Barbados focused on long term goals amid pandemic

- by Barbados Today April 26, 2020

Tourism, tourism, tourism. Where is the “Investment” in the QEH in the BWA?

It is all about the lofty ambitions of the mostly foreign owned hotel industry.

What about the needs of Bajans for affordable Food, reliable Water supply – which would also enable sustainable food production – and health facilities?

This pandemic has changed the paradigm completely. Persons and Nations will look more internally. Social distancing will continue, which means people will restrict personal interactions to close family and friends, socializing and particularly foreign travel will suffer for years to come.

Countries are looking at supply lines in production, which will cause a retraction in Global trade.

Priorities will shift to local needs, not international travel. Mega Cruise ships have had substantial problems with spread of many viruses before this. It will be decades before this industry returns to previous levels especially as their main market is the vulnerable over 60 age group.

The economic fall out of this crisis worldwide will reduce incomes substantially and the way we work will change. Very few will have money to travel.

If this Gov’t does not shift its focus away from the advice of the “Investment” gurus and understand this is a whole new world where the basic survival of human beings is the priority – shelter, water, food, health care.

BASICS are the essential need now and for the next five years. Investment in the Water Authority, the Hospital, Food production, housing and jobs in local production like our earlier garment and furniture industries which were destroyed by Trinidad’s subsidization of its energy industry and VAT.

Barbados needs to start making things again. Real things which we can sell.