Established October 1895 Place Teaser Here Page 4 kjbm n,nm,;m. lknmlm lmlm Saturday March 27, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive HOPE PROJECT LAUDED PRIME Minister Mia Amor Mottley Providing Energy Inc. (HOPE Inc.) project terms of repayment for a two-bedroom owner, such that if there is a gap between has pledged to make the dream of at Vespera Gardens, Lancaster,St. James house and $1 000 for a where they currently are, and where they home ownership a reality for yesterday. HOPE, a state-owned three-bedroom house,” she told the want to be, that the asset of the house Barbadians who might have enterprise under the Ministry of Housing, gathering. with the use of the photovoltaic panels on otherwise thought it impossible. Lands and Maintenance was established “The mandate given to the Ministry and the roof that we can therefore bridge that Recognising that the housing needs in by the Cabinet of Barbados in November the company is that we must find every gap.And persons who would otherwise be the country are multifaceted, she said that 2020 to provide affordable housing way of being able to reduce the cost of incapable of accessing a mortgage and over the course of the next few months a solutions to Barbadians. prices. One, reduce the cost of land; two, being able to buy this property because it number of different responses will be “There are already a number of private reduce the cost of services developing the is outside of what is considered affordable revealed. developments that have been going in the land; three, reduce the cost of the by the established financial community, The Prime Minister was at the time country seeking to sell houses.This HOPE mortgage for the house; four, reduce the can now do so. addressing the groundbreaking ceremony Inc. will allow us to be able to have cost of construction for the housing; and for the first site of the Home Ownership affordable housing – $800 per month in fifth, use the asset to earn for the home HOUSING on Page 3 Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dr. the Hon. William Duguid, not seen, breaking ground at Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE Inc.) first site at Vespera Gardens, Lancaster, St. James yesterday. INSET: Prime Minister the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley addressing the launch of the HOPE Project, yesterday. Caswell Franklyn: Wheel and come again with Drug Abuse Bill WHEEL and come again! custodial or non-custodial, shall be defaces, destroys or mutilates a notice If so,they are starting at the wrong salary That is Opposition Senator Caswell deemed to be rehabilitated; and his referred to in subsection (1) is guilty of an scale. When you do all of this work as a Franklyn’s advice to government, when it conviction shall be deemed to be offence and is liable on summary policeman, then you have to get more comes to key aspects of the Drug Abuse expunged. conviction to a fine of $1 000 or to money, because now you are requiring (Prevention and Control) (Amendment) “I said the positive part is Section 6B, imprisonment for a term of one month.” them to have additional skills that weren’t Bill, 2021, which provides for the payment where you are going to rehabilitate all of Senator Franklyn also queried aspects part of their remit, when they joined up. of a fixed penalty for persons found in those young people who made mistakes, of Section 6A of the Bill, which speaks to So you should be looking to give them a possession of small quantities of cannabis. some foolishly and some of them to my the fact that, “Where a person referred to little more change. During debate of the Bill in the Senate certain knowledge, who end up at the in subsection is 18 years of age or older “How is he on a chance meeting with me yesterday, Senator Franklyn noted that Psychiatric Hospital,” Franklyn and if a member of the Police Force issuing going to know that I am addicted? I may the only aspect of the Bill which shows maintained. the notice has reasonable cause for be drunk. So you are putting too much some promise, is Section 6B which states, He however queried why government believing that he is addicted to cannabis, responsibility on the police, to do work “Notwithstanding the provisions of the was trying to criminalise persons for small the member of the Police Force may direct that they are not qualified for.So this piece Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of offences, such as those who may deface or that person to attend the National Council of legislation is bad, it’s flawed, it is not Offenders) Act, Cap. 127A, a person destroy their tickets or notices, because on Substance Abuse for assessment and sensible. I think you should wheel and convicted for the offence of possession of they may be upset about receiving one in counselling.” come again Sir,” the Opposition Senator not more than 14 grammes of cannabis the first place, based on the new Frankly argued,“Are we now employing declared. who has served his sentence, whether provisions.The Bill states,“A person who, analysts and psychiatrists as policemen? (RSM) 2 • Saturday March 27, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Police incinerate drugs DRUGS totalling an Bruce Rowe. into police custody over undisclosed street Presiding over the 2020 as a result of value were destroyed Southern Division, Rowe operations and as a result yesterday by the Royal explained that the drugs of matters being Barbados Police Force. were collected over the completed at the court so After being ferried to period of last year in the that is why we are an incinerator, two division which spanned destroying them.The ones long-bed truckloads of the Oistins, District B and that were found, no person cannabis plants and District C stations. has been charged with irrigation implements “There are two them so we are cleaning were burned under the truckloads of cannabis up and getting rid of them watchful eye of Senior plants and other bits and and this is the best way to Superintendent (Ag.) pieces. These drugs came get rid of them,” he said. The Democratic Labour Party’s Spokesperson on Labour, Courie Cox. DLP queries future status of unemployed THE Democratic Labour reflected a lack of creative Party is questioning how thinking and it was not a the Barbados government proactive approach to is planning to help the withstanding the global approximately 5 000 pandemic in the best way workers who submitted possible.” unemployment claims to Cox maintained that the National Insurance with the second Scheme (NIS) and are still cancellation of Crop Over yet to receive their imminent, cultural benefits. practitioners will be The query came without income. He said recently from the the National Cultural Democratic Labour Foundation (NCF) A Bobcat pulling cannabis plants off one of the trucks to be loaded in the incinerator.INSET; Senior Party’s (DLP) Shadow therefore needs to revamp Superintendent (Ag.) Bruce Rowe as he spoke to members of the media yesterday. Minister of Labour,Courie a lot of its programmes. Cox, who said due to the “These cultural and COVID-19 pandemic, social events must now be Barbados has one of the delivered in a virtual Hope for first-time buyers, affordable highest unemployment space and (the NCF needs records in local history. to) have some of the Cox said with these leading Crop Over events housing solutions under way record numbers, produced and marketed to Barbadians were looking the local, regional and A NEW government He thereby revealed that drive down house and land adequate, affordable forward to incentives from international community. housing project will be the mortgage instalments prices to satisfy what is the shelters to all income the Government to This will create offering mortgages which of the two and three- basic human need and a groups in Barbados,” it was stimulate the economy opportunities for those in are less than the cost of bedroom wall houses will fundamental human right. explained. and more specifically, the sector to make some renting similar-sized be approximately $800 per A right to adequate and “While HOPE Inc. will create jobs. level of revenue and get homes. month for the two-bedroom affordable housing in focus in a laser-like way on “During the Estimates, back to work, while being Yesterday, Home and $1 000 per month for Barbados. It is a vision and managing the rollout of Minister of Labour Colin promoted in the Ownership Providing the three-bedroom. a duty that this hundreds of homes for sale, Jordan outlined plans for international community,” Energy (HOPE Inc.) a HOPE provides the land government will never the NHC will focus also in his Ministry and sought Cox suggested. state-owned enterprise at no cost to the buyer, grow tired of striving to a laser-like way on to justify the just over In conclusion, the under the Ministry of allowing the buyer to fulfil. Yes, the demand is rebuilding and BBD$7 million allocated Shadow Minister said out Housing, Lands and qualify for a mortgage with great, but it is our daily maintaining its rental to his Ministry. Jordan of necessity, several Maintenance broke ground the land as collateral. task to find creative ways inventory, restoring also referred to unemployed Barbadians at its first site at Vespera HOPE recovers its cost for of meeting it and this is derelict properties, programmes such as have started Gardens, Lancaster, St. developing the land what HOPE Inc. is doing.” providing affordable sales Safety & Health in the microbusinesses, so they James to begin through Photovoltaic (PV) Minister Duguid also of land, and constructing Workplace and the First can keep a roof over their construction on the first of systems over a period of 15 gave the assurance that houses on a slightly Start Project, among heads and food on the 32 houses of the planned to 20 years, and at the end HOPE Inc., is only now smaller scale,” he said, also others,” Cox said in a table for their families.