BARBADOS’ EFFORTS to keep the sugar industry alive were viewed by a former United States ambassador as a waste of money.
In fact, Ambassador Mary Kramer believed that the industry should have long been allowed to “die a peaceful death”.
Her position is contained in one of the purported diplomatic cables released by whistle-blower site WikiLeaks, which reveal Kramer’s strong criticism of the direction former Prime Minister Owen Arthur was taking the industry.
In a 2006 unclassified cable that reported on Arthur’s January 16 Budget, the ambassador said the only major imprudent expenditure in that presentation was a planned US$150 million investment into the island’s “unprofitable” sugar industry. (DP)
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