NEW Minister of Commerce and Trade Haynesley Benn says he is excited about working closely with new his agriculture counterpart, David Estwick, in “aggressively [going] after food pricing in Barbados”.
Stressing that it was important for synergies to be created at the ministerial level, Benn told the party faithful at the weekly luncheon of the Democratic Labour Party at George Street, Belleville, he and Estwick would form a formidable partnership.
“It is going to be great working closely with the doc. It is important to note that he has been shifted to the ministry that I held and I have been shifted to part of the ministry he held.
“We have always enjoyed a good relationship and I want to develop it. There are a lot of things that he is going to be doing in Agriculture that will connect with Commerce and Trade,” he said.
Before an audience on Friday that included Cabinet ministers, Esther Byer-Suckoo, Maxine McClean and Estwick, Benn said and he and Estwick would be putting their heads together to ensure Barbadians enjoyed a good cost of living.
“As he produces the food, my ministry is going to be responsible for ensuring that it reaches the consumers at the best possible price, and we will do that through our consumer affairs section.
“I am confident that within a year and half, we will have vigorously attacked the food prices in Barbados.
“We are going to look at the prices of commodities when they land here in Barbados and see why they reach the shelves at such exorbitant prices,” he said.
Benn gave ailing Prime Minister David Thompson the thumbs up for the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
“I can boast the changes are good changes.
“Hats off to the changes that were made. It seems that a lot of thought went into them.” (MK)
