Since the sudden, drastic and unprecedented economic fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there have been calls from many quarters for Government to state the official unemployment figure.
Many are rightly concerned about where we have found ourselves as a developing nation.
The only way we can get ourselves out of the rot and start to work towards a sound economic plan of action is if we know exactly where we are.
Indeed, any chance of us recovering will require “all hands on deck” as our Prime Minister has reminded us time and time again.
So the state of the economy and our unemployment rate should not just be known by those tasked with governing us. The information should be available to all proverbial hands. Barbadians are requesting the unvarnished facts, and so do we.
Government cannot include people when it fits its agenda and conversely exclude them when the optics appear unfavourable.
Our Government also must not allow a vacuum to be filled with reckless misinformation throughout the country, causing panic among our citizens.
Loose unemployment figures have been bandied about. Some are claiming rates as low as 25 per cent to as high as 60 per cent. The guessing game must stop. Government ought to come out and rubbish any embellished or untrue information about a matter as important as unemployment at this time.
Government needs to silence those on social media and the call-in programmes who are claiming that the figures seem to be a “state secret”. But so far, that is what it appears to be.
It is as unacceptable as it is distressing that the last two Central Bank quarter reports, March and June, stated “not available” on the rate of unemployment. “Not available” or “we don’t want to tell you”?
Leader of the Opposition Reverend Joseph Atherley has expressed concern about the economy and suggested that a billion-dollar problem needed a billion-dollar response.
While outlining some of the major losses that plagued the economy Atherley said: “We are concerned that we are not being given proper figures with respect to the unemployment rate in Barbados.
“We are told about the number of people who have to rely on NIS in the current circumstances. We are told that 30, 35, 40, 45-thousand people are on NIS. We are not being made aware as to the total unemployment rate in Barbados.”
On Wednesday, as the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill went before the Senate, Senator Crystal Drakes made the call for the unemployment figures yet again.
“While going through this COVID-19 pandemic and all of the destruction it has caused I am yet to hear an estimated figure for the rate of unemployment in Barbados,” Senator Drakes said, echoing her Lower-Chamber leader’s sentiments.
Yet, Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins strenuously objected to Senator Drakes’ query on more than one occasion. What is very telling, though, is that despite two passionate and forceful submissions defending her Government by stating that the figures were indeed released, she still could not state the figure for the benefit of the chamber and the public.
So Opposition Senator Drakes stuck to her guns.
“When I ask what is the official rate of unemployment, both the bank’s reports for the end of March and the end of June have ‘not available’.
“If anyone in this room can stand and give me the official rate of unemployment I would be happy to hear what it is.”
She continued: “I did not ask Mr President how many unemployment claims came through the NIS, I asked what is the rate of unemployment because what is clear is that stating 40,000 NIS claims have been processed or gone through the NIS is not an accurate representation because there are many persons who are no longer eligible for NIS, there are others who have gone back out to work, and then there are those who are not eligible for NIS who were working before COVID who are still without a means of income.”
Ironically, while the Opposition continually calls for the unemployment rate, no such call has come from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU).
One would think that something as critical as unemployment would engage the attention of the island’s largest labour movement. After all, worker and worker-related issues are still supposed to be their number one priority. Newly-minted Labour MP Toni Moore, the BWU’s head honcho, should be most particularly interested in that figure being made public.
Perhaps Cabinet has indeed been furnished with the figure but sees it fit not to disclose it. The current administration seemingly has a propensity for controlling most narratives.
We end with the same point and at the same place where Senator Drakes ended her submission on Wednesday during the Senate debate.
Senator Drakes said: “I end then by asking: What is the official rate of unemployment in Barbados? And what is the rate of youth unemployment in Barbados?”
Give us these unemployment figures. The People have a right to know.
