Cricket World Cup Spin Continues
Prime Minister Arthur Absent From First Super 8 Game
The Nation News, Indian News and everyone involved did their best to put forward a story of success. The stories mention “visible pockets” of Barmy Army and Indian Bharat Army supporters, noisy folks having a great time Cricket World Cup and with a “So There!” attitude towards the critics.
Carefully crafted photographs like the one above give the impression of a stadium packed with excited cricket fans enjoying the best cricket in the world…
… and buried within the stories, the sad reality that on the opening day of the Super 8 Matches in Barbados – with half a billion dollars or more spent – Kensington Oval was at only 37% of capacity.
Lord Have Mercy upon us poor taxpayers.
Indo-Asian News – Over 10,000 Spectators Celebrate Oval’s Rebirth
Barbados Free Press 
Notice the “air-brushed” shots of caucacians…hardly any candid shots of locals. So well orchestrated to sell Barbados as still being a Colony! Maybe it still is.
They never wanted the locals. Now they are going into the highways and byways and inviting them in.
Ok BFP. CWC2007 is a failure.
Now let us see how we can help turn Kensington Oval into a money earner.
How about this Canadian solution.
“The owners of the Toronto Blue Jays have bought SkyDome — for $25-million.
The 50,000-seat domed stadium opened in 1989 with a price tag of $600-million, mostly funded by taxpayers.”
All jokes aside, it would be a great pre season venue for English soccer and American Baseball teams.
Hants–this is far too creative a concept for the politicians
the only thing they will focus on is how to get some revenue on the way through not how many jobs it might create or more importantly how much expense it might takes off the backs of Barbadian taxpayers.
I don’t pretend to know the first thing about economics but someone told me today that the Barbados debt stands at 6.5 billion and if it goes to 7 billion the IMF will demand devaluation. Could someone verify this, please?
Fellow readers,
The link below gives the St. Lucian perspective on CWC 2007.
http://www.stluciastar.com/NewsHome/TravelTourism/tabid/387/mid/900/newsid900/1336/Default.aspx
But in all fairness how could we have expected to move visitors around the Caribbean with such HIGH airline fares ?
Did BFP readers read Mrs. Beverley J. Walrond in the nation news of 2007 – 04 – 11 on the BDS $ 800.00 plus airfare to Antigua on LIAT ?
And they blaming INDIA & PAKISTAN for being KNOCKED out of CWC 2007….?
And to think that Owen Arthur and Noel Lynch took up taxpayers money to PROP up LIAT…!
Where is the SANITY…?
Hants .. not a bad idea, but I have a better one. Seeing as how the politicians who put us in this financial chasm owe us big time … I think we should invite the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.) to put on a night of wrestling at the Oval … (of course we would have to put in temporary lights )
some of the bouts I would pay big money to see are..
Mia Mottley vs Portia Simpson
Owen $ vs David Ellis
David Thompson vs Clyde Mascoll
Barney Lynch vs Adrian Loverage (Main Bout)
I think we could definately pack Kensington with this …. What u think??
Now that’s entertainmenT! I’d buy ticks to dat in a minute!
It seems as if nobody knows the answer to my question about the debt and the possibility of devaluation. Oh, well … just thought Mr. Statistics or someone else might know.
On the debt issue, the level alone is not going to determine whether or not the country needs to change the value of its currency. Barbados has maintained the current peg to the US$ unchanged for some 30 years, and that is a reflection that it has remained a “credible” rate. For that to change, many factors need to be considered, including political fall out. In terms of determing whether the current rate seems to be wrong one needs to look at least at how the debt is structured (domestic, foreign), the level of international reserves, the external current account balance, and what monetary policy the government and central bank are putting into place. Moreover, the IMF cannot “demand” anything of Barbados, not least because Barbados is not under any financial arrangement with the IMF, which might involve conditions of some sort. You can see what the IMF thought of Barbados’ situation when the country had its last annual IMF check up in August 2006 (http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2006/pn06106.htm).
Noel Lynch probably praying that today being Friday 13th ( Black Friday ) that :
1. 90,000 Tourists come a calling….!
2. 75,000 Cruise Ship passengers come a calling…!
3. 28 Cruise ships come a calling…..!
4. 4 plane loads of Air India come a calling….!
5. 7 plane loads of Irish come a calling….!
By then Barbados and Kensington would be OVERFLOWING……!
Culpepper Island would have to be pressed into ACTION…..!
If only FRIDAY 13th……DREAMS come TRUE….!
Owen Arthur is only present when there is “GOOD NEWS” and photo ops. The goverment is in “lay low mode” hoping that their late interest in local participation in CWC2007 will materialise. It will not and we shall continue to be reflected in half empty stands until the end. He will show his face at the closing ceremonies but only briefly – hopefully sober.
We will never know the true cost of this legacy, but it will eventually be reflected in the natainal debt that is growing daily..
The high debt will put pressures our currency especially when controls are removed at year end. Reseves will diminish and devaluation is a possibility.
World Cup is only one of many capital investments made by this government aimed at fooling the people with their own money.
Time is running ouo uncover and they are scared. Lots of skeletons in the closets for the DLP to uncover – and they cannot use the St. Joseph Hospital Inquiry as blackmail any longer…
Very good point BFP.
Come to think of it, not only have we not seen the PM, but we have also not seen any of the 23 Goverment (or opposition) Members of Parliament visably in attendance including ‘thats not my sort of thing’ Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch.
Perhaps they are trying to distance themselves as clearly it cannot be their fault. After all they did not pass the sunset legislation and had no part in the bid process to host the games.
Don’t worry, be happy.
There still will be:
‘90,000’ visitors for the CWC final week.
‘75,000 cruise ship passengers’
‘and Government (categorically) has NOT borrowed ANY money to charter Carnival Destiny’
Jerome..
Excellent point re: Sky High Caribbean Airfares.
I hope BFP runs with this story, as it is going to have a severe damaging effect of trying to grow intra regional travel, which many of our smaller accommodation providers rely on duing the long eight summer months.
Minister Lynch publicly declared that he was not going to allow airfares within the Caribbean to rise
to the current inhibitive levels.
We are still waiting for action.
Each year we organise an event dedicated to boosting Intra Caribbean travel, called re-DISCOVER the Caribbean (www.re-discover.com)
but these ridiculously high fares will kill those efforts.
Bakkra Johhny…
I,m game for the bout, but Mr Lynch doesn’t play by any recognised rules!
Marketing a set idea repeatedly and image projection (aka brainwashing) is a very effective tool.
Say it often enough and it ‘becomes reality’ for some.
So the stands were full, chock a block, thousands having a grand time…..
BFP might like to carry an article carried Thursday 12th April in Trinidad and Tobago’s NEWSDAY, headed ‘250,000 fans attend World Cup’.
According to ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 CEO, Chris Dehring revealed ‘that overall 251,824 persons have matches so far (excluding the final Super Eight match in Guyana) with an average 7,195 fans at each match since the tournament began on March 13’.
and
‘Currently 75.81% of the tickets available for sale have been sold or distributed (patrons or sponsors). This corresponds to 63.95 percent of the overall capacity of the venues’.
These are Chris Dehrings quoted words. Not mind.
Has anyone thought that each game at each venue had 63.95% capacity?
It is instructive that the IMF’s Public Information Notice dated September 13, 2006 did not mention or consider in its summary the effects or possible effects of Barbados’ spending on CWC, since by the date of its report, the great majority of that money would have been spent or committed.
If the IMF thought it boded ill for the economy, surely it would have said.
Or was the IMF payed off as well.
I have often thought that the BLP is actually trying their best to LOSE the next elections, knowing full well that whoever forms the next government will have no choice but to de-value.
That would be a legacy NO political party would want .
Bakkra Johnny:
That is exactly what I fear. It will either be devaluation or a salary/wages cut which is what demolished Sandiford. But at least he saved us from devaluation if nothing else.
Bakkra Johnny & True Native, I disagree with you. I think the BLP will do whatever they can to hold on to power until there is nothing left. Then they will go to where their money is.
Concerned, you really think Owing is willing to face the wrath of Bajans if he has to devalue? And after the CWC fiasco it looks like that’s just where we’re headed.
Pingback: Global Voices Online » Barbados: Poor Attendance for First Super 8 at Kensington
Facilities in Windies worst: Ponting
P1ress Trust Of India | Posted Apr 13, 2007 at 16:23
Melbourne: The West Indies may have made a concerted effort to build infrastructure for the cricket World Cup but Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is unimpressed and feels the training facilities in the Caribbean continue to be the “worst in the world”.
“Since I was here for the first time, in 1995, that’s 12 years of touring here, training facilities have always been the worst in the world by a long, long way,” Ponting was quoted as saying by The Australian.
“I have been on tours here where you could hardly practise between Test matches. You might train up on the Test venue and have a few throw downs on the outfield and that was just about as much as you could do,” he added.
Ponting said it was important that the West Indies continued to work on their infrastructure as it was crucial to their chances of reviving cricket in the country.
“Once they get those facilities in place, they will start attracting more kids to the game and their first-class teams will be able to train and prepare better.”
“This will bring on better players and their national team will be able to get some great quality preparation as well,” he explained.
The Aussie skipper felt despite the flop show that the World Cup was turning out to be, the West Indies would benefit from the showpiece event financially but would have to make sure that the money was spent in the right direction.
“..especially when controls are removed at year end. Reseves will diminish and devaluation is a possibility.” ..he said.
Will controls actually be removed?
You think so?
Ever heard of Capital Flight?
Is that bird practicing-up its wings, all now so?
Waiting for year end?
Wanna bet ‘Controls Removal’ doesn’t happen?
Despite all the brave talk?
How much are you,/b> moving?
“..especially when controls are removed at year end. Reseves will diminish and devaluation is a possibility.” ..he said.
Will controls actually be removed?
You think so?
Ever heard of Capital Flight?
Is that bird practicing-up its wings, all now so?
Waiting for year end?
Wanna bet ‘Controls Removal’ doesn’t happen?
Despite all the brave talk?
How much are you, moving?
Wanted to correct someones earlier post regarding the passengers on the Silver Wind cruise ship they are now accommodating 16 passengers up from the 14 of two days ago.
This is part of the 75,000 that are on the other 27 ships in the harbour according to MM Lynch.
Life can be very strange at times how come at most other cricket games such as even inter island matches we can find images of Owing at these matches and now the the World Cup is on he is nowhere to be seen or heard????
Does that not ring a strange note with anyone else????
The same thing is true of Lynch, Mottley, Liz Thompson, Clarke, Duguid not a word to be heard from any of these clowns have they been given orders to stay clear of the oval for fear that they maybe under scruinty????
These are the jokers that are running the affairs of our country?? lord help us!!!
And we have Mottley blaming the US state Department the other Caribbean diplomats for her disaster in the application of visa requirements and security when she should have the ba_ls to stand up and take the blame like a man, no but she is shifting blame to all and sundry.
Then we have Lynch who babbles his nonsense about 90,000 visitors of which 75,000 will be on 28 cruise ships and that he knows nothing about a loan of the small nature of US $ 15 mill to Carnival Cruise lines is he just a sick liar or just a silly twit with a bank account to protect????
And to crown it off the PM declaring himself the almighty leader who will stop at nothing to make the Cup a success hate to awake you from your slumber but the reality is that it is the worst Cup ever and you presided over the fiasco in no small way..
Day 1 and day 2 of the Barbados leg of the super 8 and already some are exploring a ” Conspiracy Theory ”
Vendors paid thousands of $$$$$$ for food stall spaces….!
What is the connection of this with ” Conspiracy Theory “…….?
Chris Decaires told Barbadians that the VENDORS stand to make back MILLIONS in PROFITS….!
Pitch Curator , Mr. Prof Edwards , prepares a FLIER at Kensington Oval….by lunch time…spectators head back home for their LUNCHES….!
Vendors left holding the SH*TTY end of the stick…!
Economix .. Capital flight is a phenomenon that greatly affects economies with no strong middle class. Barbados has a strong middle class in fact I would bet more than 75% of the liquidity in the banks and credit unions is middle class money. The rich will fly, but the the bread and butter middle class Bajans will stick it out and fight to the end.
Thats why I love this rock and aint going nowhere…..
Bakkra Johnny,
many of the people who fled the Caribbean over the last century were middle class. Many of them and their families have settled and continue to work happily in other countries. Many have returned home to Barbados.
Nowadays if you wanted to flee you would have to flee to one of the other Caribbean islands.
I like to believe that we still have a “bread and butter” middle class because if we do not then we have a real problem. Imagine so many Caribbean people fleeing their countries to come to Barbados and Barbadians fleeing to go to other Caribbean countries. Not without a good fight (but they waiting late).
someone mentioned…”at least he saved us from devaluation if nothing else.” …
and I wonder if the much-feared devaluation is not a bullet in our future that has to be bitten at some point.
Are we doing ourselves any good by sidestepping, avoiding devaluation?
Are we turning our heads away from the spoonful of nasty medicine that we know we have to take, sooner or later?
National Pride and the upheaval aside(I realize these are viable concerns) is 2:1 the realistic exchange rate for us?
The longer we wait, the more painful it’ll be, I reckon.
Why is there so much negativity on this site? Is there nothing positive to report? Why are we Barbadians so blinded by politics and political parties. Give credit where it is due, stop the innuendos and character assasinations and deal with the facts.
Grace,
Welcome to the BFP site .
After 13 years of BLP rule the NEGATIVES far outweigh the POSITIVES !
Can you point us to more POSITIVES over the same period….?
Grace there is negativity on this site because the Government tries to make Barbadians believe that all is well in “First World Barbados”.
The rest of us are well aware of the reality.
If you do not like the “tone” of this blog don’t participate or you can write all that you think is great and positive about Barbados.
We will read that also but we are not going to live with our eyes wide shut.
We await your positive contributions.
Sorry BFP. the above anonymous is me.
Grace,
If you read the majority of posts you will understand that most posters are actually basing their writings on facts, not political partisanship.
The reality is that the persons who have the control to address the problems that are faced are the persons in the current administration.
Thus, why should criticism of the approach, or lack thereof, to well-known problems be labelled as political partisanship rather than be taken in the spirit intended i.e. as independent criticism of the approach or lack thereof, based upon known information?
Certainly, there are a few persons who appear to have some bias or downright partisanship towards
specific parties. Nevertheless, the views of the few should not be taken to blight the views of the majority and theose of us who are critical from a fully independent viewpoint.
What most posters here have consistently addressed is the need for real accountability, transparency and freedom of reasonable information, in order that the country may be seen to be governed with clear, rational and uncorrupted thought.
The harsh reality is that such calls for valuable and public information have been ignored e.g. financial statements of GEMS as a single example only, of a specific nature, let alone an overall transparent and accountable approach as a general principle governing all major national expenditures.
Be sure that whatever government, persons have the continuing reins of control, the relevant posters in blogs such as this will continue to demand such accountability.
Our national survival depends on such processes and thus, as citizens of the Nation we have a right and some may consider a duty to be eternally vigilant, to safeguard in whatever way possible the future that we hold in custody for coming generations.
Generally, the economic situation does not look comforting and surely this is concerning many of us. What therefore may be coming across as critical from your viewpoint, I would suggest if I may, is earnestness on the part of many posters, to bring to the fore issues that we see are of urgency.
While we must all make adjustments in life to address what may come our way and only the Almighty knows of tomorrow, nevertheless tomorrow’s reality is decided in part by actions of today.
Such be our basis for writings.
Rumplestilskin,
A well constructed Orientation course for, GRACE…!
By the way what has become of fellow bloggers like Jupiter, Velzo, Pat, Kathy, Greengage, Wry Mongooose etc !
Busy taking in the CWC 2007 ACTION..!
Grace,
I am sure if you posted things that are positive, they will be supported as long as they are factual. Can you list the positives in relation to GEMS, CWC, The $750,000 in Owen Arthur’s personal bank account, the sale of land at Holders Hill engineered by Owen and David Shorey that released a profit of $9 mil, the use of land that was acquired by Gov’t by Wuk for Wuk, the fact that Gov’t have to pay $36 mil Bds to a cruise liner that will most likely not account for more than 10,000 passengers ( compared to the projected 75,000), the fact that the rural dev’p corp has build roofs for middle class bajans costing over $100,000 intead of taken care of the needy, a badly managed hospital that the BLP said would be turned around after firing persons at the top who they said were DLP Supporters, the fact that no one knows where the money from the sale of eastry house has gone to, a P.M who has not lead by example ( 3 children while married to Beverlie…no safe sex….exposed women ), an incompetent Minister of Tourism who has no understanding of basic maths in relation to calculating the max number of passengers that can hold on 13 ships.. ….
I can go on and on…….
Now Grace why don’t you start to discuss the positives
By the way I took a ride down the south and west coast earlier ( about 9 – 9.30 p.m)and it was almost a ghost town. The only significant activity was in a couple restaurants at he begining of St.Lawrence Gap but no unusually high numbers; no real activity on spring garden by the tent; a crown had begun to assemble at Deighton Griffith); a couple ships were in the harbour…I believe I can count and there were less than six for sure. The boat yard which is usually a hive of activity on fridays was empty…..
My question is where are the thousands of people Minister Lynch said were coming?
The same way you see the negatives, if you look around you’ll see some positives. All is not doom and gloom.
No – Name
April 14th, 2007 at 2:49 am
By the way I took a ride down the south and west coast earlier ( about 9 – 9.30 p.m)and it was almost a ghost town. The only significant activity was in a couple restaurants at he begining of St.Lawrence Gap but no unusually high numbers; no real activity on spring garden by the tent; a crown had begun to assemble at Deighton Griffith); a couple ships were in the harbour…I believe I can count and there were less than six for sure. The boat yard which is usually a hive of activity on fridays was empty…..
My question is where are the thousands of people Minister Lynch said were coming?
___________________________________
No – Name,
They are probably staying at LYNCH Plantation House in Gregg Farm !
Remember, Lynch says he targets the ” High End ” tourists…!
The ones who prefer to stay at million dollar $$$$$ properties….!
While the IMF Board might not have focused specifically on CWC’s impact, the Fund staff did, and said in the staff report (paragraphs 20-21, also available on the IMF website):
“20. The authorities saw the proposed adjustment strategy as too sharp. They argued that
2006 was an exceptional year, as the country had to meet the challenges associated with hosting
the CWC. However, they indicated that fiscal policy would be further tightened if the decline in
GIR [gross international reserves] was sharper than envisaged. They also reiterated their desire to reduce public debt, including publicly-guaranteed debt, to 60 percent of GDP. Finally, the authorities noted that the water and transportation companies would be put under the regulatory umbrella of the Fair Trading Commission, which is expected to contribute to more timely reviews of pricing decisions.
21. Following a pause in 2007/08—to avoid exacerbating an expected slowdown post-
CWC—the mission recommended a further fiscal effort thereafter to bring the primary
surplus to above 5 percent of GDP and debt to safer levels. In the baseline scenario, the debt-to-
GDP ratio would decline from 82 percent in 2005 to 72 percent in 2007, owing to low real
interest rates, rapid growth, and a conservative assumption that the government draws down
deposits at the central bank as the primary source of funding.”
Did anyone else notice that they packed the stands with school children for the game today. Someone has to be held accountable for this disaster. From April 29th we have a colossal white elephant on Fontabelle while hard working older Bajans who have spent their life giving for this country cannot get basic emergency health care. We are living under the arrogance of a crumbling third term administration, and I honestly do not know if the alternative will be any better.
Get In The Action
April 14th, 2007 at 4:26 am
Did anyone else notice that they packed the stands with school children for the game today. Someone has to be held accountable for this disaster. From April 29th we have a colossal white elephant on Fontabelle while hard working older Bajans who have spent their life giving for this country cannot get basic emergency health care. We are living under the arrogance of a crumbling third term administration, and I honestly do not know if the alternative will be any better.
__________________________________
Get In The Action
You won’t know until you give the alternative a try .
Whenever human beings find themselves in crumbling circumstances they USUALLY turn to ALTERNATIVES to remedy their plight !
If Brian Lara was never given a CHANCE after the era of Viv Richards REIGN how would we have known that he was CAPABLE of scoring 375, 400, and the test batsman with the MOST test runs…?
Gov’t get elected on the promises & pledges their make…!
The ELECTORATE have the VOTE to hold them ACCOUNTABLE for those promises & pledges…!
GEMS ******** UDC ******** QEH ******* NHC ***** KENSINGTON OVAL ******* BARRACK Building ******* CBC ****** US $ 15 Million ****** Carnival Destiny ****** BOSS TRICK $ 3 Million ***** etc…!
If after 13 years of BLP rule we are all SATISFIED…why the fussing & sidestepping….VOTE them back IN…!
cmon fools did yall really except kensington oval to be full ,………….rofl ha ha ha ha ha ha as i said from the beginning it would be a big fiasco …..problem is we have a baboon for a tourism minister who cant add or count …………….
Jerome
I admire your fierce loyalty to the Dems and I have no problem with trying the alternative. I really do believe that Thompson would make a good PM. It’s the supporting cast that I’m more scepticle about – where’s the talent in his roster?
I think the BLP we are seeing now is not the party that came to power in the early 90’s full of ideas and a bit more humility. I believe this CWC fiasco will be the BLP’s cross to bare as was the 8% cut for the Dems.
I also think most Bajans have become very apathetic when it comes to politics. You don’t see this blind party loyalty of the past. When you have almost 40% of the electorate not voting either through disinterest or in protest over the lack of choice. Add to that a sizeable portion of those who do place an X by a name but through lack of choice really are not inspired to do so. The time is right for a credible third option.
The only “credible third option” would be mashed up and ground into oblivion before they could well open their mouths. So … You want Comic-Song, then?
I said credible option not crazy left wing.
I hear ya!