THROUGH THE NEW tourism project in St Lucy, Barbados has the opportunity to create genuine economic enfranchisement for ordinary people.

This is the view of St Michael West-Central MP and back-bencher James Paul, who said the way Government dealt with this St Lucy land/tourism investment venture could "rewrite the circumstances under which foreign investors come in, get huge benefits but don't deliver the socio-economic goals to which Barbadians are entitled".

Small farmers

He told the House of Assembly on Tuesday that a project of this magnitude – some 82 acres – should speak to the economic and social reality of Barbados. Using the example of St Lucy itself, he described it as an agrarian parish with several small farmers, including one who had complained twice about not being able to get tomatoes and onions sold.

Paul said this new project, therefore, should bring benefits to farmers in the parish by having the Barbados Tourism Investment Incorporated – in which the land at Harrisons, St Lucy is vested – ensure in some way that the proposed hotel buy its produce from neighbouring farmers.

Negative mindset

He added that Barbadians seemed to have a mindset that ordinary people were not interested in investment, and that this must be the domain of foreigners and rich locals.

However, he suggested that credit unions be involved in major tourism projects like this one, thereby mobilising the savings of ordinary Barbadians and moving away from the concept of putting people's destiny in foreigners' hands.

"We have to create a country in our own image, not in the image of a foreign investor," he told the Chamber.

He further noted that allowing foreign investors to source everything from abroad could no longer continue if Governemnt hoped to create a Barbadian business class.

"We give investors a lot of concessions but what are they giving in terms of development of our people? We don't have a game plan in place," he said, adding that a large foreign exchange leakage had resulted from the belief that Barbadian products were simply not good enough.

Caution

He also urged Government to stop major investment projects from decimating the landscape, as was the case with Four Seasons.

"But I'm assured by the Minister of Tourism that common sense would prevail in the development of Harrisons," Paul stated. (RJ)