DLP president gives Gov’t failing grade for good governance

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) president Dr. Ronnie Yearwood has accused the Mia Mottley Administration of failing to live up to its pledges to restore the ideals of good governance in Barbados.

And he charged that elements like transparency and accountability are missing in several areas, especially in Government’s spending. During his address at the DLP’s 67th annual general conference on Saturday, Yearwood added his voice to those questioning the creation of several new posts and the rumoured salaries that these people are receiving, one of which is allegedly $20,000 per month.

“No one is yet to explain, with limited resources, why we need a chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s office when we have a permanent secretary,” Yearwood told the party faithful gathered at George Street.

“But it gets worse, in June, a stylist was moved into the job of chief of protocol but don’t we already have a chief of protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Why are we duplicating work? Then there is a director and the director has staff. All of these people working for tens of thousands of dollars a month and it is not necessarily the money or the consultants but you have to explain and talk to us and tell us why you are doing these things.

“We have put you there, we deserve better. We demand better. We demand you take responsibility for your actions. You are the government and I can list enough of the consultants that government is lavishing taxpayers’ money on, yet none of these people can come up with solutions and every time there is a problem they are coming to us for solutions. Meanwhile, thousands of qualified Barbadian young men and women cannot find work,” Yearwood lamented.

The political leader extended this supposed lack of good governance to other areas such as the disaster unfolding with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), the high and increasing cost of living, food prices and fuel costs, and the crime situation. He also alleged that good governance is not seated at the same table as the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government when a member of that Administration can “attack” fellow Barbadians for “exercising our Constitutional right” to seek clarity on legislation which would directly affect them and other citizens.

“Then the Prime Minister, who is known to dramatically chastise world leaders for ignoring the voice of the small man and small nations, stood up and applauded this act of vilifying and insulting private citizens. We dared to ask for transparency, we dare to ask for good governance that we were promised, how dare us. Meanwhile, the fantasy politics continues.

“Barbados finds itself in a very odd and strange place, a government with all the seats. On paper, a supposedly talented Cabinet; constant, almost 24-hour hyper communication from government and like Poonka and he donkey – all over the place. Yet an animal farm mentality pervades throughout the government using media to control the story, while the actual results are meagre. All the results bragged about, debt restructuring has come back to haunt us in the very ways that some have warned,” Yearwood charged. (KC)