THE CONSEQUENCES OF poor economic management, especially sustained for over eight years, are real, not imagined. Some are short term and others are medium-long term.
In our system of governance that lacks adequate checks for transparency and accountability, it takes months for most of the information to be revealed.
There are always consequences to poor performance. In the political environment, some of them can be concealed. But an economic system is intimately connected to a social system, which means that the decay in one affects the other.
The apparent recent unhinging of Barbados’ social services is a direct consequence of the prolonged economic decline.
In the circumstances, it should surprise no one that the provision of social services is finally being reflected in the inadequacies of our garbage collection, water system, sewerage system, health care and transportation, among others. These inadequacies are the inevitable outcomes that have taken some time to be fully revealed.
But there is another gross inadequacy, which is in the leadership of the country. This is supremely displayed in the lack of management of the South Coast sewage situation that is also a prime example of the consequence of poor economic management.
Imagine a country, where tourism is the only sector, apart from the Government sector, that has grown in the last eight years. Further imagine that the growth in tourism has occurred on the South Coast, which partly explains why the benefits from the growth have not triggered a spike in economic growth and foreign reserves.
Sewage situation
After all the imagining, get real and understand that the sewage situation is happening in Barbados. It is now being suggested that it will take a mere $2 million to fix the sewerage system.
This is unbelievable on many levels but consider that: (1) such money ought to be a pittance for Barbados and (2) effective leadership would have recognised the need to address the matter before.
Is it not embarrassing that a paltry sum of $2 million is needed to fix the system? But it is even more embarrassing that the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII) is providing the money. Look what Barbados has come to that the BTII is putting up the money to address a sewage problem in Barbados.
In the midst of this mess, the Prime Minister and his minsters have retreated from the responsibility of explaining the issues to the Barbadian public. Parliament met on three occasions in seven days in the aftermath of the matter being exposed on Trip Advisor. The members dealt with supplementaries and raising the loan limits, which fitted ideally into the financial resources needed to do something major with the sewage problem.
According to Section 64(2) of the Constitution: “The Cabinet shall be the principal instrument of policy and shall be charged with the general direction and control of the Government of Barbados and shall be collectively responsible therefore to Parliament.”
Given the health, environmental and economic concerns posed by the sewage problem, it is an ideal case for the Cabinet to provide general direction and control through effective leadership.
Instead, the media’s prime minister, Donville Inniss, called out his Cabinet colleagues. He noted that “. . . people need to take responsibility whether it be at the level of minister or technocrat”.
There has never been a case in the past when a minister of Government has so showed his hand in positioning himself for the ultimate post. He is now even prepared to make such comments in public rather than in Cabinet.
The contrast between Minister Inniss and Prime Minister Stuart is startling. The former is prepared to impress even when the issue is not under his portfolio, while the latter is not prepared to impress even when the issue is under his portfolio. In times of crisis, everything is under the Prime Minister’s portfolio.
The desire not to lead is now ingrained in the Cabinet. The Minister of Health and representative for the affected area, John Boyce, did not meet with the residents and business owners, having found himself in the sea at Worthing Beach just a few days prior. He then joined the Prime Minister at a meeting in St Thomas, which has no coastal sewage system or beach, to speak on the issues affecting the South Coast.
It is most offensive that Prime Minister Stuart speaks on the most mundane issues, once they can be cast in a historical context, but is sadly lacking on issues affecting Barbadians’ quality of life and current reality.
• Dr Clyde Mascoll is an economist and Opposition Barbados Labour Party advisor on the economy. Email: clyde_mascoll@hotmail.com