bPsa still awaiting Efficiency Committee’s report

Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA), Charles Herbert, has raised concern that the Efficiency Committee re-established from within the Social Partnership has yet to present recommendations to the full tripartite grouping.

Delivering remarks at the Social Partnership meeting at the Hilton Hotel yesterday, Herbert indicated that after 11 months that committee is yet to report on its progress, and this, he said, is alarming as the work of that committee is “critical to the future of Barbados”. With that in mind, he said it is hopeful that this sub-committee will continue to convene and recommend improvements to procedures, processes and other measures to improve this country’s ranking and make the country more conducive to doing business.

He made the comments while noting that the private sector believes that the barriers to doing business in Barbados are largely responsible for the reduction in the level of foreign investment which we enjoyed in the past, and which boosted both our foreign exchange earnings and economic activity. Referring to the World Bank Doing Business Report, he noted that in 2013 Barbados stood at 88 out of 189 countries and had in 2016 slipped down to 117. While Barbados has dropped in its ranking, Herbert pointed out that Jamaica has moved up in its ranking, increasing from 90 to 64.

He acknowledged that there is some uncertainty about the process and accuracy of the report, but it is broadly acceptedthat the general trend as matter of our absolute rank is also worrying.

The BPSA official, referring also to the Deficit and Foreign Exchange Sub-Committees established on March 3, 2017, lamented that the recommendations put forward by the two eight-member bodies were not taken on board by Government in relation to the Budget. He said the committees submitted reports to the Prime Minister on April 12, and were discussed only once at a small meeting of the Social Partnership leaders on April 18.

“At this meeting we were told that that the major concerns raised in the reports would be addressed in the Budget, but could not be discussed because the Budget was confidential and the report should also remain confidential. No further meetings of the Sub-committee were convened…

“The Budget followed and we know how it dealt with these reports and how it diverged from the recommendations,” he said.

Herbert stated that the failure to include the recommendations from the committees – which comprised of members of all three Social Partnership groups – made it clear to them that Government did not see the concerns of the other social partners as important or urgent. This, he said, led to the July 24 march where thousands who shared concerns with the private sector and the unions took to the streets to protest the National Social Responsibility Levy and the other budgetary measures.

Nevertheless, Herbert said that they were prepared to “put the past aside” and use yesterday’s meeting to identify and remove obstacles that prevent meaningful
dialogue between the Social Partners and together chart a path to progress.

Touching also on the issue of crime and violence, the private sector official said while it was not an item on yesterday’s agenda, he felt confident that it would spark urgent national discussion.
(JRT)