A stakeholders??? meeting to discuss the hike in sand prices proved beneficial as Minister of Commerce, Donville Inniss this morning engaged the relevant parties in an effort to accelerate the process.

Attended by officials from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Commerce, Permanent Secretaries in the respective ministries, Managing Director of Island Development Ltd (IDL), Ian McNeal, Chancery Chambers and Al Hart PR Incorporated, Minister Inniss said the meeting was an opportunity for IDL to explain all of the factors that led them to increase their prices.

He said they also examined the role of the state from a regulatory perspective and any actions that would have led to this situation.?????Let me reiterate the fact that we are dealing with a finite product and, therefore, there was need for the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to weigh in and determine the reserves of sand available. We also looked to see what could be done to make those reserves available to consumers and this is not necessary through IDL,??? he added.

Acknowledging that his Ministry was looking at addressing the need to shorten the regulatory approval process without compromising on the quality of decisions to be taken, the Minister further added that the Fair Trading Commission was dealing with the justification in the increase in prices.

Mr. Inniss admitted that in the future his Ministry would be examining the role of the construction industry and a meeting with the truckers was scheduled for Monday morning.

theresa.blackman@barbados.gov.bb

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