WHY HAS THE Barbados Statistical Service not published the latest unemployment figures?
Isn’t it ironic that though the department has not released the figures, Minister of Labour Senator Dr Esther Byer Suckoo could reveal last weekend that unemployment is now nine per cent – possibly the lowest in the region?
How could Barbados be in a fiscal crisis with job losses consistently taking place in the private sector, as noted by Chamber of Commerce president Eddy Abed, yet unemployment statistics continue to remain low?
Could it be that Government has persistently been hiring, as the National Union of Public Workers has claimed?
Is it true that the latest statistics will show Government hired 2 400 while the private sector shed 2 500, and the self-employed grew by 1 200?
Will the Government please release the latest unemployment statistics and prove that they have not been hiring more people as feared, but has been lightening some of its load to ensure the Central Bank does not have to continue printing $50 million a month to pay public workers’ salaries?
A bit of belt-tightening
SOME ASPECTS OF a popular organisation’s month-long celebrations to commemorate their founding fathers have been dropped because of a lack of cash.
Cou Cou was reliably informed that the entity had planned to showcase its cornerstone figures and heritage over this month’s five weekends, but a cash crunch stopped them in their tracks.
An insider told Cou Cou that it was determined that the cost of producing and circulating the material involved was too costly, given the low levels of their coffers. In any case, given the expectation that the quinquennial event slated for next year may be held later this year instead, it was felt that even more judicious use of available funds was appropriate at this time.
From what Cou Cou was told, the organisation has been experiencing low cash reserves for the last four years but recently got a major injection when it hosted an event that was attended by thousands. The source revealed that leading up to it Barbadian’s gave generously without being asked to contribute.
The source said the entity is focused and ready, and expects to benefit from the goodwill of their many supporters whenever the time comes.
Pat’s back
THE RULING Democratic Labour Party is expected to name two more candidates to contest St Michael constituencies soon.
DLP insiders told Cou Cou that it seems Patricia Inniss, the two-time loser against Barbados Labour Party leader Mia Mottley in St Michael North East, will be returning. It seems likely too that first-time loser against Ronald Toppin in St Michael North, Francis De Peiza, will not come back.
In the meantime, some fallout has apparently begun over the DLP’s seeming sudden switch to Rodney Grant instead of Patrick Tannis to contest the St Michael South East constituency.
Tannis stated he was not contacted by the DLP’s executive to inform him about the decision. And though he declared himself “at complete rest and peace” over the decision, he said: “I don’t think you can ignore someone like me and if you choose to ignore me, you do it at your own peril”.
Some DLP insiders are suggesting that those words were Tannis’ veiled way of suggesting the party has not heard the last from him on the issue.
