Government

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s Christmas Message 2024

t’s once again, that time of year where we celebrate the joy and love of this special season. This is a time that means so many things to so many people, not just here in our country, but across our diaspora and indeed, the world. So, whether you’re at home or whether you’re abroad, whether you’re with friends or family, loved ones or not, regardless of your circumstances, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I say a very merry and blessed Christmas.

You will realise that my voice is not the best, but I felt that it was still important to be able to share with you today. We celebrate this beautiful Christmas Day as one Bajan family, and I’m so happy to know that the love we share and feel during this time is something truly special. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Christmas fills our hearts, I want to take a moment to reflect, to celebrate and to share with each of you the hope and warmth that this season brings.

Indeed, I know this year 2024 has been one filled with a unique blend of transformation, tension and resilience. We have faced challenges that have stretched us beyond what we thought possible. We have encountered challenges that have tested our unity, our faith and our strength. But through it all, we stood together as Bajans, embodying the spirit of perseverance that runs through our veins and that has indeed carried us through generations.

As we pause during this Christmas season, let us remember that the true essence of this time of year is not found in the decorations or the gifts under the tree, but yes, in the love that binds us together, the love of family, the love of community and the love of country.

This Christmas, I encourage each of you to cherish those closest to you. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters, but the moments we spend with our families, sharing a food and a drink, laughing, reminiscing or simply enjoying each other’s presence, are the moments that give life truly its meaning. These are the moments that fill our hearts with warmth and remind us of the blessings we hold dear.

And for those who may be spending this Christmas missing loved ones who are no longer with us, let us acknowledge your strength. In your memories, their love lives on, in your hearts, they remain forever present. May the comfort of cherished memories give you peace, and may you know that you are never alone, for this nation stands with you always.

To our Barbadians abroad, I know that Christmas is a time when your hearts long to be home, to walk the familiar roads, to hear the sounds of Christmas morning in Barbados, to feel the changes in the wind and the breeze, to taste the sweet bread and the sorrel and to feel the warmth that you get in family gatherings, even if you cannot be home physically this year, know that you’re always home in our hearts.

And the beauty of technology allows us to communicate with you and for you to be present, except we can’t hug and kiss you, but we can do everything else through that technology. So, my friends, Barbados carries you with us, just as you carry Barbados with you wherever you are in the world, your roots are deep, your connections strong, and your contributions to our nation’s story are invaluable.

“This Christmas, I encourage each of you to cherish those closest to you. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters, but the moments we spend with our families, sharing a food and a drink, laughing, reminiscing or simply enjoying each other’s presence, are the moments that give life truly its meaning. These are the moments that fill our hearts with warmth and remind us of the blessings we hold dear.”Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley

As we celebrate this season of love and reflection, I extend a heartfelt invitation to you all. In 2025 come home, come home for We Gathering, or as the jingle says, “Come long home”. This special, year-long festival calls on every Bajan from near and far to return to our island and reconnect with your families, reconnect with the land, the culture and the other people who helped raise you and made us who we are as a people. We Gathering is not just a festival, my friends, it is a celebration of us, us Bajans. It is a time to honour our achievements, to share our stories and to look boldly towards the future that we are building together.

Imagine a year where every parish comes alive from January to November, and then in December, we bring everybody together, ensuring that the vibrancy of our culture is there. In every village, in every community, there is laughter and conversations of reunited families and old friends. Yes, We Gathering 2025 will be a time to deepen our bonds, to learn from each other and to revel in the joy of being Bajan. So, wherever you are in the world, start making your plans. Barbados is calling you home. And may I say, having started it in 2020, and COVID put us off our tracks. This is the Barbadian spirit that says we will not allow ourselves ever to be dominated by circumstances. We’re going to do this one more time and get to the end.

But as we look back on 2024, we can see that it was a year of challenges, as I said, but also a year of incredible progress and unity. We faced economic pressures, we navigated global uncertainties, and we stood resilient in the face of the Climate Crisis. More people are working, more people are earning, and indeed, through every test, our determination shone bright, no more so than when we also confronted the ravages of Hurricane Beryl. We have invested, my friends, in our future. We are transforming our institutions with your help, and we have held fast to our belief in the promise of this, our great nation.

My friends, the road ahead will not always be easy, but we know that together, we can always be capable of achieving greatness. That has been our story in the past, it will be our story in the future. Barbados has always been able to count on the strength of its community and its families and of its faith in each other.

“My friends, the road ahead will not always be easy, but we know that together, we can always be capable of achieving greatness. That has been our story in the past, it will be our story in the future. Barbados has always been able to count on the strength of its community and its families and of its faith in each other.”Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley

This Christmas, I want us to renew that faith. Let us look to our future with hope, knowing that as long as we stand together, there is no challenge we cannot overcome, and no dream we cannot achieve the faith that we have in the God that we believe is absolutely critical to rooting us, especially more so in these times when the pace of change is so rapid that it can sometimes be giddying.

As we gather around our tables this holiday season, let us hold close therefore to the values that define us; love and kindness and respect and resilience. Let us also remember the beacons of renewal that we’re asking each of us to instil in each other. Reach out to your neighbours, check on those who may be alone, and spread the warmth and generosity that are the hallmarks of this special season. For it is in the giving of ourselves that we experience the true joy of Christmas.

May this season, my friends, fill your homes with peace, your hearts with joy, and your lives with love. And may 2025 bring continued blessings, opportunities and the promise of brighter days for us all. And where there are challenges, may we build the resilience to overcome them.

I simply say to you, on this morning, Merry Christmas to you, your families, your friends, and may God continue to bless Barbados and to bless us its people. (PR/GIS)

Government

Employees Must Be Allowed Reasonable Period For Voting

Employers are reminded that on polling day for the by-election in St. James North on Wednesday, May 21, they must allow each elector in their employ who resides in that constituency a reasonable period of not less than one hour for voting.

Employers must not make any deductions from wages, salaries or any other remuneration, or impose upon the elector any penalty due to their absence for the period of voting.

According to the Election Offences and Controversies Act, any employer who directly or indirectly refuses, or by intimidation, undue influence, or in any other way interferes with an elector’s right to vote, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500 or to imprisonment for six months.

For more information on Election Offences, members of the public should call the Electoral and Boundaries Commission at 535-4800.

Government

UTT Students In Barbados For Study Tour

Students pursuing the Master’s programmes in Innovation, Manufacturing, Management and Entrepreneurship as well as Innovative Design and Entrepreneurship at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) are currently on island for a study tour.

The tour is being done in collaboration with the Ministries of Innovation, Science and Technology; Energy and Business; and Training and Tertiary Education.

Speaking yesterday while visiting a local business, Assistant Professor of the Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship Units at UTT, Dr. Jorrel Bisnath, explained that the students participating in these specific areas were chosen because the university and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago have recognised them as being critical for sustainable development.

According to Dr. Bisnath, the UTT hopes that initiatives like the study tour will expose the students to the best of professional business practices while simultaneously helping them to mature in a very short space of time, since they are being exposed to over 12 companies.

“Every year, we identify a regional economy that is of value or in alignment with our objectives, within the programme, which is to support manufacturing, entrepreneurship and innovation, and our students are expected to identify what best practices take place in these economies, … compare them to Trinidad and Tobago, [and] look for opportunities for integration, development, adoption and also growth,” he stated.

He added that this type of exposure allows the students to exercise their corporate skills and professional expectations and also helps them to easily integrate into regional work environments.

“We know that for us as a region to progress we must develop these inherent talents… and in viewing and visiting the companies that we’ve been exposed to here, I think it would have been apparent that we are doing so many things very well, but they’re also quite well kept secrets.

“We went to Lenstec today, which is a world class manufacturing facility right here in Barbados. We went to McBrides, who is a leading distributor of aerosols across the region and delving into North America as well… and all of these companies have told us that Barbados is not a manufacturing economy.”

The UTT professor noted that although countries like Trinidad and Barbados are producing ‘world class outputs with limited resources’, there is a struggle in trying to achieve specific goals, even though there is an input of work because there is also a lack of sharing and collaboration.

“I think opportunities like this really open our eyes and exposes our students to what the possibility is for them and how they can contribute… and to be afforded the support that the Government of Barbados has provided, I think has gone a long way to help with that integration and our development, so we are truly grateful.

Minister of Training and Tertiary Education, Sandra Husbands, acknowledged that Trinidad has been leading the region in manufacturing, setting the example for Barbados, but added: “We do not have to buy somebody else’s property; we can produce a quality product here.”

She continued: “Barbados is following suit. We have just started to do some investment in an international food centre to help us to begin to do the Agro-processing that we need to do, and to be able to encourage our small innovators to begin to think big and to think in terms of export.”

The Minister revealed that her Ministry will be opening the Agricultural Institute in Hope, St. Lucy, to be able to help the country to build its skills in agriculture, especially within a climate challenged environment.

“We’ve seen the impact, … but we want to go further than just simply produce food for immediate consumption as is, but to be able to lay the foundation for Agro-processing and to be able to start producing products. I firmly believe that if we are going to deal with the NCDs that plague our region, and especially in Barbados, I know they don’t have it quite as much in the other islands, but we definitely have a problem here.

“We have to look at our domestic foods and look at how we can produce a new family line of snacks that are healthy and that are attractive…. I think if we could actually create some type of product that is healthy, I believe that we can make a tremendous difference. So, I really, truly welcome having you here, and I trust that for you, this particular experience here in Barbados will empower and energise you. I’ll be looking to see you producing things in the future and offering yourselves, across the region to help us build capacity,” she told the visiting students. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Training and Tertiary Education, Sandra Husbands, and officials pose for a photograph with Assistant Professor of the Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship Units at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), Dr. Jorrel Bisnath (third from left), and students, during a visit to a local business

Government

Nominations Invited For Pride Of Barbados Award – St. Philip

Barbadians at home and abroad are invited to submit nominations for the Pride of Barbados Award 2025 for the parish of St. Philip, to the National Honours and Decorations Advisory Council, by Monday, June 30.

Nominations for the parish of St. Philip should be made via the links:

https://eforms.gov.bb/sc/prideofbarbadosaward – Pride of Barbados Award Portal
https://eforms.gov.bb/f/pbaStPhilip – Nomination Form – St. Philip.

Persons submitting biographical data for the individual being nominated are encouraged to follow the suggested format by viewing this template.

Section 19 of the Barbados National Honours and Decorations Act 2021 states the award of The Pride of Barbados may be conferred by the President in accordance with the Awardof Pride of Barbados Act, 2019(Act 2019-52).

The Pride of Barbados Award is given to a person who is a citizen of Barbados or entitled to be registered as a citizen, or a permanent resident, and through sacrifice, diligence, and dedication to service has made an outstanding contribution to community life in a parish, or to the improvement of economic and social conditions in a parish.

These awards shall be conferred on persons who reside in a parish in Barbados and have been nominated by persons who live in the respective parish.

They shall also be conferred on persons who formerly resided in a parish in Barbados but now reside abroad, and who are nominated by persons who reside in the parish or used to reside in the parish but now live overseas. (PR/GIS)