The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) have offered some commendation for Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s efforts to provide some relief to Barbadians from the current cost of living crisis.
But there are also complaints from DLP president Dr Ronnie Yearwood, about an approach to social protection that reduces the dignity of Barbadians, instead of empowering them.
On Thursday evening, Mottley announced a relief plan that included a reduction of the Valued Added TAX (VAT) charged on the first 250 kilowatts of electricity from 17.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent on residential bills. Mottley further revealed plans to expand the list of VAT-free food items and provide meals for school children over the summer break.
A month ago, the DLP made public a list of recommendations to ease the burden on Barbadians that included the expansion of the basket of VAT-free goods, another to bring forward the $1300 reverse tax credit for people earning less than $25,000, and the removal of excise tax on fuel.
Responding to the measures, Yearwood admitted he had no argument against the provision of school meals for vulnerable children.
“On a whole, we welcome the initiatives and we are glad that the government was listening,” said Yearwood.
On the other hand, the DLP president complained that the measures had not gone far enough or displayed the level of thoughtfulness needed to manage the current situation.
“The Prime Minister had the audacity to say $17.50 off of your light bill as if that is some grand gesture, when people’s light bills are in the hundreds. How is $17.50, not even a full 20 dollar bill, going to help you? That is almost trying to move water from the ocean with a teaspoon,” Dr Yearwood contended.
“Any good teacher can tell when the homework is done in a rush, it’s not given the thoughtfulness it needs and that’s what I am seeing from this government,” the UWI lecturer added.
He also criticised a “nannying” and “condescending” approach by the government to the issues facing Barbadians.
“When you look at the policies of the government, there is a nannying approach to it and an approach that says ‘we know best what is good for you’ and that cannot be right for a modern democracy. One of our big headline policies was literally to bring forward the tax credits to give people money in their hands so they can make the decisions that are best for them,” said Dr Yearwood.
“It wasn’t about trying to pick and choose items and telling them what to buy and that they should now buy chicken backs and that they should raise two rabbits in their yard. I find that to be a little bit condescending and ‘nannyish’ from the government and they should know better and they should do better,” he added.
The DLP president was alluding to new measures announced by Mottley, that will provide rabbits and chickens for small-scale farming, which in his opinion appears a bit outdated.
“This is Barbados in 2022 and you have to respond to the society that you find yourself in. Sometimes you feel like the government and maybe the Prime Minister a little bit are trapped in some kind of time warp like if she is responding to Barbados from the 1950s and 1960s,” said Yearwood.
“How am I going to tell constituents in places like St James South or even parts of Christ Church and developments in some parts of St Philip, to raise two rabbits and two chickens in their yards?” he asked.
The DLP president said much like the issue of crime, it appeared the government was struggling to manage the social and economic situation. Going forward, he has offered the DLP’s input at social partnership meetings such as the one where business leaders sat with Mottley to place constructive ideas on the table.
