BPSA, happy with ‘pause ease’, backs vax fund

The private sector community, welcoming the phased easing of restrictions of commerce during the lockdown, on Friday pledged through a top spokesman to chip in with Government’s effort to buy COVID-19 vaccines.

Barbados Private Sector Association chairman Edward Clarke told Barbados TODAY that while the entire business community was eager to get back to some sense of normalcy after a month of lockdown, the announced phased reopening was welcome news.

He said: “Obviously we would have liked to see everything reopened, but we understand the Government’s position for a phased reopening like we did the last time around.

“So we appreciate the reopening relief at this time. It is good to get the economy moving again. We have a lot of construction, a lot of activity in a sector that needs to get going. We can get the hardware stores and people doing stuff around their homes at this time. We also look forward to the restaurants and the take-out and deliveries again. These are things that people have been asking for. So we are happy to see these things taking place at this time.”

On the funding for vaccines, Mottley did not outline how residents and businesses would contribute or how much but indicated that “donations” to a “national vaccine fund” would be necessary to cover costs for a portion of the vaccine to arrive here “shortly” from the COVAX Facility. COVAX is a World Health Organisation initiative to enable low- and middle-income nations to buy vaccines. COVAX’s initial allocation is intended to inoculate one-fifth of the population.

Declaring that Government continues to be under financial pressure, Mottley said: “In this vaccine journey we are not charging people, but we will be appealing to people to donate to the national vaccine fund at individual and at corporate levels.”

It remains unclear if or when the Mottley administration would meet with the Social Partnership to thrash out possible funding methods.

But Clarke told Barbados TODAY that while the private sector awaits word on the proposed national vaccine fund, it stands willing to do what it could to help.

“I heard the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday about a sort of fund for the vaccine.” he said. “We don’t know the details to that yet so we eagerly await more details on that and if we do have to contribute to that we will do so.”

Barbados has already embarked on a rigorous vaccination programme, after receiving some 90,000 doses of the Covashield/Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine as a gift from India two weeks ago.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced on Thursday that select industries are to reopen from Monday.

Those sectors include construction, fishing, manufacturing, construction and auto mechanics, as well as hardware, appliance and electrical and plumbing stores, fishing, administrative offices, businesses offering professional services, and critical public service offices operating with skeleton staff.

Fast-food restaurants are also to reopen to only provide curbside pick-up, drive-thru and delivery services.

But the 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew is to remain in place. (marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)