Established October 1895 Wednesday August 12, 2020 $1 VAT Inclusive BCCI not happy with proposed sanctions in draft Customs Bill TOOTHERE is concern about the She made the commentsHARSH! while one-size-fits-all penalty which more efficient and trained cus- and brokering. level of fines and penalties delivering remarks during the does not graduate according to toms staff.Additionally,she said “We of course encourage included in the draft first in a series of virtual consul- the grievance, and upon which the bill is intended to facilitate greater use of technology to en- Customs Bill. tations being hosted by the the courts of law have no ma- greater use of risk management courage Barbadian developers The matter was raised yes- BCCI, in collaboration with the noeuvrability as far as the tools to align or even exceed to create programmes for terday morning by President of Customs and Excise Depart- quantum of the penalty,is exces- international benchmarks for Management of companies to the Barbados Chamber of ment (CED), on the draft legis- sively punitive,” she maintained. primary inspections. fulfil their customs obligations, Commerce and Industry lation, to outline the changes to However, Tannis said despite Meanwhile, the BCCI head so as to avoid some of the user (BCCI),Trisha Tannis, who said be made and allow the business the initial concerns with the bill used the opportunity to appeal related pitfalls associated with that the Chamber saw a need to community to offer comments the private sector recognises the to the business community to blending manual processing highlight its “extreme discom- on it. advantages to be gained from play their part and modernise with digitised environments as fort” with the “significant level” “Whilst we clearly appreciate the “spirit and intent” of the their customs processes and we witnessed with the imple- of sanctions proposed to be im- the requirement to be penal in draft bill, including greater over- take advantage of emerging en- mentation of ASYCUDA World,” posed under the Bill, stating the circumstances of a breach of all efficiency of trade facilita- trepreneurs, who are providing she said that they hope the matter is still the relevant provisions, we are tion, the reduction of red tape value added services in respect open for discussion. of the view that an enormous and duplication of processes and of internal customs processing TOO HARSH on Page 3 Minister has high hopes for nursing programme EDUCATION Minister, Santia many of which were put into Bradshaw hopes the recent place by late 2019.” refocusing of the Barbados “As a result, 62 per cent of Community College’s (BCC) the students who took the re- nursing programme will result gional nursing exam in October in more students becoming 2019 passed. Hopefully, this registered nurses. refocusing of the programme She stated this as she ad- means that more Barbados dressed the recent launch Community College graduates of the Nursing Auxiliary will take their places as Studies Programme at the registered nurses in Barbados College. and the region going forward,” Bradshaw said a review was she said. conducted and adjustments to Bradshaw also told the gath- the College’s nursing pro- ering efforts are being made to gramme were done last year. enhance nurses’ training at However,“for many years prior BCC. She said she is in discus- to 2019, most of the Barbados sions with Adtalem Global Community College students Education, the owners of Ross in the Bachelor’s programme University, “to implement a failed the regional exam. The comprehensive teaching excel- lowest failure rate was 88 per lence programme for tutors in cent in late 2018. nursing” at the College. “I asked the Board of the “This programme would Barbados Community College include the provision of assis- to conduct a review of the tance in assessment, evalua- College’s nursing programme tion and curriculum design and report on the steps needed of the revised Bachelor in to improve the regional exam Nursing about which I spoke results. A committee – chaired earlier. It will also involve a by the Principal and including course on health promotion… a member of the Board and sensitising the staff of the representatives of the Nursing Department of Nursing to the Council and others – made a new and emerging global ap- number of recommendations, proaches.” (MG) Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Santia Bradshaw, addressing the launch of the Nursing Auxiliary Studies Programme at the College. 2 • Wednesday August 12, 2020 The Barbados Advocate Young entrepreneurs being ‘Set Up for Success’ OVER the next two weeks, Youth, Sports and Community ceived over the earlier stages of the finishing touches will Empowerment and powered by the Building Blocks project – be put on several young en- the Youth Entrepreneurship which would have been delivered trepreneurs as the Set Up for Scheme, the course was officially in March and April last year – Success training programme opened by new Minister of Minister Sutherland applauded got under way on Monday. Youth, Sports and Community the young people for the strides The intensive and hands-on Empowerment, Dwight Suther- that they have made as he had course, which will take 17 busi- land. met them as head of his previous ness owners through the finer During the ceremony,Director ministry. points of ensuring their enter- of Youth Affairs Cleviston Hunte “As the then Minister of Small prises remain viable, will see the urged the participants to take Business and Entrepreneurship, first cohort of persons in the full advantage of all resources I was invited to deliver the fea- Building Blocks project getting put at their disposal by the gov- ture address at the graduation themselves in gear for taking on ernment. He also addressed a ceremony of that inaugural en- the world. number of myths surrounding trepreneurial development The pilot project, which was economic empowerment and training for the Building Blocks initiated by former Minister black ownership of businesses, project. And at that time I ex- of Youth and Community and asked the young business pressed my full support for the Empowerment, Adrian Forde, owners to destroy them and re- project because I could see how was created in a bid to trans- build new truths. this would have talented young form communities into hubs of “What I want you to do, and people on the blocks across commercial activity,and as such you’re going to be in the right Barbados translate their dreams Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Dwight kiosks for the conduction of busi- space to do this, is to deconstruct and aspirations into viable en- Sutherland as he addressed the participants during Monday’s ness were built at the Ivy, these myths as you go through terprises.” opening ceremony. Silver Hill, Parkinson Field and the process of this training. You Going on to note just how Bonnetts. are in the right location to do it. important the youth are to the nities. It is at a level that we of Housing and Lands to identify With most of the theoretical You are in the Ministry of Youth development of the country, have to be concerned as a six additional sites in other com- work being completed during the – full of energy and creativity. Sutherland stressed the impor- government and as a people in munities across the island. many weeks since the inception And finally,to reconstruct a path tance of our society needing to be this country, and I think pro- Going on to say that he has a of the Building Block project, the for yourself, a path for success,” stronger. grammes such as this can ad- lot of faith in the participants, next two weeks will see the par- Hunte said, before reminding “The Building Blocks project dress the issues,” he said. Sutherland added that he also ticipants undergoing 42 hours of them how important their best is a comprehensive strategy with With the kiosks at Silver Hill expects the most from them. contact training, where they will effort is. its aim at, among other things, and Parkinson completed and “It is at this stage that I want learn tenets such as business eti- “In terms of this project, you addressing the problems of ready for handover; and to say to you not to stop here. I quette, image management, are the first. And however suc- rising unemployment and facil- Bonnetts and the Ivy expected to want to see these young, small business law, social media mar- cessful this project becomes is itating the engagement of be ready by the end of this week, businesses grow into big busi- keting and customer service. going to be dependent on you potential block-preneurs. But I Sutherland revealed that there nesses. I want to create some Originally earmarked to have and the contribution that you want to add here that it is more are works already in progress to millionaires from in this room. I gotten up and running weeks make to ensuring that, not only than just addressing unemploy- expand the programme. With want to see you mentoring young earlier but delayed due to the yourselves, but your families and ment. It is addressing a funda- the second phase already on the businesses in five, ten years from pandemic, the augmented pro- your communities benefit from mental social problem that we books as planning approval has now.So programmes such as this gramme also now includes new what this government has in- have in this country.We are not already been given for the erec- give you the necessary tools modules that have been forced vested in you.” at the stage of Trinidad or tion of kiosks at Sayers Court to allow you to pass on that by COVID-19 such as health pro- Explaining that this particular Jamaica as it relates to crime, and Bayville, Minister knowledge as mentors,” he tocols and e-commerce.