A leading opposition figure in Barbados has launched a sweeping indictment of the current administration, accusing it of deliberately withholding critical public financial information and fostering a culture of non-accountability that has left dozens of major spending initiatives shrouded in secrecy.
Senator Ryan Walters, shadow finance minister for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), framed the growing controversy around the BiMPay instant payment platform as far more than an isolated oversight. The dispute began when Central Bank Governor Dr Kevin Greenidge initially declined to reveal the total construction cost of the national payment infrastructure, later issuing a public apology and clarifying that Phase 1 of the project had come in at approximately $6.7 million, under the original $10 million approved budget. Even with this late disclosure, Walters argued the incident is just the most recent example of a long-running pattern across government that treats legitimate public and political scrutiny as an unnecessary inconvenience.
“This is not a single disagreement over one question from one reporter to one official,” Walters emphasized in his remarks. “This is a symptom of a deeply embedded cultural problem within this current administration. In this system, legitimate questions are brushed off as nuisances, independent oversight is dismissed as partisan opposition, and full transparency is treated as an optional extra rather than a core requirement of public office.”
Walters stressed that all public funds ultimately belong to the people of Barbados, not the governing party or sitting ministers. “Public officials do not hold private purses – they are stewards of resources that belong to every citizen,” he said. “That means the public has an undeniable right to know how their money is spent, whether they are getting value for that investment, and what safeguards are in place to protect these critical resources from misuse or waste.”
The shadow finance minister outlined a long list of ongoing initiatives where key financial details have not been released to taxpayers. Beyond the BiMPay project, these include: undisclosed costs for external consultants hired by the government since 2018, unanswered questions about ministerial travel expenditures, limited public data linking fuel import costs to retail pump prices, and the complete absence of published cost-benefit analysis for the government’s flagship We Gatherin’ 2025 initiative. He also pointed to the ongoing sale process for the Holetown Civic Centre, which is moving forward without any public disclosure of the project’s total costs to date.
Turning to infrastructure and public health, Walters called out the repurposing of a large pandemic-era healthcare facility built in the northern parish of St Lucy. Constructed at a reported public cost of more than $125 million to expand COVID-19 care capacity, the facility no longer serves its original healthcare purpose and has reportedly been converted to house migrant labor. “Barbadians deserve a full explanation of what has happened to this massive public investment, which was originally meant to expand access to critical healthcare for our citizens,” he said.
Walters also raised alarms about spending at state-controlled entities and cultural programs, specifically naming HOPE Inc. and the regional CARIFESTA cultural festival. He noted that despite hundreds of millions in public funds flowing through HOPE Inc. and critical concerns raised by the Auditor General, a sitting minister recently confirmed the organization has never released a full annual financial report for public oversight. For CARIFESTA, Walters said reported spending ballooned from an original projection of $8 million to $34 million, with hundreds of millions more allocated to associated infrastructure projects that remain incomplete, while costs continue to rise and deadlines are repeatedly pushed back. He is calling for a full independent audit of all CARIFESTA expenditures. “The public deserves hard facts, not just vague assurances and political talking points,” he said, criticizing the lack of comprehensive project evaluations across all these initiatives.
The opposition critique extended to Barbados’ core social safety net, the National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS). While reaffirming the DLP’s longstanding support for social protection programs including the Solidarity Allowance and Cost of Living Cash Credit, Walters said compassion for vulnerable communities cannot come at the cost of regulatory compliance and financial transparency. He questioned whether all funds transferred from NISSS to finance these temporary government programs have been fully repaid.
“National Insurance funds belong to the workers who have contributed to the system over decades, and they must be protected accordingly,” Walters said. “This is about safeguarding workers’ contributions, protecting pensioners’ earned benefits, and ensuring the long-term stability of our country’s most vital social protection institution. So far, clear answers to these questions have not been provided.”
Walters also highlighted the continued delay of the mandatory independent actuarial review of NISSS, a routine assessment designed to identify early financial risks to the national insurance and social security system. Taken together, he said the dozens of unanswered questions add up to a deeply troubling pattern that cannot be dismissed as random coincidence.
“Looked at one by one, the government may try to explain away each of these concerns as a simple delay or a misunderstanding,” he said. “But when you take them all together, the pattern is undeniable: questions get asked, most are ignored. Answers get promised, time passes, reports never materialize. Audits get pushed back, costs go up, deadlines get moved, and accountability vanishes. This pattern is far too consistent to write off as a coincidence.”
Walters clarified that the DLP does not oppose necessary government spending, but objects to the complete lack of independent oversight and public reporting that has become standard across the current administration. He called on the Mia Mottley administration to immediately publish all outstanding audits, project reports, full expenditure breakdowns, and the delayed NISSS actuarial review.
“Accountability is not a favor that the government grants to citizens – it is the fundamental requirement of holding public office,” Walters said. “Transparency is not achieved through PR stunts, speeches, press conferences or empty political rhetoric. Transparency only comes through full public disclosure. Until all the required information is placed before the people of Barbados, legitimate questions will keep being asked, and the Democratic Labour Party will keep demanding answers on behalf of every citizen.”
