FOR A NUMBER of years, building contractors and prospective homeowners have been complaining about the price of cement, with the question being asked, why does cement cost more in the country of manufacture than in other Caricom countries?
Prior to the announcement that there will be another cement plant on the island, there were other concerns raised about the cement industry.
1) The cement plant at Checker Hall, St Lucy, was a monopoly business and not in the best interest of Barbadian consumers.
2) The cement plant metamorphosed into a majority-owned and managed Trinidadian enterprise.
3) From time to time, there were rumours that the cement plant would no longer be a Trinidadian business located on Barbadian soil, but instead be taken over by a non-Caribbean enterprise.
Taking all of the above into consideration, one would have thought that the announcement of a second cement plant owned and managed by Barbadians and providing more jobs would have been welcomed news.
But no, some in our midst seem to enjoy monopolies and an absence of competition, a plethora of foreign-owned businesses dotting our commercial landscape and large numbers of unemployed Barbadians.
If I may speak for the average Barbadian, we need competition and not monopolies in our business environment so that prices will not go through the roof. We also need more Barbadian-owned businesses and less unemployed Barbadians.
If I am wrong, then someone can correct me.
– MICHAEL RAY