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Although insisting that the Central Bank has not surpassed its legal limits of financing the Government through “printing money”, regional economist Marla Dukharan has advised the Mia Mottley administration to put “urgent emphasis” on reigning in its deficit.Amid public discourse about whether the Central Bank was printing money, Dukharan stressed that was one of the roles of that institution, and all indicators pointed to it being done within the parameters of the Central Bank Act.“Th...

Frustrated with the state of the country’s fragile social security system, Barbadians are demanding tighter scrutiny over investments made by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), and stiffer penalties for employers and self-employed persons who fail to honour their commitments.This was the consensus Monday evening at a town hall meeting at the Combermere School where the NIS’ top brass took suggestions from the general public as the organisation faces a potential crisis. “I think that wha...

People who currently contribute to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) could be affected by its impending reform.That is the view of Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Professor Justin Robison.He told Barbados TODAY that while the National Insurance Fund is not in crisis now, Barbadians who presently contribute to the NIS could possibly still feel the impacts of any reform.On Wednesday, during a national press conference, it was reveale...

The rising cost of fuel in Barbados has prompted the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) to call for a hike in allowances for public servants.Noting that allowances have not moved in over a decade, the union’s general secretary Richard Green and president Kimberly Agard argued that with gas prices here being among the highest in the world, it was necessary for travel benefits to be adjusted upwards.Their call came on the heels of another price hike that took effect on Sunday which saw the ...

Some of the island’s top performers in the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination (BSSEE) were successful in passing for their school of choice despite the challenges associated with online learning.Top boy overall Azario Gooding who hails from St George Primary, said he knew he was always going to do well but did not expect this level of success.On Tuesday, when Gooding, who was accompanied by his parents, collected his examination results slip he told reporters: “I am a little bit ...

St Paul’s Primary School student Madison Smith has accomplished her goal of scoring full marks in Mathematics in this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE).She was one of just two students to get 100 in the subject, out of the 3 000-plus students who sat the examination.The Queen’s College-bound student told the media on Tuesday, after the results were released, that she spent many hours completing past examination papers, extra homework, and revision as she prepar...

Fifty single-parent families will get free counselling services under the Supreme Counselling for Personal Development’s new Family In Therapy (FIT) programme which aims to provide a holistic approach to addressing challenges in the home.Supreme Counselling’s Chief Executive Officer Shawn Clarke said that in addition to providing individual and group intervention counselling, the programme will also teach single parents effective parenting tools and techniques for coping with and overcoming ...

One of the signature Crop Over events is returning this year, though in a slightly smaller format.Bridgetown Market, which has been a Crop Over staple for many years, was originally not planned to be part of the 2022 Crop Over season, however, according to President of the Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs (BARVEN) Alistair Alexander, this year’s event is very much still on, just on a smaller scale.“BARVEN has embarked on staging Bridgetown Market this year… you ...

Barbados has lost as many as 70 nurses to overseas recruiters and there is the possibility more could follow suit, General Secretary of Unity Workers Union (UWU) Caswell Franklyn has warned.Franklyn, who led a strike of over 150 nurses between last December and February this year, said many of the health workers have taken up employment overseas as they were adamant they would not return to work here under existing conditions.“I can’t tell you where I get my information from but I can assure...

A St John woman has been ordered to pay a $20 000 fine for possession of a loaded firearm which she said she stole from a licensed gun holder to commit suicide.Of that amount, 40-year-old Natalie Delores Clarke, a resident of Stewart Hill, had to pay $5 000 forthwith on Thursday.She stole the .22 pistol containing ten rounds of ammunition from the vehicle of Vincent Alleyne on May 19, 2021.Alleyne had met Clarke three weeks prior to the incident, struck up a friendship, and would transport her t...