How will promises be funded?

No wild promises will be coming from the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Candidate for St Michael South Central, Richard Sealy made this clear while on the platform at Carlisle Car Park on Sunday night, as he called on Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Leader Mia Mottley to explain how her administration plans to fund promises outlined in their manifesto.

“You heard about abolishing the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), reduction of VAT to 15%, abolition of road tax; they will reintroduce full payment of tuition for UWI students, pensions increase, buy new buses, a fleet of new trucks for the Sanitation Service Authority, increase for public servants and a cost living allowance…..”

“All of these promises and when asked where they are going to find the money to get it all done, Ms. Mottley tells the people “Vote for me and let me show you” … It represents one of the most supreme arrogant statements ever made by anyone offering themselves for leadership anywhere in the Caribbean,” he stressed.

“You can’t explain to people, 60 odd years after universal education was available cost free at the secondary level, and you are not going to embrace people and explain exactly how you are going to get this thing done.”

Sealy told supporters that the Barbados Labour Party is leaving out fundamental details, also suggesting that this is being done deliberately.

However, he assured that the Democratic Labour Party will be making realistic promises to the people of this country.

The St Michael South Central candidate also queried the BLP’s position on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“They don’t say that they are going to go, but they don’t say that they are not going,” he indicated, noting that the manifesto states “The BLP will do everything humanly and lawfully possible to save the Barbados dollar. The IMF was set up to lend to its member countries in these circumstances…”

According to Sealy, “To me it sounds like she has already booked a ticket to Washington D.C. It sounds to me as if she has determined that the IMF is the course that they want to go. There is no way you can sign a Letter of Intent with the IMF and get that shopping list of promises past them. It is not working; this is a senseless document, it is inconsistent, and you can’t get that pass the IMF.”