DLP OPTIMISTIC
GOVERNMENT Minister Donville Inniss believes that the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has a very good chance of winning the next general elections in Barbados.
In a recent interview with The Barbados Advocate, Inniss based his optimism on the positive work the Government has done over the years, and the false promises and lack of seriousness displayed by the main Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP).
Inniss, who has responsibility for Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, said that after ten years in office with most national conversations about the state of the economy and other issues, it would make it more difficult for the present Government to be re-elected.
“But I believe the DLP Government has a good record on which to run,” he said.
He acknowledged that the party’s biggest weakness is the failure to communicate over the years.
“I have been accused by colleagues and others of talking too much, but I have been consistent over the years that effective communication is a critical part of good governance, and that is the one area that I cannot give my own government and party an A grade,” said the MP for St. James South.
“It does not mean we did a lot of wrong things, but a lot of time and energy will have to be expended on explaining why we did some of the things we had to do, but more importantly talking about the future,” he maintained.
Inniss said that from the DLP and BLP meetings he has attended, he has found speakers spending too much time on developments over the last ten years.
“Barbadians want to know where we are going from here,” he said.
Dealing with the BLP, the Minister charged that the BLP is promising to cutback on the Value Added Tax, do away with the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), but at the same time promising to make education at the University of the West Indies free for Barbadian students and expand the range of services offered by the state. “The simple question I would like to ask is, ‘Where the BLP is going to get the money to pay for the additional services?’” Inniss queried.
The Minister said that a cursory glance at the BLP’s Manifesto, “shows it is void of serious analysis and thought. At the end of the day, what voters want from all the political parties are proposals that reflect current Barbados realities and a clear indication of where Barbados ought to be in the next ten to 20 years, not false promises”. He pointed out that making education free at the UWI is not a fiscal issue, but rather a message being sent throughout the wider society about freeness in Barbados once again.
Going forward, Inniss said he wants to see a broadening of the entrepreneurial class, a process started by his Ministry when it rolled out a micro and small business policy with financing and other forms of support. The DLP MP said he looks forward to a Barbados over the next ten years to 15 years as a place where there will be less of a tax burden on citizens because Government has become more efficient and providing services based on a thorough needs assessment.
The date for the general elections could be announced in another two weeks’ time. (JB)