BARP goes more online ‘to keep members safe’

The Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) is extending its slate of online services to keep its 27,000 members safe from the coronavirus, president Marilyn Rice-Bowen announced on Friday.

She said the services would be made available from Wednesday, two days after BARP officially reopens its Mervue House, Marine Gardens, Hastings, Christ Church headquarters.

Acknowledging that its membership was among those at high risk of contracting a lethal form of COVID-19, Rice-Bowen said the decision to expand its online services was made to keep its members indoors.

She said: “Even though the protocols have been relaxed COVID-19 is still here so we need to ensure that we protect our seniors. So we are in the position come Wednesday, June 24, our members can go online and pay their membership dues.”

Members could pay online via SurePay, First Citizens, City of Bridgetown Credit Union, Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union and mMoney, she said.

BARP is also in the final stages of negotiations with Republic Bank to have them on board, Rice-Bowen added.

BARP’s Interim general manager Betty Proute said the office would reopen in a staggered approach.

She said with around 7,000 persons needing to renew their membership an influx of people is expected. But a system has been devised to cater to members’ needs, she said.

Proute said: “Come Monday, we will want to have a staggered approach. Membership that has expired up to April, we are asking those members to come in. We are going to run that for about a three-week period, so anyone who is outstanding from about February up to April you are welcomed to visit the office from June 22 to July 10.

“Persons whose membership expired in May we are going to ask you to come from July 13 to July 22 and those whose membership expired in June and July you can come from July 23 onwards.”

She said certain protocols would also be in place such as temperature checks and increased security. The wearing of masks will also be mandatory.

But Proute urged would-be first-time members to defer for a short while as the association renews expired membership.

Rice-Bowen warned its members not to flock to conduct business when BARP reopens.

She said she had been given the green light to close BARP if too many people were outside of the building.

The BARP leader declared: “I want to advise the members that if I deem that our numbers are too great outside I am going to tell you that I will close these doors.

“We will not be responsible and BARP will not encourage a situation where we will place one or any life at risk. If the numbers are too large we are going to close and put another arrangement in place.”

She also used the opportunity to thank the association’s insurance agencies for upholding the policies of members during the COVID-19 pandemic, until the end of May.

But the BARP life benefit premium had increased from $40 annually to $58, she announced.

“We had an option to delink, but if we had separated the life benefit from our membership dues the premium would have members of the Board of Directors we were not prepared to put our members through that during this period,” Rice-Bowen said.