in virtual tribunal rollout
The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) has expressed support for the introduction of a Virtual Consumer Affairs Tribunal, calling it a potentially transformative step in tackling the growing backlog of cases and improving consumer access to justice. However, BCEN’s Executive Director Maureen Holder stressed that while the virtual tribunal could streamline the process, it […]
Barbadians urged to embrace consumer rights, sustainable living
The bodies responsible for consumer rights want Barbadians to learn the importance of their rights and responsibilities as part of World Consumer Rights Week, officials have said. This week, government agencies and businesses engaged with the public in various ways to educate them on consumer protection laws and encourage them to transition to sustainable […]
Free land at Jemmott’s Lane for Afreximbank
Minister of Housing and Lands, Dwight Sutherland, has declared that there are significant benefits to gain from a landmark agreement with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). Under this deal, the bank has acquired 2.037 hectares of prime state-owned land at the corner of Bay Street and Jemmott’s Lane for free. The site will house a […]
Thorne raises concern over ‘free’ land deal with Afreximbank
Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne has raised “serious concerns” over the recent vesting of 2.037 hectares of prime state-owned land at the corner of Bay Street and Jemmott’s Lane to the Afro African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), free of cost. Speaking in Parliament Thursday night during the debate on the Bill to Vest the lands, Thorne questioned […]
Parting words from our fallen historians
How symbolic of our current state of affairs that we remove from among our first landing places of indigenous, European and African peoples, the very civic institutions that are part of an enduring (and admittedly problematic) development of our modern democracy to put up yet another hotel on our already hotel-dense “Platinum Coast”? According to […]
Expand social aid eligibility, lawmaker urges govt
As the post-pandemic landscape continues to reshape the needs of communities, Opposition Senator Andre Worrell. Andre Worrell has called for a broader definition of vulnerability to ensure more individuals can access public assistance. The suggestion came as the Senate debated the Social Empowerment Agency Bill, aiming to enhance social services across the country. Addressing the […]