Government came under heavy criticism from Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne yesterday for its borrowing during debate of the Development Bank Of Latin America And The Caribbean Bill, 2025 in the House of Assembly.
The legislation provides for Barbados to acquire full membership in CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) and opens a window to millions of dollars in financing for the island and Barbadians once Barbados’ shareholding membership is upgraded from “C” to “A”.
Thorne commended Government’s “noble effort” to upgrade its status with CAF. However, he contended the “many loans and many memberships of financial and lending agencies have not alleviated the state of poverty in Barbados”.
He charged: “Every loan this Government is taking is enriching a small cadre of Barbadians by way of the payment of commissions . . . I am saying that while there are people in Barbados who can’t have access to a proper meal, there is a small cadre of Barbadians benefiting from payment of professional fees whenever this Government takes a loan . . . there is a small cadre of persons who are being taken along to witness the document being signed and they are given large professional fees for their ability to be present.”
Thorne charged that Government was on “a borrowing spree” and said it had borrowed “more money than any other Government over a seven-year period”. He questioned where those monies had gone.
“The Government is asking this country to endorse elevated membership within the Latin American Bank. We support it, it is progressive but the condemnation is for a Government that has failed the people of this country financially.
“The people of this country have observed a government that has been extravagant with the financial resources belonging not to the Government, but to the people of this country. And I did not have to come here and talk about expensive travel and high per diems and a multitude of useless citizens called consultants and that monstrosity up at Newton which has been abandoned . . . part of the $70 million estimated that this Government has spent – wastage,” he said.
Thorne also weighed in on the current discussion surrounding the Uber ride-sharing operation in Barbados, for which he drew objection from Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, who called for his remarks to be struck from the records of the House.
However, Thorne defiantly insisted: “Uber could not have come to this country unless the Government consented.”(GC)
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