Atherley: Budget won’t lead to any transformation

Former Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley says while Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s budget can be credited with having some vision, he is doubtful its contents will lead to any real transformation for the country or its people.
“A budget presentation that touches on some matters of importance. A vision for transformation? Much in doubt,” he said in his assessment of the contents of the address by Prime Minister Mottley, themed Mission Transformation, on Tuesday.
In fact, the leader of the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) said the presentation was more of a governing party’s manifesto than it was a budgetary exercise.
“To say that is neither to be overly critical of the exercise nor to deny the merits of the visionary content entailed therein. It does, after all, fall to the prime minister to articulate a vision for the country, to commit government to its pursuit and to encourage the nation to its actualisation,” he asserted.
“In this context, therefore, the question which has to be addressed is what are the transformational outcomes likely to be attained in the Barbados economy and in the socio-economic reality of our citizens as a result of the initiatives outlined?”
Atherley, therefore, questioned whether Mottley’s presentation was practical enough to positively transform the realities of the average Barbadian at the micro level.
“One can see the people in debt reduction and discount vis-a-vis obligation to state enterprises but this neither changes the circumstances that create delinquent debtors nor increases disposable income,” he suggested, referring to the offer of a 25 per cent discount for those who owe the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Barbados Water Authority if their debt is paid in full by September 15.
As for the measures to benefit the film and fashion industries, the PdP leader said it appeared “rather piecemeal when one considers the impulse and potential capacity of the culture and creative sector in Barbados”.
He said the same applied to the “blurred vision” with respect to sports.
“Let’s have community stadia – an essential in the face of community erosion…. Let us have purposeful state investment in the procurement of opportunity for development of our sportsmen and women,” Atherley recommended.
“Let us by dint of deliberate policy formulation and requisite state investment make the ability of our sports men and women an export product.”
As for the tourism industry, the veteran politician said transformation of the tourism sector must go beyond a temporary reduction of air travel and tourism development fee to boost dim summer prospects.
(EJ)