Established October 1895 Government day nurseries to be closed during ‘national pause’ PAGE 3 Saturday January 30, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive Farmers ready to help WITH the Government set to distribute 60 000 care packages of basic food and essential items to help the most vulnerable dur- ing the pending two-week lock- down, the assurance is being given that stakeholders in the local agriculture sector are willing and ready to play their part. It has come from Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul. Reflecting on the care pack- ages initiative in an interview with The Barbados Advocate, Paul said with the lockdown looming, farmers are eager to help. He made the point while indicating that he hopes that between that initiative and supplying supermarkets with various types of produce,farmers will be able to sell whatever they have available to meet the needs of the Barbadians. “We have been told that we would be able to provide some commodities for those care pack- Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Dwight Sutherland; Director of Youth in that Ministry, Cleviston Hunte; ages, and we are right now put- and Permanent Secretary in that Ministry, Yolande Howard; as well as Member of Parliament for St. Michael East, Trevor Prescod ting systems in place to see what with the entrepreneurs who were presented with keys to their kiosks yesterday. is available among the various farms. This is not something we prepared for in the farming com- munity so it really depends on availability, but we will do our best. So we are going to do our surveys now and then see how we can proceed from there,” he KEYS TO KIOSKS said. The BAS official added that at this time the conditions for grow- ing produce are very good, and this is heartening given that at the end of last year conditions were “pretty bad”. As to how the national lock- HANDED OVER down will impact the operations of the various farms across the island, Paul said farmers are More entrepreneurs benefit from Phase One of Building Blocks Project assuming that they can operate outside of the curfew hours as they normally would, once they SIXTEEN entrepreneurs The presentation was done by where they will ply their trade businesses and encouraged hold firm to the COVID-19 pro- are now owners of kiosks Minister of Youth, Sports and and earn a living. them to be role models to oth- tocols. provided to them through Community Empowerment, Addressing the audience, ers. Sutherland also urged “The farmers will do what they Phase One of government’s Dwight Sutherland; and Sutherland explained the them to be mentors and to seek have to do, but there are certain Building Blocks Project. Member of Parliament for St. Project “is a comprehensive, to grow their businesses as services that are essential to Of this number, three fe- Michael East, Trevor Prescod. community-based, social inter- time goes on. keeping a farmer’s operations males on Friday officially As part of the Project, entre- vention programme strategy “As you enter these doors going. And really, the truth is, signed documents and were preneurs from Silver Hill in that we have created to solve from when we cease the the important thing for us is to presented with keys to their Christ Church; Bonnetts, The unemployment”. He compli- pause on February 17th, I want ensure those services will be establishments, which are sit- Ivy and Parkinson Field all in mented the three ladies for you to bring along other available so that our operations uated in The Ivy, St. Michael. St. Michael now own kiosks seeking to start their own BUILDING BLOCKS on Page can run smoothly,” he stated. 2 • Saturday January 30, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Ishema Alleyne (centre), who plans to open a barbershop and salon, testing out the equipment in the kiosk. She is joined by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Dwight Sutherland (right), and Member of Parliament for St. Michael East, Trevor Prescod. Government praised for Building Blocks initiative BUILDING BLOCKS Member of Parliament for Your children should from Page 1 St. Michael East, Trevor never be in the position Prescod, who lauded gov- that you are in or not you members of this com- ernment and the Minister have failed. munity with you…I want for “opening up small “You must be able to you to be a shining light businesses all across take the family forward; and an example of how Barbados”. He too encour- out of this the young people are sup- aged the day’s recipients next generation must be posed to operate [and] own to develop and expand better than you because their own business.Teach their businesses in com- that is your responsibility, them the value of having a ing years. that is the authority and business and also teach “I am hoping that as a the expectation that is them the value of being result of what you are vested in you by your disciplined and creating doing here and the power foreparents. And when lifelong skills that can that you have invested in you come here and you take them beyond these the hands of these people, open up a business, when Entrepreneur, Bobbi Babb opening the door to the kiosk where she will operate shores.” these people will be able to you leave here, I want you her bar and grill. She is joined by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Also addressing the develop a higher quality to own a supermarket.” Empowerment, Dwight Sutherland (right), and Member of Parliament for St. gathering was the of life coming out of this. (MG) Michael East, Trevor Prescod. Sisters, Nathania and Rhea Steede looking around the kiosk where they will be selling confectionaries, ice-cream and smoothies while Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Dwight Sutherland and Member of Parliament for St. Michael East, Trevor Prescod look on. The Barbados Advocate Saturday January 30, 2021 • 3 PM Mottley commended for handling of COVID fight PRIME Minister Mia Amor February 3 to 17. pandemic hit,” she lamented. Mottley has been lauded for Every day, she added, reports Mottley expressed the view her handling of the COVID- are surfacing about businesses that officials would have to com- 19 pandemic, which has closing because an employee had plete a review of short-term seriously affected the globe tested positive for the virus. She tourism, while pointing out that and killed over two million indicated that this situation has the Welcome Stamp initiative “is people. been causing too much uncer- doing relatively well”. Ambassador Extraordinary tainty,anxiety,and even reduced During the discussions, the and Plenipotentiary of Sweden productivity. Prime Minister said Barbados is to Barbados, Elisabeth Eklund, Therefore, she stressed, it is keen to deepen its relations with who resides in Stockholm, offered necessary to introduce the addi- Sweden and the Nordic region. the commendation on Thursday, tional restrictions now to restrict She recalled that many years ago when she paid a courtesy call on movement so health officials when she was younger, several the PM at Ilaro Court. could once again get ahead of this Swedes visited Barbados and ex- In congratulating Ms. Mottley, disease spread. pressed hope that there would be Mrs. Eklund stated: “You have Mottley noted that the health a return to such in the future. done a remarkable job during the officials, including the Cuban Those attending the courtesy time of the pandemic.” nurses and more recently Cuban call included Minister of Foreign Mottley said Government’s doctors and laboratory technolo- Affairs and Foreign Trade, mantra is safe people, safe work, gists who came to assist, are Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott; safe country and, therefore, working tirelessly in the COVID- Permanent Secretary in that choosing to save lives is foremost 19 fight. Ministry, Simone Rudder; and in this fight. She reiterated She said the pandemic has had Permanent Secretary in the Government’s commitment to a very negative impact on the Prime Minister’s Office, Alies saving lives first and then sta- country’s economy. Jordan. bilising the country,as she under- “We brought the country to the Diplomatic relations between scored the importance of the na- point where it (the economy) was Barbados and Sweden were tional pause period from about to take off and then the established on March 19, 1976. Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley. Stuart worried CXC exams to continue about state of as scheduled PRIVATE candidates writing country’s economy the Caribbean Examinations Council’s January 2021 exami- A LOCAL economist says that foreign debt, driving the debt to nations are advised that if Barbados’ revenues continue GDP ratio up to 144 per cent”. all exams scheduled for to be hard hit by the prolonged The economist is suggesting Wednesday, February 3, at the uncertainty of the COVID-19 that the remedy is in fact just Parkinson Memorial School, pandemic, the country will as bad as the ailment. He said The Pine, St. Michael, will con- need to run additional deficits that regulatory failure, includ- tinue as initially communicated. and borrow even more to fi- ing slow and inefficient public nance the shortfalls to come in sector processes; lack of finan- 2021. cial guarantees and adequate Kemar Stuart, Director of support from the Government; Government day Business Development, no new investment and lack of Finance and Investment with reform to investment laws, con- nurseries to be Stuart & Perkins Caribbean tinue to delay critical progress made the comments in his in this country. analysis of the recently re- While agreeing with the closed during leased Central Bank Report.