Master of the High Court Sworn In
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Established October 1895 Parties staying focused during last lap in St. George North PAGE 3 Friday November 6, 2020 $2 VAT Inclusive Indian gov’t CREDIT RATING donates PPE to QEH RECENTLY, Dr. Mohini Harris, Honorary Consul for the Government of India, made the official handover of REMAINS STEADY medical supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), RATING agency Standard island’s credit rating as economic impact. program will facilitate access to the Queen Elizabeth and Poor’s (S&P) said the B-/Stable/B. “The stable outlook reflects to multilateral financing and Hospital (QEH) to aid the COVID-19 pandemic will In an assessment of the our view that the COVID-19 support growth in foreign hospital and Barbados in its result in a continuing country’s performance, dated pandemic will have a exchange reserves,” it reasoned. fight against the COVID-19 weakness in Barbados’ November 4, 2020, the significant impact on Barbados’ The S&P assessment said global health pandemic. economic position, GDP international credit rating economy and that the recovery that the debt exchanges The handover, which took will decline this year and agency attributed its decision will be more subdued than completed in 2018 and 2019, place at the QEH, featured that the fallout on tourism largely to the success of the anticipated,” S&P said. and financing from multilateral gowns, medicines and other will worsen the country’s Barbados Economic Recovery “However, the progress institutions will help limit medical supplies, worth fiscal and external and Transformation (BERT) and credibility that the Barbados’ near-term payment US$100,000 to aid the COVID- balances. Programme, describing it as Government has built over the risk. 19 patients, as well as the However, the agency said it a key factor in allowing past two years under the IMF’s hospital itself. Dr Harris has decided to maintain the the country to weather the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) CREDIT RATING on Page 2 offered remarks on behalf of the High Commissioner of India to Barbados, Mahender Kanyal, before the handover. She stated that the High Commissioner wished the island and the people of Barbados the very best in the fight against COVID and believed the supplies would assist greatly. Safiya Patel, Assistant to the Honorary Consul for the Government of India, also made remarks on behalf of the High Commissioner. She explained that India was the second-largest producer of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits in the world. Besides working on a COVID-19 vaccine, she added that India has provided access to essential drugs and medical supplies to over one hundred and fifty countries including South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. “Global access to medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to combat COVID- 19 is vital for all countries and peoples. India strongly believes that there should be free and open sharing of medical research, new drugs New Master of the High Court, Heather Clarke, displaying her official document to Governor General, Dame Sandra Mason (right), and vaccines,” said Patel. at Government House yesterday. Stating that India was indeed happy that COVID-19 had been contained in Barbados under the dynamic Master of the High Court sworn in leadership of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley,Patel A SECOND Master of the and Intellectual Property Clarke will facilitate matters paperwork and information said that India remained High Court has been sworn in Office, Heather Clarke, took heading to the High Court is available to grant a smooth committed to helping its to help clear the large backlog the oath of office yesterday through and joins Master of process. friends and was happy to offer of cases plaguing this island’s morning at Government the High Court, Deborah As Master of the High Court, technical assistance, medical justice system. House in the presence of Holder, in tackling the court’s she will also act as an supplies and PPE. Attorney-at-law and former Governor General, Dame administrative workload Registrar of Corporate Affairs Sandra Mason. by ensuring the necessary MASTER on Page 3 DONATION on Page 4 2 • Friday November 6, 2020 The Barbados Advocate Desalination plant to conduct Continued weakness expected in Barbados’ annual scheduled maintenance economic activity CREDIT RATING from lieve an economic recovery IONICS Fresh Water ing adjustments to its along Highway 2A be- persons within the af- Page 1 will take longer than we Limited will be con- distribution network tween Cave Hill in St. fected districts as a tem- expected in April 2020.” ducting scheduled to supplement the de- Michael and Bennett’s porary measure. So far this year, GDP It cautioned that a de- maintenance activi- ficit while the plant is in St. James that they Please visit our has contracted by over layed economic recovery ties at its plant from offline. may still experience Facebook page (bwa.bb) 16 per cent with tourism will result in increased Sunday, November 8 As a result, the BWA low water pressure or or Instagram (@bwa.bb) having decline a massive fiscal pressures during at 10 p.m. until wishes to advise its cus- outages while this work for a detailed listing of 66 per cent, a point high- the outlook horizon. “The Monday, November 9 tomers along Highway 1 is ongoing. the affected areas. lighted in the latest country will face rising ex- at 10 p.m. between Black Rock Customers are advised The BWA apologises economic review of the penditures due to health- During this period, in St. Michael and to store water to assist. for the inconvenience Central Bank of Barbados related spending in the the Barbados Water Holetown in St. James as The Authority’s water caused to our valued cus- more than a week ago. face of lower revenues Authority will be mak- well as, those residents tankers will also service tomers. Standard and Poor’s ex- from tourism receipts,” it pects Barbados’ GDP to said, while noting that de- decline significantly this spite these challenges,“we year and that key source expect Barbados’ adequate markets for tourism con- foreign exchange reserves, tinue to face second waves along with policy-based of COVID-19 cases. funding provided by sev- While acknowledging eral multilateral institu- that the impact of COVID- tions, will ease external 19 on the tourism industry pressures and provide fi- will worsen fiscal and ex- nancing needed to service ternal balances, Standard debt payments for the and Poor’s believes that upcoming 12 months”. the completion of local and And in a clear statement foreign currency debt ex- on the way Government changes in 2018 and 2019, has been managing the af- coupled with financing fairs of the country, S&P from multilateral institu- said: “Barbados has a tions, will keep debt serv- stable, predictable, and ice manageable. mature political system, In addition, it said that which has traditionally high reserve levels will benefited from consensus sustain external liquidity on major economic and despite a higher current social issues… account deficit expected in “After winning all the 2020. seats in Parliament in In response, Prime 2018, the BLP, led by Minister Mia Amor Prime Minister Mottley, Mottley said: “We are has governed with a buoyed by the confidence strong mandate to imple- that continues to be dis- ment fiscal and macro- played in the work of the economic reform. The Government and people of Government acted swiftly Barbados, in spite of us to restructure its debt, going through the most agree with the IMF on an difficult times since the EFF, and present the ini- Great Depression.” tial stages of its economic The S&P assessment recovery and transforma- added, “However, we be- tion plan. lieve that the Barbados “The Government re- Economic Recovery and sponded swiftly to COVID- Transformation (BERT) 19 by first implementing programme had supported social distancing and Barbados’ fiscal and exter- testing protocols, and nal position entering into then by introducing the the pandemic, which will Barbados Employment facilitate its ability to and Sustainable weather the economic Transformation Plan impact.” to address the decline Explaining its rationale in the tourism sector. for holding Barbados’ rat- Nevertheless, we believe ing steady,S&P explained: that improving policymak- “As the global spread of ing and political institu- COVID-19 continues, we tions will be gradual. expect continued weak- “Before the last election, ness in Barbados’ eco- policymakers had been nomic activity and slow to respond to fiscal increased budgetary and economic challenges. stresses. Higher case Transparency and timeli- counts in key source mar- ness of data publication kets, coupled with uncer- have also weighed on tainty surrounding the our institutional profile availability of vaccine assessment. Although treatments, have led to a there are indications that slower-than-expected re- the Government aims to covery in tourism, which reverse these trends, de- is a major contributor to veloping a strong track GDP. Due to this, we be- record will take time.” The Barbados Advocate Friday November 6, 2020 • 3 Parties staying focused during last lap in St. George North AS the November 11th Party, along with other by-election in St. parties have been hold- George North draws ing a number of political closer, those on the mass meetings, mass Barbados Labour canvassing sessions and Party side say they other activities as they are remaining fo- gear up for the upcoming cused, as they enter by-election, which has the last lap in the race come about due to the to win the seat in this resignation of former constituency. BLP Member of Campaign Manager, Parliament for St. Dwight Sutherland, says George North Gline Warren Mottley signs the official document while Governor General, Dame Sandra Mason, looks on.