BARBADOS IS ALWAYS ON HIS MIND – Crisp, rapid fire remarks on the reality of economics of a small developing nation, what needed to be done and how it should be done. Owen Arthurs econ students hung on his every word and peppered him with questions wherever they could. He was not just trained in economics but demonstrated a flair and tremendous insight in how to handle small island economic and social issues –UWI CAVEHILL circa 1980s. BARBADOS CANNOT OPERATE ON HALF OF ITS STRENGTH –the country is crippled when it can only access half of its abilities, tribal politics must not take root in Barbados. I will make a place around me for people of talent and ability to contribute to move this country forward. The DLP opposition must always be abreast of key issues affecting the country so that continuity of good policy was more possible. And he did. We prospered. ORDINARY BARBADIANS MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE WEALTH OF THE COUNTRY – 30,000 jobs created to boost spending power; formation of 11,000 new businesses to benefit from the spending; incentives and opportunities for investment and government contracts for small businesses. This moved thousands of working class persons into the lower-middle class and middle class. He moved the GDP of the country from 4b to 9b in 14 years. We prospered. BARBADOS MUST BE FIRST SMALL ISLAND STATE TO REACH DEVELOPED STATUS – acceleration of the growth of the middle-class by facilitating the expansion of UWI to supply the economy with skills, diversification of the economy, and deepen tourism and offshore. Our children reflected the benefits of their parents prosperity – technology, travel, nutrition, health care, dress, education, quality housing etc. Our children could dream and pursue their goals. BARBADOS MUST SPARKLE – in 2007rubbing his hands with glee as he carefully explained the route to move gov’t revenues from 2.8b per annum to 4b by 2009. What benefit can we bring to the people’s lives with this improved revenue? – full free nursery education and an aggressive senior citizens program to raise the quality of life for seniors and eliminate the ravages of poverty from their lives. In the previous term he set about rebuilding the aging capital goods while income was good – prison, highway, hospital, judicial centre, schools, boardwalk, sewage project. BARBADOS MUST BE PROTECTED AND RESPECTED- the fierce protection of the lion emerged in the shiprider agreement, OECD challenge, the Law of the Sea aggression from Trinidad; formulated policy for Commonwealth small island states. He was to become the Prime Ministers of prime Ministers as he assisted and guided his brethren in the region. POOR PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO WAIT- Fast track agencies formed to directly deal with those still hampered by poverty. Cartroads made into concrete roads, bathrooms and toilets for the poor and disabled, housing for welfare recipients, street lighting across the country, micro loans for small people, 100% mortgages to speed up homeownership and Tenantries Act to give them a piece of the rock. Transformed the lives of the poor in rural Barbados and parts of urban Barbados. He had his strengths and he had his weaknesses, but today he is probably the best Prime Minister this country has ever had. Thank you and it was a privilege for me to watch you operate, your skill in economic matters, the incisiveness of your mind. But most of all I thank you for your commitment to this country.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:10:36 +0000