Government moves to modernise Barbados’ non-financial cooperative sector

The Ministry of Energy, Business Development and Consumer Affairs has officially launched consultations to establish a national policy for the non-financial cooperative sector.

Speaking at the opening of a national stakeholder symposium on Saturday, Registrar of Co-operatives Brent Gittens said the government is committed to creating a structured strategic framework to ensure the sector’s long-term sustainability, governance, and growth.

He stressed that the policy must be shaped through stakeholder engagement and not developed in isolation.

“This policy … must be informed by the experiences, challenges, aspirations, and ideas of the people and organisations that make up the sector,” Gittens said. He encouraged participants to share candid feedback on matters ranging from digitalisation to market access.

The policy aims to address long-standing challenges faced by non-credit union cooperatives, including agricultural, transport, and consumer societies. Key objectives of the proposed framework include modernising outdated regulatory structures, some of which date back to the 1980s, improving access to affordable capital, and driving economic diversification in alignment with global Sustainable Development Goals.

Lead consultant Oriel Doyle assured delegates that the symposium was designed as an active working session rather than a mere formal presentation. He pledged that all community input would directly shape the final document.

“A policy written without the voice of the people it governs is just a document; it is not a plan,” Doyle stated. “What makes it a plan is your practical, on-the-ground experience. We want honesty about what has and hasn’t worked so we can build a modernised legislative and regulatory framework.”