Mottley: Govt owes UWI $100m

Mia Mottley (FP)

By Dawne Parris | Wed, July 11, 2012 - 12:10 AM

ESTIMATING THAT the Government of Barbados now owes more than $100 million to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, former Education Minister Mia Mottley yesterday called for an “urgent, permanent solution” to the mounting debt problem.

She has suggested a mechanism that would see Barbadians repaying the bill footed by the Government if they go outside of CARICOM to live and work immediately after getting their degrees.

Mottley made the call and suggestion as she contributed to parliamentary debate on a resolution for a Government guarantee of a $41 million loan from the National Insurance Board to the campus – a loan she said was a mere drop in the bucket.

The St Michael North East MP said her information was that the Government owed between $50 million and $60 million in arrears, plus $60 million to $70 million for this financial year, and called on either Minister of Education Ronald Jones or Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler to disclose the exact figure.

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Posted by Cara Lanslette 11 months ago: The S&P recently downgraded Barbados to junk bond status. This is a negative reflection upon Stuart and the DLP group. Barbados, however, before the 2008 general election was downgraded several times and reflects negative upon Owen Arthur and the BLP group.

The BLP responds to all of the above saying [it] has a enviable record of keeping promises. Whatever happened in the past cannot be changed. . . . .... Truth is that both parties, THE BLP and DLP exposed to Bajans their INCOMPETENCE. Both had parties with GREED AND CORRUPTION. The BLP can spit at the DLP. The DLP can certainly spit back.

According to Arthur REDjet Airlines might still be flying if the Barbados government had honored its financial commitment to the collapsed airlines”. If government during the days of Arthur and the BLP had just fixed the Al Barrack problem, it would have ballooned so large. Bajans owe REDJet nothing, absolutely nothing. They, however owe Al Barrack 75m or more. Here, in this instance concerning Al Barrack, Arthur and the BLP exposed to Bajans their INCOMPETENCE. Mottley fusses that government owes the University of West Indies 100m. Maybe so. They also owe Al Barrack 75m or more.