THERE MUST BE benchmarks against which every country will want to be measured when it comes to doing business. Usually the barometer is the World Bank’s index. On the ground there are always clear indicators. In Barbados we are fully aware of the roadblocks and the impediments to changing for the better, our business approach in both the private and public sectors.
Barbados has long talked about becoming the Singapore of the Caribbean, but we have a long way to go if we are to achieve the success of that nation in the ease with which it offers businesses to set up and operate there. Singapore at the top of the World Bank’s listing is an enviable record which we must scramble to emulate.
It was heartening to hear Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Donville Inniss, speak partly to the issue on at least two occasions recently. He has joined the chorus, often sung by the private sector, for greater efficiency and flexibility in the way we conduct business. After all, this is necessary as the Government elevates the importance of entrepreneurship, foreign direct investment and the need for greater self-employment.
This places greater meaning on Mr Inniss’ call for a faster and meaningful shift to the 24-hour work day, especially if the economy is to be reshaped and revitalised.
However, it cannot be a private sector-only led undertaking. It must also include the trade unions and most importantly, the Government.
Most Barbadians, like Mr Inniss, want to see Bridgetown opened for business seven days a week and until late in the evenings. But equally important is for them to have access to Government services outside of a highly regimented 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. time frame. There is an urgent need for Government to change the way it does business.
The provision of many services at our health facilities, particularly the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, must not be restricted to specific daytime hours, neither should the operation of traffic courts nor the collection of taxes. The same approach must apply to the collection of garbage and the provision of public transportation. It must also be clearly understood that there will be no premium paid for the provision of such services simply because they do not fall within the workday and work week of ancient times.
Many Government agencies and departments already provide 24-hour service ranging from the police, nurses, customs to immigration officers. They carry out their duties without any special payments. This is a point which the trade unions must recognise as critical to help the country’s economy. In Singapore, organised labour has not hindered progress. Neither have they in Australia, New Zealand or Canada, all scoring highly in the World Bank’s rankings.
As Minister of Commerce, Mr Inniss has a golden opportunity to lead the way. He must turn talk into action.
