Corporate Barbados has charged that the island’s umbrella trade union body is misreading the current investment climate in the country.
Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) Ed Clarke was responding to general secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Dennis De Peiza, who yesterday took the business sector to task for its “failure” to help speed up the implementation of pending capital projects. CTUSAB had criticised the private sector’s level of investment.
“The rollout of Government’s capital works projects has not been moving apace as anticipated, and the level of investment by corporate Barbados to drive the implementation of projects has been sadly lacking,” De Peiza had said.
He had also reminded the private sector that it is required to play a more decisive role in Barbados’ economic recovery, by identifying and investing in projects that would help provide employment opportunities for the over 40 000 Barbadians who are now unemployed.
In response to De Peiza’s criticism about lack of investment by corporate Barbados, Clarke contended that the private sector is, in fact, at the forefront of investing in the economy.
“I believe CTUSAB is misreading the current situation. The private sector is currently driving the new investment in the economy,” he told Barbados TODAY.
“There are a number of large private sector projects already underway and there are many others, including large renewable energy projects, in the pipeline as well,” the private sector spokesman declared.
However, Clarke admitted that the business sector would like to see more investment in the economy, especially in those projects that are linked to foreign direct investment.
“The projects that have been delayed are mainly those relating to the larger hotel investments, and most people can understand the reasons for some of the project delays at this time of COVID,” he said.
The BPSA chairman said the business sector looked forward to the collaboration and new and innovative thinking from the entire labour leadership team.
“We are all operating in a very new and changing environment. We must work together at the Social Partnership level to find new and sustainable ways to grow the Barbadian economy. We all have our own roles to play for team Barbados while trying to achieve a common goal,” Clarke told Barbados TODAY.
