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标签： Barbados

巴巴多斯

  • Govt to expand upland rice production to ten acres at Pine Basin

    Govt to expand upland rice production to ten acres at Pine Basin

    Barbados is set to make a landmark leap toward domestic food sovereignty, following the successful completion of the third phase of a bilateral agricultural cooperation project with China. Agriculture authorities announced plans to scale up commercial upland rice cultivation to 10 acres at the Pine Basin site, a move widely expected to cut the island nation’s longstanding dependence on imported staple foods.

    The expansion plan was officially unveiled during the “Golden Sickle” shared food security harvest ceremony, an event that celebrated the successful outcomes of the hybrid upland rice demonstration initiative under the China-Barbados Agricultural Cooperation programme. The project is a three-way partnership between Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture, the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC), and China’s Hunan Lingshi Agricultural Service Company Limited, and has been hailed as a cornerstone of the island’s push for greater agricultural self-sufficiency.

    Frederick Inniss, acting Chief Executive Officer of BADMC, explained that the existing 2-acre (1-hectare) demonstration plot at Pine Basin will act as the launchpad for full-scale commercial rice development. “Under the cooperation agreement, Hunan Lingshi Agricultural Group and BADMC plan to expand production to a total of 10 acres at this location for commercial rice production. This initial 1-hectare plot is just the first step in establishing full-scale commercial upland rice production across Barbados,” Inniss said during the ceremony.

    Inniss emphasized that the bilateral partnership has evolved far beyond its original scope as a simple technology demonstration, growing into a comprehensive strategic alliance that builds long-term agricultural resilience for Barbados. The initiative has delivered tangible progress across three core areas: strengthening local technical capacity, introducing innovative climate-smart production systems, and expanding access to appropriate agricultural mechanization for small and medium-scale producers.

    “Our demonstration trials have conclusively shown that upland rice can be grown successfully under Barbados’ local soil and climate conditions. This opens exciting new opportunities for domestic grain production and creates a clear pathway to reduce our reliance on imported staple foods over time,” Inniss added.

    The breakthrough in the third phase of the project followed years of staged development laid out in the bilateral cooperation agreement. The first phase prioritized building climate-resilient agricultural infrastructure and boosting local human capacity through targeted training programs. Through hands-on farmer field schools, on-site practical demonstrations, and specialized technical workshops, more than 100 local farmers, agricultural extension officers, and Ministry of Agriculture professionals gained direct practical experience in modern sustainable farming practices. Training modules covered critical topics including protected greenhouse vegetable production, efficient irrigation management, science-based crop nutrition, and integrated pest and disease control.

    Beyond the core upland rice trials, the cooperation program also successfully tested a wide range of specialty vegetable varieties provided by the Hunan-based agricultural team. These crops included sweet corn, pumpkin, eggplant, radish, assorted melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and Chinese cabbage, all of which showed strong adaptive capacity and impressive yield potential in Barbados’ local growing conditions, project officials confirmed.

    The partnership has also centered the needs of small-scale landholders, who form a core segment of Barbados’ agricultural sector, by introducing compact, affordable mechanization solutions such as micro-tillers. Inniss noted that these accessible mechanization tools align directly with existing national agricultural initiatives including the Ministry of Agriculture’s “Feed and Care” programme, whose participants typically farm small, fragmented parcels of land that are not suited for large industrial equipment.

    The second phase of the project expanded the trial sites to larger demonstration plots, allowing the technical team to gather critical data on commercial viability and refine production practices ahead of full-scale expansion. This iterative development process set the stage for the successful third-phase harvest that triggered the approval for 10-acre commercial expansion.

    Technical data from the Hunan agricultural technical team highlights the dramatic efficiency gains delivered by the project’s modern production systems. The initiative has adopted advanced mechanized strip drilling technology for sowing, an automated system that achieves a seedling uniformity rate of at least 95% and a germination rate of more than 90%. The system can complete sowing for a 3-acre plot in just five hours. When compared to traditional manual broadcasting methods, the mechanized approach cuts required labor inputs by more than 80% and boosts overall field operational efficiency by 500% to 800%.

    Environmental sustainability has also been a central priority of the project from its inception. The hybrid upland rice variety used in the trials is adapted to rain-fed production, requiring only supplementary irrigation during extended dry periods. Over the crop’s 120-day growth cycle, the production system cuts irrigation water consumption by 50% to 70% compared to conventional flooded paddy rice farming, making it uniquely suited to Barbados’ water-scarce tropical environment where freshwater security is a persistent policy challenge.

    To support the upcoming expansion to 10 acres, BADMC and its Chinese partners have already imported specialized field equipment for cultivation, as well as agro-processing machinery required to mill raw harvested paddy into finished, market-ready rice for domestic consumption.

    Inniss closed the ceremony by extending formal gratitude to all teams involved in the project, including BADMC’s technical staff, the corporation’s tractor services and irrigation departments, and Hunan team leader Jiang Wang (also known as Alan) for their consistent collaborative efforts. “As we continue to deepen this bilateral agricultural cooperation, we remain committed to adopting innovative technologies and sustainable production practices that will boost farm productivity, strengthen national food security, and position Barbados as a regional leader in agricultural innovation across the Caribbean,” Inniss said.

  • Barbados fields 140 member CAC Games team

    Barbados fields 140 member CAC Games team

    The Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) has kicked off its team announcement cycle for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, revealing the first 35 athletes set to represent the island nation at the 2025 tournament hosted in the Dominican Republic. Scheduled to run from July 24 through August 8, this year’s regional multi-sport event will welcome a total delegation of 140 Barbadian competitors, who will contest medals across 21 different sporting disciplines. Among the first group of announced athletes is Olympian triathlete Matthew Wright, a familiar face on the international racing circuit who most recently placed 12th in the elite division at the Americas Triathlon Championships held in Chile. Wright brings proven podium experience to Team Barbados, having claimed a bronze medal at the 2023 iteration of the CAC Games. Joining him as a returning medalist is lightweight boxer Jabali Breedy, who also secured bronze at the 2023 tournament. The first announcement also features two of the country’s top track cycling talents, Amber Joseph and Arielle Greaves, who are expected to be strong contenders in their events. The first batch of athletes draws from eight distinct sports: badminton, boxing, chess, cycling, golf, rugby sevens, tennis, and triathlon. A full breakdown of the first group of competitors sees four badminton players named: Kennie King, Shae Martin, Monyata Riviera and Sabrina Scott. Boxing has six representatives, including Breedy, Charles Cox, Kimberley Gittens, Seth Lawrence, Peter Murray and Jazari Narine-Mayers. Four chess players, Martyn Del Castilho, Orlando Husbands, Chanon Reifer-Belle and Hannah Wilson, made the initial cut, while golf will have Xzavier Wiggins competing for Barbados. The 12-member rugby sevens squad includes Christopher Blades, Malique Broomes, Rajiv Grant, Jaden Howell, Simon John, Cadeem Knight, Daniel Martyn, Jeremy Nelson, Enrique Oxley, Noah Paskins, D’Andre Phillips and Sean Ward. Four tennis players, Hannah Chambers, Gabrielle Leslie, Kaipo Marshall and Stephen Slocombe, and two triathletes, Fynn Armstrong and Matthew Wright, round out the first announced group. BOA President Sandra Osborne framed the CAC Games as far more than a sporting competition, emphasizing that the event serves as a meaningful celebration of athletic excellence, unwavering perseverance, and collective regional unity across the Caribbean and Central America. BOA official Bourne noted that the staggered team announcement strategy was a deliberate choice to ensure every competitor gets their due recognition. For many young Barbadian athletes, this year’s CAC Games will mark their first chance to compete for the nation at a major regional multi-sport event, while other named athletes are seasoned veterans with years of high-level competition experience. “By introducing Team Barbados in stages, we can shine a spotlight on each athlete and each sport, honoring the recognition they have earned through their hard work,” Bourne explained in an official BOA release. Dr. Adrian Lorde, Team Barbados’ Chef de Mission for the 2025 CAC Games, called the first athlete announcement the official starting point of what will be an exciting journey for the entire delegation. “Behind every team announcement is a story of commitment, sacrifice and resilience,” Lorde said. “The athletes named today (Wednesday) have dedicated countless hours to reaching this point. They have earned the honour of representing Barbados through their performances and unwavering commitment to their sport.”

  • Uphold ethical labour practices, says BEC amid worker exploitation charges

    Uphold ethical labour practices, says BEC amid worker exploitation charges

    Recent unconfirmed allegations of mistreatment against migrant workers have prompted Barbados’ leading business advocacy group, the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC), to issue a formal call for all local employers to strictly adhere to the country’s existing national labor regulations.

    In its official public statement, the organization confirmed that it views the emerging reports of worker exploitation with significant alarm, but chose not to comment on the details of the active investigation still underway. Despite this refusal to address specifics, the BEC made clear that Barbados’ standing as a competitive and trusted global economy is directly tied to how it treats every member of its workforce, regardless of background.

    BEC Executive Director Sheena Mayers-Granville outlined that protections for labor rights are not a privilege reserved for native-born workers, but a legal and moral obligation that extends to every person working within Barbados’ national borders, with no exceptions permitted. “Every worker, no matter what nationality they hold or where they come from, deserves to be treated with basic dignity and fairness,” Mayers-Granville stated. She added that as the leading representative voice for Barbadian employers, the BEC is fully committed to partnering with the national government, local trade unions, civil society organizations and all other relevant stakeholders to reinforce national labor standards, encourage widespread regulatory compliance, and cultivate workplaces that are fair, safe, productive and centered on respect for human dignity.

    The recent allegations have drawn renewed public attention to the unique risks and systemic vulnerabilities that migrant workers in Barbados’ construction sector often face. In response to this heightened scrutiny, the BEC reaffirmed that the country’s existing labor frameworks are explicitly structured to be impartial, with no differentiation between workers based on their country of origin, gender identity, or employment classification. The confederation also emphasized that Barbados has spent more than 40 years cultivating a national workplace culture rooted in mutual respect, equal treatment, and consistent adherence to both local legislation and international labor norms.

    To address gaps in compliance and prevent future ethical failures in workplaces across the island, the BEC is urging both public and private sector enterprises to fully and proactively implement the 2025–2030 Barbados Decent Work Country Programme. First launched last year, the five-year strategic framework was developed through joint collaboration between local social partners and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    According to the BEC, the program was intentionally designed to ensure that Barbados’ ongoing economic growth does not come at the expense of fundamental human rights or social equity. Independent labor advocates have supported the initiative, noting that full implementation and compliance with the framework will close the regulatory loopholes that currently leave migrant workers vulnerable to substandard working conditions and unfair pay practices.

    Mayers-Granville noted, “We are prepared to back any initiative that strengthens Barbados’ global reputation as a nation dedicated to ethical employment practices and decent work for every worker.”

    Beyond promoting the Decent Work Country Programme, the BEC is also advocating for a proactive approach to corporate labor governance, calling on business owners and leaders to conduct independent audits of their internal human resources and management practices before regulatory bodies step in to investigate potential violations. Mayers-Granville confirmed that the BEC already offers a full suite of support resources, including specialized training and guidance, to help local businesses align their operational practices with modern labor standards and responsible employment expectations.

    The current controversy surrounding migrant worker exploitation represents a critical test for Barbados’ business community, which depends heavily on cross-border and international labor to fill critical skilled job gaps that cannot be met by the local workforce alone. Independent industry analysts have warned that failure to address confirmed cases of exploitation could erode the island’s international reputation as a stable, regulatory compliant, and attractive destination for foreign direct investment, potentially causing long-term harm to economic growth.

    Reflecting on the collective action required to protect Barbados’ national economic brand, Mayers-Granville stressed that building a fully compliant, ethical corporate ecosystem is not a challenge that employers can tackle alone. “Cultivating a culture of ethical leadership and continuous improvement requires all groups to work together,” she said. “Collective action from employers, workers, and national labor institutions is the only way to preserve Barbados’ reputation as a fair, inclusive, and globally respected place to work and invest.”

  • PM says free movement uptake modest

    PM says free movement uptake modest

    As leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) concluded their 51st annual summit in Saint Lucia this week, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados released key early data on the bloc’s landmark enhanced free movement initiative, pushing back against pre-implementation warnings that the policy would unleash an unprecedented flood of cross-border migration.

    Launched on October 1 last year by four founding participating states — Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines — the regime represents a major step forward in CARICOM’s decades-long push for deeper regional integration. Enshrined in the Enhanced Cooperation Protocol of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the arrangement grants eligible nationals from participating member states the right to live and work indefinitely across any participating country without requiring a formal work permit.

    When the policy was first proposed, it sparked heated debate across the region. Proponents framed the initiative as a targeted solution to widespread labour and skills gaps across smaller Caribbean economies, arguing that free movement of workers would unlock shared economic growth and strengthen regional supply chains. But critics raised urgent alarms, warning that open movement would overwhelm local job markets, strain public housing and social services in more desirable destination countries, and displace native workers.

    Speaking to reporters on the final day of the summit, Mottley shared the first official public uptake figures: fewer than 1,000 people across the four founding states have utilized the regime to relocate for work so far, contradicting the most dire predictions from opponents. The vast majority of movers have chosen to relocate to Barbados, a trend Mottley says aligns perfectly with the island nation’s core economic needs.

    Barbados has long grappled with structural labour and skills shortages driven by its relatively small native population, Mottley explained, noting that addressing this gap was a primary motivation for the country’s early participation in the initiative. “As I’ve said over and over, Barbados has a skills deficit, and therefore, to that extent, one of the reasons why we signed on to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in the first place was to facilitate the movement of people to bridge the fact that inherently our population numbers are low and by extension our skills levels are low,” she said.

    Far from stalling after its initial launch, the free movement regime is now set to expand, Mottley confirmed. Two additional CARICOM member states are moving forward with accession: Grenada has already formally submitted its letter of intent to join, while host nation Saint Lucia has publicly signaled it will begin the domestic process to join the arrangement in the near future.

    Mottley framed this gradual, wave-based expansion as a natural parallel to CARICOM’s own 50-year history of incremental growth. The bloc was originally established in 1973 as a successor to the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), launching with just four founding members: Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. Over the following decades, as Eastern Caribbean states gained independence and more regional economies joined, CARICOM grew to its current size of 15 full members, including Haiti and Suriname. The Bahamas remains a participant only in CARICOM’s functional cooperation framework and has never joined the bloc’s common market or the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

    “It has been a good experience so far,” Mottley told reporters. Echoing her long-standing rejection of large-scale migration fears, she noted, “The numbers show that there are less than 1,000 people who have used it so far, and that’s why we said this is not going to open floodgates.” She added that the regime continues to gather momentum, matching the incremental, steady growth that has defined CARICOM since its founding: “So I expect that this will, just like CARICOM started in 1974 with four countries, then another six or seven joined, and then another one and another two. So these things happen in waves, but we’re happy with it.”

  • New campaign warns: Harbouring criminals will cost you

    New campaign warns: Harbouring criminals will cost you

    Barbados’ government is taking a proactive, community-centered step to curb gang-related violence and organized crime, launching a nationwide public education campaign designed to deter citizens from harboring fugitive gang members and assisting criminal gang operations. The initiative comes directly on the heels of the recent passage of the landmark Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Act, legislation that introduces harsh, mandatory penalties for a range of gang-connected offenses to disrupt criminal networks across the island.

    Under the new law, a broad set of gang-specific activities have been formalized as criminal offenses, with nearly all carrying mandatory minimum prison sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years. For particularly severe offenses – including targeted attacks on law enforcement personnel, and individuals holding leadership roles or providing critical organizational support to gangs – maximum sentences can stretch up to 35 years behind bars.

    The official launch of the campaign was hosted at the Office of the Attorney General, drawing attendance from newly appointed Commissioner of Police Sonia Boyce, senior ministry officials, and representatives from the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools, who accepted batches of campaign posters to distribute across secondary institutions nationwide. A photo from the event captured Lashley and Boyce unveiling the campaign’s central public awareness poster (Credit: Lourianne Graham/Barbados TODAY).

    Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley outlined the structure of the multi-channel campaign, which forms a core component of the national government’s broader crime prevention strategy. At its center are two distinct public service announcements (PSAs): one that breaks down the specific provisions and penalties outlined in the new Criminal Gangs Act, and a second that delivers a general message about the legal risks of harboring wanted gang members. Lashley emphasized that the new legislation imposes “very stiff penalties” for anyone found hiding gang affiliates or facilitating recruitment of new members into criminal organizations.

    Beyond broadcast PSAs, the campaign will expand into communities across the country, deploying printed posters, in-person outreach to secondary schools, local community groups, and national service clubs. Lashley stressed that cross-sector collaboration is critical to the initiative’s success, noting that every stakeholder with a role in crime prevention must be brought into the effort. To maximize reach, particularly among younger audiences, the campaign will also leverage major social media platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook to spread its message.

    Notably, community members played a central role in developing the two PSAs, a deliberate choice that Lashley says marks the start of a broader community-centered engagement strategy. He encouraged all Barbadians to see the campaign not just as a formal warning about legal consequences, but as a collective call to action to join the national fight against organized crime.

    Lashley also expressed full confidence in newly appointed Police Commissioner Sonia Boyce’s leadership, while underlining that law enforcement action alone cannot solve Barbados’ gang crime crisis. “We cannot solve it by just enforcement,” he explained. “You have to solve it by reaching into communities and getting persons who are at the brink of touching the criminal justice system, and persons who are young. That we believe are vulnerable, who might not be part of the criminal justice system but might be vulnerable to gang leaders and drug dealers.”

    The outreach to secondary schools reflects this focus on prevention: by engaging young people early, the government hopes to cut off recruitment pipelines that gangs rely on to expand their membership and criminal operations across the island.

  • Agriculture ministry announces major farm export push, home food drive

    Agriculture ministry announces major farm export push, home food drive

    Against a backdrop of global supply chain volatility and growing climate uncertainty, Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security used Wednesday’s first official upland rice harvest to launch a sweeping package of agricultural initiatives aimed at boosting global market access while strengthening household-level food security across the island nation.

    At the center of the government’s new policy agenda is an ambitious export expansion strategy that includes breaking ground on a certified, export-prepared packing facility within the next four months. Developed in partnership with state trade promotion agency Export Barbados, the packing house will enable domestic producers to scale output and access consumer markets beyond the Caribbean region. A second certified packing facility is already planned for the Groves district of St. George to further expand the country’s export processing capacity.

    Addressing attendees at the harvest ceremony in the Pine Basin farming district, Agriculture Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight outlined the country’s strategic pivot from a decades-long focus on domestic food self-sufficiency to active participation in global agricultural trade. “Feeding our own population has always been and remains a core national commitment, but we are now also prioritizing the development of export-ready agricultural industries,” she stated.

    To support the growth of value-added agricultural commerce, the government has launched “Carmeta’s Crown,” a national innovation challenge that invites Barbadian entrepreneurs to submit original processed agro-product designs. Selected participants will receive targeted marketing support, production resources, and capacity-building training from the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC), and will gain access to retail shelf space at BADMC-run Carmeta’s stores across the country. Complementing this commercial push is the upcoming rollout of Project Care, a community-focused initiative that empowers local residents to grow fresh fruits, vegetables and protein crops in their own backyards to supplement household food supplies.

    Dr. Munro-Knight emphasized that the dual strategy of export growth and domestic food empowerment directly counters the long-held narrative that Barbadians lack interest in farming. Framing current global economic and climate challenges as a catalyst for local innovation, she noted: “We face a perfect storm of global market instability, climate change impacts, persistent supply chain constraints, and inherent limitations of being a small island developing state. But every crisis creates the conditions for large-scale innovation and transformative new progress.”

    The new policy announcements coincided with the successful first harvest of upland rice from the Huan-Barbados Agricultural Technology Cooperation Project. Now in its third phase, the Golden Sickle Shared Food Security initiative is a technical partnership with China that has successfully introduced commercial upland rice cultivation to Barbados for the first time. The project has delivered hands-on on-farm training and demonstration for smallholders at Pine Basin, building long-term technical capacity and creating a clear pathway to agricultural diversification and reduced import dependence.

    While acknowledging that eliminating total rice imports will be a gradual process, Dr. Munro-Knight hailed the harvest as a landmark milestone for the country’s agricultural sector. “Few people would have imagined even a few years ago that we could grow rice at scale here in Barbados, let alone have the capacity to expand production further,” she said. “We cannot replace all rice imports this year or even next, but the progress we have made in just two years is undeniable and sets a strong foundation for future growth.”

    The rice cultivation project forms one part of a broader multi-commodity agricultural development push that also includes plans to expand production of premium West Indian Sea Island Cotton and scale up the national Black Belly sheep breeding program.

    China’s Ambassador to Barbados, Zheng Bingkai, highlighted the transformative potential of upland rice cultivation to strengthen Barbados’ agriculture, boost climate resilience, and cut the country’s food import costs. Noting that the drought-tolerant upland rice variety is uniquely suited to small-scale producers with limited land holdings, he explained: “This variety fits perfectly with small plots of land, which makes it accessible for most local smallholders. Every year, Barbados spends $8 million on imported rice, so domestic cultivation creates clear economic opportunities for local farmers.”

    Ambassador Zheng also framed the crop as a “climate-smart” solution for the island, as it requires almost no additional irrigation when planted in alignment with local weather patterns. “If cultivation runs from May to October, the entire growing cycle falls within the wet season, so almost no extra water is needed for irrigation,” he noted.

    Reflecting on recent high-level policy discussions, Ambassador Zheng praised Barbados’ holistic, pragmatic approach to revitalizing domestic food production. As the two countries prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, agricultural and technological cooperation has become a core pillar of the bilateral partnership. “We are working to build a community with a shared future,” he said. “We are development partners, and our belief is that our success is tied to your success.”

  • CARICOM moves towards ferry trial within months as cargo cost-cruncher

    CARICOM moves towards ferry trial within months as cargo cost-cruncher

    After concluding their annual flagship summit in Saint Lucia this week, leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have taken a major step forward in delivering a long-planned regional intra-Caribbean ferry service, approving a limited proof-of-concept trial that could launch within three months using an existing vessel owned by Trinidad and Tobago. The initiative is rooted in a years-long push to address one of the bloc’s most persistent strategic gaps: costly, inefficient intra-regional transport that inflates consumer prices, undermines food security, and slows the growth of cross-border trade and people-to-people connection.

    Under a two-track approach outlined by Mia Amor Mottley, Barbados Prime Minister and CARICOM’s lead prime minister for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the bloc will pursue both a short-term trial of an existing vessel while laying the groundwork for a permanent, privately operated service. Mottley emphasized the urgency of the project during Wednesday’s closing press conference, framing the ferry as a core policy tool to fight soaring regional inflation driven in part by global energy market volatility tied to renewed conflict in the Persian Gulf.

    While technical and feasibility assessments continue, CARICOM heads have given the green light to begin discussions with the Trinidad and Tobago government to deploy one of the country’s existing inter-island ferries for a limited southern Caribbean trial. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has confirmed the country’s willingness to contribute a vessel for the pilot, noting the nation’s 100-year history of operating inter-island ferry services between Port of Spain and Scarborough. Early discussions have identified the *Galleons Passage*—a 74-meter catamaran roll-on-roll-off ferry commissioned in 2018, with capacity for 400 passengers and 60 vehicles, plus on-board passenger amenities including a cafeteria, bar and VIP lounge—as the leading candidate for the trial. The pilot is expected to launch first in the southern and eastern Caribbean, with initial sailings proposed between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, before any potential expansion.

    To inform long-term planning, CARICOM leaders have tasked the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO)—which has facilitated negotiations between governments and maritime industry stakeholders—and the CARICOM Secretariat to develop a full feasibility dossier. The document will include detailed data on proposed passenger ticket and freight pricing, with an explicit focus on ensuring affordability and accessibility for vulnerable groups and small cross-border traders. It will also outline the project’s underlying financial model, including long-term sustainability projections, capital investment requirements, potential funding sources, and an assessment of commercial risk and public benefit, which will determine whether the bloc grants final approval for a permanent service.

    Mottley noted that the private sector is expected to take up to a year to source purpose-built vessels for a permanent service, while regulators work through the necessary legal and regulatory reforms to enable seamless cross-border movement. A key priority for the coming months will be harmonizing regional rules on license and insurance recognition, a critical step to allow cargo vehicles to roll on and off the ferry at different ports without bureaucratic delay. Leaders also emphasized the need to assess existing port infrastructure and ramp facilities across the proposed trial route to ensure they can accommodate ferry operations.

    The push for a regional ferry is not a new effort: a working group including Barbados, CPSO, the Caribbean Development Bank and other member states has spent years evaluating fast ferry options, particularly for moving agricultural produce across the Caribbean archipelago. Private sector ventures like Barbados-based Connect Caribe have already developed proposals for a linked service connecting Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean states, marketing projected ticket prices below $100 USD. The mixed passenger-cargo model is designed to drive down both travel and shipping costs, addressing the well-documented drawbacks of current intra-regional transport options: limited cargo capacity and prohibitively high ticket prices for air travel.

    Despite the renewed momentum, the project has faced repeated delays in past years, tied to challenges including vessel acquisition, port infrastructure upgrades, customs and immigration harmonization, and lingering uncertainty over the level of sustained investor and government commitment. Industry observers have also flagged unresolved concerns: that without careful planning, the service could either become an expensive niche offering limited to wealthy travelers, or become a significant drain on public finances if projected revenues fail to materialize. The summit’s focus on affordability, accessibility and rigorous financial modeling reflects a deliberate effort to address these longstanding concerns.

    Mottley tied the ferry initiative directly to the bloc’s ongoing efforts to shield Caribbean households from soaring imported inflation, amplified by recent renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran that have pushed up global oil prices. “We are singularly focused on being able to reduce the cost of intra-island cargo, which, in addition to the other measures that we have taken to increase disposable income of our citizens, but also to reduce the cost of freight, the cost of gas, and the cost of electricity,” she told reporters. Acknowledging growing uncertainty from the Persian Gulf conflict, she added that CARICOM governments are committed to working collectively to mitigate impacts on regional populations, even as the ferry project moves forward as a work in progress. Detailed operational negotiations and regulatory treaty drafting are set to begin in the coming weeks, with leaders hopeful the proof-of-concept trial will launch before the end of 2024.

  • Govt plans new insolvency framework to bolster financial stability

    Govt plans new insolvency framework to bolster financial stability

    Barbados is advancing sweeping reforms to its national financial ecosystem, with a landmark depositor protection bill currently under legislative debate and a comprehensive new bankruptcy and insolvency regime slated for launch before the end of the year, Finance Minister Ryan Straughn confirmed during a Wednesday address to the country’s Senate.

    The legislative package comes as the island nation’s credit union sector undergoes explosive growth, transforming from a niche community financial model into a core pillar of the national economy that now requires updated regulatory guardrails to match its expanding systemic importance. Speaking as the upper chamber began debate on the Protection of Depositors Bill, Straughn emphasized that the legislation is just the first cornerstone of a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen depositor security, boost public trust in Barbados’ banking system, and create a stable regulatory environment that supports the continued expansion of the credit union movement.

    Straughn explained that the upcoming insolvency framework will act as a critical complement to the new deposit protection regime, establishing a clear, streamlined legal process for resolving failing financial institutions. Under the proposed structure, the Barbados Deposit Insurance Corporation (BDIC) will serve as the official liquidator for failed institutions, operating under strict regulatory supervision to accelerate asset disposition and speed up the resolution of claims for creditors and shareholders alike. “These reforms are non-negotiable for building greater public and market confidence in our financial system,” Straughn told lawmakers.

    For ordinary Barbadians, the Protection of Depositors Bill marks a historic shift: for the first time, credit union deposits will receive the same level of state-backed insurance protection that has long been available to traditional bank depositors. The new protections will cover more than 200,000 credit union members across the country, as well as small business account holders and working families who rely on credit unions as their primary financial institution. “What this bill does is stand behind the thousands of Barbadians who have put their savings into credit unions,” Straughn said. “It delivers an entirely new level of security for depositors across every part of the country.”

    The urgent push for updated regulation stems from the sector’s unprecedented expansion over the past 18 years. Straughn reported that total assets held by Barbadian credit unions have skyrocketed from just $403 million in 2007 to nearly $3 billion by the end of 2025, representing an almost sevenfold increase in size. Two credit unions have now grown large enough to qualify as systemically important institutions – a designation that means their failure could pose broad risks to the entire national financial system. Straughn specifically noted that one of these large credit unions is bigger than the smallest commercial bank operating in Barbados, and pointed to a regulatory gap that the new bill closes: one credit union already owns a subsidiary deposit-taking institution covered by existing insurance rules, but the parent credit union itself has never been protected before.

    The reform effort also answers years of advocacy from the Barbados Co-operative and Credit Union League, which has long pushed for equal regulatory treatment and protection for its member institutions. The existing national deposit insurance scheme, launched in 2007, currently covers commercial bank deposits up to a ceiling of $25,000. Under the new legislation, that same $25,000 limit will apply to credit union deposits, and Straughn noted that the threshold aligns with global best practices for deposit insurance systems, which typically target coverage for around 95% of all deposit accounts. In Barbados, the existing $25,000 limit is projected to cover roughly 91% of all eligible credit union accounts, since the vast majority of depositors hold account balances below that cap.

    Straughn clarified that coverage will apply to the full balance of any account under the threshold: a depositor with $19,000 in savings will receive their full balance back in the event of institutional failure, while those holding balances over $25,000 will be covered up to the $25,000 limit. The combination of extended deposit protection and a modernized insolvency process is designed to future-proof Barbados’ financial system as the credit union sector continues to grow and evolve.

  • CHASE hails Windies’ batting display in series victory

    CHASE hails Windies’ batting display in series victory

    On Tuesday, cricket fans across the Caribbean witnessed a historic milestone at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, as the West Indies sealed a landmark 1-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka, with the second Test ending in a hard-fought draw. Following the final wicket, West Indies skipper Roston Chase opened up about what made the historic win possible, pointing to the team’s transformed batting consistency as the critical foundation for the result.

    Breaking a 23-year drought against Sri Lanka in Test cricket, the result marks a significant turnaround for the side after a challenging 2023 campaign. Over the course of the series, West Indies batsmen delivered a dominant display with the willow, amassing a mammoth total of 1,234 runs across three innings. The standout innings included four centuries and three half-centuries, a far cry from the batting collapses that have plagued the regional side in recent matchups against Sri Lanka.

    Opening batsman Amir Jangoo finished the series as the top run-scorer, notching 242 runs at an impressive average of 60.37, just edging out captain Chase himself, who accumulated 217 runs at an average of 59.61. For Chase, the win carries extra weight, as the side had struggled to overcome Sri Lanka for decades, both at home and on the road.

    “I’m very elated, especially against a team like Sri Lanka that we have struggled to beat even at home and especially when we go away to them,” Chase said post-match. “So to come here and not just beat them but in a dominating kind of way when we haven’t won against them in 23 years, it feels great, especially after the year that we had last year.”

    The all-rounder explained that deliberate, targeted work on batting improvement was a core focus of the team’s pre-series preparation, a strategy that paid dividends when it mattered most. For years, the West Indies has relied heavily on its bowling attack to deliver results, often leaving bowlers with underwhelming totals to defend. Chase pushed for a cultural shift ahead of the series, challenging batters to give their bowling unit competitive scores to work with.

    “It was mostly the bowling that stood up for us in the majority of the games. It’s something that I really put forward to the guys, that we need to be able to at least give the bowlers something to work with. They raised their hands tremendously in this series,” Chase said. “These are big hundreds and not only that, we turned them into big totals as well. Not just one guy getting 100 and we (the team) probably just getting over 250. For two guys to get hundreds in two innings, that says a lot.”

    Chase also expressed pride in his own standout performance as leader, crediting his teammates for the support that allowed him to lead from the front. “I mean this is the first series where I really had an outstanding performance. I’ve been trying but to go and actually lead from the front, so it feels great. I just wanna congratulate the guys for helping me to achieve this as the leader of the team,” he added.

    The series’ standout performer, all-rounder Justin Greaves, who claimed both Man of the Match and Man of the Series honors, called the achievement the highlight of his professional career to date. “This will be top of the list. Contributing to a team win and then contributing to a series win as well, also the first series win in the test championship for us, so it’s a very big achievement,” Greaves said.

    Greaves, who has now notched three Test centuries in his young career, with two of them coming at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, attributed his success at the venue to familiarity. He currently plays domestic cricket for the Leeward Islands, meaning he has spent hours batting on the stadium’s pitch, learning its idiosyncrasies. “It is home for me at the moment, playing for the Leewards, so I have gotten accustomed to the surface and it’s usually a pretty good one. Once you get in, you know, you could really add big scores,” he explained.

  • Wages protection bill: Moore seeks stronger safeguards

    Wages protection bill: Moore seeks stronger safeguards

    In a heated debate in Barbados’ House of Assembly this Tuesday, Toni Moore — St George North Member of Parliament and General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) — has called on fellow legislators to reopen discussion on several key recommendations left out of the government’s updated Protection of Wages Bill, arguing that the omissions leave critical gaps in safeguards for the country’s workforce.

    Introduced by Labour Minister Colin Jordan, the bill is framed as a modernization of existing wage protection rules, but Moore says its true test lies not in updating language, but in delivering tangible, enforceable protections for working people. One of the core unadopted recommendations she is pushing to revive would tighten statutory language to require that all wages are paid on a regular working day by the established payday. Moore explained that bad actors currently exploit the lack of this rule to delay wage payments to weekends, when all financial institutions are closed, forcing workers who have already completed a full week of work to wait until the next business day to access their earnings — leaving many unable to buy immediate necessities like groceries.

    Moore offered measured praise for one new provision in the bill that formalizes employers’ ability to process authorized deductions from wages for credit union contributions, insurance premiums and loan repayments. She noted that for years, many employers have arbitrarily refused to carry out these deductions even when workers explicitly request them, creating severe financial hardship: workers are often locked out of accessing mortgages without this automated deduction arrangement, and mid-stream cancellation of deductions by employers can push workers into default and financial instability through no fault of their own.

    However, Moore voiced sharp criticism of Section 14 of the bill, which allows employers to recover wage overpayments from future earnings with no statutory time limit. She argued that the open-ended provision is unreasonable, noting that employers could claim overpayments from five, 10, or even 15 years prior, forcing workers to absorb unexpected deductions for errors that were often caused by the employer’s own faulty payroll systems. Citing past issues with underreported payroll errors among former Berger Paints workers, Moore proposed a clear cap on recovery windows, suggesting between six and 12 months as a reasonable timeframe. Though this proposal was rejected during initial drafting, Moore stressed that it must be revisited to protect workers who plan their household budgets around their expected full wages.

    Moore also put forward another key reform demand: immediate payment of all owed wages when employment is terminated, even in cases of summary dismissal. She argued that once an employment relationship ends, all outstanding payments should be settled when the National Insurance Scheme termination certificate is issued, unless the two parties agree otherwise. She added that while automated payroll systems may not always accommodate immediate off-cycle payments, manual adjustments can and should be made to deliver timely payment to dismissed workers, allowing them to move forward without financial uncertainty.

    Another major concern Moore raised centers on Section 29 of the bill, which excludes workers under “cooperation agreements” from the law’s protections. She warned that this vague language opens the door to widespread worker misclassification, particularly for people in informal work and the growing gig economy, who will be left without any wage protection if employers intentionally reclassify their employment status.

    Beyond the Protection of Wages Bill, Moore used the debate to renew longstanding calls for broader reform of Barbados’ Employment Rights Act. She pointed out that inconsistent employment tribunal procedures, arbitrary caps on compensation awards, and widespread difficulties enforcing tribunal rulings continue to block workers from accessing meaningful justice. For example, she noted that the current act allows tribunals to set their own procedural rules, which led to one high-profile case where the tribunal chair adopted complex Supreme Court rules — turning what was supposed to be a accessible, streamlined process for workers into a costly, overly litigious battle. To this day, there are no consistent, standardized rules across tribunals, creating unpredictable procedures and requirements that disadvantage workers who rarely have the resources to navigate shifting legal expectations. “Workers deserve predictability,” Moore emphasized.

    Moore also called out a problematic misinterpretation of the Minimum Wages Act by a major local company identified only as BEC. The company is classifying sales commissions as part of the statutory minimum wage, allowing it to pay a base wage lower than the legally required $10.71 an hour, with the difference made up by variable commissions. Moore explained that this practice erodes workers’ financial stability and hurts their ability to qualify for mortgages and other loans, noting that the complaint has been sitting with the Labour Department for almost a year without resolution.

    To make all existing and new labour laws effective, Moore stressed that the Labour Department needs both adequate staffing and targeted resourcing — a distinction she drew, noting that headcount alone does not guarantee capacity to deliver. The department needs sufficient resources both to educate employers and workers on new laws, and to consistently enforce protections across all workplaces. She added that public education on labour rules is a foundational requirement for any effective legislation.

    Closing her remarks, Moore clarified that she supports the Protection of Wages Bill as a meaningful step forward for worker protection, but said it requires targeted refinement to deliver on its promises. “We don’t expect perfection, so we will not stop it, but what we expect is that we will continue to work at it, to improve on it, to make sure it delivers in very practical ways to the people on whose behalf all of us in here commit to serve,” she said, pledging to continue advocating for stronger, more inclusive labour laws across Barbados.