Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Tuesday came with a Budget that included no new or increased taxes and featured an announcement that the country’s foreign reserves are about to hit an all-time high.Very early in her four-hour presentation of the 2023 Budgetary Proposals in the House of Assembly, Mottley made it clear that despite speculation to the contrary, her Budget was about “good news” with “no new taxes” imposed and no announcements of mass layoffs in the public sector.She stressed, however, that restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) would continue but provisions would be made, where possible, for workers affected by that process.While there had been hopes that further cost of living relief measures would be announced in her highly-anticipated speech, Mottley said the Government was doing all it could at this time, even as she thanked the private sector and labour movement for working with her administration to contain the prices of 49 food items.
By Dawne Parris
A Government backbencher has called for improved benefits for Parliamentarians, lamenting that the existing allowances, terms and conditions are inadequate for the work Members of Parliament (MPs) are required to do.
Edmund Hinkson contended in the House of Assembly on Tuesday that what those individuals here receive pales in comparison to what is offered to politicians in other parts
The passing of Wendell Callender, a former politician, social activist, writer and educator, not only reminds us of the need to cherish people while they are alive, but his death is a timely reminder that democracy does not thrive unless there are people who test it and are committed to maintaining it.Now some may say that we are ascribing too much credit to the humble man who felt he could achieve anything to which he put his mind.The 70-year-old may be known to younger Barbadians for his spirited discussions on social media on matters of politics, law, education, culture and social issues.He was not one to shy away from offering his opinion on topical issues, even if his was counter to the general sentiment. Callender stood with the island’s two major political parties, and successfully contested the Christ Church East seat in 1994 under the Barbados Labour Party banner.However, in a demonstration of his unwillingness to blindly tow the party line, he returned to his roots in the
A noted Historian contends that the Mia Mottley Government’s decision to remove November 30 as Independence Day is “just one of other changes” that Barbadians may soon have to accept as the rule of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) continues under Mottley.This evening Minister of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams, announced that last week the Mottley Cabinet made the decision to repeal Independence Day to instead mark November 30 as Barbados National Day.But retired trade unionist Robert “Bobby” Morris warns that “it is certainly possible” that next on the chopping block might be January 21 which is celebrated annually as Errol Barrow Day, to recognise the “Father of Independence” and National Hero, the Right Excellent Errol Barrow. In 1996 an attempt was made to do just that by former Prime Minister Owen Arthur but it had to be abandoned after public outrage. However, according to Morris, this action may now become a possibility this time around given Government’s lates
There are indeed few words that can describe the personal loss I feel, and the collective loss that Barbados and this region will experience, at the passing of…