The political losers and their supporters have been told to get over last February’s general election defeat and let the Freundel Stuart administration run the country.
That was the emphatic position of Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler yesterday at the 187th annual general meeting of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) at Hilton Barbados.
“All of us have likes and dislikes, whom we want and whom we prefer not to want but it is the people of Barbados who decide who will form the Government. Let me make it clear, this Government is not fighting an election over again until the time is right.
“Those who are suffering from post-election stress syndrome – my advice to you – get over it and move on. We have serious issues to deal with,” he told the executives.Furthermore, Sinckler blasted what he called “malicious and unfounded rumours that Barbados was headed for an imminent International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and that the country’s dollar would be devalued.
“For the record from where I sit and from what I know there will be no IMF programme in Barbados – not now, not June, not this year and if we act as we are supposed to act, not in the foreseeable future and there absolutely will be no devaluation of the Barbados dollar,” he insisted as the audience responded with applause.Sinckler insisted that he and Cabinet colleagues were under no illusion about the difficulties facing Barbados as it battled five consecutive years of flat or no growth, but emphasised that Government had been above board with information to the public.
“At no time and under no circumstances have I or any member of this administration withheld vital information from the public of Barbados on the state of the economy, nor will it happen,” Sinckler said.
He praised the BCCI and its individual members for working with Government and helping to keep the country stable during a very difficult period.Sinckler said he was prepared to accept responsibility for what had happened in the economy even though many of the problems predated him. (GE)
More reports from Business Editor Geralyn Edward in tomorrow’s DAILY NATION
