EDITORIAL
In another few days’ time, the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) will be officially repealed. As one of the campaign promises of the Barbados Labour Party, it was quickly enacted as part of the mini-Budget presented on June 11.
At that time, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley noted that the removal of the NSRL will “lead within two months to a reduction in prices for the average Barbadian”, and some supermarket owners have already
cautioned not to expect an immediate reduction of prices. Prime Minister Mottley has called on the Fair Trading Commission to monitor prices to ensure they are appropriately reduced so consumer can take full advantage.
As the public waits anxiously for the effects of the NSRL’s repeal to be felt, we must also be mindful of increased water bills, higher rates for telecommunications services, value added tax added onto online transactions, and – depending on the fuel adjustment – perhaps a continuation of higher-than-usual bills from Barbados Light and Power.
Clearly it can be seen that as one levy goes down, others are going up and it may result in consumers not realising an overall advantage in their favour, unless they lessen the odds somehow. For example, on the one hand consumers are told to make healthy eating choices to reduce the incidents of non-communicable diseases; on the other, spending power may be reduced to purchase the items that are better for optimal health. It therefore becomes all the more important to be strategic and turn what can be negative into a positive. After all, as the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
It is our considered opinion that a positive attitude and strategic approaches are essential for getting through the difficult times. For clues on how to do so, we can re-examine how our foreparents rode out difficult situations. Barbados was not always fortunate to have the variety and quality of goods for purchase in local supermarkets and minimarts as we do now; people in days gone by planted their own food (or even reared) to help make ends meet and feed their families. In addition, with the tight-knit communities that existed at that time, neighbours shared their bounties and looked out in their own way for their fellow man.
Barbados these days may more be a collection of heights and terraces than the collection of villages spoken of in former Prime Minister Errol Barrow’s time. However, we submit that there are easy methods of revitalising our foreparents’ resourcefulness, for example, having kitchen gardens that could help supplement meals or reduce spending. There are plenty of resource materials and persons to provide assistance so that the anyone can succeed; in addition, it returns this country to a most basic and vital resource – a self-sufficiency we should never rob ourselves of, one that promotes industry, fosters healthy eating and encourages local production.
We are aware that pests such as monkeys and the scourge of praedial larceny can make even the most determined person throw in the towel, and they are ongoing problems that have not yet had permanent solutions. Nonetheless, it is past time where we grow what we eat, and eat what we grow. By working tactically, we can turn negative economic problems into practical, positive solutions.