Not so!

Mottley’s statements on youth unemployment incorrect

CONTRARY to what the Honourable member for St. Michael North East has stated, the young people are not among the group that are facing the toughest time in this island.

Referring to statements made by the Leader of the Opposition, Mia Mottley who spoke about high unemployment figures among this group, and what he said that she lamented as the Government’s “token programmes here and there limited to the odd constituency,” MP, Stephen Lashley, said that this just ranks among the statements that bear no truth, and proof could be seen in the figures.

Lashley said that one only has to look at the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) to see Mottley’s statements could not be further from the truth, as 16 new youth businesses were created, and 1.3 million dollars in income were generated in the period of April to September 2014 alone.

“I only want to refer, Mr. Speaker, to one of the programmes that we currently have, The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, which between the period April to September 2014, we had 16 businesses generating some 1.3 million dollars in income, and we had in that period 103 entrepreneurs who were trained.”

The period of April 2013 to March 2015 saw 2351 new clients come to the YES, 106 new businesses were created and 16 million dollars in income was generated, said the Minister of Youth, Family and Sports.

“And in the period April 2013, Mr. Speaker, to March, 2015, YES saw 2351 young clients and provided training to 1329 of them and as a result, Mr. Speaker, of that programme alone, young entrepreneurs were able to access 2.128 million dollars in financing and start 106 new businesses that created 117 new jobs in Barbados among the young people, and generated over 16 million dollars in income.”

He said that this is the island that he knows of and it is also the one that many educated Barbadians are highly aware of, and as a result, when you come to the people of this island and tell them that you are bringing a no confidence motion against the Government, after all that they have done, including the programmes for the young people, which he has just listed, then no right thinking Barbadian would believe them.

“This is the Barbados of which I know, Mr. Speaker, and this is the Barbados of which the Barbados Labour Party has not been able to connect, and what they have to understand is that when you come in here with a no confidence motion against the Government, is that you have Barbadians who are thinking Barbadians. They are not stupid; they are not disconnected with what is happening in Barbados.” (PJT)

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