WATER RATES HAVE BEEN INCREASED; electricity rates are about to be increased; and the major telephone service provider has the legal right to increase charges - within limits - and intends so to do.

During these changes little or nothing was heard from the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the Barbados Manufacturers' Association or corporate Barbados.

It was therefore interesting to hear the vice-president of BCCI, Mr Andy Armstrong, come out, even at the eleventh hour, to affirm that merchants operating in the distributive trades were not guilty of price gouging, but rather that there was urgent need for a reduction in Port charges and duties.

It was also heartening to hear that the Government had recently signed an agreement with the Inter-American Bank (IDB) for a thorough study of Port costs, logistical procedures and other operational issues.

The objective? To achieve serious improvement in many of the existing processes, most of which have remained unchanged for several decades.

The BCCI vice-president highlighted the annoying and inefficient practice when doing business with the Port of having to interact with several Government departments, none of which is in close proximity.

It is indeed strange that there was no comment on efficiency, or lack of, within the distributive trades or on the telling fact that in many cases prices become higher to the consumer due to sales by the importer to an associated company which in turn sells to the retailer - each transaction attracting margins
of profit.

Still further, and surprisingly, no comment has been made about stevedoring charges. One can no doubt recall this cost took its rise when it was essential to have goods unloaded manually. Today, container-loads of goods are removed mechanically from ships. Is stevedoring service still needed or is it superfluous?

There is no doubt that the system of charges within the Port, especially the compounded formula used by customs to arrive at the amount of duties payable, particularly in respect of motor vehicles, is horrendous. It is also true that Government needs sufficient revenue to enable it to maintain the level of services currently provided.

However, there can also be no doubt that with improved efficiency levels across the whole operations within the Port, costs could be contained appreciably.

The labour unions have had their way with the Port for a very long time. Circumstances and the current recession clearly indicate there is need to reduce Port costs and handling charges and the unions must be made to understand this. In a similar vein, the Port Authority needs to trim its expenditure and pass this saving on to users of the facility who, in turn, must share such bounty with John Public.

Yes, it may not be a case of price gouging, but is the public to conclude that no comment is forthcoming from big business in respect of increased costs (Barbados Light & Power Company Limited's new rates) merely because they take comfort in the fact that all increases will be passed on to consumers?