THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OF BARBADOS dresses up its performance in some sort of mythical “Sunday morning” garb of “everything is on track”.
However, the strong smell of the (Bajan) khus-khus root stashed in the press or wardrobe cannot overpower the redolent odour of seeming insouciance (light-hearted unconcern) – especially from the Prime Minister; insecurity – everyone else is to blame but them; unskilfulness – some may say incompetence – in managing the affairs of state.
Of course, the question is, of what kind of “track” do they speak? Is it the track between properties such as at the Villages, where there is “no lot line”? Is it at the Garrison Savannah or its precincts, where the “tracks” may be well worn?
Is it the track at the “Bolt” stadium, where, I wonder if sponsors of any event there are allowed to use Mr Bolt’s image as part of their package of support and how many times and for how long? Are we “on track” at schools’ playgrounds where the turf is hard and cracked – especially bad for the lower limbs and joints?
I seem to think that our economic turf is indeed “hard and cracked” and this is notwithstanding the reading from an inverted referenced “table” from what is quoted as a “world-renowned international professional services firm” – the TMF Group. On analysis, Barbados was placed at No. 9, apparently out of a group of 80 countries or so, in the matrix of the easiest place to do business.
We, both local and international, have our own experiences. We may experience, as has happened, that responses from a certain Government department could not be sent out as none of the printers had ink for weeks. On track?
The larger or perhaps smaller question is, are we at the beginning of the denouement – unravelling – of this Government by July? I pose this question since an examination of the “Sunday morning” best reveals many rents – in the party, tears – of creditors begging for some sort of payment, patches and holes in our crumbling infrastructure and a plethora of broken promises such as the construction of the new Hastings police station.
All we are really getting from St John to St Michael and beyond is the strong smell of more and more khus-khus root. The fragrance is, however, just being wafted away on the hot air of ministerial pronouncements intermingled with the “silent sound” of those who should speak. What we need is, however, to get to the root of the myriad problems and concerns.
Yes, Barbados is “on track” in the clouds, the nebulous clouds, but not in digital “cloud” storage. What a smell!
– MICHAEL RUDDER
