Bring the hard data!
That was the challenge thrown out to the government by Opposition Senator Tricia Watson regarding the benefits from the previous Cricket World Cups staged here, and the projected gains from the upcoming series which culminates in Barbados on June 29. She said the people of Barbados are waiting to hear how the staging of the tournament will benefit them.
Speaking on the theme “sharing the burden and reaping the bounty” during debate in the Upper House on the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies Bill 2024, Senator Watson chided the government for patting itself on the back for changes it has had to make to correct mistakes made in the 2007 Cricket World Cup and for “achieving” a loan.
The former World Cup Project Manager for the Cable & Wireless sponsorship of the 2007 endeavour, Senator Watson said the government at that time failed to take advantage of all the benefits of the event when there was an investment of some $200 million. Many of the legacy benefits were not realised then, she explained, as she bemoaned the absence of metrics that would evolve from such an event.
“Today we have talked at a very high level about benefits but have not quantified those benefits, because they are not quantifiable because we have not kept the data. We can talk about a bump in tourism arrivals in a particular month, but we cannot show how it has benefited our overall tourism development. This is a fact,” she insisted.
The opposition senator noted that the real issue for the average Barbadian is “what is the benefit to me”.
Senator Watson said the “alleged” benefits of the 2007 staging were in tourism.
“What we note is that there is a continued focus in the metrics on arrivals, and we are not linking the arrivals’ metrics to spend in Barbados. Economists in Barbados have said specifically that we do not see the spillover effects of tourism in Barbados.
“We cannot show the numbers,” she told her colleagues in the Senate, adding that no one is reporting on the spend from cruise tourism and there is no tracking of visitors’ contribution to the local economy.
“A lot of the value-add for tourism happens outside of Barbados. And there are metrics that also indicate that tourism is notoriously a low-earning job for most of the people in that sector, second only to agriculture in Barbados.”
Senator Watson further asked: “Can we have the data that shows the economic benefits to Barbados after Cricket World Cup 2007, beyond the boost of the following months? And can we see the data that shows the benefits to Barbados after the hosting of the T20 tournament in 2010. Can we see the data?
“The only entity that owns that data is the Government of Barbados,” Senator Watson said.
Responding to the opposition senator’s queries and comments, Government Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight said the benefits from increased sales to vendors and those involved directly in the event can be assessed.
Senator Munro-Knight added that the country’s recently-reported real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.1 per cent is also available to those who have called for data.
Though Senator Watson called specifically for the statistical information relating to the 2007 Cricket World Cup and prospects for next month’s games, the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister stressed that the increased business to the fisherfolk at Oistins is also easily available for those looking to quantify the benefits of the government’s investment activities.
“It is clear that we would have the evidence, particularly as it relates to tourism. I was very clear to identify all the opportunities and benefits that would be given to entrepreneurs. That was part of government’s deliberate design in the hosting and development of World Cup 2024,” Senator Munro-Knight told the Chamber.
She said in addition to the fisherfolk, people who sell sweets and balloons would know if they have had increased sales. There will also be opportunities in the City and at Hayman’s Market, St Peter from which the average Barbadian can benefit, she added.
Accusing some of “continually wanting to kick the gift horse in the mouth”, Senator Munro-Knight said the benefits package had been outlined in earlier debates in both Chambers of Parliament.
“There are some things that a government has to do…and benefits may not be seen upfront in the short-term, but there are things we do for the long-term,” she added.
(SP)
