Credit unions want a relook of leadership rotation

One long-standing credit unionist is calling for a change in the term limit of those charged with leading the credit union movement.

This suggestion was put forward recently during a special meeting of the Barbados Cooperatives Societies at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

Past president of the Barbados Co-operative Credit Union League Ltd Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Browne raised the issue as he outlined plans for a proposed Barbados Energy Sustainable Co-op (BESCO) to lead investment in the renewable energy sector here.

Browne said the aim was to have the new “special purpose” cooperative led by someone who had many years of experience and a track record of outstanding work, but should not be removed after a short term such as a year or two.

“That is one of the big concerns because we cannot afford to start a big operation like this, get the best people on board and then two years down the road somebody tell me ‘you know, Hally has been doing a good job but two years or so he got to go’. We really can’t afford that. When you find talent you have to maximize it. When he is not able anymore or when he is not performing then we will nicely tell Hally to step aside, but when he is working and producing we need him,” explained Browne.

“There is this situation in the cooperative movement of rotation of leadership where for some interesting reason, after a couple years, just when you get to be a well-known president and everybody in Barbados knows you and the press knows you and the businesses start to respect you, and they all expect you to do things, there is a law that says you can no longer be president and somebody new has to start all over again,” he complained.

Currently, presidents of the Barbados Co-operative & Credit Union League Ltd are allowed a three-year term, but are able to serve for two terms based on selection by members.

Browne argued that the time for a president of the movement to be removed was when they were no longer performing.

“I would like to see a change to the term limit being set based on performance,” he said.

“Can you imagine Bill Gates business running like that or Sagicor or Life of Barbados? Why does it apply to the credit union movement? Just when Hally Haynes or somebody whose name you know become established and reach the point where he can start to leverage decisions on behalf of the movement, that is not the time for him to disappear,” he said.

Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams suggested that the credit union movement make the recommendation to government so that the necessary change could be considered.

“I am sure if the cooperatives got together and represented that position to government then we may be able to do something about it. You all need to cooperate, consolidate and articulate,” said Abrahams.

The membership of the proposed BESCO would be made up of all co-operatives, energy suppliers, energy consumers and energy workers in Barbados. It would attract a membership fee of $100 and members would hold a minimum of $50 in shares.

Browne said one of the recommendations for the BESCO was the establishment of “high standards of governance”.

“I am not trying to sort out people who do not perform. I am talking about even going to the proactive stage of making sure that we put people in place who we know will perform because they have performed for the last five years or ten years. This is too important,” said the Electric Light & Power Advisory Committee (ELPAC) member.

Following its establishment, Browne said they would invite government to formally recognize this special new cooperative body as the primary agency for local investment. “We then need to invite Barbadians to support this new entity as their mechanism for investment in the [renewable energy] sector,” said Browne.