CAIPO staff shortage concerning

Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn has raised concern about staffing challenges at the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO), telling the Senate Chamber yesterday that the staff complement is not adequate.

He was speaking as he made his contribution to the debate on the Companies (Amendment) Bill, which is to bring into effect, changes needed for local companies to meet requirements of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He went on to say that while he had no challenges with the Bill, it appears that the amendment could put additional pressure on the already understaffed Government department.

But in her wrap up, Acting Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Lisa Cummins said that the work will be done by the Compliance Unit within the International Business Unit. She said the former Unit is already staffed with the expertise and skills needed to conduct the inspections as will be directed by the Registrar of Companies.

However, speaking during his presentation to the staffing deficits, Senator Franklyn said that CAIPO has long had a problem of low numbers, which made it difficult to get the job done.

“I remember prior to this Government taking office, there was a request for more staff at the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office, the work was killing them, because the last Administration had changed the law so that every company in Barbados had to file returns every year and with the same amount of staff. When you go to the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office, the lines were going through the door and down a long corridor,” he said.

Franklyn added, “This Government came in... and sent home people. Corporate Affairs needed more staff, they had about 50 at the time; they sent home nine or ten. The work wasn’t being done because they put too much work on the people and the Government decided they are going to send home people from Corporate Affairs.”

Senator Franklyn whose trade union represents the workers at CAIPO, expressed concern that with the staff shortage it was unfair to ask the workers to do anymore.

“All over the Public Service because of IMF [International Monetary Fund] dictates, people have cut back on the amount of people they need. They needed them, that’s why they had them in the first place; Corporate Affairs needed more and you gave them less,” he stated. (JRT)