Caution on cost of living

Brace for an increase in the cost of living here. That’s the caution of the official Opposition led by Bishop Joseph Atherley.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday at the Opposition Office in Parliament, spokesman Bruce Hennis referred to Page 5 of the April 2 Ministerial Statement delivered by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughan, pointing out that given the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, a hike in prices will be inevitable.

“We are in an environment of austerity. We have to therefore attend to, and meet, these self-imposed tariffs. We set them up, so we have to stay there . . . . A lot of us in Barbados are existing below a particular income level. When you then start to hit fees and tariffs, at all levels, you’re going to be impacted,” he said.

He added that the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were operating at a deficit and not creating enough revenue to cover their operating expenses. (RA)

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