UPP plans to focus on new industries

There are several skilled in-dividuals in Barbados who do not think that they are being engaged enough to push this country forward.

This is according to Chairperson of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Lynette Eastmond, as she assures Barbadians that this island’s newest political party will be embracing everyone.

“2017 is the year to shake off fear and to actively participate in this democracy,” she stressed.

“This is a political party that I am proud to say grew out of the movement that has been started by many Barbadians in exercising their rights and responsibility within a democracy.”

Eastmond, who was at the time addressing the recent launch of UPP, also explained that depending on who is placed in Parliament, will determine whether “the gifts” citizens always thought that they could give their children – access to education, access to health care – can continue.

“In my view, they can,” she stated. “The difficulty I believe Barbados has had is that we have not linked our education to a modern, new economy.

So the brightest and best in Barbados are still being trained to be employees; they are not being trained to be entrepreneurs. Their mindset is therefore not one of being an innovator. We need employers, we need individuals who are going to create intellectual property…”

She went on to highlight that one of the difficulties in recent years as Government increased taxes on Barbadians, is that there has been very little thought with regards to growth.

“Creating jobs… Looking for new avenues by which those several Barbadians whom we have educated, who are talented, can take those skills and talent and actually create new industries. And it will be our intention to focus on that.”

The Attorney-at-Law and former Senator and Minister further stressed the need to create new industries. According to her, the existing ones have served the country well, but need to be refreshed.

“Tourism needs to be refreshed. We have to look at agriculture, and make sure that agriculture is linked to health care. We have to ensure that our educational system is linked to these new industries which we will build. And it will be our intention, if given the opportunity, to allocate a substantial amount of money of our budget to de-veloping these new industries – which will be sustainable,” Eastmond said. (TL)