Thanks To Europe For The $28 Million Spare Change!
Hey… What Happened To The Last $10 Million EU Sugar Grant?
We can’t find anything in the local papers about yesterday’s occasion of Barbados receiving another EU handout – this one for Bds$28 million.The Barbados Government Information Service published the story Barbados Signs Agreement With EU, and it was picked up word for word by South Florida Caribbean News (link here).
But even if the news media does carry the story, the announcement of the gift will be the last that we’ll hear about it. For some reason the Barbados news media never does any follow up to see how, when and if such foreign aid funding is ever spent in the manner that is announced when everyone sits around the table smiling and congratulating themselves on scoring another few million from foreign governments.
We will not belabour our point, but let us briefly consider the following…
– Successive Barbados governments have positioned Barbados as an international beggar – all the while squandering hundred of millions of dollars in foreign aid without visible results or readily apparent benefit to the people of Barbados.
– When the European Union finally insisted upon accountability for aid in 2006, then PM Owen Arthur and Agriculture Minister Erskine Griffith went public talking about callous “colonial” attitudes shown by the European Union. The BLP government raised such a fuss that the EU threw in the towel and provided the money without insisting on any real accountability. (See BFP’s article Secret European Union Reports Slam Barbados Ethanol Plan.)
– Barbados has a proven history of taking foreign aid funding and then failing to fully implement the projects that were being funded under various agreements. Most recently, Barbados had to admit that the Barbados government Anti-Money Laundering Authority acted illegally and without authority for two years. Hey, we took the USA’s aid money to set up the unit and then never did – we only said we did!
– The David Thompson DLP government were elected on their promised commitment to implement Integrity Legislation, Freedom of Information laws, Conflict of Interest rules and a code of conduct for Government ministers. Thompson and the DLP promised IN WRITING to implement the Ministerial Code of Conduct “immediately” upon the DLP taking office in January, 2008. He also promised that the Integrity Legislation and Freedom of Information laws would be implemented within 100 days of taking office.
– Thompson lied about Integrity Legislation, FOI, a Ministerial Code etc. As a result, Barbados politicians and government officials can still legally profit from their position – while the public is denied the right to examine government spending records.
New EU Foreign Aid Not Tied To Specific Projects – Funds Are Dumped Into The General Accounts!
To top it off, the EU has capitulated to demands from the Thompson Barbados Government that foreign aid not be tied to specific projects which can be audited or seen to be accomplished or not.
In his remarks yesterday, Senator Boyce said: “The resources of the Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol Countries Initiative 2007-2010 is provided by way of Budget Support rather than direct Project Financing as occurred in previous programmes…”
So the latest EU foreign aid funding is being dumped into the general treasury instead of being directly tied to specific projects capable of being audited. The government has made some promises about “going to do this” and “going to do that”, but without direct funding pathways to specific projects and without Freedom of Information laws to allow the public access to government spending records… that money is already gone, gone, gone.
If you have any doubts about the lack of accountability, just put in a Freedom of Information request to review the government records that document how the last $10 million EU Sugar Subsidy was spent! Just don’t hold your breath while waiting for an answer…
Thompson’s coup is complete. He hasn’t implemented any integrity legislation or conflict of interest rules – and the foreign aid money is being dumped in with the general government accounts.
Well done, David! Not even Owen Arthur was able to accomplish that feat!
Barbados Free Press 
you’ll have to trust David Thompson to do what is right BFP.
Trust? lol
We would have a chance of knowing what was going on if Thompson had introduced the ministerial code and Integrity legislation as promised.
No doubt he will threaten to introduce these legislative protections just before the next elections.
Wow…28 Mill to blow..good for you David..may the Lord help you if you continue down the road of the last admin.the sheeple won’t let you smell another term i can see it..so sad.Hopefully sometime in the future you and Seymour might share a cell side by side..who knows!!!!!
Some of you are so gullible its pathetic.
“Barbados receiving another EU handout – this one for Bds$28 million”
Thank heavens. Evah little does help!
Bank uh Canada sey we out ah recession now so moh help comin..
God please give us a government that leads from the top
even in New Jersey today, people are being charged with corruption
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090724/ap_on_re_us/us_nj_corruption_arrests
Thompson and his GANG promised FOI and Integrity laws to sucker us into voting for them. What suckers we were.
I do believe that the BLP would have been re-elected without those Thompson promises.
On July 1st Sweden took over their tenure of the running of the European Union. With MEP’s (Members of the European Parliament) taking their seats after the EU elections, it is going to be a challenging time for all of us here in this part of the world given the push for the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the adoption and formulation within the law for a Presidency of the (UNITED STATES OF EUROPE) with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as its first President.
What ominous times lie ahead for Europe!!! Maybe prophecy is finally coming true!!! Ask Tony – he became a Catholic before leaving #10 Downing Street!!!
Anyhow, back to the issue at hand…
Reports on CNN International just this morning puts Spain’s unemployment rate at almost 18% with Zapatero’s government sinking another 2.1 billion euros into social services and structural development projects as families struggle to make ends meet and where jobs are virtually non-existent due to the global economic crisis.
As an EU citizen, and like many who are concerned as to how our governments spend our hard-earned tax dollars is increasingly a cause for more and more calls for transparency and accountability on the part of those we elect to the European Parliament.
The EU has earmarked for ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries between 2008 to 2013 funding proposals that will see something in the area of 1.2 billion euros set aside for development.
“The EU is the world’s largest donor to poor countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), providing 52 percent of overall funding.”
“Bernard Petit, EC Deputy Director for Development stressed that aid to ACP countries should be aligned with national priorities and directed to eradicate poverty.”
“He went on to say that supporting the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) is about economic growth in developing countries, not just financing health and education. The financing of infrastructure contributes to economic growth.”
He said that “direct support to governance accounts for 15% of the programmed aid. Nearly half of EC aid for the ACP country strategies will be given as budget support, which he emphasized also supported health and education. Support for infrastructure made up 30 %, while direct support to health and education comprised a total 6.4%.”
“Netherlands MEP Thijs Berman insisted that the European Parliament should be involved in finalizing the country strategies for ACP countries. The European Parliament has not been involved in their scrutiny as part of the current planning process. According to the Commission the Parliament cannot have a role while the EDF (European Development Fund) lies outside the EU budget. So while the EP has the right of scrutiny over the EU’s adoption of Country Strategies for the rest of the developing world, there is no democratic scrutiny of the strategies for ACP countries.”
An excerpt from the Joint EP-PAP Statement on the Joint EU-ACP Strategy, 2nd EU-Africa Summit, 8-9 December 2007, Lisbon (to be adopted) states:
“We welcome the recent decision by the Council of Ministers of the European Union to transmit the draft ACP Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly “for information”, but we point out this is only a first step, and that our parliaments´ institutional powers to monitor budget and policy implementation processes must extend to all actions funded through the European Union´s cooperation. The Joint Strategy must therefore contain clear provision for the exercise of the fundamental parliamentary right of scrutiny. This is of vital importance, for it ensures that the Executives carry out the agreed policies in an effective, democratic and fiscally responsible manner. It is a task of great responsibility and we will carry it out in close cooperation with our peoples, their civil society and their local authorities.”
In a pre-summit round-table Dec 4 in Brussels with members of the European Parliament, representatives from the European Commission, EU member States, and ACP countries, representatives of NGOs called for making EU aid “more transparent, effective and better focused on meeting the Millennium Development Goals” (MDGs)…
“In the name of country ownership EU aid to the ACP countries is now almost exclusively given as general budgetary support. A disturbingly small proportion of this support ends up in health and poverty alleviation programs,” said Simon Stocker, president of Eurostep comprising of more than 15 NGOs as its members.”
He added: “We have to trust country governments, but also act in the best interests of those who most need our aid, primarily women and children. We are perfectly comfortable earmarking billions in support for road building and transportation, why not for the social sector?”
“Reports recently published by NGOs raise serious questions as to how this process meets the EU’s own goals for democracy and transparency, and as to how this aid will go to reaching the MDGs, to which the EU says it is firmly committed.”
“These country strategy papers control billions of dollars in aid, and could help alleviate poverty and suffering for millions, yet they are not subject to the democratic process,” said Mirjam van Reisen, author of the 2015Watch report.
“The European Parliament has been sidelined, leaving 22 billion euros of EU taxpayer’s money without any democratic accountability. Citizens of the EU should at very least expect the Commission to live up to the same levels of transparency it asks of Zimbabwe,” van Reisen said.
Bernard Petit, the deputy director general of the Directorate General for Development of the European Commission, had assured that the Commission supported parliamentary scrutiny for the ACP country programmes and that this could be “realised as soon as the European Development Fund has been integrated in the EU budget”.
In a statement adopted in Lisbon, it reads – “We welcome the recent decision by the Council of Ministers of the European Union to transmit the draft ACP Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly ‘for information’, but we point out that this is only a first step, and that our parliaments’ institutional powers to monitor budget and policy implementation processes must extend to all actions funded through the European Union’s cooperation.”
It further adds: “The Joint Strategy must therefore contain clear provisions for the exercise of the fundamental parliamentary right of scrutiny. This is of vital importance, for it ensures that the Executives carry out the agreed policies in an effective, democratic and fiscally responsible manner. It is a task of great responsibility, and we will carry it out in close cooperation with our peoples, their civil society and their local authorities.”
The draft statement further points out: “As parliaments, we have also an important oversight responsibility, always bearing in mind how concrete measures affect the quality of life of the peoples we represent. By providing oversight, we ensure that the Executive performs in a responsible and accountable manner and that aid is managed and spent effectively in support of poverty reduction and sustainable development.”
This is powerful stuff!!!
The Barbados government cannot ignore this – as we all accept, “where there is no vision people perish” and people “perish because of a lack of knowledge”…
Based on the EU directives and many in Barbados including so-called government ministers are CLUELESS about the working of the EU far less the minefield that is EU politics but I am thankful for friends in “HIGH PLACES” who will clear the minefields and make the crooked straight while elucidating the process and making things more comprehensible.
The government of Barbados is just “one” actor in this game.
How my taxpayer’s monies are spent or doled out is definitely my business and there must be accountability on the part of Brussels as well as Bridgetown… The Commission must be able to show me as a citizen of Europe how that $28, 000,000 is to be spent – the provisions clearly laid out in the agreement and the terms and conditions (if any).
David Thompson and the DLP government must then in turn tell me how they are going to spend my money, clearly earmarking within the Public Accounts Committee
the proviso for those funds and how by way of public spreadsheet accounting – how, when and where those monies will be spent.
Failing that – “I CAN THEN SEEK REDRESS THROUGH AN INJUNCTION WITHIN THE EU PARLIAMENT” or through my MEP for arbitration in the matter…
The laws of Freedom of Information may NOT apply in BIM* but it sure does in my neck of the woods!!!
So there you have it folks!!!
DLP column : Christ Church East Central chaos
7/25/2009
It’s pandemonium in here … Chaos. Last Sunday the Barbados Labour Party’s nomination meeting gave credence to this line in Blood’s party tune this year.
The other newspaper’s silence on the recent chaos at the nomination meeting
held in Christ Church East Central was interesting.
Mia’s choice of a candidate in the person of Desmond Sands has obviously upset some long-standing Barbados Labour Party campers. This nomination has brought into sharp focus the camps of Mia and Owen. In Owen’s corner is the former Minister and Senator Lynette Eastmond and in Mia’s corner is the victor Desmond Sands.
This feud is continuing to feed the public the naked truth regarding the happenings in Roebuck Street. Mia pretends that she is the supreme leader by engaging the nomination process from weekend to weekend. The uninvited Chairman of the Party, George Payne, has been politically emasculated and rendered impotent on these nomination matters. The race that Mia has started is causing ripples inside and outside of Parliament. These nomination meetings
appear to be Mia’s nomination meetings and not those of the Executive Council and National Council of the Barbados Labour Party. Mia has carved out a portion of the party and treats it as her own political play pen.
We have heard of Ms. Eastmond’s dissatisfaction and her unceremonious departure before the proceedings were completed. It is evident that the ‘on the ball’ print media in the form of the other newspaper was unable to report on this chaos. This is occurring at a time when the public is thirsty to hear what truly transpired at the nomination meeting. The truth be told, we would not expect this meeting and Lynette’s cry to make news, as we have become accustomed to the recent reporting history of the other section of the Press.
We must congratulate the operatives of the Barbados Labour Party with the swiftness at which they muzzled the chaos that continues to consume them. We will await the truth about what is actually occurring in the belly of the Opposition.
The other newspaper was able to obtain some sketchy comments on
an alleged rift in the top brass of the Royal Barbados Police Force, yet they are unable to tell us what is happening with the top brass of the Opposition. We are asking for equal reporting enthusiasm regarding what is taking shape among Payne, Mia and Owen. The three-way split in the leadership had lead to creation of a three-headed Opposition that is floundering on critical policy matters. It is truly sad that the once Trojan horse of a Party has deteriorated to its current form.
We await full communication of the truth On a more prosperous side, we want to encourage all Barbadians to go out and have a safe and enjoyable Crop Over 2009.
We acknowledge the hard work that Minister Blackett has been undertaking and we congratulate him and his staff for a fantastic job to date. As promised, the Ministry of Culture has delivered in the face of global and regional adversity.
The Ministry has demonstrated what ideas and hard work can do with shrinking resources. This Democratic Labour Party’s Government will not waver in its commitment to deliver on all fronts. We wish all an enjoyable semi-finals and Farley Hill party.
‘Silent’ George Payne returns to national stage and signals BLP’s united front for winning next poll
By ALBERT BRANDFORD POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
HAS GEORGE PAYNE recanted? Or has the godfather of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) finally decided, in the face of a crucial pending general election, that he needs “all hands on deck” and sought to make peace with the one truly independent MP he couldn’t intimidate?
No one should have been surprised to see an obviously delighted Prime Minister Owen Arthur in the DAILY NATION of Tuesday, February 27, smiling up at Payne during the joint St Andrew/St Joseph branch meeting last Sunday at the Chalky Mount Primary School.
The photograph was visual confirmation of the re-emergence of the man whose opponents derided as “Silent George” in the wilderness years after he was fired from the Cabinet in April 2000.
That the Prime Minister could sit in that schoolroom and smile through Payne’s recitation of a litany of neglect of the parish – which he would have to believe was a form of punishment for his defiance – would suggest that the rapprochement had been initiated by the BLP kingpin himself.
Don’t forget that the pair has a “history” going back to Arthur’s election as Leader of the Opposition in 1993 to replace Henry [now Sir Henry] Forde – he of the irritable bowel syndrome – and that Payne was the lone holdout and author of the still confidential letter that had the potential, those in the know say, to turn the Beehive inside out.
Suddenly, we’ve seen the carefully orchestrated rollout of the re-emergence of George Walton Payne, even more fiercely independent and still defiant, and his declaration to the world that he was “disappointed” none of the plans [not his, but the BLP’s] for the St Andrew constituency had been fulfilled.
“I, myself, am somewhat disappointed. . . . There are a number of outstanding issues in St Andrew going back to when I was in Cabinet when the plans were actually in place, and we’ve seen other plans in other areas actually being started and some come to fruition and nothing has happened in St Andrew,” Payne lamented.
Though he seemed regretful at the outcome of his estrangement from Arthur, it was obvious that Payne was still not prepared to yield up his independence even at the expense of people questioning his stated “commitment to the people of St Andrew”.
Though not a nationally admired figure, in the sense that people have a perception of him – possibly undeserved – as arrogant, he is nonetheless regarded as being one of the most parochial of modern politicians who pays the kind of attention to his constituency that others only envy.
It is perhaps on the strength of that power base that he has been able to live through the intimidation and threats to his independence from those in the BLP which some say is run almost like a mafia.
He would appreciate then, the analogy contained in a theory by the American linguist and foreign policy expert, Noam Chomsky, on the current Bush Administration’s mafia-style approach to diplomacy.
In an interview this week, Chomsky suggested that aback of much of George Bush’s troubles with several states around the world, including Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, is an intolerance of independence and that international affairs is pretty much being run “like the mafia”.
“The godfather does not accept disobedience, even from a small storekeeper who doesn’t pay his protection money,” Chomsky said. “You have to have obedience otherwise the idea can spread that you don’t have to listen to the orders and it can spread to important places.”
Therefore, he added, the message from the United States now to those countries was that independent development was being regarded as a “virus that could infect others” and as a result the US had a commitment to ensuring obedience.
In much the same way, at the time of Payne’s firing, some analysts believed that the Prime Minister was laying down his godfather-like leadership style – a proposition which seemed supported by the fact that only months earlier [without explanation in either case] he had sacked the “cantankerous” Liz Thompson from the Cabinet “pour encourager les autres”.
Political scientist and pollster Peter Wickham interpreted Arthur’s move then as “nothing more than an occasion taken to discipline [Thompson and Payne], so he could rein in the other Cabinet ministers”.
“What I am seeing now is a far clearer leadership style emerging that suggests Arthur is looking towards ministers behaving in an acceptable fashion that does not appear arrogant,” Wickham said on a Voice Of Barbados radio programme, Point At Issue.
“I am seeing a clear indication that the public supports the leadership style of Arthur – a style which is a grassroots approach to politics, not arrogant.”
Fellow panellist, Dr George Belle, a University of the West Indies lecturer in government and politics, felt, however, that despite Arthur’s large majority of support among the people, the danger in firing Thompson and Payne was that their credibility would be damaged in the 2003 general election.
“[Arthur] is in a sense gambling that he could lose these two seats because of this,” Belle said, “and I think he is prepared to do that. I think what he is securing is the understanding, in historical terms, of what brought down other governments, and particularly what brought the Barbados Labour Party down [in 1986].”
Payne, for his part, was essentially dismissive of the allegations of arrogance, and true to form, returned to his constituents for fortification after which he issued a statement rejecting the negative suggestions.
“During the past few days, I have been portrayed in a certain section of the media in a very negative light by persons who do not know me,” he said. “I am, however, comforted by the outpouring of support from such a wide cross section of Barbadians who have all expressed dismay at the misleading nature of those sentiments.
“As a minister of Government, I have always acted with the utmost propriety and will continue to do so and hold my head high as a Member of Parliament until the people of St Andrew decide otherwise.
“I have no regrets for the decisions that I made or the stand that I took on this matter and I hold no bitterness towards anyone.”
The “matter” to which Payne referred was a bitter and very public contretemps with a senior journalist editor which many felt was at the very least the trigger for the MP’s dismissal from Cabinet.
In the intervening years, Payne kept a very low public profile and endured taunts in and out of the House of Assembly for his silence on national issues.
But while he might have disappeared from the national stage, Payne was very much at the centre of activities in his “neglected” parish and built up something of a local legend with The Thursday Club, the social and community arm of the BLP’s St Andrew branch, as some of those who celebrated his 16th year in Parliament a week ago in Shorey Village testified.
Payne’s commitment to the parish and his relevance to the BLP’s fortunes have never been lost on a politician as astute as the Prime Minister who unsurprisingly a few weeks ago expressed his determination to fight to retain both the St Andrew and adjoining St Joseph seats for the BLP.
His re-emergence in the media, the breaking of his long, relative silence in the House of Assembly, a very public battle for constituents against the reputed largest single private landowner on the island, and the smiling public endorsement from Prime Minister Arthur means that George Walton Payne is very much back into the fold of the Barbados Labour Party.
The portents are not good for those who had written him off, or otherwise called on him to quit.
Perhaps the most ominous aspect of Payne’s re-emergence for them, and possibly for the outcome of the general election is the very public support from the man who had left him for so many years in “splendid isolation” – the “mafia godfather” who, if Payne had had his way in 1993, would today possibly be referred to only as the “Member for St Peter”. albertbrandford@nationnews.com
If the “dear leader” is still promising us that he will be implementing FOI and ATI laws – then as the saying goes, “he needs to get his finger out” and “bust a move” in the direction of his campaign promises.
The time for “dithering”, “lagging” and “lapsing” must surely be over by now given the current climate we are in and the storm clouds which are gathering and looming ominously on the horizon of our economic landscape.
Successive Bajan governments since the late, great, Right Honorable Prime Minister Errol Walton “dipper the skipper” Barrow (held the reins of political office), both the DLP & BLP have all bungled, messed up and flopped at carving out a sound, moral, ethical and visionary course for our country.
So from 1966 ( coming out of the political wilderness of colonialism) into an era of what is commonly termed (“post or past modernity”), as a nation we still do NOT have a clear “road-map” as to where we are going and how it is proposed to get there…
Again I reiterate the old Biblical maxim (which still holds true 3000 years later) – “where there is no vision, people perish – and my people perish for a lack of knowledge”…
As a nation, we pride ourselves on having a 98.9% literacy rate but so-called Westernized, British indoctrinated sociolinguistic mental programming has only made us into a Cohobblopot of egocentric, chauvinistic, whinging, selfish, greedy, individualistic bastards who frankly cannot even agree on a “piss-up” in Banks Brewery…
What a gargantuan waste of space!!!
So now, the end result is that after 43 years of so-called independence and supposed parliamentary democracy, we are no clearer to a defined goal as a nation and our political elites continue to war amongst themselves to advance their selfish interests.
What a colossal joke!!! Do we expect other nations to take us seriously?
The sad irony is the apathy which has permeated down the stratum of Bajan society affecting root and branch to the extent that even the common folks who deserve better from their elected leaders sit back in complacency thinking they can’t do nothing about the situation. For the love God, stop drinking the “fluorinated” water!!!
We claim to have all this educational ability but has NOT observational analysis taught us anything as we look at other countries namely Britain & the US…
Politicians must be held to account!!!
No elected leader or MP’s is above the written law or the “spirit” of the law. Every system must have checks and balances. Otherwise, we have a recipe for discerption, discombobulation and dissonance.
Bajan politicians MUST get their act together for the sake of the country at large. The obvious neglect, the shoddy treatment of our communities (other than if you live in the “Heights” & “Terraces”), the pathetic treatment of our disillusioned young men & women who have frankly lost all hope in the system, but most importantly, (GOD knows this is dear to my heart), the treatment of the “POOR” and the “ELDERLY” in our society (according to the Word of God) will either be fodder for our ultimate destruction or a harbinger and a safe harbor in a future time of great peril. Look back at the historical record and see how God dealt with those nations who through obfuscation reneged on their responsibility to the marginalized, dispossessed and disenfranchised.
I have laid it out and for those who read this blog – you know I don’t pull punches with anybody – as God is no respecter of persons – neither am I!!!
Hear or forbear – I don’t care who you are – the truth is the truth, so help me God!!!
By the way, I am a BLACKETT***
Mr. Blackett,
Thompson will not be introducing integrity legislation, FOI etc., until closer to the next election. That way he and his people can have the benefit of no rules during their first term, and still say “see, we did it” prior to the next election.
Or maybe it won’t pass or it will pass in parliament but then be held up being declared before the election is called.
This little dance is planned every step.
Sign me, “tired of the bullship”
These are only promises/ agreements to give money. The government is perhaps ashamed to say how much of that money they actually got. To get the money the poor officers of the government must first get drowned with paper work. Delays on the part of local bureaucrats and also EC bureaucrats can mean that you actually never get the money.What little they get is usually for consultants, mostly European consultants
Tell me what happend to the last 10 million?
No?
Didn’t think you would or could, wise guy
Thanks – R.I.A.W
You may probably be right given the apathy that is endemic and systemic within our society…
But please be mindful that a week, a month, a year, a term is a long time in politics…
Anyone with an ounce of political vision ( and let’s forget “spiritual insight” – as not to complicate things) will recognize that the “coming” proverbial winds of change SHALL be blowing with such ferocity that anything that can be shaken will be shaken…
No government anywhere in the world is going to be immune…
Our problem and what I perceive is probably our greatest weakness is that our nation has never been touched by nothing of cataclysmic proportions – so everything continues as it always has from the very beginning or at least within our lifetime…
The tragic nature of such indolence and complacency is that when something out of the blue DOES* hits us, (where no preparation has been made), the domino effect is going to completely anarchic…
If our government refuses to do things differently from the last corrupt, malfeasant administration – they too will suffer the repercussions of failed policies…
All the years David fought to be PM would have resulted in a failed, impotent legacy written by historians who aren’t kind…
What is so sad, is the fact that David Thompson is surrounded by a “bunch of imbeciles” who frankly are no different to the “crooks & turkeys” of the last administration. Men puffed up with arrogance, false pride and the leaven of insincerity. Men who believe that they are not accountable in any shape, form or fashion – bestowed with some “god-given” license to rob, cheat and steal with no shame, remorse or disdain whatsoever…
They don’t fool anybody!!! They can “ALL” be tarred and feathered with the same flippin’ brush…
My hope is that Barbados Free Press and its BLOGGERS will continue to EXPOSE* the lies, deceit and subterfuge which like a terminal cancer has now reach the very marrow of our society.
2010 through 2013 is going to be a painful time for the Caribbean, especially BARBADOS!!!
I have access to some research at my fingertips which I shudder to even think about publishing at this time but if the past is gauge and a thermometer to the future – those in “high places” will hopeful make wise decisions … If they don’t, the sword of Damocles hangs over us all…
But that is future discussion for another BLOG***
(Just maybe), the government will have fiscal strategies to avert what is coming down the road… Moreover, (just maybe) they will tell us the real truth about the state of our economy – but then that could be a tall order… (Just maybe) pigs will fly first!!!
Blessings my brother…
When Agreements are signed – it is MONEY in kitty…
When you sign your bank loan agreement – in a few days the cheque is either cut or the direct transfer is made into your account…
No , I cannot tell you.
I know enough to know that the preconditions for financial and macro- economic management of a country must be met and that the money is given in tranches. It is very unlikely that all the money was given one time. The way we were doing off- budget financing,the IMF and EU would not have been happy. Yes, the EU relies on the IMF for proof that the public finances of countries are in order and proper macro- economic policies are being followed. I doubt that Barbados got a second tranche of the money from the 10 million
Don’t worry people soon the Guyanese will take all the jobs Bajans have and all the money they make will be sent back home to help them live like Millionaires,the treasury will be broke and these bold face thieves called politicians won’t have any taxpayer money to blow..time coming soon.
Pingback: More EU charity millions for Barbados – still no rules, transparency or accountability. | Barbados Free Press
Pingback: EU schenkt 107 motorfietsen aan Burundi | Geen Nieuws
Hurrah! In the end I got a website from where I know how to actually obtain useful information regarding my study
and knowledge.
In I quit from this site I watch movies days without a break!