Backbench MP Dr Sonia Browne on Wednesday stirred a cohobblopot of national issues as the House of Assembly debated the appropriations for the new fiscal year, urging action on concerns ranging from crime and youth indiscipline to healthcare backlogs, struggling farmers and elderly care.
While the St Philip North MP supported the Budget, she highlighted several social and economic pressures that required closer attention.
Many of the issues raised reflected concerns brought directly to her during constituency work, particularly around crime, healthcare access, agricultural sustainability and the rising strain on families caring for elderly relatives, she told fellow lawmakers.
Crime prevention, rehabilitation
Browne warned that the national response to gun crime risked focusing too heavily on punishment rather than prevention.
Gun courts should not only remove offenders from the streets but also include rehabilitation programmes, particularly for young people, she said.
The MP also urged earlier intervention within schools and communities, arguing that teachers and families often identify troubled children long before they enter the criminal justice system.
Youth indiscipline, behaviour in schools
She expressed concern about declining discipline among students, saying grooming standards and exposure to drugs were contributing to wider behavioural problems. Dr Browne argued that what may appear to be small issues in schools could ultimately feed into broader patterns of indiscipline in society.
She suggested the introduction of mandatory community service or structured programmes for young people who were idle or already in conflict with the law. Dr Browne proposed that institutions such as the Barbados Defence Force and the police could help instil discipline and provide constructive engagement.
Agricultural pressures
Farmers faced serious challenges competing with cheaper imported products, Dr Browne said.
She noted that pork producers in particular struggled to sell their stock when foreign imports drove prices down. Farmers were calling for subsidies similar to those offered in some overseas markets to help them remain viable, while also facing challenges such as praedial larceny and high input costs for fertiliser and feed, the MP said
Healthcare system strain
Dr Browne raised concerns that healthcare issues received limited attention in the budget discussions. She highlighted the long waiting lists for surgeries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, explaining that emergency gunshot cases often displaced scheduled operations.
She also pointed out that many Barbadians could not afford private medical procedures such as hip replacements.
Elderly care capacity
The MP questioned whether the island’s geriatric care facilities have the capacity to accommodate the growing number of elderly citizens requiring care. She noted that many families struggled to look after ageing relatives because multiple generations remained in the workforce.
Transport, traffic congestion
Dr Browne said residents in some rural communities faced long waits for public transport, with some people spending hours at bus stops. She suggested that flexible working hours, expanded remote work and improvements to the bus system could help ease congestion and commuting pressures.
Housing concerns
She also raised concerns about the administration of rent-to-own housing programmes, noting that some long-term tenants still faced bureaucratic barriers when applying for assistance. Dr Browne further warned that certain individuals appeared to be exploiting low-income housing schemes by acquiring properties intended for small homes but later constructing large “monstrosities”.
Despite outlining these concerns, Dr Browne maintained that she supported the administration’s fiscal package, describing it as a realistic response to the economic pressures facing Barbados and other small island developing states.
(SZB)
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