The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) has issued a scathing critique of both corporate entities and government institutions for their inadequate response to escalating living costs, asserting that citizens bear the full brunt of economic shocks without meaningful protection. Executive Chairman Maureen Holder characterized the situation as a systemic failure where every external cost increase is automatically transferred to consumers without absorption or restraint.
Holder dismissed recurring justifications for price surges—including global inflation, insurance premiums, shipping disruptions, and geopolitical tensions—as deflection tactics. She particularly condemned the recent trend of blaming minimum wage increases for price hikes, labeling this narrative as ‘deeply unfair’ to low-income workers who have faced years of eroding purchasing power.
‘The fundamental issue isn’t imported inflation alone but a local policy failure and absence of market governance,’ Holder stated. ‘In our concentrated import market, consumers lack meaningful choice to discipline prices, while transparency tools like price-checking apps provide visibility without affordability.’
The consumer advocate detailed how costs move seamlessly through the supply chain—from freight and port charges to wholesale and retail margins—with no evidence of temporary margin compression or efficiency gains. This ‘pass-through economy’ structure leaves households spending substantial portions of income on groceries while reducing quality and nutritional standards.
BCEN proposed a comprehensive food price shock strategy featuring time-bound tax relief on essential items, voluntary margin restraint during crises, and robust enforcement against unjustified price increases. The organization emphasized that global tensions and wage improvements should not serve as excuses for inaction, calling for shared burden-bearing during economic stress.
‘What’s occurring represents policy failure, not inevitability,’ Holder concluded. ‘Barbadians require fairness, accountability, and leadership—not just explanations—as prices rise uniformly across the nation without corresponding relief measures.’