Barbados has suffered at least $87.1 million in financial fallout after being blanketed by volcanic ash in April.
Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Marsha Caddle revealed this “most conservative estimate” of the disaster cost and said it was based on a damage and loss assessment conducted by the ministry.
It comes as some Barbadians, including Opposition parties, question the $22.1 million Government says is needed “to reimburse ministries, departments and state-owned enterprises for expenditure incurred from the clean-up process resulting from the ash deposited on Barbados”.
The money was part of a near $35 million supplementary approved by the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Caddle said in a statement that the damage and loss assessment was carried out immediately following the La Soufriere ash fall event, noting that the $87.1 million “covers the clean-up itself, which was significant”.
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