The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration has been praised for its willingness to tackle the country’s economic issues head-on and its readiness to implement tough measures.
The approval has come from the Jamaica’s Opposition Leader and President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Peter Phillips, who also challenged Barbadians to hold strain during this trying period.
Speaking at the BLP’s 80th Annual Conference today, Dr Phillips described the economic challenges facing the Caribbean as “its most serious since Independence”.
In an obvious reference to Government’s implementation of its own Barbados Economic Recovery and Transition (BERT) programme and the subsequent debt restructuring exercise, he said had Barbados looked to international organizations for a programme much tougher demands would have been asked.
“As your brother, having walked through the fire before…it’s incumbent on me to share a little bit of what I have learnt from that experience. The first point I would like to make is simply this; the basic responsibility that comes with Independence and sovereignty is the requirement to manage your own economic and fiscal affairs,” Dr Phillips said.
“If you don’t manage your personal accounts, your fiscal affairs, your national accounts, well someone will come and manage it for you and that is the very opposite of Independence.
“Because let me tell you, the banks in the international community, the multilateral organizations, when they intervene, quite frankly they intervene with more detail, more comprehensively than was the case with colonial authorities in the last years of colonialism. So I applaud the BLP Government for agreeing to bite the bullet and take charge of the fiscal accounts of this country,” he added.
Dr Phillips said while some of the demands which had been placed on Barbadians were indeed tough, success was on the horizon.
“The second thing I would like to say on a more hopeful note is that if you take the hard decisions early, if you stay the course, if you sustain your patience and your courage you will achieve success.
“This is not a task for the fainthearted nor is it a task for the impatient, but I would say that with honesty and forthrightness and willingness to take the people into your confidence at every step of the way, they will walk with you and understand, because these are the same people that fought and struggled to get Independence and they don’t intend to give it up now,” Dr Phillips said to rapturous applause.
He also encouraged the Mia Mottley-led Government not to depend solely on the promises of those international agencies which have pledged their assistance.
Instead, he said what was required was for her Government to work above and beyond and in the best interest of Barbadians.
“When we took on the battle there were many promises made by elements in the international community of resources that would flow, but as they say in the good book promises are a comfort to [a fool]. Give thanks for the promises but understand if the promises are not fulfilled, don’t let that cause you to waiver in your determination to reach the end point of your objectives.
“…In order to manage by ourselves it will take a great revival of the national spirit. We have to be equal to the task as our forefathers and mothers were, to build up the great capacities of our people. To face the challenges of the time it will require a quality of political work like nothing you have had to face since you took up the challenge to secure Independence,” Dr Phillips said.
“But you can do it. It can be done because it has to be done.”
Claudia Gardner
Why him?
Is that we Bajans have come to?
Seeking support from just anyone that supports us
No wonder why we are now the laughing stock of the Caribbean
I guess 1 from 10 really does leave zero
Is he pledging to join the CCJ if his party wins in Jamaica next time too
Smh
They chose the wrong country to endorse this IMF structural adjustment program. Look how Jamaica dollar keeps falling…
Prolly why he in opposition lol
Ha ha you can buy all you want
BLP getting ready to be in Opposition already
Devaluation on the Cards now, Lord help us
This One Term Government in a Tail Spin
Am who fough our Independence again! Errol Barrow and the DLP, Mr Opposition leader of Jamaica!
They even trying hard to convince their own members that BERT is hood for the domestic market in Barbados.
Look at the faces of their members, Humphrey, Cheltenham and company, they all have fear on their faces. This Mia Mottley lead government is finding it very hard convincing even it’s cabinet members about their method, and it’s ability to preserve their seats in parliament come next election.
Do I hear an implosion, do I hear self destruction, do I hear a motion of no confidence, early dissolving of parliament and new polls to avoid the popularity slide? These are all possibilities, but one thing for sure, this government will not run a full term in office, maybe even a 2020 or 2021 election date for Barbados.
Looka the DEM YARD FOWLS wishing the WORST for the COUNTRY and for DEM SELVES just because the MASSES decided enough was enough and organize a NATION WIDE SHUTDOWN of that DAMN LYING CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY… nothing more than a NOTHINGARIAN group of Political LOSERS whose only solace now is to pick here ,there and everywhere with the hope of the MASSES warming towards that CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY again.
I say to you the MASSES if you know what’s good for yourself and the Country..NEVER EVER VOTE FOR the CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY in your lifetime… and pass the message on to your children.
…and I will AGAIN say to the UPP and SOLUTIONS BARBADOS …get your ACT together and be prepared to be the NEXT OPPOSITION in 5 years time.
…..and I say to you ,the DEM YARD FOWLS here on this forum who seem hell bent on telling DEMSELVES that the BLP is bringing hardships on the MASSES and finding fault with ANYTHING that involves the BLP in an attempt to bring them down…I WILL BE JUST AS HELL BENT on REMINDING the MASSES of what that CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY clASS of 2008-2018 did to this COUNTRY
…and I will REPEAT it OVER and OVER AGAIN…and a MISERABLE LOSER like PATTY can like it ,lump it or simply just GO TO HELL…since she gets OFFENDED when I REMIND the MASSES of what her beloved PARTY did to this Country.
@greenMOUTgiant….Elections in 2020 or 2021 DOES NOT mean a return of that CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY.
If you had any Political sense it should have dawn on a miserable soul like YOU that the doings of the DLP would be still FRESH in the minds of the MASSES and furthermore around that same time the MASSES would have begun to see IMPROVEMENTS ALL AROUND.
…and what IMPLOSION and NO CONFIDENCE are you telling yourself?…in the BLP CAMP ?….and NOT down there in GEORGE STREET ???? are you telling yourself that an IMPLOSION and/or a NO CONFIDENCE is not going to occur when 3 or 4 other LOSERS INCLUDING DONVILLE INNISS challenge the TWO BIGGEST LOSERS for the PRESIDENCY and VICE PRESIDENCY of that NOTHINGARIAN POLITICAL PARTY before the next Election ?
Are YOU telling yourself that SEALEY,ESTWICK,KELLMAN( yes KELLMAN ),INNISS and the short Lashley are NOT going to CHALLENGE DePeiza or Irene? and that ALL is well in DEM camp as I speak?
Elections in 2020 or 2021 and DEM don’t even know that NINJA MAN wants to contest that CITY seat on a DEMs ticket ?…name your 30 candidates then…doan just talk IDLE,,,doan put ya mout in neutral and just let it run….NAME DEM.
YOU stay tuned to the BLP CAMP…I gine stay tuned to the DLP camp
You serious Mr Phillips when the fox lose his tail he wanted all the others to lose theirs
Come on a Jamaican politician talking nonsense to Bajans gimme a frigging break,de Jamaican dollar is worse than monopoly money.
Cannot even get his country on any good footing since going to the same IMF and want to see everyone following him
This is all theatrics seasoned with politrics by a charismatic political animal. The Barbados Labour Patry’s decision to jump into bed with the IMF, and screw the people, is been touted as the best economic brew. Jamaica has been in the IMF jaws for about forty years, and cannot get out.
The country is still there,and the currency exchange rate is dropping. So what advice can Dr. Phillips – a failed former Finance Minister in former Prime Minister Portia Miller’s government give Mia.
Here are the facts. Mia’s uncle Elombe Mottley is married to the Leader of opposition Business in the Jamaica Senate, criminal attorney Donna Scott-Mottley. She is also the PNP’s Shadow Justice Minister in the upper House. So the people of Barbados can see the kind of chess game being skillfully played with their minds, by a very very skillful politician called Mia Amor Mottley.
Don’t forget, she is the granddaughter of a once skillful politician also, Ernest Deighton Mottley, who was the first Mayor of Bridgetown in 1959.
He died at 65 years old April 27th 1973, and is buried in St.Mary’s Anglican churchyard.
Remember Mia when them Jamaicans was pampalaming pon we about the IMF we feel we is GOD’S don’t be fooled them don’t like we PM, keep enemies closer so when them crying ya could laugh over them head ,they always want see bajans fail and we country run down, but wanna wish
I’m thinking this is just bad politics by Mia but I know very little about politics.Why would you invite the opposition leader of any country to speak in a setting like this?
I think Mia needs to settle down just a bit.
This is just “optics” and it is not even good politics. I personally know Jamaicans living in Barbados and do not want to go back and live in Jamaica ever again. Going to the IMF is not like going to a Sunday afternoon picnic. It is going to be torturous for quite a long time..
O loss
….and wunna IGRUNT DEM YARD FOWLS,PIMPS and PALING COCKS din ENDORSED one FREUNDEL JEROME STUART… wunna vex that NOT A FELLA, man, nor a RODENT ANYWHERE ELSE in the WORLD endorsed NOT ONE RH under him so what is wrong with a FOREIGNER endorsing we PM ?….that in telling wunna REJECTED and DEJECTED YARD FOWLS something ? and didn’t two PRIME MINISTERS closer to Barbados than JAMAICA also ENDORSED FREUNDEL STUART by saying NOTHING when ASKED about the said FREUNDEL JEROME STUART…their SILENCE was DEAFENING then as well as those SAME YARD FOWLS whose only solace then was to skin DEM teet and grin from ear to ear like CHESIRE CATS.
Well said Shevon Griffith and I will go RECENTLY when one Hilary Beckles name a STADIUM here after USAIN BOLT and the said USAIN BOLT was ASKED TO OFFICIALLY open it …. HE NEVER DID…and we got IGRUNT BAJANS bout hey trying to sing like those YARDIES,putting yardie names on their dwellings and supporting the NONSENSE coming out of Jamaica in the guise of music that don’t even make the airways in Jamaica.
Mind you I am a FAVORITE of those songs coming out of Jamaica in the sixties and 70s and a couple right up to this time ,but certain PLAIN DUB sh8 should be DIVERTED to the BOSOMS and the BOWELS of ALL sewage systems here as done in JAMAICA.
@ Harry Twist Mouth
Girl go take a rest yuh panties showing
….and BIG MAN before you left home ,you din notice who else panties were showing …think there were for your eyes ?
All that BIG MOUT this BIG MAN got here ,he aint got the balls to say those same words at home fa he mudda to hear.