Petition urges Sinckler to seek financing for social services

MINISTER OF FINANCE Chris Sinckler has been presented with a postcard petition of 400 signatures calling on him to have some Financing for Development resources allocated to the provision of social services and not only debt financing.

The petition was organised by Action/2015 Caribbean, a regional movement launched by the Caribbean Policy Development Centre.

Campaign coordinator Kai-Ann Skeete said the petition has as its theme Put People and Planet First.

“As you sit in your negotiations across the world, as you sit and you secure development financing there is a need to ensure that you provide resources for the people and for the planet,” she said.

Sinckler said he would take the petition to cabinet on Thursday.

He noted that coming out of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Caribbean countries including Barbados were not impressed with the level of resource allocation or attention that was paid to the region.

Therefore, he said there should be a global platform which can speak to more industrialised and more accomplished countries about how much they want to and should contribute to maintaining global peace and enhancing developing countries. (LK)