The Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has called for a frank national conversation on productivity, warning that inefficiencies and inconsistent service standards across industries are undermining business performance and raising costs.
BCCI President Paul Innis told reporters on Thursday: “There is a concern in Barbados about productivity that a lot of people don’t talk about. And I think we need to be mature enough to talk about it.”
Inniss stressed that the business community has the capacity to improve overall productivity and service standards.
He said: “We are of the view that we can become a more productive society. There’s some work to be done. And one of the thoughts we’ve been discussing is, one, how do we establish minimum service standards in Barbados within the business community and see how we can actually improve not only productivity, but the standard and quality of service irrespective of where you go in Barbados — whether it’s in the hotel industry, manufacturing, financial services, or whether it’s where you land at the airport or the seaport.”
He noted widespread inefficiencies that affect both time and cost.
“There’s a lot of inconsistency in terms of how we deliver service. Why should it take five days to do something that can be done in a day? Why should it take me two weeks to license a vehicle, going to the Barbados Licensing Authority for seven days before I can actually register? Those are real productivity issues, both from the cost side and the value you lose,” Innis said.
Inniss called on businesses to adopt standards that improve productivity, noting collaboration with the Barbados National Standards Institution. “We’ve met with the BNSI. They have an interest in working with us and the various stakeholders to see how we can make that a reality,” he said.
The January minimum wage increase will see the national rate rise from $10.50 to $10.71 per hour — a 21-cent increase — while the sectoral minimum wage for security guards will move from $11.43 to $11.66 per hour, a 23-cent increase. Six months ago, the national minimum wage had gone up from $8.50 to $10.50, and the rate for security guards from $9.25 to $11.43.
Asked whether employers see the latest minimum wage increase as unfair given productivity concerns, Innis responded: “I wouldn’t categorise it that way. I think policymakers are trying to solve problems in terms of how do you ensure that people have what they call a livable wage so that we can look after our families and do some basic stuff.
“And the whole idea of linking wages with productivity is one spectrum of it. But productivity also has some other angles that we need to, because, for example, inefficient systems also have productivity that may have nothing to do with the employee. Investing in more modern equipment, better approaches, listening to your employees about a more efficient way of doing things… those are the dynamics of productivity. And that’s where the incentive pay type link makes a lot of sense.”
(SZB)
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