Businessman Ralph “Bizzy” Williams is appealing for more cooperation between the public and the private sector.
Citing a tendency on the part of the public sector to focus on minute detail in accordance with certain regulations, Williams said: “If the Public Service does not see itself as [a facilitator] of business, we are going to get to the stage where the dollar is going to have to be devalued and the poorest people in the country are going to suffer, and it grieves me.”
Speaking candidly to BARBADIAN BUSINESS AUTHORITY at the official opening of the second restaurant in the local Burger King chain Thursday, Williams suggested the private sector was feeling some frustration with public sector red tape, and said he would not like to see Barbados suffer the devaluation experience of other Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Jamaica in the long term as a result.
“I am trying to tell the public sector, ‘Don’t keep blocking the private sector because it is you that are going to suffer in the long run, because it is you that are going to be relying on your pension, because you will retire and find that the pension is worth nothing’,” Williams warned.
He restated his commitment to Barbados and disclosed a new $23-million Williams Towers would shortly be opened at Warrens, while he was also awaiting permission to expand operations of Williams Industries at Hothersal Turning and Cole’s Engineering.
The Barbadian entrepreneur has partnered with the Jamaican company Restaurants Associates Limited to bring the Burger King franchise to Barbados and emphasized none of the $4 645 520 invested in bringing the two Burger King restaurants to Barbados had been borrowed from banks in Barbados.
“These restaurants will not be blocking availability of funds for any small enterprises here in Barbados,” he said, adding that half the money had come in foreign exchange from his Jamaican partners.
In turn, Jamaican investor Richard Lake said it was important that Caribbean entrepreneurs got together and worked together to promote the regional integration “that we all speak about but don’t have enough in practice”.
Delivering the feature address at the opening, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Donville Inniss spoke of “a sense of urgency” in bringing some definitive closure to the issue of rates of duty on imported inputs into some industries.
He explained there were “broader philosophical and trade issues” to be considered despite the willingness to protect local industries. He also had to be mindful of Barbados’ obligations under several trade rules, he said.
“We have to be very clear as to the price points upon which our decisions are made and, by extension, the applicable rate of duty and its conditions which will allow local industry to survive and foreign investment to enter in.” Inniss said. (GC)
