Government

Enhanced Public Awareness Campaign For SDGs

A more robust public education campaign will soon be undertaken in Barbados, with respect to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This assurance came recently from Project Coordinator in the SDGs Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office, Krystal Yearwood, at the end of the National Consultation on the Identification of Priority Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Indicators for Barbados, hosted at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC), Two Mile Hill, St. Michael.

The Consultation was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, the Prime Minister’s Office, the United Nations Population Fund and the Joint SDGs Fund.

During an interview with the Barbados Government Information Service, Ms. Yearwood noted that the campaign would focus on the goals and the significance of these to the “average man”.

Elaborating, she stated: “When we hear about the Sustainable Development Goals, we think about it as just the global aspect; but what people really want to know is how do these goals relate to me.

“What sustainable development means for us, for example, is ensuring that we have sustainable and affordable housing for people, and it means ensuring that our physical ecosystems, such as our gullies and coral reefs, are protected. It also means that we’re able to make our social protection programmes more tailored to the needs of the vulnerable, and sustainable development encompasses all these components. In order to ensure that this is understood across the length and breadth of Barbados, public education will be a part of our next steps going forward.”

“What sustainable development means for us, for example, is ensuring that we have sustainable and affordable housing for people, and it means ensuring that our physical ecosystems, such as our gullies and coral reefs, are protected.” – Project Coordinator in the SDGs Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office, Krystal Yearwood

Ms. Yearwood also pointed out that a consultancy team is being led by Dr. Dion Greenidge, who was engaged under the UN Joint SDG Fund entitled, Integrated Population Data and Policy Solutions to Accelerate SDGs Achievement in Barbados and Montserrat.

She added that Dr. Greenidge and his team are currently working on a baseline study to show exactly where Barbados is with regard to specific SDGs indicator data collection and will make recommendations on how to improve data collection across the sustainable development goals indicators.

Explaining the importance of this, the SDG Project Coordinator stressed: “If the data is not being collected, the consultants will recommend how best we can go about collecting that data. Once we have that information, then we’re able to present it to the relevant stakeholders within government, and use it to make informed decisions, and to decide how we will move forward as a country to achieve the goals.”

During the stakeholder engagement at the LESC, Ms. Yearwood shared that the participants had identified a priority list of indicators based on the SDG pillars – people, prosperity, planet, peace and partnerships.

Adding that the priority list of indicators is still being fine-tuned, Ms. Yearwood stressed that the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 required a “whole of government effort and a whole of society approach”. (PR/GIS)

Government

Barbados Statistical Service Statement On Data Breach

The Barbados Statistical Service (BSS) confirms that we recently experienced a cyber incident. Ongoing investigations suggest that the systems of the BSS were breached on October 30, 2024, and that data was obtained by malicious actors. The Data Commissioner was advised.

Within 24 hours of the intrusion into the systems of the BSS, an incident response team was mobilised and deployed by the relevant Authority to contain the incident and investigate the scope of the breach along with BSS IT staff.

The incident has been contained, systems taken offline, and the investigations, so far, reveal that most of the information involved in this incident relates to survey data gathered primarily for statistical research purposes and then aggregated. The teams are still in the early stages of their investigations and are currently in the process of restoring data and services from secured backups.

The BSS is cognisant of its obligation to preserve public trust in the very important work of this Department. We will over the coming days and weeks ensure that our systems are appropriately hardened to reduce the probability of a recurrence and will be coming back to the public to advise on any relevant action that should be taken at the individual level to stay safe online following this event. As more information becomes available, we will provide updates to the public. (PR/GIS)

Government

Finance Ministry Approves $30 Million In Tax Payments

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs, and Investment announced that it recently released funds enabling the Barbados Revenue Authority (the Authority) to issue $30.4 million in Personal Income Tax (PIT) refunds for income year 2023 to 39,196 taxpayers. Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn confirmed the announcement.

Minister Straughn praised the Authority’s efforts in maintaining a streamlined process that facilitates the prompt issuance of refunds.

“The majority of refund payments for income year 2023 have been issued electronically via direct deposit and eligible taxpayers will start seeing the amounts on the account of their selected financial institution from as early as this week. This process reaffirms the Government’s ongoing commitment to improve its operations and to deliver efficient service to citizens,” stated Minister Straughn.

“Just under 13 percent of the refund payments processed are being issued via cheque. The cheque payment process has more layers, is a manual process and takes a longer time to process in relation to the disbursement of the payments. So persons will start receiving refund cheques through the post from the latter part of the month.”

Minister Straughn emphasised that the prompt issuance of PIT refunds aligns with Government’s commitment to a robust, citizen-centric service framework.

“The timely execution of these payments reflects our dedication to supporting taxpayers and delivering on our promises to make government services more accessible and responsive. The Barbados Revenue Authority continues to make strides in improving operational efficiency and service delivery,” he added. (PR/GIS)

Government

Barbados Has New Resident High Commissioner To Ghana

Last Thursday, November 7, Barbados’ first resident High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, presented her Letters of Credentials to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at Jubilee House, Accra, Ghana.

This occasion marked a significant milestone between the two nations, which started formal diplomatic relations in August, 1994.

High Commissioner Bynoe-Sutherland in addressing the dignitaries gathered, brought greetings on behalf of President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley.

She thanked President Akufo-Addo for his inspirational words to Barbados at National Heroes Square, during the ceremony marking Barbados becoming a Republic in November, 2021.

In her remarks, High Commissioner Bynoe-Sutherland also focused on the ways in which the Atlantic Bridge was being rekindled through areas of cooperation in culture, trade and commerce, agriculture, life sciences and sports.

Having led the national hospital through COVID 19, the High Commissioner highlighted the successful cooperation in health between the two countries since 2019, which she said now serves as a model.

She shared insights into the positive contributions of the first two cohorts of Ghanaian nurses and the programme underway to welcome and orient the recently arrived third cohort of 155 nurses on November 3, 2024.

President Akufo-Addo in response, spoke about the deep enduring relationship between the countries. He asked that special greetings be sent to Prime Minister Mottley for her support and leadership during Ghana’s efforts around its candidacy for Commonwealth Secretary General.

As Barbados assumes from Ghana the Chairmanship of the Climate Vulnerability Forum (V20), cooperation is expected to deepen between the countries on climate vulnerability and efforts to achieve reform of the international financial institutions captured by the Bridgetown Initiative 3.0.

Senior officials of the Government of Ghana and the Barbados High Commission, along with the High Commissioner’s son, celebrated the occasion.

Also in attendance for the presentation of credentials was Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayokor Bocheway, who was successfully elected as the incoming Seventh Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, and who also joined in well-wishes to the High Commissioner and Barbados.

The new High Commissioner extended appreciation for the warm welcome received by the Mission in Ghana which was established in 2021. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Barbados’ first resident High Commissioner to Ghana, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland greets Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at Jubilee House, Accra, Ghana.