May 7, 2021
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc.
by Grenville Phillips II
Last week, I described the nine decisions that I would take during my first hour, if I was Prime Minister for one day. This week, I will share seven decisions that I would take within my second hour at the helm.
Water relief
I would instruct Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill to provide continuous water to those who have been without water for years, within two weeks. This is too long overdue.
Approximately 90 per cent of the cost, effort and time to get water to the reservoir in question, is in the trenching to get the pipes in the ground.
WATER RELIEF.
I would instruct Minister Edghill to provide continuous water to those who have been without water for years, within 2 weeks. This is too long overdue. Approximately 90% of the cost, effort and time to get water to the reservoir in question, is in the trenching to get the pipes in the ground. That is why it is taking years to get this done. Quick relief can be provided by running water lines temporarily on the surface, and trenching at road crossings that do not have drainage culverts.
The BWA can contract several private sector construction companies to trench across all the required intersecting roads, install pipe sleeves, and then backfill the trench. A construction crew can complete at least one intersecting road in one night – hence the need for several contractors. Once people have relief, the BWA can then resume their slow-trenching to put the mains underground.
#BTColumn – PM for a day
Article by April 30, 2021
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.
If I could be the Prime Minister for one day, what would I do? The following are nine decisions that I would make.
Volcanic ash.
First, I would instruct Minister Sutherland to publish a preliminary report on recommended uses for the volcanic ash, in ten days. We got ash in Barbados over two weeks ago, so this report is long past due.
The report should include a chemical analysis of the ash, using the massspectrometer at the Government Analytical lab. It should also include seven-day: tension, compression, shear, and absorption tests on a one lime: three ash mixture, using testing equipment at the Barbados National Standards Institution’s lab.
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Debt ease discussions on
Article by February 27, 2021
As the local financial services sector prepares to consider a possible second moratorium on loans and mortgages for customers dislocated by income losses and jobs due to COVID-19 lockdowns, banks and credit unions are today reporting successes during the first grace period.
The Barbados Bankers’ Association (BBA) and the Barbados Cooperative & Credit Union League (BCCUL) said they were able to meet the requirements of their customers during that first repayment ease.
In March last year when Prime Minister Mia Mottley was concluding debate on the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure in Parliament, she announced that commercial banks would be offering a six-month ease on the repayment of loans and mortgages to individuals and businesses whose jobs were in jeopardy as well as businesses affected by the COVID-19 economic downturn.