‘Govt policies lack certainty’

Government should be testing its proposed projects; if not it runs the risk of wasting morning, Opposition Senator Karina Goodridge told the Senate yesterday.

As the Chamber debated the Appropriation Bill, 2026, Goodridge touched on a number of “ambitious” initiatives of the Government in relation to transforming education, reverse tax credit and flyovers to ease traffic congestion. She said that many of the proposals were temporary measures rather than long term.

For the reverse tax credit that has been presented as a key tool for providing relief to households to work, there must be a time limit in order for it to be effective.

She said she paid attention to the Minister of Finance in the Budget, stating that the Government was not obligated to pay the credit if it did not have the financial capacity to do so.

“This introduces a level of uncertainty that significantly weakens the policy. A benefit that is promised but not guaranteed cannot serve as a reliable basis for a household financial planning. Citizens must be able to depend on the measures announced,” the attorney said.

She said even where payments were eventually made, the delays could significantly reduce their effectiveness as households experienced financial pressure in real time when it came to their routine groceries purchases and other commitments.

“It must be paid consistently. No ifs or no buts about it. It must be paid on time. Without this, it risks becoming a policy that exists in theory, but fails in practice,” she said, adding that while intent behind the measures was commendable, their scale and duration raised some concerns.

A grant of $100 was unlikely to significantly offset the rising cost of living as it could be quickly absorbed by expenses and the grant for mothers with multiple births only benefited a relatively small segment of the population, Goodridge said.

“Whatever policy that the Government brings, it will be questioned, and people want it to make sense. People want it to be one that can benefit a larger majority instead of a very small group,” she stated.

She praised the Barbados Republic Child Wealth initiative as a bold and forward-looking one with potential to address long-term issues of wealth inequality, but warned the ambition must be matched by careful planning.

The Senator questioned how it would be funded and what structures would be in place for its governance and the safeguards to prevent misuse or political interference, adding that such a programme must be supported by strong institutional frameworks.

On the issue of transportation which is linked to economic productivity, Goodridge said that with the proposed infrastructure solutions such as flyovers and road expansions, the public had a right to understand the implications of any proposed changes.

“People have a right to know, and they have a right to know. It’s not that they’re malicious. They have a right to know what is going on when it comes to the transport section and the Government must supply them with the answers.”

She said that the budget presented was a mixture of “commendable intentions and significant concerns” and reflected “a Government that is responsive at a short term, but uncertain in its long-term strategy”. 

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