‘Social Compact’ Signed In Barbados To Reduce Prices On A Range Of Goods

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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Last week, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Minister of Energy and Business Kerrie Symmonds signed a Social Compact with the Private Sector Association and representatives from the Trade Union Movement.

The Social Compact will reduce prices on 47 items that will remain in place for the next six months.

In addition to an expected overall price reduction on items governed by the Social Compact, Value Added Tax (VAT) is off several items, and duty is no longer on some citrus produce.

There will also be an overall reduction in the prices of some chicken products. However, this does not include specialised items, such as chicken breasts, legs, thighs, or nuggets.

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Speaking at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Prime Minister Mottley, in highlighting the efforts of all involved, thanked the farmers while envisioning an increase in agricultural output for domestic use and export.

“I look forward to continuing working with you because I believe we can see significant expansion in agriculture production in this country not just for domestic purposes but through agro-processing and for export purposes,” the Prime Minister stated.

Head of the Private Sector Association, Trisha Tannis, remarked that the Private Sector was “very much committed to ensuring that the prices, as much as we have the control over those, will remain at their lowest level.”

Mrs. Tannis noted, however, that the Association would not be able to control the pricing of goods by “every minimart and every shop”; thus, the public needs “to be made aware of that context.”

General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union, Toni Moore, stated: “The value of partnership is most often seen in times of hardship.”

“We will do whatever we can find possible to do during these times to help our neighbour,” Moore stated.

Source: Barbados Government Information Service/ SLT

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