Government

Minister Sutherland: Infrastructural Designs Must Be Sustainable

Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dwight Sutherland, believes that by sharing knowledge and best practices, stakeholders within the construction industry can drive innovation and ensure that sustainability remains a core value in the country’s building projects.

Mr. Sutherland expressed this view as he delivered the opening remarks at the Third Barbados Annual Construction and Design Conference 2024, under the theme: “Designing and Building for a Sustainable Digital Transformation”, held at the Radisson Aquatica Resort, on Tuesday.

“Our digital transformation efforts should focus on creating structures that are not only efficient but also adaptable to changing conditions, given the increasing challenges posed by climate change. We must moreover encourage open communication and collaboration among architects, engineers, contractors, and clients,” he said.

He described the conference as a significant event which emphasises the integration of sustainability with digital advancements in the construction and design industries.

“This three-day conference …comes at a critical juncture, for the construction sector. Digital transformation is more than just a buzzword; it is a fundamental shift in how we approach our work. It encompasses the integration of advanced technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), as well as the use of drones and artificial intelligence.”

He added that while tools like BIM may empower builders to visualise projects in 3D, conduct real-time site inspections, and analyse data for better decision-making, sustainability in designs and processes must also be prioritised.

Mr. Sutherland stated that Government recognises that access to stable, affordable housing is not only a basic human right, but it will also yield social benefits. He said Government is committed to having 2,000 housing solutions per year, provided between the public and private sectors.

The Housing Minister also disclosed that Cabinet had agreed to some proposed policy measures for public-funded housing, with the identification of new building designs and innovative building technologies being key among these measures.

He explained that his Ministry had embarked on a process of identifying innovative building solutions that utilise environmentally responsible and resource-efficient technologies. This will assist Government in achieving its target of providing affordable homes to lower and medium-income householders at a faster pace.

Mr. Sutherland indicated that his Ministry was also exploring other innovative and sustainable technologies that are suitable for Barbados’ climatic environment and mentioned a recent visit to the USA, where he led a delegation of public officers and private sector professionals, who observed production techniques at factories in Texas and Florida.

He said they toured a utilised building system that combines cold-rolled light-gauge steel, clad with autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) panels to construct cost-effective, resilient structures.

He explained that the cold-rolled light-gauge steel that makes up the frame of the structure is modelled in a 3-D software package that simulates the required environmental conditions, such as earthquake simulation and hurricane-force winds.

The software identifies any failures of the structure to ensure that it meets the required standard and then allows for all the required services to be incorporated into the walls of the structure during the modelling. On completion of successful modelling the software then sends the information to the cold roll machine where the various parts of the structural frame are produced and ready for assembly. These machines can produce all the components of an 800-square-foot house in a few hours.

Mr. Sutherland said the AAC panels have one-fifth the weight of regular concrete, have been employed as green pre-cast building material globally for over 70 years in residential, commercial, and industrial construction, provide excellent sound and thermal properties due to closed air cells in the concrete, and are fire, termite, water, and mould resistant.

“The integration of Autoclave Aerated Concrete products into our building design and construction practices can contribute significantly to a reduction in the number of indoor air quality issues we are currently experiencing, due to mould infestation.

“Its water and mould-resistant properties would provide our buildings with a much-needed layer of protection. The thermal insulating properties of autoclave aerated concrete will lead to cooler, more energy-efficient structures, and its durability will result in lower maintenance costs over the life of the structure…,” the Minister explained.

Mr. Sutherland revealed that a model house designed by an international company will shortly be showcased on the island and said his Ministry is committed to ensuring that the homes being constructed on behalf of the Government are of a high standard and capable of withstanding natural disasters.

“It is accordingly Government’s policy that any international companies desirous of providing housing for the local market should endeavour to ensure that the structures being erected can resist up to Category Five hurricane force winds, with speeds of up to 170 miles per hour,” he said. (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.