Country of breakdowns

 

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley has charged that the country is becoming one of breakdowns.
 
Speaking during the no-confidence motion in the Lower Chamber yesterday, she gave examples of the parking machines at Grantley Adams International Airport that are sealed with duct tape and printing machines not working at the Licensing Authority.
 
She said the “endemic under-providing” has been going on for some time. She charged that it goes to the level of the provision of health supplies, with persons having to take their own toiletries, bandages and sometimes purchase their own medicine because it is urgently needed and is not available. The Opposition Leader also complained that the QEH is giving persons food that is unsuitable for their condition, and workers saying they have to use what they have.
 
As it relates to the sugar industry, Mottley said she never expected sugar production would drop to a “paltry” 7 000 tonnes. She said before 2008, work was carried out on the building out of a sugar cane industry as opposed to a sugar industry. The BLP does not support the site of Andrews. “Ours was supposed to be at Buckley, but we knew that you could not build that scale of factory based on the limited production of sugar cane in the country.”
 
She said when plans were heard to boost production, she thought the trajectory would be going up not down.
 
The Opposition Leader said there are implications for farmers who are not paid on time, since their planting and fertilising is time sensitive. Furthermore, she queried what is happening with the proceeds of the BADMC bond and whether it is being used for the purpose intended or whether the farmers can access the funds or whether they are being used to prop up State-owned agencies because of cash flow problems.
 
As a lawyer, she said this would be a breach of commitment if not used for the purpose which it was intended. Greater focus must be placed on non-sugar agriculture as well as fisheries, the Opposition Leader stated.
Additionally, while the country is going through a period of drought, she said at least one in four people are without a regular supply of water. “Where is the empathy? Where is the caring?” she asked.
 
She said that it is unacceptable that the cries of persons without water are being ignored, as it relates to their short-term needs. She said this was compounded by broken down equipment.
 
The Leader of the BLP also pointed out that officials predicted that the drought would have affected the country, yet no equipment was procured to prepare for the dry period.
 
She charged that there is very little happening in the area of foreign policy and little is known about what is being done in the name of Barbados under the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. The Opposition leader said she has no confidence in the foreign policy of Barbados. (JH)

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