Barbados Free Press Called For Two Parallel Sets Of Books During Accounting Switch – Senator Fields Was Assigned By Government To Counter Our Argument For Transparency & Normal Accounting Standards
To our knowledge, the only place in the media that has advanced the idea that Barbados should run two sets of books during the switch from cash to accrual – is the Barbados Free Press. So we presume that Senator Fields’ comments in The Nation News article “Fields Lauds Accrual System“ are directed at BFP’s articles. Certainly, we haven’t seen any articles in The Lapdog Nation News or the Barbados Advocate that are critical of the accounting switch.
Senator Fields used The Nation News as a forum to put forward the government’s position and was not asked one critical question by the “journalist” who acted as his secretary to publish this government news release. But that is the standard we have come to expect from our island media.
Let’s see what Senator Fields said – and more important – didn’t say…
Senator Fields Participated In A Constitutional Fraud
Firstly, Senator Fields says not one word about the fact that an important constitutional change was secretly introduced and passed within a few days – without public discussion and in contravention of democratic principles. Of course, words such as democracy and accountability are not important to the elites like Senator Fields. His actions in supporting this attack on democracy and his failure to defend citizen’s rights say it all.
Senator Fields Deliberately Misstates Objections To The Cash – Accrual Switch
Secondly, Senator Fields totally ignores our clearly stated reason for the objection to the switch – that the process is being used to conceal the truth about our country’s finances from Bajan citizens. That the accrual system is a more widely used and accepted standard is not in dispute – our concern is that the cold-turkey switch is being implemented now to conceal a financial disaster just prior to an election.
Senator Fields goes on and on lauding the accrual system and deliberately ignoring the real issue.
Nice spin doctor techniques, Senator… but you and your elitist friends make a mistake thinking that Bajans are that stupid.
Senator Fields Has No Idea What “Transparency” Is
This is just the best… the Senator says that the accrual system will bring “more transparency to the arena of financial reporting”.
Such nice sounding words. We notice that government members are using the “transparency” and “accountability” words whenever and whereever possible these days – as if merely saying the words shows intent and good will.
Switching to another system of accounting has nothing to do with transparency. Transparency comes from legally mandated openness that allows ordinary citizens to examine the underlying data supporting any government document or claim. This would take Freedom of Information legislation to force the government to release raw data – and you will NEVER see that with the Owen Arthur government.
As a matter of fact, the switch to accrual accounting is designed to CONCEAL the true state of our finances from Bajan citizens.
The Senator must know that he is merely mouthing the word “transparency” as part of the deception.
Brood of Vipers Sure Doesn’t Want Parallel Bookkeeping!
Senator Field’s greatest lie is to be found in his statement against parallel bookkeeping…
“(Fields) also warned that trying to implement both systems in parallel, would be a “recipe for disaster”. He noted it remained impossible to keep an old system and run a new one at the same time…”
“Impossible to keep an old system and run a new one at the same time…” Really, Senator Fields? Why is that? Just how would it be impossible? A little more work to be sure, but isn’t that worth it so citizens can compare the two systems to ensure that the change over is not misused or mismanaged?
Running parallel systems would only be a “recipe for disaster” for those interested in concealing the true state of our country’s finances from Bajan citizens.
Senator Fields failed to protect the interests of Bajans. He failed to defend democracy. Instead, he assisted in illegally ramming through important changes to the Constitution – all in a few days as the citizens were watching Cricket World Cup.
Shame! Shame!
The Nation News calls Fields an “independent” senator. What a joke. By his actions, Senator Fields has shown that he is one of the brood of vipers who are fleeing the coming wrath of the citizens.
Fields Lauds Accrual System
INDEPENDENT SENATOR Sir Allan Fields on Wednesday applauded Government for its decision to change the country’s financial management by moving from cash-based to accrual accounting.
Calling it a bold step, Sir Allan noted the change would first and foremost bring more transparency to the arena of financial reporting, and make reports more user-friendly.
He cautioned, however, against the reluctance of most humans to accept change, and cited as a perfect example, the slow transition in the public sector’s acceptance of Public Sector Reform.
“In my 40 years of experience in business, the most difficult aspect was to manage change,” Sir Allan told the Upper Chamber.
“People are naturally reluctant to change their modus operandi, and I caution about the challenge of this change.”
He also warned that trying to implement both systems in parallel, would be a “recipe for disaster”. He noted it remained impossible to keep an old system and run a new one at the same time…
… continue reading what this government spin doctor had to say in the government newspaper (link here)
52 Comments
March 17, 2007 at 2:08 pm
SIR ALLAN FIELDS FIELDS WILL KNOW WHO STOLE MONEY FROM LIGHT AND POWER AND HOW IT WAS DONE
March 17, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Fields is a Bee up to and including his ears. Anything he says could as well be said by Arthur himself. The BLP is a rich man’s party they don’t care about the average person on the street all they care about is their own pockets. That is one of the reasons we need to get this government out, it is controled by the rich and mighty. It is not a party of the people for the people
March 17, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Porter suggests we get them out (BLP), and replace with what? the screamer from St Philip West or the dreamer from St Lucy! We need an opposition or alternative party with the guts to stand up to the current Government. The current opposition are little more than a joke and until they get their act together we will continue to see the BLP arrogance, for another 5 years.
We need people with true vision who can fix the ills of this country. Fix the roads, Fix Government building, bring true poverty aleviation programmes,and above all fix the Hospital
( quickly)
One day I will tell the story of the QEH A&E that left a member of my family at Coral Ridge…
March 17, 2007 at 3:28 pm
??
I think that if you give the D’s a chance you will see the difference, hell they can’t be any worst than this lot. I see the ship SS Barbados heading for the rocks and the captain drunk on ESA Fields see thru. ?? you want a drunk man at the helm?
March 17, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Believe little Alan Fields utters.
I don’t need to remind you that he was the CEO of B’dos. Shipping & Trading
(”Our middle name is Mediocrity”)
that fleeces us all, at (most of) the supermarkets of this nation.
Remember when Controller of Customs Randy Straughn was accused of having a million bucks stashed somewhere outside of Barbados?
- remember dat?
Well.. a discreet investigation was launched to get to the btm of said accusation.
I’m fairly sure that Mr. Straughn WAS cleared of any such skullduggery,
but guess who was shown to be The Bajan holding the most overseas assets???
Keep wondering..but it’s fairly obvious…duh.
March 17, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Mr. Porter,
The S.S. Barbados is already stuck fast on the rocks,
‘hard aground’ as they say!
The plates below waterline are already straining against their rivets
and we are taking on water.
Mercifully, the pumps ARE working, and so the BLP illusion of our temporary survival succeeds for now,
despite the awful truth below our waterline… that we are taking on water.
But, like the good ship Titanic, we too are ‘un-sinkable’.
Capt., dis ship sinkin’, yuh..
March 17, 2007 at 4:04 pm
A knowledgeable business-analysis friend of mine once opined that it was fairly obvious
that the Government of Barbados and Barbados Shipping & Trading had “been in bed,together” for SO long now
that both parties had forgotten Who was the client,
and Who was the whore!
I knew you’d like that: it’s okay to smile.
“Social Partners” and all that other cute stuff.
March 17, 2007 at 4:48 pm
?? is too cynical. Estwick’s speech was dramatic but it made a lot of good economic sense. David Thompson was spot on in relating to the issues that affect Barbadians. I give the opposition 8/10.
I was waiting for Owen’s rebuttal. But David Thompson was way ahead of him! And I now want to hear more about that cheque Owen got “for the BLP”.
March 17, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Mayday Mayday
I am not Mr. Porter, that was my fathers name, please call me Patrick or Dodger, which is my call sign. And unfortunately you are right with regard to Barbados, very sad but true. Enjoy the sunshine at home and do me a favour have a Banks for me
March 17, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Independent Senator?? Guffaw.
The only way the Senators would be independent would be if they were elected by the public on their own platforms.
Check it out. They are appointed by the BLP and DLP in proportion to their seats in Parliament. Their job is to rubber stamp what the ruling party, who appointed the majority of them, tells them to. As for the opposition Senators you would think they would howl bloody murder at the cramming through of any type of constitutional change and demand a cooling off period when the government forgets that all aspects of such change have to be examined. Especially from those who who see past the next election but, alas, they have lost their way in the fog of self congratulation and gimme gimmes from the government.
For that matter can someone remind us why there is a Senate in Barbados? Have they ever voted down or caused change to the legislation that they are supposed to review?
March 17, 2007 at 6:14 pm
As we are doing in Canada we should dump the Senate and elect them so that they are accountable to the people and not the parties. People like Fields would not even be in sight were it that way.
March 17, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Kudos to Pogo and to P.P. for their comments on the USELESS rubber-stamp Senate!
WHY do we have them?? Why do we tolerate them and pretend they’re useful?
March 17, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Can anyone guess what Sir Allen Field and Sir David Seale have in common?
Answer: They own and or have oversight over nuff corn beef and biscuits. A commodity that the BLP have used in the pass and will soon be using in great quantities soon. : – )
March 17, 2007 at 8:40 pm
hoh hoy! I have not heard that exclamation in a very long time.
What do Allan Fields and the PM have in common?
Both sell somebody elses’ assets for personal gain i.e. Barbados’ and BS&T’s.
March 17, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Sadly I agree. I have never been partial to one party or another, but it is time for the BLP to go. There are 2 things going on:
1)It seems that rich corporate Barbados have got their number. How this has happened is anyone’s guess, but they have it in the bag.
When something is necessary but it cannot be seen, they blow up the Own doll and add taped comments.
He cannot say no, they probably have something.
2) The hangers on in power (not all of them, some are very good) are lining their pockets with our money, not just a little bit, but a lot. This is insanely wrong, and we are in trouble with the big deficit of 2006/2007. If we give them another term we’ll be in serious trouble. They couldn’t care less. It’s all in the family.
Whichever way we go we’re going to be in trouble for financial squeeze after elections. Get ready, reduce your debt.
It is wrong to hide the truth.
The faster one faces it, the quicker the remedies can be. It is unconscionable to put power before country. They don’t care anymore, they have lost their way.
Barbados, when it is all finished, is going to be a big, built-up mausoleum, and then the tourists will hate it. No plan, no soul, no culture, no nothing.
Greedy Senator is trying to bail Owen out and to throw the red herring. He likes his doll.
March 17, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Non Partisan
You hit the nail on the head with your comment”Barbados is finished, is going to be a built up mausoleum and then the tourists will hate it”
You took the words out of my mouth. They come to see the beauty of Barbados not concrete and stone, they get that at home.
There is no seaview anymore from Paynes Bay to Speightstown, just concrete.
The rich get richer and the poor poorer
March 17, 2007 at 9:33 pm
The BLP money is straight from the BS&T and all the other big companies. I know I am white and I know what hell I went through when I said I was a strong D. I even got thrown out of a house once because I supported the D’S. I have been called so many names it is not even funny
But I will always support a party that is for the average joe on the street and not one that supports the big and mighty
March 17, 2007 at 9:42 pm
and will there be oil?
March 17, 2007 at 10:10 pm
hey guys here is a cloumn from the jamaica star does the first part of the cry sounds familiar?
Stop Anancying around
I had an epiphany of sorts this week when trying to figure out what is wrong why Jamaica finds itself in its current state of near anarchy. For years we have been wracking our brains trying to figure out what is at the root of our problems, the corruption, the indiscipline, the crime, the general state of confusion that exist with the Jamaican society, not realising that we knew the answer all along.
Ok, let me give you a hint. When was the last time a politician was imprisoned for any form of corruption? When was the last time someone was prosecuted for tax-evasion? When was the last time that someone was arrested for peeing in public or throwing garbage on to the road from their car windows, or jailed for unpaid parking tickets, and last but not least, why am I certain that there will be no moral outcry that an unmarried Miss Jamaica World is relinquishing her crown for being pregnant during the year of her reign? Can’t figure it out yet? What it boils down to is accountability.
No one in Jamaica is held accountable for anything. There are people in Jamaica who have never paid taxes, are living off the country’s resources and yet have never been made to pay. Instead of being frowned upon they are revered. “Dem beat the system”. And for that we’re proud.
Someone has managed to get away with not living up to their civic responsibilities and for doing that we applaud them.
However, take that same person and transplant them into a more disciplined society where they know that if they don’t pay their taxes, they face the risk of going to prison and see what happens. There, they declare down to the last penny.
Yesterday, it was in the papers that Miss Jamaica World is stepping down (not in disgrace), just stepping down because this 22-year-old miss, who by the way, is supposed to be championing the fight against AIDS, is pregnant. So what do the media ask her? Who is the father?! You have got to be kidding me! Why not ask her if her actions as Miss Jamaica would not be sending the wrong signals about practising unsafe sex and the risks involved?
Call me old-fashioned but couldn’t she have waited a year until after her reign was over before getting pregnant? Just about now, some people will be saying that I should mind my own business, but the thing is she is Miss Jamaica World. By the very name she represented us all – our values, our morals, our standards and as far as I am concerned she did a poor job of it. Well, at least for those of us who have standards.
What we have, then, are politicians who stuff their pockets with impunity; tax dodgers who drive around in multimillion-dollar vehicles laughing at people like you and me who lose a third of our salaries to the government each month and still have to turn around and pay 16 per cent GCT on everything and we wonder why there are so many murders. If the Government can’t police themselves or catch the people who don’t pay their taxes, how the hell do they expect the cops to police themselves and catch the criminals who gave us the reputation as murder capital of the world? I would kill people too if I knew I was not going to get caught.
Trust me, the day we start making people pay for their indiscretions just watch and see how quickly things change. The trouble is, do we really want to do this? I just don’t think so.
Send comments, reactions to shearer39@gmail.com.
… Miss Jamaica World is stepping down (not in disgrace), just stepping down because this 22-year-old miss, who by the way, is supposed to be championing the fight against AIDS, is pregnant. So what do the media ask her? Who is the father?! You have got to be kidding me! Why not ask her if her actions as Miss Jamaica would not be sending the wrong signals about practising unsafe sex and the risks involved?
March 17, 2007 at 11:11 pm
thank-you well well well
well said
and the people in the law profession and judiciary are part of the conspiracy all driving BMW’s, jobs for life all the while permitting their friends and those in influence to fleece and subjugate the little guy.
March 18, 2007 at 12:04 am
I lay no claim to being a financial or accounting genius, or anything of the sort. I work in a different field. However, I am intimately familiar with the concept of running a paralell system until such time when it is ‘all clear’ to cut over to a new one.
How then can running a paralell system be a recipe for disaster? I find it difficult to believe that Senator fields cannot appreciate the benefits of running a new system in paralell with an old one before fully switching over. But then again, there it is in the Nation’s article.
Maybe he’s trying to say that the machinery that is our Government, is so overly-complex and so magical, that it would be a step backwards to run in paraell? Maybe they’ve got it so right that they don’t need to waste time, resources and effort. Maybe.
But just to be sure, Is this not the same Allan Fields who, according to the BS&T website, is the Chairman of one the island’s largest group of private sector companies and who also studied as a Mechanical Engineer?
That sort of person doesn’t strike me as the sort who would do without running a system in parallel before making the switch. Furthermore, wouldn’t someone in his position in the private sector demand and expect that his Finance Department run a new system in paralell with the old one until it is safe to switch over? I would’ve thought so.
Maybe this isn’t the same Allan Fields. Maybe it’s his evil twin or something.
March 18, 2007 at 12:12 am
Yup and after the corn beef and biscuits,him and the crew will spin us right into the mouth of the IMF…if that five years come for them boy lol..but i hear a lotta people going to take wunna money and goodies and vote DLP though…what say any BLP pundits?..plus the crew frighten that so many bloggers see how they got Barbados mash up and jukking we in we eye in the supermarkets for twelve years..soooo ..come good hear…
March 18, 2007 at 1:12 am
its his evil twin sister
March 18, 2007 at 3:09 am
Allan Fields that refused to comment on what he was accused of missusing government funds and privileges to do private business in NY. I laugh at that . I think even RR and Clyde got more credibility than he and in my books RR and Clyde aint got no credibility.
March 18, 2007 at 9:18 am
”Switching to another system of accounting has nothing to do with transparency. Transparency comes from legally mandated openness that allows ordinary citizens to examine the underlying data supporting any government document or claim.”
BINGO!
Legislation requiring disclosure of decision-making, tenders, expenditures, availability of detailed accounting on projects etc is the ONLY way of increasing transparency and accountability.
As for the Senators, I noted on this site a couple months ago that the Senate members should all be elected when the ballot is filled in for consitituency representatives.
That would be a somewhat more independent Senate. However, to achieve this there need also to be rules governing the process of persons running for Senate i.e. campaign funds, independence from established parties etc.
The alternative is to use ‘in-voting’ whereby an established council from a broad base, for example including the Leader of each party, the leaders from the Media, Business, Labour Unions etc each vote for those who have put themselves forward.
That is a bit more susceptible to manipulation however and thus probably will not be accepted.
March 18, 2007 at 10:28 am
i hope when the FBI come to do their follow up investigations and from what i hear “they coming” all who is to get lock up bajans will know..guess we will have the last laugh ..hopefully
March 18, 2007 at 11:23 am
If it were a company that was changing its main accounting principles, they are required to restate financial statements for comparative purposes.
I highly doubt that the Barbados government will ever do such. At least this would have reduced the criticisms for lack of transparency.
I find it disappointing and predictable that Mr. Duguid and Ms. Eastmond appear to have withdrawn their offer of replying to queries…
March 18, 2007 at 11:47 am
Would have?
The general public continues to ask where the hundreds of millions of expenses that have disappeared are? This is not finished. Surely the Accountant General has a duty to provide this information.
Let the truth out!
All we want is the truth- just give us the truth!
March 18, 2007 at 11:47 am
The thing is with accounting on an accruals basis, so my understanding is, that while incurred but not yet paid expenditures will be taken into account in the financial statements, so will also be the ‘contracted and certified’ or ‘earned not yet received’ included in the financials.
Thus, for example, income tax not yet received from individuals and companies not yet recieved could be taken into into account.
But then, the accountant and then the auditor in assessing these amounts should ensure that they are indeed receivable. For example, the person or company may be bankrupt, so any taxing owing may not be collectable from that individual or entity.
Hoh hoh. Hope the auditors do a good job on the ‘accrued income’.
March 18, 2007 at 11:49 am
To clarify paragraph two, in Government’s case, income tax would be received/ receivable from individuals and companies. This would therefore be income for Government.
March 18, 2007 at 12:00 pm
John…
Don’t wait on the truth.
The Millenium is now gone and we are into the New World now, where greed and money are all.
All.
Get over it: you aren’t going to hear any Truth, other than “what you want to hear”.
Accountability and truth are old-fashioned sentiments.
The name of the game now, is to Get Rich,
and if I have to jook out yuh eye to get rich,
I gyne jook out yuh eye – no prob!
March 18, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Hey fellas
What happening with the Mercedes, it look like they are going to go back where they belong. I think Owing trying to pull a fast one, so he friends can get them all before the other people get a chance to buy them
I think all this wrangling is a way to get the supplier to give in to him, so he can get the best of the lot.
What in hell do we need them for, why can’t they ne transported in an airconditioned bus, or are they too high and mighty for a bus.
We all talking about the climate change and this is their answer to put more CO2 in the air.
Great Owing talk yu talk because you are not making any sense to me. I only come from Bathsheba so I don’t have brains to see through what you are up too
March 18, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Seeing that Owen et al answers to the NWO boys i’d say that what is to happen to Barbados and those that plundered it will be a similar situation to what happened at Enron……i know Allan knows what happened to Ken….talk about chickens running around the yard headless….wunna day of reckoning coming guy’s and if i was wunna i would be real frighten cause all who know that wunna can’t get lock up GOT to leave Barbados..no two ways about it…and that is the truth.
March 18, 2007 at 1:09 pm
^^^ sorry..that was my reply..forgot to put in my name.
March 18, 2007 at 1:35 pm
[...] Allen is happy to mouth off about how transparent the government’s new accounting system [...]
March 18, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Paul
I want to hear about these Mercedes, fill me in will you
March 18, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Not Mercedes.BMW’S and it seems that the headless chickens scrambling to save their arses so they put this issue on halt to take care of others that are burning already….this is what happens when you become large and in charge and forget the electorate that put you in power….then running around at the last minute trying to secure past deals and still look good to the public..smh ..trust me if they were confident in a fourth term for the rummy this would not even be an issue….seems like Allan and Owen ain’t seeing eye to eye…it’s simple the government don’t want to look bad at a time like this so they ain’t passing this deal to please no other big ups.
March 18, 2007 at 7:36 pm
You know this thing with the BMW’s makes me laugh. People standing at the bus stop all day waiting for a bus and they get these “free” cars to drive around the high whites. In other words them to great to meet the average Bajan
I wonder how much more land Owing give away to get these free cars.
Next they are going to pull down Speightstown to buils another Port St. Charles, don’t laugh stranger things have happened
March 18, 2007 at 11:00 pm
You can’t have BMW’s entering the country by the soft route (no taxes) and then be laughing at David for his duty free proposal for cars for civil servants.
Suspect Owen is scrambling.
March 19, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Don’t worry people,Jamaica will fall at the side compared to what we plan to do to you guy’s
March 19, 2007 at 1:24 pm
John
That is an interesting comment re the turn about face of the BMWs.
March 19, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Why not simply employ some of the local taxi drivers/operators who have some very nice BMW’s, Mercedes and Lexus. These imported BMW’s will still require a large number of extra drivers who will be paid by us, while our taxi operators will be scrambling to turn a reasonable dollar throughout the World Cup.
Peace
March 21, 2007 at 11:47 pm
[...] Doesn’t Know What Transparency Is Either! Jump to Comments Just as Senator Sir Allan “Give Me An Embassy Car Now Dammit!” Fields was all aglow about the government’s switching to the accrual accounting system, [...]
May 15, 2007 at 10:35 pm
[...] Sir Alan, who are you trying to fool? A “friendly merger” of “unequals?” Hah! This [...]
May 15, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Tri-island republic of Trinidad, Tobago and Barbados.
May 15, 2007 at 10:46 pm
These fields and hills now Trini’s very own, sorry ‘our very own’….
May 15, 2007 at 10:48 pm
BFP, in trying to post the above the server tried to get me to post the ‘required’ field of e-mail address.
Is that just an aberration or is someone trying to hijack your server fields for dishonest use?
May 15, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Rumplestilskin, I don’t quite understand your comment. Aren’t you supposed to fill in your e-mail address in the line that says: Mail (will not be published)? or am I the only dumb one doing that??!
*********************************
Hi Folks
We allow anonymous comments. You don’t have to fill in your email or anything at all.
Robert BFP
May 15, 2007 at 11:31 pm
“Tri-island republic of Trinidad, Tobago and Barbados” he said…
NOW yuh talking!
I bin saying dat for years!
Like it or not Baje, dis IS your future!
May 16, 2007 at 12:44 am
I do not put my e-mail usually and it works fine.
May 16, 2007 at 1:06 am
Okay, thanks.
May 16, 2007 at 11:22 am
Patrick:
Just realised you were back in action.Glad to have you back.All the best.