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A draft policy to address Barbados’ declining population rate would see authorities providing child subsidies for low-income single parents along with affordable fertility assessments and treatments, and facilitating foreigners taking up residence here.

The just-released draft Barbados Population Policy warns that failure to take steps to counteract what is one of the lowest population growth rates in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would have detrimental economic and social consequences.

Noting the steady decline in birth and death rates since independence, an executive summary of the policy stated: “An ageing population, without any intervention, will result in consequential decreases in the workforce, increases in the care responsibility of a minority for the majority of the population; declines in government revenues as the tax-base contracts and a likely decline in economic, social and cultural dynamism.”

Against that backdrop, the document outlines three policy goals: to promote the maintenance of a population size that is sufficient to sustain adequate levels of social care, productivity and labour force participation; to provide Barbadians and non-nationals with opportunities for personal development; and to promote integrated settlement development and safeguard the ecological balance.

To achieve that first goal, the Government intends to develop and implement a pro-growth migration policy that outlines the categories of people entitled to citizenship, permanent residence and work permits and reduce the bureaucratic processes.

The aim is to attain “an incremental increase in the population of working age through managed migration, to grow the population by 185 000 by 2050”.

“This incremental approach should be informed by annual targets for migration informed by needed skills sets and the absorptive capacity of the labour market; availability of housing and needed social services; and collection of data on migrants, including location of settlement, sectors of employment, and numbers of accompanying family members,” the document stated.

Barbados’ total population has grown by just 24 per cent in the last 60 years, according to the draft policy, with birth and fertility rates consistently falling since 1980 and only a modest rise in immigration coupled with a decline in Barbadians migrating.

As of 2021, the population stood at 281 200, with the United Nations World Population Prospects putting the figure at 281 995 as of this year.

According to the draft policy, measures will also be implemented to retain and repatriate Barbadians to reverse brain drain.

To enhance family well-being to support reproductive decision-making, the Government will develop and implement a family policy that addresses social protection through “child benefit subsidies, especially for low-income single parents and subsidised housing for low-income single-parent households”.

It will also ensure high-quality and accessible child care, especially for children under the age of three, and guarantee the implementation of “a gender-responsive child support legal framework”.

The policy also advocates for gender equality by promoting equal sharing of unpaid care work between women and men.

It further speaks to changes in the workplace to “make provisions for longer periods of maternity leave, depending on the number of children under school age in the household; establish paternity leave and shared parental leave measures; and promote flexible working arrangements that respond to care responsibilities”.

The family aspect of the policy is also grounded in access to health care to “ensure access to affordable fertility assessments and treatments, and ensure non-discriminatory and age-appropriate access to sexual and reproductive information and services across the life cycle”.

Age-appropriate and non-discriminatory comprehensive life skills education in schools consistent with the developing capacities of young people, and access to quality sexual and reproductive services, including for adolescents and youth, are also outlined in the policy.

The document also addresses efforts to promote and strengthen the care economy by, among other things, providing tax breaks or cash allowances for caregivers who, in their private households, provide care for elderly persons or other dependents; and training a cadre of people who can provide remunerated and temporary care to give primary caregivers periodic breaks.

A review of the mandatory age of retirement is also on the cards under the policy.

So too is a reconciliation of population redistribution, land use and settlement patterns which includes encouraging higher-density residential development within the urban corridor to reduce incursion into agricultural lands and for efficient delivery of services; and encouraging the placement of major development facilities including schools, health centres, police stations and community facilities in predominantly residential areas.

There is also a plan to strengthen collective resilience to the impacts of a changing climate.

According to the executive summary, the draft Barbados Population Policy is cross-sectoral and multidimensional and its implementation will depend on the Government, social partners, civil society actors, trade unions, private sector and communities.

“It should be accompanied by a plan of action developed by an Inter-sectoral Implementation Group which will be the framework for the design, financing, monitoring and evaluation, collaboration, and coordination of the plan,” it stated, adding that the plan of action should contain time-bound commitments, and be adequately resourced to ensure accountability for implementation.

The National Population Commission which prepared the draft policy has invited comments from the public to help finalise the document.

Barbadians have until March 31 to submit their comments.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb