Calling it a “gimmick”, former Prime Minister Owen Arthur believes the notion of forming an eminent persons group to try to avert Barbados’ economic woes at this stage would be impractical since the Government had already made up its mind.
Stating he had heard about this proposal recently, he said the eminent persons group “would have its reputation savagely savaged” because there was nothing it could do in just over a week, since Government would start laying off public workers by January 15.
“What can you do? The group would have to commission studies, it would have to see all of the information that the Government has access to, the Government itself or somebody with authority would have to commission it, and would have to be prepared to take the report and act upon it. To do all that in a week is not even heroic; it’s an absurdity,” he told the DAILY NATION in an interview yesterday.
Arthur said he had already made his position clear on the idea, which had been proposed by his colleague, Opposition Leader Mia Mottley, last month.
