Sutherland tells business follow COVID-19 rules

In one of his last acts as Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland today pleaded with businesses to comply with COVID-19 protocols, as Government steps up pressure on the firms to follow its directives or face sanction.

Sutherland made the call Wednesday morning during a visit to two small businesses in St George – hours before he was replaced by Kerrie Symmonds as Minister for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in Prime Minister Mottley’s cabinet reshuffle in the evening. It was not immediately clear whether the commerce portfolio was also handed to Symmonds.

Following a trip to Watson’s Auto Mechanic Service in Workmans and to Moonlight Natural Wines in Jordans Land, Sutherland – now the Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment – said it was in the best interest of all businesses to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols.

His caution came two days after Coronavirus Czar Richard Carter delivered a final warning to those businesses which he said were continuing to flout the law.

He promised that if caught they would be closed down.

Sutherland told reporters: “We’re not out of the woods yet as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, as we open our borders flights are coming in and I would urge persons to take the necessary precautions. Adhere to the masks, the washing of hands and adhere to the protocols.

“We have families, we have persons that we interact with, we have our children. We go into our homes and we go into our offices and if we truly want to see Barbados return to some level of respectability then we have to and we should adhere to the protocols that have been put in place.”

The Minister warned that failure to adhere to the protocols could be devastating for the island’s economy and said Barbados could ill afford to have any more people unemployed.

Sutherland said: “It is good for commerce, having a safe place to operate in where persons adhere to the protocols, that’s how businesses will remain reopened. The day that one employee contracts that virus then we see businesses then beginning to layoff persons.

“So if you really care for your brother and returning some form of respectability to the employment levels of this country then you would adhere to the protocols and as Minister of Commerce, I would advise all businesses, whether small, medium, micro or large to adhere to the protocols. Help us to help you.” randybennett@barbadostoday.bb