BARBADOS: The Governor General’s Throne Speech

Governor General, Dame Sandra Mason, GCMG, D.A., Q.C., inspecting the Guard of Honour after arriving at Parliament today.(Photo: E.Brooks)

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

by Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason, G.C.M.G., D.A., Q.C.

Mr. President and Members of the Senate;
Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly;
Specially invited guests, ladies and gentlemen;
This Parliament reconvenes today, in circumstances that none of us could
have imagined. It is therefore appropriate for us to pause as a nation and give fresh thought to our future.
In March of this year, Barbados like most countries across the globe, was
forced into a national lockdown propelled by the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic that continues to plague the world. With over 29 million cases worldwide and almost 1 million deaths to date, Barbados stands among the countries that have attacked this silent enemy head on. Having conducted 18,000 tests, and with less than 200 confirmed cases recorded nationally, although regrettably 7 deaths, Barbados has been lauded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for this country’s resolute fight against this deadly and crippling disease.
When we, as a nation, consider our economic standing on the global stage, this is nothing short of a phenomenal achievement. However, we recognize that this would not have been possible without the work and sacrifice of Barbadians and the assistance of our global and regional partners. To you, we wish to convey our heartfelt gratitude.

While we as a people, should be proud of the way we have sought to
address the pandemic thus far, we must remain vigilant. With England, and other countries in Europe beginning to experience a surge in cases over the past two weeks, we are constantly reminded that the virus is very much still with us. This is of particular concern to us, especially when we juxtapose it with the reality that our tourism industry is very dependent on the European market. With thousands of tourism industry workers currently unemployed, this pandemic becomes a frightening reality for us as it relates to our economic recovery, but particularly, to our ability to feed and provide for our families.
Indeed, there are many reasons for our stability and success during this
trying period. Grounded in our resolve as a nation and a people, to fight this pandemic, is our belief that success comes when we all play our part to make Barbados better. As a people we may differ in many ways, but we are fundamentally the same when it comes to our commitment to the continued development and safety of this nation. Operating under the global recession brought on by the pandemic that has brought economies to a screeching halt worldwide, Barbados continues to be an example to the world of what resolve, kindness and being our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper can achieve.
The present global challenges, coupled with the prorogation of Barbados’
Parliament, have created the occasion for my Government to reaffirm its
commitment to the country; take stock of the national circumstances; report

progress to the nation; take fresh guard and articulate a new vision for
repositioning and protecting our citizens and country.

My Government’s Commitment

It is in this vein that I reiterate that my Government is committed to the
people of this country. This Government knows that the pressure under which COVID has put our citizens, is real. We will take all steps necessary to ensure that every Barbadian is protected from the worst impacts of this global crisis. Not only will we keep faith with the people of this great island nation, but we will not let Barbadians descend into despair, nor allow Barbados to slide into disrepair.
Where propitious, we will partner with the private sector and work closely with the Third Sector, or non-governmental and philanthropic organisations to achieve social development goals.
Our circumstances may have changed, but our commitment to you, the
people of Barbados, to make this country a global force of the 21st Century, has not altered. This Government will ensure a protected environment, a stable society and a sustainable and resilient economy. In the current global crisis,
Government will stimulate a vibrant national economy with a level of activity that ensures the circulation of capital domestically. We pledge to maintain this approach until there is an influx of foreign exchange from a heightened level of economic activity, particularly tourism.

The Barbados brand will symbolise and be constantly burnished by the
excellence, effort, imagination, innovation, creativity, and productivity of our citizens, at home and abroad. Barbadians must not think of just hunkering down and waiting out these frightening and uncertain times. Instead, it is my Government’s goal to ensure that our country and citizens fight to thrive, despite COVID and all its calamitous consequences.
Despite reduced tax takes and revenues, my Government is determined that
we will hold the hand of every Barbadian who is in fear; every family that is under threat; every man who is trying to stand up to his responsibilities; every single mother fighting to provide for her children; every young person hoping for a bright future; every worker who is unemployed; every poor person fighting for dignity; every middle-class person who is in danger of having everything for which they have struggled snatched from them; every business person and home owner whose dreams of ownership and upward mobility are turning into a nightmare; and every senior and vulnerable citizen for whom the risks of getting lost in the muddle
of social and economic decline, are greater. My Government’s goal is that not one single Barbadian will be allowed to fall through the cracks. We are in this together! Every Bajan Matters!
Barbados must have no second-class citizens. This country, our country,
cannot afford that. Every citizen is valued and valuable. Every citizen must live in dignity. Every citizen deserves to be given an opportunity to contribute to the full

range of their abilities. Every citizen must enjoy what this country has to offer and the fruits of their labour. Every citizen must be protected in the times of trial.
No one is coming to rescue us. The solutions to the present circumstances
are ours to find, ours to craft and ours to implement. Every Barbadian, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they do for a living, must understand that responsibility for the rescue and recovery of Barbados rests with each one of us.
Indeed, the current difficulties require us to go back to the Bajan basics of caring, sharing, and a sense of community.
It was and remains the intention of this Government that, by achieving these broad objectives, Barbados should become the premier global brand and destination to live, work, have recreation and visit.
A short 27 months ago, I addressed our nation from the august chambers of
Barbados’ Parliament and outlined the plans and programmes of my newly
elected Government. We understood as a people that through tough times were ahead. Barbados had been bruised by the severe social, economic and
environmental impacts of a lost decade, but we were buoyed by a new sense of hope, by the promise and expectation of a higher level of caring for the concerns of our citizens, by the hope of increased and open communication with our citizens and by the prospect of measures that would bring the genuine enfranchisement and empowerment of our citizens. We felt confident that we were capable of the work and sacrifice it would take to get this country back to social vibrancy, sound economic recovery and growth.

My Government was well on its way to fulfilling the commitments made in its manifesto, of reversing the downgrades of the economy; rebuilding our foreign exchange; reducing the crippling debt to GDP ratio- the third highest in the world at 176% at the beginning of 2018, to 117% by the beginning of 2020 – halting the social malaise, the decline of social goods and services and tackling some of the more intractable problems which affect the wellbeing and quality of life of Barbadians. At home and abroad, with Barbadian nationals and the nationals of other countries, amongst technical specialists and the man in the street, my Government had inspired a renewed sense of confidence in Barbados’ economy and the future of our country.
And then COVID-19 struck.
Now We Taking Stock – Healthy Society And Economy
The Invisible Hand of COVID-19 and Its Economic Fallout
No one truly anticipated the destructive maelstrom that COVID-19 has
become. Even more sobering, is the fact that the principal, international health and development institutions caution that in all likelihood, the global family of nations will have to live with COVID-19 and its consequences for at least another year, or even two. This is a time of great peril and uncertainty for global society and economy, and for the future of the human family. Global economic activity has been significantly reduced. We now operate in a world where virtual platforms for work, general recreation and social activity have become the new norm.

Men and women the world over, are in great fear. Families are in turmoil.
Homes are at risk. Businesses are collapsing. Global trade and supply have been disrupted. Billions of people are now falling into the pit of poverty and the mire of despair. For us here in Barbados, the effects of COVID are even more dire. This disease has decimated the global tourism product. Barbados, like the rest of the Caribbean, ranking as we do amongst the top 20 tourism dependent destinations on the planet, is in particular peril. The future of global society and economy is uncertain. However, we know that even in this uncertainty, life must go on. It is with this in mind, that my government has embarked on this nation’s road to economic recovery with a sense of fortitude and commitment.
Taking Stock – Maintaining A Healthy Society

In the Era of COVID-19 Government responded to the COVID pandemic with alacrity, decisiveness and sensitivity. The management of the assault by COVID-19 has been one of the clear successes of my Government. With our Barbadian health care system, the use of local expertise and the private sector constructing rapid-build facilities, close monitoring, strict protocols, management of all cases, rigorous contact tracing, and the cooperation and discipline of the public, Barbados has so far, averted community spread. While our country has done well, it is critical that we do not let our guard down, because as the old people caution us, “what aint catch ya, aint pass ya.”
My Government has fought and is fighting against COVID’s potentially
deadly and debilitating health, social and economic impacts. COVID-19 will not

defeat Barbados. My Minister of Health and Wellness put it best when he framed the fight in military terms. He said: “There will be no retreat and no surrender” by my Government.

Reporting Progress Our Urgent and Mission Critical Agenda
My Government committed to addressing a list of 17 vexing issues within
the first six months of coming to office. These included: rebuilding our foreign reserves; dealing with debt, bringing tax relief; addressing threats to the financial service sector; helping people to live; resuming the payment of arrears and refunds; protecting people’s health; fixing the Bridgetown and South Coasts Sewerage Systems; getting rid of garbage off the streets; putting buses back on the roads; repairing our roads; alleviating water woes; ensuring citizens safety and wellbeing; empowering our young people; stamping out corruption; a new deal for the workers of the sugar industry; and preparing for a natural disaster.
Because of their complexity or technical nature, some of the items on the list took longer than my Government had initially anticipated. For instance, the fight for citizens’ safety and security is ongoing; measures to deal with water woes, particularly in St Joseph and St John are in train; and integrity legislation will be brought back to Parliament. On a significant portion of the policy commitments for national transformation as made in my Government’s manifesto of 2018, and on the aspects identified in my Government’s Mission Critical Agenda – we have

done what we said we would do in large measure. The evidence is there for
all to see!
In treating to the COVID-19 pandemic, fulfilling our Mission Critical Agenda;
clawing the country’s way forward; communicating with citizens frequently and in a forthright manner, through both traditional means, as well as social media platforms; meeting citizens’ needs in the most difficult and uncertain times facing the people of our nation and the people of our planet; the approach of my Government has been to demonstrate a sense of caring. My Government has sought to be responsive to the needs of the people and to build new bonds of trust between the Government and the governed.
Our Foundation Stones Have Shifted
Global upheaval from war or disease pandemics is not new. The world has
always gone through turmoil. What is different now, is the threat to the world’s economy and society that has never before been more connected through the globalization of economies, trade, travel, technology and supply chains.
Of equal importance at this time, is the immediacy with which technology
now connects societies across the entire world. It was the power of technology that allowed us in Barbados, to witness the decimation wreaked by COVID-19, and the fear and anxiety it caused, as it felled the health care systems, citizens and economies of some of the world’s largest and most powerful countries. With the occurrence of these events, there was a shifting of the foundation stones of certainty, social expansion, economic growth and billions being lifted out of

poverty, with which we had lived since the last devastating pandemic of the
Spanish Flu 100 years ago.
In Barbados, that uncertainty assumed a different reality with the passing of two Barbadians. First, the iconic cricketer Sir Everton Weekes whose skill on the field, like that of Walcott, Worrell and Sobers, helped a nation and a region to glimpse its potential post-colonialism; to understand that size was not a constraint to high achievement; to taste success and know that we are equal to the best in the world; that as students and the colonised, we could outstrip our colonial masters; and that greatness was within us, if we were prepared to discipline ourselves and work toward it.
Within days of Sir Everton’s loss, the country’s longest serving Prime
Minister, Professor, The Rt Hon Owen Arthur, also died. Prime Minister Arthur’s policies shaped our economic fortunes and landscape for a vibrant economy from which all benefited, the middle class grew, women found new opportunity, entrepreneurship thrived and propelled many working and middle class people upward, this country pioneered the concept of the green economy within Small Island Developing States and our national star shone so brightly that it could be seen across the globe.
With the passing of Sir Everton and former Prime Minister Arthur, the mantle of leadership falls fully to the post-independence generations of Barbadians. It is those generations who must now define how our country and citizens will dominate the world stage, create a new vision and build Barbados’ future. Our

national foundation stones have shifted. National and international events
demonstrate that we have entered a new era. The old things have passed away.

Securing The Governance of Barbados and Barbadians
A Fresh Guard and A New Vision Restructuring and Reimagining
The peril and uncertainty of the times compel us to reinforce our foundation.
Equally, we are challenged to shore up our traditional structures, and find
stronger, more resilient, more sustainable architecture, on which we can build a modern and enduring structure for current and future generations.
Government and Governance Barbados has developed governance structures and institutions that mark us as what has been described as, “the best governed Black society in the world.”
Since Independence, we Barbadians have sought constantly to improve our
systems of law and governance so as to ensure they best reflect our
characteristics and values as a nation.
Barbados’ first Prime Minister, The Rt. Excellent Errol Walton Barrow,
cautioned against loitering on colonial premises. That warning is as relevant today as it was in 1966. Having attained Independence over half a century ago, our country can be in no doubt about its capacity for self-governance. The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving. Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward

full sovereignty and become a Republic by the time we celebrate our 55th
Anniversary of Independence.
Extending The List of National Heroes
In 1998, by Act of Parliament, Barbados recognised 10 worthy sons and a
daughter as National Heroes, for having “given outstanding service to Barbados …. contributed to the improvement of the economic and social conditions of Barbados” …. and demonstrated “visionary and pioneering leadership,
extraordinary achievement and the attainment of the highest excellence.” It was intended that in due course, the list of National Heroes of Barbados would be added to and my Government shall do so.
Increasing The Engagement of Our Governor General
For almost 50 years, the ceremonial, administrative and social functions of
the Governor General have remained largely the same. It is now proposed to add to them, the following list of activities: The Governor General’s Charity and Trust which will be overseen by a Board and support worthy national causes, the establishment of Fine Minds For Barbados, a Think Tank of Barbadian academics and skilled nationals in the diaspora to ensure we use the talents of all Barbadians in support of national challenges; the Governor General’s Annual Lecture; and Purpose Filled Youth, a training and motivational initiative for Barbadian youth,
which will be conducted at ages 11 and 16. This programme will be continued until such time as there is further discussion on the transition to republic status.
Parliamentary Reform

Upon being elected, my Government appointed the Thorne Commission on
Local Governance. The Commission has had extensive consultations locally
through community-based people’s assemblies. It is expected to report shortly on how we may deepen the level of participation of ordinary Barbadians in how we govern ourselves.
In examining our form of government, making it better suited to modern
times and more responsive to the needs of Barbadians who want a greater say in the running of their national affairs, it is to be noted that there has been no parliamentary reform in the last 49 years since we shifted from double member constituencies to single member constituencies. A Commission on the Reform of Parliament will therefore be established under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Cheltenham, the immediate Past President of the Senate, former Member of Parliament, Minister of Government and distinguished Queen’s Counsel and will have representation from political parties, the Social Partnership, and the Social
Justice Committee.
Law and The Society
Legislation to address integrity in public life is essential to fostering greater
transparency, accountability and stamping out corruption. My Government will again pursue this legislation in the new parliamentary term.
The public must have trust in our system of laws and the Courts which
administer them. There will therefore be a comprehensive strengthening of the court system with dedicated court administrators; expansion of the criminal courts

and the introduction of a new Commercial Court has already taken place. My Government will now work toward a specialized Family Court which will be decentralized with hearings across the island and the jurisdiction to determine all family and maintenance matters.
The Supreme Court Registry will, by the end of this month, launch its e-
Filing system. This Apex filing system, which is currently used in the Caribbean Court of Justice, will allow the filing of court documents in cases before the High Court and the Court of Appeal via a secure web portal. This will significantly improve efficiency in the court system, reduce the use of paper throughout litigation, and also result in the more efficient use of the Registry staff, who currently manually receive, scan and process all filed documents.
Furthermore, attorneys will be able to pay filing fees electronically through
EZpay+, eliminating the need for the purchase of physical stamps from the Post Office.
Addressing Injustices Affecting Barbadians
There are two groups of national stakeholders on which my Government
wishes to focus as deserving of special attention.
• Between 1994-2008 a number of civil servants who were in acting
positions were appointed as a matter of government policy. Regrettably,
the situation of having civil servants act in posts for several years without
being appointed and which, has come to be known as “Hollywood”, has

again taken root. My Government is of the view that this is an injustice
that must be corrected. It demoralises officers, affects pension rights,
and their ability to get loans from the banking sector. My Government will
therefore appoint all civil servants who have been acting in established
posts for 3 years or more unless – those civil servants have started a
process of medical boarding, have received poor performance reports or
have criminal charges against them in the Courts. This is simply the right
thing to do.
• The Sugar Industry and Workers – My Government is in discussions on
the restructuring of the sugar industry for a private public partnership.
The new business plan allows for shares to sugar farmers, sugar
workers, private investment, BAMC and the general public. Funding for
the purchase of shares is available through the Trust Loans programme,
Enterprise Growth Fund, Fund Access and Credit Unions. This is
Barbados’ first comprehensive attempt to broaden the ownership base of
the industry that was at the core of the agricultural sector and truly give
workers an opportunity at ownership of the industry that they helped to
build and make world class.

Locating our influence in the world – ensuring we are seen and heard and
not dismissed as being dispensable.
For 10 years, Barbados stepped back from our obligations to work
assiduously with countries and institutions regionally and globally. Had we acted

on these obligations, Barbados would have had a direct influence on the policies, conditionalities and international agreements that affect our world and Barbados’ place in it.
These issues range from the financial services sector and actions to prevent
our being blacklisted, to the setting of criteria to assess our efforts to boost
security and measures to fight money laundering. It includes what we may be permitted to do with domestic agricultural production and manufacturing, in order
to enhance our ability to attain food security. If we are not at the table to represent
our views, we will end up with a one size fits all prescription that removes from us
the legitimate policy options which are needed to protect Barbados’ people and
our economy.
We in this country do not need anyone to tell us how critical is the fight to
attain food security, as one of the weapons in our arsenal of policy options to
protect domestic production in agriculture, agro-processing and manufacturing.
We know that during World War II, when food supply chains were disrupted,
legislation was passed mandating plantations to grow certain percentages of their
land in food.
With the corona virus pandemic, the world is again witnessing supply chain
disruption. Barbados is a net importer of fuel, food, and essential commodities.
Should there be major disruptions in the global supply chain, particularly in staple
foods, our country must be in a position to feed itself. This is one of the motivating
factors that made my Government agree to become the smallest nation ever to

host the United Nations Congress on Trade and Development, UNCTAD 15.
Serving as host-country gives Barbados a voice at the decision-making table
where we can make a credible case for ourselves and for CARICOM to the
multilateral community and to a wide global audience.
We recognise the importance of our Prime Minister assuming the office of
Co-chair of the Development Committee of the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund, along with the Minister of Finance of Uruguay. The co-
chairmanship which will last for the next 2 years, is pivotal to giving Barbados and
the wider Caribbean a voice on how our region and the international financial
institutions will treat to the debt and development of open and vulnerable, small
island developing states in a post-COVID era.
In order to realize its domestic objectives of enhanced economic growth and
revenue generation, Barbados must pursue increased, strengthened and
diversified external engagements which will serve to mitigate the country’s
vulnerabilities, build resilience, and maximize opportunities for sustainable
development.
An important platform for advancing Barbados economic interests abroad is
the Barbadian diaspora and Friends of Barbados community. These are under-
used assets with regard to their networks, skills and resources. The power of the
diaspora and Friends of Barbados, must now be leveraged systematically to
facilitate and enhance their contribution to Barbadian society and economy,
especially through innovation and entrepreneurship, partnerships in various

sectors, sustainable philanthropic initiatives, and attractive investment
opportunities. Plans are well advanced for the establishment of a Diaspora Unit
within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Barbados’ diplomatic missions must be in the forefront of efforts to identify
new and emerging sectors that can propel and expand the Barbadian economy. In
the last 18 months, Barbados established diplomatic relations with 12 countries.
We are seeking to expand our diplomatic footprint, acknowledge shifting
geopolitical realities and seeking new friendships amongst like-minded countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will now pursue the
establishment of new Missions as part of the national effort toward economic
reconstruction and business generation.
Plans are advanced for the establishment of High Commissions in Kenya
and Ghana, as well as an Embassy in the United Arab Emirates and a Consulate
at Casablanca, Morocco. This will assist us in broadening our options in
diplomacy, trade and investment. Barbados will now have representation at the
only location in the South of the globe, of the principal agencies of the United
Nations, including UNEP and UN HABITAT.
The people of CARICOM are our sisters and brothers. Barbados will hold
fast in protecting and advancing the interests of our regional family in every forum
of importance until all people of this region have the highest possible quality of life.
Caring For and Securing Barbados and The Barbadian Economy

COVID put Barbados in lockdown as it did many other countries. It will be
some time before the country is again able to host the numbers of tourists which
we usually do.
My Government is therefore proposing to stimulate the local economy by
putting in place a number of provisions and initiatives to support Barbadians and
ensure they weather this period successfully. It must be noted, however, that
given the drop in its revenues, my Government cannot meet the demands of every
national or give everything for which people may ask. Despite the constraints, my
Government is still giving generous stimulus packages of benefits and support to
help every Barbadian keep their head above the turbulent social and economic
seas in which we find ourselves. My Government will not let you drown.
The new initiatives are also designed with a further purpose in mind. That is,
giving Barbados a general face lift, and the improvement of health conditions,
aesthetics and environment. Barbadians must start to feel that we are really living
in paradise. And when the country fully reopens, we must be able to welcome
visitors to a truly beautiful Barbados, for an experience that is memorable in every
way. This work will make Barbados – Fitter, Stronger, Cleaner, Better, More
Competitive and Just.
The support proposed by my Government will be across multiple sectors
and is intended to create jobs; provide a social safety net for youth, seniors, and
the vulnerable; stimulate social and economic activity; generate the movement of
money within the local economy, keep citizens engaged in lawful activity, and

provide much needed incomes for citizens until the country starts earning foreign
exchange again.
My Government will therefore implement:
A 12-Month COVID Relief Programme
With the Adopt-A-Family and other similar programmes, my Government’s
initial response revolved around supporting households. We must now go further.
People’s need to work goes beyond receiving a pay cheque. A job helps to give
our lives purpose, a sense of security and promotes mental wellness. In plain
language, our men and women must have options. They both have an intrinsic
desire to provide for their families and to have lives of dignity. In recognition of
this, my Government has settled on a $40 million COVID Relief programme which
will run for the next year.
The COVID Relief Programme will be designed to ensure that people in the
country have work to which they can go. While the private sector fights to restore
a level of economic activity and provide jobs, Government will play its part to
ensure that the largest number of people possible is able to support their families.
These jobs will be provided by contracting persons for 12 months, to carry out a
range of activities across Barbados that are required to improve the quality of our
life, our environment and our infrastructure.
Examples of these activities include – the hiring of Monitors in primary
schools, to assist in ensuring that the children physical distance during breaks and
lunch hour, as well as before and after school; engaging persons to assist the

workers of the National Assistance Board in supporting services for our elderly in
communities given their vulnerability in the times of this pandemic; the completion
of the “Where Am I?” project, that will see signs erected across all of our roads
and communities; the enhancement of our food security through the engagement
of persons to work at the island’s Agricultural Stations; and the allocation of
allotments for agricultural production, to persons living in urban Barbados, through
the soon to be established public private partnership of the Lears Urban Land
Lease and Food Security Project.
Further examples of the work that will be done under the this relief
programme include – the restoration of methods to resuscitate our soils and fields
by breaking the dead pan soils through deep ploughing; the prevention of water
runoff and erosion, by returning to the planting of hedgerows between our fields
and roads, across the country, using khus khus grass and now lemon grass; the
protection of our infrastructure through the establishment of contracts to build
gabions to secure the Scotland District from land slippage and erosion; the
repairing of pot holes and cleaning of wells and watercourses, gullies and
beaches, the debushing of unkempt lots, together with the removal of derelict
properties; and the repair and construction of sidewalks to accommodate all
persons who want to move safely around our towns, particularly those who are
differently able.
My Government is committed to easing the pain of those hardest hit by this
pandemic. These individuals will be contracted as self-employed persons for this

job work and will be required to pay their National Insurance. Since the pandemic,
thousands more Bajans now recognise how absolutely vital it is for them to
contribute to the NIS, if they are to benefit from social security when they most
need it. As my Government eases the pain of these persons, we will ensure that
we fix both a number of outstanding challenges, as well as the new ones caused
by COVID.
Within the context of the BERT programme it is imperative that my
Government lay the platform for growth of our economy. While the macro
economic framework was stabilized by the end of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic
has triggered a virtual implosion of the private economy. Both businesses and
workers have been thrown down, especially in the tourism sector. The need to
counter the consequences of this apocalyptic reality of our tourism sector has
caused my Government to work with the Labour movement and the private sector
in the industry, to come up with innovative solutions that will allow us to protect
tourism workers and the enterprises operating at the centre of our main productive
sector.

My Government has agreed to implement a stimulus package for the
productive sectors which my Government will implement. This Stimulus
Package will be known as BEST (Barbados Employment and Sustainable
Transformation Plan).

Tourism accounts for 45% of Barbados’ GDP. It employs a significant
amount of our workforce. Some 15,000 people are employed directly in the
tourism industry, while a further 32,000 workers are estimated to be employed in
tourism related jobs and services. The BEST Programme will be a maximum of
$300 million scheme for hotels and tourism facilities as a response to COVID-19.
The largest fiscal stimulus package being offered to the country. It is intended to
protect jobs, support the balance sheets of our companies in the tourism sector
and those of direct tourism services, and ultimately, ensure that our physical
infrastructure remains fit for when some level of normalcy returns. Barbados must
be fully prepared for that moment.
The BEST Plan has three main features. The first is that the Government
will make an investment in tourism firms which will enable these companies to re-
engage all of their workers on 80% of their normal salary for up to two years
should the need arise. Workers entering the scheme will not lose their existing
rights to severance pay if they are laid off again at any point within the next 12
months.
The resources will only be available if tourism numbers and revenues
remain below the levels required for the survival of the sector. This job support
programme is a strategic intervention that is a win-win for all. It is conditional on a
number of measures designed to strengthen the competitiveness of the tourism
sector specifically, the economy generally, the quality of workers and the
opportunities given to them. And what are these conditions?

There must be a substantial upskilling of workers in the sector. The National
Training Initiative will offer training programmes for tourism staff. The training
offered will be in the areas needed for their specific job, but also for the softer
skills that will be provided through citizenship education. Bajans should note that
this citizenship training will be offered to all Barbadian employees and employers,
all students above class 3 and any other citizen wanting to benefit from state
benefits. It is our intention that as many of our citizens will become “Star Bajans,”
instilling a stronger sense of national pride and purpose and of course, respect
and tolerance for fellow Bajans.
Second, there must be a transformation of the tourism sector by committing
to greening through water conservation and water harvesting measures, where
applicable and the installation of renewable energy capacity, to reduce reliance on
fossil fuels. Third, there is a requirement to review all processes, payments and
systems to ensure their suitability in today’s world and where necessary, to
undertake a digitisation of the same. My Government will support these last two
elements by the establishment of a dedicated Green and Digital Investment
Fund for which firms that have re-engaged their workers will be eligible.
The funds will primarily be distributed through investment in the companies
by way of a class of shares that mirrors preference shares. There will be some
limited opportunity for grants. This method of support will help to strengthen the
weakened balance sheets of these firms. This Green and Digital Innovation Fund
and training will also be available to small businesses and to manufacturing and

agricultural enterprises, provided that they too have retained a significant portion
of their jobs. The sums available for investment and grant will be capped to
ensure that as many entities as possible benefit.
My Government has indicated that it would be requiring those entities
benefiting from the programme to invest in localizing the value chain and making
deeper connections with our farmers, our manufacturers, our artists of all types
and our contractors and providers of professional services. Investments in
collaboration across the sector such as joint websites, tours, marine sculpture
parks, water ferries, and similar initiatives will also be strongly encouraged. My
Government recognizes that hotels or businesses which have plans to access the
money needed for the purposes of refurbishing and expanding the business’ plant
in a sustainable way, should be encouraged to undertake this work now as their
revenue is already down and there is an inevitable downside to undertaking
construction.
We are refining the Tourism Loan Guarantee Fund, given the reluctance of
local banks to participate, in spite of the need for many of our tourism
establishments to be able to access cheaper forms of capital.
Let us be clear, my Government will invest to save enterprises. This is
preferable to simply paying pensions and social security for workers to remain at
home. It also helps our enterprises and their staffs to remain fit for purpose while
supporting employees in maintaining mental wellness. It allows Government to
protect, and in some instances, to expand the nation’s hotel stock and to help

save our enterprises from bankruptcy and insolvency. While my Government will
help these businesses stay afloat, they will not be permitted to draw dividends or
unreasonably increase the compensation of management and owners before
repaying the investment in their enterprises.
By providing this assistance, it is envisioned that the beneficiaries will be
better positioned to retain at least 75% of the workforce, create sustainable jobs,
honour their statutory obligations and manage their debt. Where will their
revenues come from so that Government may retreat? Yes, our traditional
sources, but we are actively encouraging competitive pricing to staycations and
regional travel. Support similar to that given to the tourism sector for green energy
transitions, will be extended to the manufacturing and small business sectors.
Tourism Is Still Our Business
Having said that, tourism bookings for November and December look very
promising and suggest that the Barbados brand is still a major magnet in the
market. In terms of future tourism investment, significant bolstering of the local
product will occur with the addition of the Hyatt Ziva, a $400 million hotel, which
will employ 1800 construction workers and 1200 full time staff thereafter. Sam
Lords Castle will be refurbished and built out for $400 million, employing 1000
construction workers and 1200 full time staff. Sagicor Estates is a construction
project of $200 million, which will engage 900 construction workers and later,
approximately 200 full time employees.

Discovery Bay will be a $200 million investment using 500 construction
workers and there following, 500 full time staff. The Crane expansion is expected
to cost $75m, employ 200 construction workers and once completed, over 70 full
time staff. The expansion of Sandals will cost $60 million, employ 200 workers in
construction and 75 full time staff when built. The price tag for Apes Hill is $25
million, using the services of 75 construction workers and after completion, 20 full
time staff.
These new investments of over $1.4 billion, approximately 4500 construction
workers for 2 years and 3275 additional jobs thereafter, speak to there still being
tremendous confidence by investors in the government and people of Barbados,
the tourism industry and those who work in it. The training that will be given as
part of the support for existing hotels, is expected to improve the standard of
service and deliver greater customer satisfaction, thus making us an even more
competitive destination.
Apart from new construction, in light of the heightened use of electronic
platforms for recreation and business purposes, the Ministry of Tourism will
promote a virtual Barbados tourism product. The Ministry will also seek to position
Barbados as a centre for private aircraft services and a Southern aviation hub for
the Caribbean, as well as Cross-Atlantic travel and cargo business.
The Barbados Welcome Stamp which allows entry to remote workers for
periods of up to a year, has gained Barbados first-mover advantage for using this
scheme as a response to COVID. It has become very popular, with about 1400

applications having been made in the first six weeks. The Welcome Stamp is
creating demand for accommodation in every type of property, from ordinary
communities and AirBnBs to villas. Car rental companies, realtors, public and
private schools, restaurants and supermarkets are significant beneficiaries of the
business which the Stamp is generating.
It is a strong initiative to mitigate the consequences from the fall in short-
term travel because of the Revised Protocols for travel globally. Our experience of
the Ross University Students and staff is that a 9 or 12 month stay visitor spends
in Barbados more than 10 times what a one-week visitor would spend. Based on
these figures, the long stay Welcome Stamp will yield substantial benefits and is a
good way to set off losses from short-stay visitors.
Securing Citizens, Entrepreneurs and Their Businesses
My Government is resolved that the vendors of Barbados must have a new
deal. This will include refurbished markets and the construction of new areas, from
Fairchild Street to Brandons and from Baxter’s Road to Temple Yard, as well as a
number of community vending facilities. Much of this work has started. A new Bill
that will halt the criminalization of vendors, for breach of licences, will
simultaneously regulate vending so there is no mayhem and disorder. We will
enhance access to credit for vendors, by recapitalising Fund Access with $20
million and also the Trust Loan Programme with a further $10 million.
Small businesses have already received benefits for job subsidies in a
programme being administered by Fund Access. My Government will now assist

farmers in providing food and other essential items for our tables through a low-
rate financing initiative (1.5% – 2.5% under special conditions) through the Co-
operative Society Investment Fund. These funds will be made available to farming
and food producer co-operatives and their members, to assist them in purchasing
much needed raw materials and equipment. The package will target the growth
and development of six key priority sectors, namely, renewable energy;
agribusiness; health and wellness; creative industries; tourism related businesses
and manufacturing.
Since coming to office 2 years ago, my government has been successfully
implementing the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT)
programme. The BERT is an ambitious home-grown economic plan, supported by
the Extended Fund Facility of the International Monetary Fund. It is formulated to
respond to the economic mismanagement of the lost decade and has met all of its
targets. Put simply, Barbados has moved from running large deficits and not being
able to pay its bills, to running surpluses and being able to pay our bills on time.
Barbadians can be proud knowing that my Government has been decisive and
effective in the management of the fiscal affairs of this country.
The BERT has been updated to reflect the arrival of COVID and our
comprehensive response. BERT is not a rigid set of targets, but a plan of action
and behaviour, that is measured and monitored. My Government will hold to the
course of long-run debt reduction, strong public finances and reforms to financial
transparency and accountability, but for the next two years we will need to pause

on debt reduction. We can only return to the level of surpluses we were running
previously and our downward path on debt, when tourism returns.
Partly as a result of the trust that we built up in the first two years of not
shying away from tough decisions and sharing the burden, our development
partners, including the IMF, recognise the scale of the challenge of COVID and
that these are exceptional times requiring exceptional action.
Through the Ministry of Finance, my government will now embark on an
accelerated series of reforms and initiatives to address the underlying cost
structure of doing business in Barbados. On the legislative side, we will pass the
National Payments Systems Act to make it easier for citizens to transact business
of any type, whether with the private or public sector. This will equally achieve my
Government’s objective of greater financial inclusion across the economy.
The ability to pay for any good or service digitally will allow all financial
institutions to better know their customers, thereby closing the access to credit
gap that has plagued too many small and medium sized businesses and
entrepreneurs. Paying the coconut vendor on Sundays after church, using your
mobile phone is an example of the kind of digital payments transformation my
government is seeking to achieve; so that no matter how small the transaction, it
can be done easily and efficiently.
My Government will also pass the Fair Credit Reporting Act to complement
the National Payments Act. This Act will transform the process of credit
adjudication in the economy. Bajans by nature pay their bills. This new credit

reporting system, backed by the digital payments system, will unlock the
longstanding barrier to getting credit that has hindered the economic development
of the small business sector for too long.
A new Bill for the Central Bank of Barbados will also be enacted to provide
an enhanced governance structure, which will include the responsibility for
overseeing the regulation of the payments credit reporting systems. Many people
feel intimidated, powerless and overwhelmed when in disputes with large financial
institutions. To help address this imbalance in power relations, my government will
introduce a Financial Services Tribunal to provide consumers in Barbados an
avenue to resolve disputes with financial institutions.
Building on the challenging, but successful implementation of ASYCUDA
World last year, my Government will introduce modern legislation governing the
Customs and Excise Department. This new legislation will further enhance the
revenue collection at Barbados’ ports of entry, as well as significantly improve
business and trade facilitation. Modernisation of government procurement
procedures, will also form an important part of improving the transparency and
accountability across central government and its various state owned enterprises.
It is also intended that there will be new legislation which will deliver affirmative
action provisions for businesses owned by young people, Persons with Disabilities
or any other vulnerable or disadvantaged groups. This measure will form part of
the economic enfranchisement of our people.

Consistent with the thrust for digital transformation of the country, my
government will work with strategic partners to create a new digital banking
institution through a Public Private Partnership with the Post Office and credit
unions, to improve the choices of financial institutions that Barbadians currently
have in the market place. The formation of this banking institution will provide for a
domestically owned banking institution whilst leveraging the existing assets and
infrastructure of the Post Office to reach every community across Barbados.
In this very strained economic environment, my Government will work with
individuals and companies to restructure their arrears of statutory obligations to
the Barbados Revenue Authority, National Insurance Scheme and the
government-owned funding agencies, in much the same way that my government
restructured the domestic and external commercial debt. My government will offer
a range of scenarios for resolution of the debts owed to the Crown to allow
individuals and companies to remain compliant with their statutory obligations. My
Government can, and will give relief on tax arrears, but we cannot give relief on
NIS contributions.
To further provide relief to Barbadians in this COVID-19 environment and to
ease the burden on households, my Government will prepay to individuals, all of
the restructured bonds with values less than $5,000, by December 15, 2020.
Protecting and Securing Barbados’ Natural Environment
The Green and Blue Economy

The threat of climate change and the fragility of our ecosystems as an island,
require us to move to nature-based solutions and a long term green growth and
development strategy.
• To give effect to this strategy, my government will be expediting the
implementation of renewable energy projects, with a requirement of at
least 30% local ownership to all licensees. Vaucluse at St Thomas will
become the location for a $360 million, 30 megawatt Green Energy Park.
There are other projects of this type under active review. We therefore
expect that in two years, over 100 megawatts of renewable energy will
be delivered to the national grid from this location. These combined
projects will be a contributor to Barbados achieving its goal of being
fossil fuel free by 2030.
• Heavy rainfall results in flooding and creates risk of damage to property
particularly during extreme weather events. In order to improve water
run-off and reduce storm damage, a team will be put in place to clear
wells, watercourses and gullies.
• Greater control over the use of pesticides will also be implemented. This
will protect public health, the natural environment, soils and water.
Further, this focus on more organic farming is in keeping with global
market trends and demands.

• Work on the National Botanical Garden is ongoing at Waterford. The
Garden will become a place of beauty, learning, respite, recreation and
the protection of biodiversity.
• The way our waste is collected and processed in Barbados requires a
complete overhaul, a transformation. We will revolutionise waste
management systems across the entire process and will mitigate public
health risks, improve the working environment for SSA staff and provide
a cleaner and greener environment for all Barbadians and visitors to the
island. We must seek a competitive advantage by making Barbados the
cleanest island in the Caribbean.
• Shoreline enhancement will be undertaken at Oistins, Christ Church,
Mullins, and Sandstreet, St. Peter and Clinketts, St Lucy. All designs are
climate resilient. The shoreline works at Oistins will connect Bay
Gardens to Miami Beach. The Richard Haynes Boardwalk will be
extended. The fishing jetties at Oistins and Bridgetown will undergo
substantial remedial work and a proper slipway to accommodate fishing
and other vessels will be constructed. All markets will be outfitted with
solar panels to generate electricity. These will be amongst other phased
projects, but will have a value of approximately $20 million. A Marine
Conservation Plan will be implemented, in consultation with all
stakeholders, including fisherfolk, in order to protect our oceans and
marine biodiversity.

Food Security and Farming For Barbados and Barbadians
• At Lears in St Michael, a significant acreage of private sector lands will
be made available to the public for use as allotments on which they can
engage in farming. One hundred Barbadians are expected to benefit
from this programme.
• FEED – The Farmers Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive will
be strengthened. In addition, young people will be encouraged to go to
freight farms which yield high returns on investment, are operated by
mobile telephone, tablet or laptop and use less water in a climate
controlled environment. This will be done on a lease to own basis. Some
800 people have already signed for the FEED programme, which is
expected to benefit some 2000 persons. There will be no initial set up or
investment costs to the participating farmers.
• Rapid production of Black Belly lamb will be brought on stream for local
consumption. Local butchers will be trained to produce specialty cuts for
the hospitality sector without damaging the hides in order to develop a
Black Belly leather industry. This will reduce current imports of $14
million in lamb per annum and put that money into the pockets of local
families. Increasing the production of local vegetables is also planned
and anticipated to save $25 million in the import costs.
• Cleared land at Bath, St John has already gone to the Rastafarian
community ICAR for farming, more specifically for the growth and

production of herbs, aloes, roots and tubers such as sweet potatoes,
cassava and yams.
• Active support is being given to a 100-acre private sector pineapple farm
at Turners Hall that is also going to package and can tertiary pineapple
products. While at Frizers, plantains and bananas are being grown and
are on target to reduce imports of bananas by almost 50%.
• The legislation for medicinal cannabis is already in place and the
Regulations will soon be finished. This is a potentially lucrative industry.
Access to licences and land for farming will be given to ordinary
Barbadians who have an interest in this type of farming, crop cultivation,
transportation or processing will be given support to invest and
participate in the industry. All foreign investments must also have local
participation.
• Praedial larceny is a significant problem afflicting legitimate farmers and
causing tremendous losses. Cabinet has agreed to repeal the Act of
2017 and replace it with more effective legislation that will include drone
technology for surveillance, as well as for the application of pesticides
and water. Block chain technology will be introduced for seed to chain
tracking. The Royal Barbados Police Force has been asked to consider
the establishment of a unit to deal with praedial larceny.
Protecting, Augmenting and Securing Barbados’ Water Supply

Barbados is a water scarce country and the entire Caribbean region is
becoming drier. Access to fresh and potable water for daily living, tourism and
development purposes is pivotal to our future development.
• My Government has commenced the laying of mains at Vineyard, in St
Philip, through to Mount Pleasant, also in St Philip, to supply residents St
John, St Joseph, and St Andrew, with a consistent supply of potable
water. This project is expected to be completed by 2021.
• Negotiations have been initiated for the construction of two desalination
plants, one located at Ealing Park, Christ Church, and the other at Six
Mens, St Peter to increase the supply of potable water to communities in
the south and north of Barbados, respectively.
• A desalination plant at Trents, which will be a sub-plant of the one at Six
Mens, will give further coverage to the most western side of St Joseph
and St Thomas. After a dearth of investment in water infrastructure in the
last decade, my Government is determined to erase water woes, the
bucket and the tanker, from the daily experience of Barbadians and
relegate them to our citizens’ history.
• The level of treatment provided at the South Coast Sewerage Treatment
Plant will be upgraded to allow for the reuse of approximately 2.5 million
gallons per day of freshwater through the replenishment of our aquifers.
• It is anticipated that the use of reclaimed water to recharge the St. Philip
Aquifer and for crop irrigation in the south of the island will augment our

scarce water resources and provide much needed water for our farmers
as we strive for food security. My Government will also pursue a
freshwater augmentation strategy via two contracts issued before May
2020.
• Government plantations at River, St Philip, Bath and Wakefield in St
John will also be used for water harvesting and boosting agricultural
production.

International Business For Local Benefit
All local business is global and all global business is local. The
transformation of the Corporate Registry of CAIPO, by modernizing its operations,
is therefore critical if the Office is to be brought into the 21st century. To this end
CAIPO is being reformed and digitised: – a measure that will lead to greater
efficiency of the office by drastically reducing the timelines for completion of the
services which are currently being offered.
To be more specific, CAIPO will be implementing a new electronic system
that would not only facilitate the conduct of entire transactions from filing to
issuance of Certificates of Incorporation as a “straight-through” processing
system, but would also facilitate online payments without any requirement for an
account deposit, and would be widely accessible and as easy to use as possible.
Reform of CAIPO, the establishment of an advisory committee and introduction of
new technology and modalities for servicing client class will serve in bringing

about essential transformation, which is even more critical now, in light of the
effect Covid-19.
My Government reinforces its previous commitment to being a jurisdiction of
substance and not being a Post Office jurisdiction. In that regard, Barbados’ suite
of international business legislation has undergone major overhaul and re-defining
within the last two and a half years to, not only comply with the highest
international taxation standards, but also to position the sector to be able to
transform the country into a centre of excellence for certain niche sectors in the
global financial business arena.
When my Government converged our tax rates for international and
domestic companies we created a new, stable, OECD-compliant, low-tax regime
for all companies. These features have attracted a number of large international
companies wanting to carry out substantive activities from Barbados. Despite
COVID, tax revenues from international companies remain stable. Global
business is once more becoming an important and growing source of economic
diversification for Barbados.
We will modify our existing Credit Funds and create an Industrial
Transformation Fund (ITF). This provision is warranted to address access to credit
and finance issue that has been cited as perhaps the industrial sector’s main
problem. The financial resources at present in the Enhanced Credit Guarantee
Facility and other credit scheme that are on the books of the Central Bank, but
which are hardly being used, should be transferred and used to capitalize an

Industrial Transformation Fund to be administered by the Enterprise Growth Fund
Ltd. The amount involved would total over $70 million.
In the area of manufacturing, there will be a new industrial strategy which
was drafted by the late Professor Arthur and will involve, among other things, the
use of our industrial estates and the repurposing of some of our old sugar factory
yards and the transformation of the sector.
Doing Business With Ease In Barbados
The ease of doing business plays a critical role in the economic growth of
any economy. The ability of businesses to seamlessly and effortlessly navigate
the processes, rules and regulations established by Government in the conducting
of business has a direct impact on the ambitions and determinations of new and
existing business. In creating a less bureaucratic environment, businesses can
benefit by: having access to economic opportunities, lower transaction costs and
are less likely to engage in bribery of public Officials.
My Government is intent on providing a business-friendly environment, which
will embrace new and emerging technologies to eliminate unnecessary
bottlenecks that constrain business activity, through the development of reforms to
address areas of concern in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.
• An example of some of the new initiatives will be a revision of the Liquor
License Act, CAP. 182 to allow persons to process applications for liquor
licences online. It would move the process from the magistrate court to a
civil jurisdiction which is the Department of Commerce and Consumer

Affairs. It will reduce the time taken for people to apply and receive liquor
licences across the various liquor licences categories. Moreover, it
allows applicants to pay for licenses on an e-commerce platform.
• The work to formally activate fully the Electronic Single Window will be
completed to enhance our trade competitiveness.
• Development of a national consumer policy to address consumer rights
and responsibility.
In addition to the initiatives outlined under the aforementioned the thematic
areas, my government will also pursue the following:
• There will be increased monitoring and surveillance of retail shops and
supermarkets to address any problem that there may be with price
gouging, especially at this time of the pandemic.
• My Government will establish a web-based collateral registry of movable
assets created for entrepreneurs and/or small businesses that can be
used as security when applying for loans from commercial banks and
other lending institutions.
• We have agreed within the last 2 weeks to establish a Financial Literacy
Bureau as a training hub to assist businesses, households and schools
island-wide in being financially literate, as well as to promote their
general training needs.

• Establish a Junior Stock Exchange to encourage and promote
investment in Barbados’ businesses, give micro and small businesses an
alternative source of financing through equity financing, while expanding
entrepreneurship, employment and economic development.

Building Barbados, Boosting Bajan Capacity
Real Hope In Housing Construction and Infrastructure
Housing and infrastructure will be important aspects of job creation, economic
development, improvement of Barbados’ built environment and delivering to
citizens who want to “own a piece of the rock.”
• The vesting of the units of the National Housing Corporation in the
residents of the government housing estates to further a property owning
class amongst persons who may not have substantial enough incomes to
purchase property on the open markets. Those tenants who have paid
deposits on those units will have them returned by the payment of Bonds
to some 450 families, at a cost of $5.5 million.
• Reviewing and strengthening the NHC to ensure it is suited to delivering
to a client class, the majority of whom will become owners and will have
Homeowners Associations that must work alongside a repurposed and
restructured NHC. For persons with lower incomes, emphasis will be
placed on Rent to Own and for other categories, my Government will
work with the private sector to keep the cost of housing affordable. NHC
will concentrate on providing housing solutions for lower income families

and will collaborate with the private sector, on housing solutions in the
lower middle and middle income cohorts.
• Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) is a new housing
programme which will feature the construction of 1000 affordable homes.
Lands of Todds plantation near Four Roads and other lands near
Chancery Lane have been identified as the location for the first 200
homes. It is intended that these homes will be first offered to police,
nurses, teachers, and other civil servants earning $4,000 a month and
under.
The total cost of the scheme is over $250 million with the Government
putting in $40m. Mortgages on the homes will be less than the cost of
renting similar sized homes. All homes will be energy efficient and solar
powered. The way the scheme will achieve that is by the Government
using the $40m in the Housing Credit Fund, plus lands given to it through
planning gains. These are achieved when developers give land for
affordable housing in return for receiving planning permission on a major
development project.
Small builders who can prove that they can build to the right
specifications will be given priority in the awarding of the HOPE housing
construction contracts. HOPE offers a real opportunity for home
ownership and expands the concept of Barbadians as a property owning
people with all the benefits that come with property ownership.

The HOPE scheme will operate in such a way as to reduce the cost of land,
mortgages, and construction and give real value to purchasers who will get land
worth $20 or more per square foot, for no more than $12 per square foot.
This programme will include a training programme for women in construction
fields such as electrical wiring, painting, tiling, and related fields to increase their
access to jobs in the areas in which those jobs will be generated.
• Extensive roadworks, road and bridge repair is already taking place all
over Barbados. There will be a number of road works programme
utilising financing from the People’s Republic of China, the IADB and the
Latin American Development Bank (CAF)
• Signage and bus stops across the country are either sporadic or broken.
A team will be engaged to build and erect signage that improves the
visibility of communities and locations across Barbados.
Caring For Protecting and Securing Barbadian Communities
There are communities in both urban and rural Barbados that, for years,
have been plagued by problems relating to infrastructure of various types. In
addition, there are communities of persons who have also grappled with long
standing difficulties, preventing their full integration into Barbadian society.
A number of initiatives of my Government will positively impact communities
in Barbados and address existing problems. This will be brought about through
the development of essential projects that will enhance the quality of community
life and opportunities available, especially for our young people. These will be

undertaken by the UDC and RDC which agencies will be merged to become the
National Development Commission or the NDC, which will better and more
efficiently deliver services in communities and in the fight against poverty.
• The sum of $2 million will be allocated for the construction of gabions in
the Scotland District, as a prelude to the repair of 41 community roads,
also in the Scotland District and the Ermie Bourne Highway. This project
will be executed in collaboration with the People’s Republic of China.
• The Belle, Ivy and Licorish Village will be sewered to protect public
health and improve the quality of life of the residents of the areas, many
of whom do not have pipe-borne water. This will bring stability to the
residents of these communities after decades of uncertainty.
• The residents of Emmerton, Chapman Lane, and the Orleans, who live
within sight of the Bridgetown Sewerage Plant but derive no benefits
from it, will now be given small grants to improve their properties and will,
at Government’s expense, be hooked up to the sewerage system to
improve sanitary conditions and ensure environmental protection.
• Emphasis will be placed on the lighting and repair of more Community
Centres and Pavilions across Barbados, using renewable energy
sources.
• Pit toilets are one of the last vestiges of a bygone era and the shackles
of poverty from which all citizens need to be freed. They are a symptom
of the increase in poverty from 14-20% during the “lost decade.” My

Government intends to eliminate pit toilets from the landscape of
Barbados.
In addition to communities there are various national stakeholders, or
communities of interest, to whom attention needs to be paid.
• In the creative economy, we are conscious that artistes of every type are
not currently working or selling their art during this period, my
government has developed a programme to buy literary works and
serialise, or make documentaries or films of them. For the performing
artists a series of concerts and shows with social distancing, will be
sponsored by the NCF to ensure our performing artists. Similar
programmes will be provided for the visual artists and crafts-persons.
Our creatives must also live.
• Culture will be seen first as a tool of development to reinforce identity
and confidence in our people. That is why it is now located in the Prime
Minister’s Office. It allows for synergies also with the task of reparations
which has both a local and international dimension, especially at this
time when the world has finally accepted that racism and anti-racism and
unconscious bias, all matter and must all be confronted.
• To ensure that none of our citizens is left behind, a Commission For
Improving The Lives of People with Disabilities, will be set up. This will be
chaired by Member of Parliament, Edmund Hinkson.

The delivery of social services will be restructured.
In the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elderly Affairs, my Government will
prioritise how we deliver social services by focusing on lifting our most vulnerable
families out of poverty. In the process, allowing them to become independent and
capable of giving back individually and collectively, to their families and to their
community. The focus of Government cannot just be on how the entity or
department delivers the service, or indeed focus only on the individual alone
needing the help. In the new approach, every social worker must become a first
responder in the gathering of information and initial intervention, while reserving
the role of specialist delivery of services as required by the specialists in the
system.
Education Reform – My government kept faith with the country by resuming
the payment of tuition fees for all students pursuing tertiary studies at the
Barbados Community College and the University of the West Indies. My
Government will continue to make strides in education reform. My Government
has already announced its intention to reform the transfer from primary to
secondary school. We will review the Common Entrance Examination and we will
work with all of the stakeholders to make every school in Barbados a top school
as promised, each specializing in different areas. We will also resume the efforts
to reform our Curriculum ensuring that we produce well rounded citizens, who first
understand their responsibilities to each other as human beings and then who are

trained for the jobs of the future, but more importantly to be readily retrainable at
any time.
My Government will also work with all stakeholders to ensure greater
accountability in our educational system at all levels from Ministry to principals,
teachers to students and parents. My Government will expand the special
arrangements that are available to meet the needs of students whose behavior is
disruptive and rooted in deviancy. Similarly, we will expand the number of
programs designed to eliminate bullying.
I have already announced earlier the introduction of a corps of persons to be
known as Primary School Monitors who are expected to make a difference in the
schools when the new school term starts. The Monitors will help teachers care for
our young children, support children in wearing masks or social distancing, help
provide care for children who may be overwhelmed by the changes and protocols
resulting from COVID, as well as help teachers reinforce manners and positive
behaviours.
The global economy is driven by knowledge and technology. Some $20
million dollars will be spent to ensure that there is no digital divide between those
children whose parents can afford electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops
and tablets and those who cannot. My government is appreciative of all donations
of such devices which have helped tremendously in permitting our young people
to attend classes virtually, get ready for exams, and ultimately equipping them to

compete globally. However, our children cannot be left at the mercy of donors, no
matter how magnanimous.
My Government will intervene to ensure that every child has age appropriate
electronic devices for remote learning. I encourage parents to ensure their
children exercise restraint and responsibility in the way they treat them.
The broad direction of my government is to make every school a top school
as promised, so that each child can be educated to the best of their abilities.
Healthy Barbadians Beyond COVID-19
In the area of Health and Wellness, my government is investing in getting
our citizens to focus on wellbeing and take responsibility for their own health. This
is the preventive approach which will reduce the co-morbidities that are proving to
be even more deadly with COVID. To support the primary care, two polyclinics will
operate on a 24-hour basis. The Winston Scott Polyclinic is working well. We will
also add the David Thompson Polyclinic in St John, as an extended hour facility.
The Accident and Emergency department is being modernized, new public private
health care facilities will be established, and QEH records are being digitised.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital will deploy a team of 40 Community Health
Assistants and supervisors who will also work in the community, with the
approximately 2000 citizens who are the worst afflicted with the chronic non-
communicable diseases, who are noncompliant, whose conditions are poorly
managed, who are having poor outcomes and are significantly at risk. The idea is
to save the lives and limbs of these citizens and improve their health status.

My Government will establish a National Cardiology Project, aimed at
reducing deaths due to heart attacks, which is one of the leading causes of death
and disability in Barbados and the Caribbean. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is another
chronic condition which adversely impacts quality of life. Left untreated, it is
potentially life threatening. My Government will establish a sleep apnea laboratory
to conduct in-lab sleep studies.
Protecting and Securing Our Young People
As expressed in the Barbados Labour Party’s 2018 manifesto, the vision of
the government is “to transform Barbados into the best place in the world for
young people to live, learn, create, do business, play, work, raise children and
dream.”
To realize this ambition, my government intends to evolve the Youth Affairs
Division to a Youth Development Directorate which will be a transformative entity
working across government ministries as well as with the private and third sectors
to develop and steer high-impact ideas, policies, programmes, projects and
partnerships. The core focus of the Directorate will be maximizing the quality of
every young Barbadian by developing better and more youth job and business
opportunities, as well as better and more opportunities for civic and political
participation, education and skills training and platforms for physical and mental
well-being.
One major undertaking will be the evolution of the Barbados Youth Advance
Corps to a National Personal Development and Internship Program – with special

focus on preparing young Barbadians in new, technology driven sectors such as
renewable energy, software development, design, e-Health, smart manufacturing,
and similar activities. My government, with its ambitious goals of a modern,
prosperous society built on a new national consciousness, will empower and trust
young Barbadians to be active agents of this national transformation.
The Job Start scheme, a first jobs initiative for 18-25 year olds is intended to
ensure young people paid work experience and is ready for full roll out.
The orange, or creative economy, is critical to Barbadian youth, national
trade prospects and foreign exchange earnings. Equally, Barbados must build a
digital economy for our youth and for our nation’s future. We must become a
developer of ideas and technologies that allow us to overcome the every-day
disadvantages of being a Small Island Developing State. The market place to
which we sell our goods, services and the products of our creative imagination
must be the virtual and cyber world, not the physical limitation of 432 square
kilometres. It is primarily through the digital economy that Barbados can truly
overcome the constraints of small size, a small population, and small economy.
If well used, the power of our collective, creative imagination is the only tool
we need to convert the disadvantage of being small to an advantage in our pursuit
of global distinction and excellence. Only when we unleash the power of our
creative imagination, will we begin to see that being cut off at all sides by the sea,
requires us to place greater emphasis on production and not just importation; our
limited resources compel us to be innovative and efficient; that our lack of scale

compels us to focus on producing quality rather than quantity; and that the
constant threat of external shocks, both economic and environmental makes us
global experts in resilience and adaptability, the very skills needed for survival and
success in the modern world.
It’s by unleashing our creative imagination using smart technology, that we
will move beyond cautious incrementalism to rapid large-scale transformation. We
must draw investment into Barbados by targeting and attracting the world’s
premier financial, technology and related services and businesses. To achieve
this, my Government will equip and empower young Barbadians to navigate in the
digital economy.
Barbados’ Youth and Sports
My government will empower the Ministry of Sport to elevate sports in
Barbados beyond recreational activity, and into its globally established position as
a central pillar of national socio-economic development. In short order, the
Ministry will create a National Sports Policy and a Sport Development Act that will
enable the establishment of a vibrant Sports Economy as well as Youth Sports
and High Performance athlete frameworks.
Making Hard Decisions
Against this background, we in Barbados must have a frank discussion as a
people and make some difficult decisions.
Barbados has always been in the vanguard of pioneering social justice, the
protection of civil rights and the battle to ensure dignity to the poor, marginalized,

vulnerable and dispossessed. Our generation must do no less; for compassion,
decency, empathy, kindness, fairness, and justice are what characterise us as a
people.
It was the Charter of Barbados signed at Oistins in 1652 that gave rise to the
expression, “no taxation without representation” which became the rallying cry for
American colonists to break with Britain and precipitate the American War of
Independence. It was in Barbados that universal adult suffrage and a woman’s
right to vote, were awarded before many other countries. In the 1960s, our social
and economic landscape was transformed when poor people in this country were
given access to universal free secondary education by Prime Minister Errol
Barrow, now the Rt. Excellent. In the 1980s, this country realized that “backstreet
abortions” were taking the lives of our young women. In consequence, the Medical
Termination of Pregnancy Act, which allowed for termination in defined
circumstances, was enacted.
In the 1980s, my government led by Prime Minister JMGM “Tom” Adams
had the courage to take lands from tenantry and plantation owners and convey
them at 10 cents a square foot, to poor people living in tenantries across
Barbados. This empowered people, created a land and property owning
democracy, and served to develop the best housing stock in the Caribbean. It was
a bold and visionary move, as today, countries the world over are still looking for
policy mechanisms to put land under the ownership of the poor to afford dignity to
them and their families. It was during this same period that Barbados outlawed

bastardy and gave rights to children born out of wedlock and women living in
common law unions, outside of the bands of wedlock.
Barbados took these decisions because they were the right thing to do and
because it was the correct direction for our cultural, social and economic
circumstances. In each case, we now accept these rights as essential, and part of
the national social and legal fabric. However, at the time they were taken, each of
these decisions was highly controversial and bitterly opposed.
The legal systems of modern societies recognise many different forms of
human relationships. Barbados is now increasingly finding itself on international
lists, including within the multilateral system, which identify us as having a poor
human rights record. Barbados does not conduct business, trade with itself or give
itself loan funding. In some cases, our human rights record, when viewed against
modern international standards, impacts these other issues and how we are
viewed among the global family of nations.
On this matter, the world has spoken. If we wish to be considered among
the progressive nations of the world, Barbados cannot afford to lose its
international leadership place and reputation. Nor can a society as tolerant as
ours, allow itself to be “blacklisted” for human and civil rights abuses or
discrimination on the matter of how we treat to human sexuality and relations. My
government will do the right thing, understanding that this too will attract
controversy. Equally, it is our hope that with the passage of time, the changes we

now propose will be part of the fabric of our country’s record of law, human rights
and social justice.
In that regard, my Government is prepared to recognise a form of civil
unions for couples of the same gender so as to ensure that no human being in
Barbados will be discriminated against, in exercise of civil rights that ought to be
theirs. The settlement of Barbados was birthed and fostered in discrimination, but
the time has come for us to end discrimination in all forms. I wish to emphasise
that my Government is not allowing any form of same sex marriage, and will put
this matter to a public referendum. My Government will accept and be guided by
the vote of the public as promised in the manifesto.
A second issue that requires compassion, understanding, empathy and the
intervention of my Government, is the conviction and incarceration of scores of
young men and some women, causing them to lose their jobs, reputation,
opportunity to travel, and to become stigmatised over miniscule quantities of
marijuana that on the street would be called “a roach” or “a spliff.” Pursuing these
matters is a waste of police and Court time.
In my Government’s manifesto of 2018, the matter of the recreational use of
marijuana was promised as the subject of a referendum. My Government will
honour this promise. However, my government is conscious of the fact that we
have witnessed across the globe, everything from the introduction of medical
marijuana to the acceptance of recreational marijuana, to the lawful sale of
marijuana candies, chocolates, creams and teas. In the last two years, the world

and sister countries in the Caribbean, have moved decisively toward forms of
liberalization, while we in Barbados remain stuck in modes of criminalisation and
stigmatization – a state which did not exist in the Caribbean 100 years ago,
according to the CARICOM Regional Commission on Marijuana.
A significant amount of the time of our law enforcement officers and of our
Magistrates’ Courts is taken up with dealing with individuals with small quantities
of cannabis. In 2019, 4,295 drug and drug related criminal charges were laid
against accused persons. This represented 30% of the criminal charges laid in
that year and were laid against 534 persons.
A large number of these cases are minor, but required the deployment of
significant police resources in investigating, processing, taking statements and
taking the cases through to trial. This process has little or no redemptive value
and in human terms, a large number of our young men are forever left with the
taint of the drug charges and the possible conviction.
It is imperative that we take immediate steps to find an alternative way of
dealing with our young men and women who are found with small quantities of
cannabis, so that they are educated about, and treated for their drug use, while at
the same time, not trivialising the criminal nature of their conduct.
We will therefore amend our Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) Act to
provide that possession of 14 grams, or half an ounce or less of cannabis is no
longer an offence for which one can be arrested, charged and tried; and will
therefore not result in an appearance before the Magistrates Court or in a criminal

record. The possession will still be unlawful, and will still be punished, but there
will be a new approach to how we treat the offender, which is already being used
successfully in Jamaica and St. Vincent.
Police may issue a ticket to a person in possession of half an ounce (oz.) or
less of cannabis, similar to a traffic ticket, and the person has 30 days to pay a
fine of $200.00. The ticket will be called a “fixed penalty notice”. A person in
possession of half an ounce or less and who is under 18 years, or who is 18 years
or older and appears to the police to be dependent on cannabis, will be referred to
the National Council on Drug Abuse for counseling, in addition to paying the ticket.
A person who smokes cannabis in public will not be arrested or detained. The
police may issue a ticket to that person, who will have 30 days to pay the ticket.
It will be an offence to fail to pay a ticket for smoking in public or for
possession of half an ounce or more. The offender is required to attend
Magistrates Court and may be ordered to do community service or pay a fine of
$1,000. A conviction for failing to pay a ticket will form part of the offender’s
criminal record.
This is not a licence for lawlessness and my Government recognises the link
between serious drugs and crime, but is also cognisant of international trends and
the social realities of Barbados.
• My Government has zero tolerance for gun violence, domestic violence
or any other violence, sexual offences, offences against children,
dishonesty offences and corruption. They allow police to focus on these

offences rather than fighting minor marijuana possession. Fighting Drugs
is really a public health battle and ought not to be consuming one-third of
the time of the police and our Criminal Courts.
Our police are better equipped than they were two years ago. My
government has embarked on a process of ensuring that the man power
resources of the Force are better utilised. My Government will continue
its outreach for more persons to join the Police and the Defence Force.
Strides have also been made in intercepting firearms at our ports of entry,
by replacing barely functioning scanners and through the use of other
initiatives. Stopping the guns from entering Barbados has been a priority
and that work is ongoing. There are now more prosecutors, courts and 5
judges instead of two, dealing with other serious criminal matters, with a
clear emphasis on expediting those involving guns.
My Government wishes to remind the public that we cannot ask the
police to protect us, unless we are prepared to give them the information
in our possession, so as to help them perform their jobs.
On other domestic matters, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will work
closely with the Ministry of Innovation and Smart Technology (MIST) to create the
most efficient Barbados possible. MHA is using technological tools to make
necessary services and the process as painless as possible, from the online
application for passports and other services to the delivery of secure documents
through the postal service’s Express Courier Service. We will expand the number

of services to which this will apply. The aim is to maximize productive time by
eliminating unnecessary steps in critical applications. Every licensing process or
service capable of being done virtually must be facilitated. Barbadians must not be
made to stand in line unless absolutely necessary. All of this will be facilitated by
the establishment of a Barbados digital identification that will allow Bajans to
establish an authenticated digital as well as physical presence.
Further collaboration with MIST will see the introduction of legislation to
facilitate the introduction of electronic monitoring and a parole system. These
measures will encourage the reintegration of reformed offenders into society and
reduce incidences of unnecessary remand so that HMP Dodds will be reserved for
those persons for whom incarceration is the only viable option.
My government also intends a major reformation of Immigration policies.
Successive governments have acknowledged that Barbados is underpopulated
and has neither the critical minimal mass nor the working population to support
our social infrastructure and way of life. The recent draft report of the National
Population Commission has indicated that our population is 80,000 persons short
of what natural increase should have led to since 1980.
While we recognize the reality of a declining fertility at this stage the
necessary increase in population cannot be left to happenstance and we do not
have the luxury of time. Our work force will be smaller than it is now in less than
15 years, and most disturbing, retirees will outnumber new entrants into the work

force. These factors will have significant negative consequences on our
development if not effectively remedied.
In this regard, my Government will soon be bringing to parliament a new
Immigration Bill which will inter alia combine very attractive options for
descendants of Barbadians to obtain citizenship as well as targeting necessary
skill sets for the development of our country and economy. We are very quick to
recognize Barbadian lineage and claim persons internationally when they excel,
we must now welcome them with our policy. We only have to look at the example
of Canada, one of our closest international partners, to see the evidence of a well-
managed migration policy.
Conclusion
The approach being employed by my Government is one of providing
protection and security for Barbados – protecting and securing our
economy; protecting and securing our citizens; protecting and securing our
society; protecting and securing our environment; and protecting and
securing the future of Barbados and Barbadians.
I entreat my government to remain steadfast in its determination that
Barbados shall be a country of innovation, opportunity, productivity,
prosperity, fairness, equity, justice, kindness, peace and good vibes.
The work of building the Barbados brand, is the task of every Barbadian,
working together with my Government.

The narrative that defines our nation, must not be that we survived, but
that Barbadians surmounted current challenges and succeeded in
delivering on a bright future, in the face of extraordinary and unprecedented
challenges. This future is ours, not as a right, but as a responsibility. The
future is ours, first to imagine and second to create and build.
Together always on our common mission which puts Barbados first;
when times are hard we will share, when times are good we will share.
Together we will make it. Together we will play our role in making our
Beloved Barbados, our region and the world in which we live, better for
ourselves, each other and the family of humanity.
May God keep his guiding and merciful hand on my Government, the
citizens and the country of Barbados.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Government House
BARBADOS
September 15, 2020.

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