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Minister of Industry, Denis??Kellman (left), making a presentation to Anderson??Cozier for 30 years of service to the BIDC. (A. Gaskin/BGIS) |
Minister of Industry, Denis Kellman has told the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC) that "it cannot be business as usual" if it is to initiate change in this country’s economy.
Speaking to the BIDC’s staff at the Barbados Hilton yesterday during their Christmas Luncheon and Staff Awards Ceremony, Mr. Kellman said that he considered that organisation to be "the pillar" of change for Barbados, along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Tourism.
"We at the BIDC know our mandate and we must understand that the world is not waiting on us…We are here [today] to recognise that you have played a major part in the development of Barbados, but the truth is the pace must be quickened. If we are going to change things we must change them in the interest of the country because the world is not waiting on us," he asserted.
He alluded to comments by Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford which underscored that production was the way forward, and noted it could be used as a message for BIDC, in addition to Barbados and the world. "…We have taken to the decision to focus on services without recognising that in order to get served you must have production. If we focus on service and we do not focus on production where are we going to go?" the Industry Minister queried.
During his address, Mr. Kellman also paid tribute to those employees who have been with the organisation for numerous years.?? "We have to start honouring and appreciating those who have worked hard to build this organisation… and to build the country. We must be careful that we do not neglect our own," he stressed.
Minister Kellman added that: "We must also appreciate that our clients are professionals and they are not only out there working to make a living but they are working to ensure that that the [Gross Domestic Product] GDP of this country is kept or increased to a level that will make us happy. So we have to understand that they are equal partners and they must be treated with respect."