BL&P Assists BARP
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Established October 1895 Celebrating 125 years – Highlights of The Barbados Advocate through the years See Pages 16 & 17 Friday October 2, 2020 $2 VAT Inclusive BAC, artists need B’dian NO AUTHORITY support Franklyn maintains Chief Education Officer cannot move principals THE Barbados Arts Council is encouraging Barbadians to OPPOSITION Senator predecessors, but said he is Commission after consulting well. But you do not expect to support the organisation and its Caswell Franklyn making his voice heard now with the Prime Minister – not see every little administrative artists. maintains that the Chief that this action affects one of the Minister of Education, not thing in the Public Service Yesterday, President of the Education Officer does not the members of the Unity the Chief Education Officer – done by the Governor General. Barbados Arts Council (BAC), have the power to transfer Workers’ Union which he leads. can transfer a principal.” So Section 95 allows the Neville Legall, stated this principals to other schools According to Franklyn, “I He went on to explain that Governor General to delegate during a phone interview with across the country. picked up the Constitution, the chief education officer has some of her powers, or his The Barbados Advocate. His contention came on pointed out that under the power to transfer certain depending on who was the Due to the recent lockdown, Wednesday evening during Constitution, a principal who is people. “Under the governor general at the time, to the organisation has only the debate in the Upper a head of department, Constitution of Barbados members of the Commission or opened up its doors in July and Chamber on Public Service according to the Public Service Section 94, the Governor to certain senior public officers. he reported that business is (Appointments) Bill 2020. Act (PSA) , the eighth schedule General, acting on advice of the The document is called the slow. The BAC president Franklyn said he made this ... for the purposes of the PSA Public Service Commission … Delegations of Functions, attributed this situation to a point clear to the current – a principal is a head of was responsible for appointing Public and Police Services lack of traffic in the area, acting chief, acknowledging department; and under the people and appointments mean especially with a reduction of that this was also done by her Constitution, only the Service appointments and transfers as NO POWER on Page 3 business in the tourism sector. As a Council, Legall stressed the importance of keeping the cultural industry alive by having space for artists to BL&P display their work. “If the Arts Council has to go out of existence, a number of artists are going to be deprived assists of that opportunity of getting their work shown in an art gallery,” said Legall. He acknowledged the effect BARP of COVID-19 on business plans and while it is still important to THE Barbados Light & Power plan, Legall is aware that there Company Limited (BL&P) has are financial and economic come to the assistance of the problems that will emerge. Barbados Association of The BAC president disclosed Retired Persons (BARP), to to The Barbados Advocate support an initiative designed that artists are facing several to help the most vulnerable of challenges. This includes a its members. decrease in sales from the Yesterday, on the tourism sector, and many of the International Day of Older artists’ clients are coping with Persons, Managing Director of unemployment or a loss of BL&P, Roger Blackman, disposable income. handed over a cheque to He said that artists are President of BARP, Marilyn using social media to market Rice-Bowen. The presentation their work, but he indicated took place at the BARP Office, that these platforms are not Mervue House in Hastings, predictable. At this time, 150 Christ Church. artists are registered with the The focus of the project by BAC, and about 70 artists BARP was to decrease the exhibit their work annually. instances of seniors going to Legall said that art in Barbados shelters during the hurricane is affordable, and many artists season. Specifically the aim was are providing prints of their to repair the roofs and secure work today. the homes of seniors who are The Barbados Arts Council members of BARP, in the event was established in 1957, and it of a disaster. The repairs provides a home for new and included the installation of emerging artists who want to hurricane straps along with showcase their work. Legall, replacing galvanised roofing who joined the Council in 1984, and some other infrastructure explained that the charity was elements. in Pelican Village before and Blackman acknowledged after it was renovated. Queen’s that due to the impact of the Park was the BAC’s first home. COVID-19 pandemic, society President of the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP), Marilyn Rice-Bowen, receives BAC’s gallery opens on a cheque from Managing Director of the Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd., Roger Blackman, Mondays, Wednesdays, and DONATION on Page 5 to help some of the vulnerable members of BARP. Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 2 • Friday October 2, 2020 The Barbados Advocate The Barbados Advocate Friday October 2, 2020 • 3 Senator McConney lauds Appraisal system amended legislation needed in the SENATOR Kay so that they can be ap- “What we know now is public service McConney has lauded pointed to it immediately, that with this particular the Public Service that would be called a su- Bill, we are seeking to A CALL has been made some people who simply (Appointments) Bill pernumerary post. It shall say- we recognise that we for an appraisal system do not follow the rules, 2020, and the impact it be done. have a culture within the to be implemented in the she added, “It would be will have on those who “I raise that because it public service, we have a public service, as a means useful if the Honourable have been awaiting ap- is in contrast to some problem within the public of evaluating the per- Member who is in the pointments. work that had been service where there are a formance of public sector Ministry of Finance, let She was speaking in started in the Arthur ad- large number of people workers. people know that when the Upper Chamber ministration under the who are not appointed, or The call came recently they are consistently ab- on Wednesday evening BLP in 2007 for public of- who are still in temporary from Minister of People sent, that when it is time where she said: “These ficers to be appointed in posts to which they should Empowerment and Elder for them to get gratuity are persons who have the public service. From have been appointed and Affairs, Cynthia Forde, as according to my simple been appointed at one my information from we now need to fix that.” she made her contribu- understanding, that that level and then there were within the Ministry of the The senator told the Senator Kay McConney tion to the Public Service is taken out for all of for whatever reason al- Public Service, a signifi- Honourable Chamber (Amendment) Bill, 2020 those days absent.” lowed to act at a higher cant challenge that they that the public service has Appointments Code during Parliamentary She maintained, “There level but they have re- found at that time was approximately 15,000 which is found in the first debate. are some who are not sick mained appointed at the that if you had a person persons and this particu- schedule of the Public Minister Forde stressed at all and they are at lower level... even though who may have been eligi- lar Bill can positively Service Act.They can still that whilst she was home 24/7, on extended they have been doing that ble to be appointed in a impact some 3 000. She use that to make progress happy with what was tak- sick leave. I want for work more than three post that was not vacant stated that it is not in- in terms of addressing the ing place in allowing for the Honourable Prime years at October 1 2020.” they could not be ap- tended to be the end all aspirations of others to be workers to be appointed, Minister and her team, Explaining that there pointed- because they be all, but clears the way promoted and appointed she wishes to see a sys- get the Medical Board to are many reasons why would have to wait until a for a cleaner slate. within the public service. tem set in place that sig- (deal with) those persons that might have hap- vacant post became avail- She stressed that this “The bottom line is this nals to workers that they who are home and noth- pened, she said this par- able to be appointed in it. Bill does not amend the Bill will not fix it all. It must give of their best on ing is wrong with them ticular Bill seeks to help And so you had a situa- Public Service Act. “It is a was never intended to fix the job and there must be and sometimes you get to to address that situation. tion where you had a standalone Bill... separate it all. It is just one way some level of accountabil- know,but they are just at “Where as long as they whole bunch of people from any amendments to and we encourage the ity on account of how they home because they feel were acting in that higher who were eligible to be ap- the Public Service Act.