On 'Down To Brass Tacks' (on VOB 92.9FM) on August 18, I heard Mr. Tony Marshall ask a set of really good questions and raise issues pertaining to the Caribbean as a whole and to Barbados individually. I asked Mr. Marshall this afternoon if I could repeat the questions here, and he agreed. I will offer no answers.
I did not hear the whole broadcast yesterday, but Mr. Marshall did offer some answers at the time, he told me. He would be very interested in any feedback, via this blog or of course when he is next on Brass Tacks.
- Why don't we have one regional central bank?
- Why don't we have a single currency?
- How can we have regional unity and West Indies cricket and Trinidad wants to go it alone?
- How can we have unity and the CCJ is the final court for 2 countries, with the others going to the Privy Council?
- Why do we not have a regional airline?
- Why are we duplicating the offerings of UWI across the region: Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados campuses, and we have 'Open University' across the region, and non-campus territories?
- We continue to support a singular approach and talk about regional integration?
- Why is the OECS monetary union working?
- We continue to want to be a big fish in a little pond.
- Harmonisation of fiscal incentives is a lot of pretty talk - but what have we done so far?
- Why do we have 3-4 cement plants?
- There is an increase in health costs across the region. Have we thought of importing in bulk and distributing across the region?
- Do we test that pharmaceutical medication coming into Barbados does what it is purported to achieve (i.e., is fit for the purpose)?
Joking, Mr. Marshall and I agreed that "Coffin" falls with #13.
