New president could be chosen as barven members remain at odds with leader

Fed up with disgruntled members levelling accusations at him, president of the Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs (BARVEN), Alister Alexander, will give the membership an opportunity to vote for a new leader next month, even though the election is not yet due.

The news followed a press conference on Thursday morning at which spokesperson for a group of 40 BARVEN members, Camille Stuart, disclosed that they had several longstanding issues with Alexander which he had failed to address.

Chief among them was what she described as exorbitant fees being charged by BARVEN to utilize the new market located at the Mighty Grynner Highway.

Stuart charged that vendors were now being charged $35 to $75 a day at that market, a far cry from the $10 weekly fee at BARVEN’s temporary market in Fontabelle.

She said vendors would be returning to the temporary market from Saturday.

“We are hoping to get back space in this market. That is what we want. We want to get back space in this market because this is our home and this is where we have been for many, many years. The goal is to get back space here because we cannot make any money down there,” Stuart said.

Among the plethora of grievances were: some members not being given their entitled spaces at the new market; ageism against older members; lack of funds and transparent accounting practices to explain how monies were being used; the arbitrary removal and installation of board members; and autocratic and erratic decision-making that was not in keeping with the procedures set out in BARVEN’s constitution.

Additionally, Stuart alleged that the BARVEN board had indicated that the organization was being changed from a non-profit organization without any explanation, and members would now be charged a fee.

However, when contacted by Barbados TODAY, Alexander who founded the association in 2002, contended that the accusations were false.

He said he would give the membership the opportunity to vote for another president at next month’s general meeting, even though elections are not due for another three years.

“We are looking to have a general meeting next month, and in this climate…even though I am not up for re-election, I plan to ask the board to permit me to offer my office up for re-election. So we will see if the members have confidence in me or don’t have confidence [in] me.

“If the majority have lost confidence with the president they can show that and they even have the opportunity to put up a candidate if they wish,” Alexander said.

As it relates to the fees charged by BARVEN for the use of its new market, Alexander said the organization had big goals. He said this included being self-sufficient and not having to depend on Government for financial support.

Additionally, he said, for the first time in its history, BARVEN had to pay its staff and security.

“We have a vision whereby we want to take ourselves out of the hands of having to depend upon Government for everything. We believe that a business community should be responsible for itself and should work towards being responsible for itself. We don’t believe we should have to ask Government for everything or be supported by the taxpayers’ money,” Alexander said (randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)