Dese past two weeks all de talk is ’bout de Budget and de $42 million cutback at UWI grabbing headlines, students protesting and hardly anybody talking ’bout de other taxes, de municipal tax, gross tax pun earnings, land tax and so on.
De truth is, though, that somehow we need to fire up de engines and get Bubbadus moving again and dat mean dat we got to use we creativity and ingenuity, we need fresh ideas, new approaches and we need to implement.
I like de fact dat Chris offering some help to the tourism sector. Dem need it bad and, after all, dat and de international business sector like it is de only shows in town, so we got to get dis place moving again.
We been hearing ’bout de Pierhead project since Adam was a lad. It good fuh Bubbadus but it tekking too long. De new cruise terminal – duh got mixed views pun whether dat is a blessing or a curse. And I looking forward to de day dat Four Seasons brand down by Paradise, but dat too tekking too long. We behaving like we got time pun we hands.
And ah got to say dat the move to recognize people of high net worth who investing millions in Bubbadus is a masterstroke. After all, a man got millions of dollars invested here but he gine through Immigration like a regular visitor or Guyanese brethren begging fuh a three-week work permit to do construction? It tek real long fuh we to realize dat dese people should not have to go cap in hand to Immigration begging fuh extensions to stay in multimillion-dollar villas dem own ’bout here. I applaud de decision to give dem special treatment as long as dem respecting de laws of de land.
What else we could do to mek dis place more business- and investor-friendly? People outside say it does tek too long to get things done and we know dat it is true so why not recognize dat dese folks got options, duh got choices? Bubbadus is not de only place wid sea water and sand.
Don’t worry ’bout selling off de national jewels. We got thousands of acres of good agricultural land covered in river tamarind all over dis beautiful island. From Graeme Hall to Grantley Adams Airport, St David’s to Searles and Warrens to Warleigh, river tamarind ruling, waiting fuh planning permission to cut up and sell off, but we worried ’bout selling a few parcels of land to people who gine employ Bajans and spend millions building world-class properties.
Sugar dead, manufacturing struggling, retail hurting. We need new and exciting projects, we need to see Bushy Park race track up to world-class standard, mekking it de Mecca of motor racing in de Caribbean, just like Kensington is to cricket. We need de Pierhead project. Instead of old empty warehouses, we want mega yachts mooring in de bay wid high-end housing. We need to see Bridgetown revitalized by day and night, de vagrants off de streets, de harassment stopped, de boardwalk extended, new businesses pun de boardwalk.
We need Almond kicking again. Couples Resort, a world-class brand, just open at de other end of de Gap; Radisson brand now in Carlisle Bay. Peter Defreitas got another world-class project in Ocean Two, a boutique hotel and residence dat could rival anything in de world, imagination, creativity, commitment and delivery. CPL is a good example. It can be and must be done. We either swim or drown. I plan to swim!
I, Market Vendor, gone fuh now. You have a blessed and a wonderful day, yuh hear?
