Agriculture workers, guaranteed minimum work week
Agricultural Stations – seven – established
Public Markets: Eagle Hall, St. Michael; Six Roads, St. Phillip; Cheapside and Fairchild Street, Bridgetown
Motorised fishing boats introduced
Fish markets: Oistins, Christ Church; Speightstown, St. Peter; Bridgetown, St. Michael
Fish landing sites: Tent Bay, St. John, Fitts Village, St. James; Bay Street, St. Michael
Barbados Marketing Corporation, (BMC)
Livestock Development Fund to finance the livestock industry
Bridgetown Fisheries Complex
Barbados Development Board – now Barbados Investment and Development Corporation, (BIDC)
Industrial Park, Grazettes, St. Michael – Barbados’ first
Energy, Financial Services and International Business Sectors
Industrial Park: Six Roads, St. Philip
Harrison’s Cave
Industrial Parks: Edghill, St. Thomas; Warrens, St. Michael – resulting from tax incentives
Barbados National Bank, (BNB)
Insurance Corporation of Barbados, (ICB)
Arawak Cement Plant
Barbados National Oil Company (BNOC)
Minibus and ZR systems established, bringing small businessmen in the transport sector
Barbados National Terminal Company Ltd. (BNTCL)
Urban Enterprise Loan Scheme, supporting small business
Rural Enterprise Loan Scheme, supporting small business
Venture Capital Scheme
Barbados Agency for Micro Enterprise Development Fund (Fund Access)
Enterprise Growth Fund
Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, (YES)
Industrial Credit Fund – through Central Bank – to provide funding for manufacturing and enterprises
Barbados Stock Exchange
Philatelic Bureau, accounting for growth of employment at the Post Office and increased revenues
National Petroleum Corporation
New Pelican Craft Village
Small Business Development Centre
Small businesses granted 785 loans totaling $7,297,000 through the Urban Development Commission, UDC)
Small businesses granted 965 loans totaling $8,000,000 through the Rural Development Commission, (RDC)
Small businesses persons trained – 2007 through the Rural Development Commission (RDC)
Barbados’ first political party
Barbados Workers Union, (BWU), Barbados’ first workers’ union
The right to vote – Universal Adult Suffrage
First woman elected to Parliament – Dame Ermie Bourne
Free Secondary Education: introduced by the construction of Princess Margaret, West St. Joseph (now Grantley Adams Memorial), Pine (now Parkinson Memorial) and St. Leonards(1955 – 1961)
“Windfall” Sugar Bonus paid directly to the agricultural workers – a BLP victory in Opposition against the combined forces of the Democratic Labour Party, (DLP), Government and the Barbados Workers Union, (BWU)
Ensured fundamental rights provisions in Constitution – including independence of the Judiciary and the Auditor General
Equal pay for men and women in the public service
Tenantries Freehold Purchase Act. Thousands of Barbadians given the right to purchase their house spots at the token price of ten cents per square foot.
Status of Children Reform Act, which wiped illegitimacy off the statue books
National Commission on the Status of Women, 1976, which made 212 recommendations relating to women, almost all of which were legislated or otherwise implemented.
Children of Barbadian women, wherever born, allowed automatic citizenship
Department of Women’s Affairs
National Cultural Foundation, (NCF)
Facilitation Unit for Returning Nationals (FURN)
Community Independence Secretariat, the Parish Ambassadors programme and the Lighting Ceremony to boost Independence celebrations
Rural Development Corporation, (RDC)
Urban Development Corporation, (UDC)
National Heroes on 28 April – the birthday of Sir Grantley Adams
“Bussa”, Emancipation Statue – and all other statues Bussa Statue
Day of National Significance, 26 July – date of 1937 Riots
Emancipation Day, 1st August
Pan African Commission
Senior Citizens Games
Civil servant salaries protected by Constitutional Amendment, the Public Service
Director of Education appointed – first ever
Housecraft Centre
Erdiston Teachers Training College
Barbados Scholarship increased from one (1) to five (5) and two exhibitions (2) granted
Branch Libraries in all parishes
Richmond Technical Institute
Foundation Schools
Coleridge and Parry School
Government Information Service, (GIS)
Pre-school education in Public Schools introduced
Adult Education – Evening Institute
Reading Unit set up at Erdiston, to identify children with reading problems and undertake remedial action.
Samuel Jackson Prescod Polytechnic, (SJPP)
Secondary education extended to 16 years from 14 years
Text Book Loan Scheme for secondary schools
School Uniform Subsidy for children entering secondary school
Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, (UWI), expanded
Barbados Community College, (BCC), expanded
Skills Training Programme
Free Secondary Education advanced by the extension of six secondary schools and the provision of an additional 2600 places in government secondary schools (1976 – 1986)
Eight (8) new primary and two special schools providing 5880 places: Sharon, St. Thomas; LT Gay, Spooners Hill, St. Michael; Luther Thorne, Wildey, St. Michael; St. Christopher, St. Christopher, Christ Church; All Saints, St. Peter; Hilda Skeene, Ruby, St. Phillip; Ignatius Byer, St. Lucy; Alma Parris special school, Speightstown, St. Peter and Edna Nicholls Remedial Centre, Boscobelle, St. Peter
Education Sector Enhancement Project (EDUTECH)
Nursery education expanded: Eden Lodge, St. Michael; Erdiston, St. Michael; Indian Ground, St. Peter; Prescod Boulevard, St. Michael
Lester Vaughn Secondary School
Nursery schools: St. Boniface, All Saints, St. Peter; Six Roads, St. Phillip; St.Giles
Challenor School and Learning Centre subventions
Civil service tendering extended to all Statutory Boards
Members of Parliament Constituency Offices and Assistants
Office of the Ombudsman.
Electoral and Boundaries Commission constitutionally protected
Ministry of the Environment re-established
Office of Public Sector Reform
Forde Constitutional Review Commission
Ambulance Service
Maternity Hospital
Pubic bath and latrines in every community
Health Centres: Enmore, Collymore Rock, St. Michael; Six Roads, St. Phillip; Speightstown, St. Peter
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH)
Polyclinics: Warrens, Black Rock, Jemmotts Lane, Wildey, all in St. Michael; The Glebe, St. George; Oistins, Christ Church – and the replacement of the old Health Centres by the new polyclinics
Polyclinics late opening hours
National Drug Service
Ambulance Service expansion and upgrade
QEH Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, and hospital expanded
Alternative Care of the Elderly Programme
Means test abolished for overseas Medical Aid Scheme
National HIV/AIDS Commission
AIDS Hostel – first in the Caribbean
Anti-Retroviral Drugs for HIV/AIDS patients – provided free
Barbados Fire Service
Royal Barbados Police Force, (RBPF): communications system extensively upgrade
RBPF: transport facilities boosted massively
Forensic Sciences Centre
Barbados Defence Force
Regional Security System
HMP Dodds, Dodds, St. Phillip – constructed after the destruction by fire of HMP Glendairy
Crab Hill Police station, St. Lucy
Eric Holder Municipal Centre, Tamarind Hall, Horse Hill, St. Joseph
District E police station, Speightstown, St. Peter
Halls of Justice
Housing Estates: Pine, Bay and Belfield
Sugar workers Welfare Housing Loan Fund – more than 2 000 workers received loans for repairs to their houses
Housing Board – now National Housing Corporation
Public Officers Housing Loan Scheme
Sites and services land programme
Springhead, St. James residents relocated to Sion Hill, St. James, moving from poverty to modern conditions of roads, lights and water
Housing Developments: Gall Hill, Christ Church; Six Roads, St. Phillip; Grazettes and Deacons Court, St. Michael; Belleplaine, St. Andrew; Colleton, St. Peter; Redmans Village, St. Thomas; Sayes Court, Christ Church
Housing projects: Kensington Lodge, Bridgetown, St. Michael; Fernihurst and Rosemont, Deacons, St. Michael; Lammings, St. Joseph; Haynesville, St. James; St. Matthias, Christ Church; Bonnets and the Ivy, St. Michael; Maynards, St. Peter
Housing: Pond Side, London Bourne Towers – Bridgetown, St. Michael; Deans Town, St. James; Coverley, Christ Church; Buckley Meadows, St. George; Hoytes Village, St. James; Arlie Heights, St. Michael
Barbados Mortgage Finance Corporation, (BMFC)
Houses for the elderly and poor through Urban and Rural Development Commissions – 447 alone through UDC
House spot purchase subsidies – 806 costing $8.8m – provided to tenants under the Tenantries programme with the right to buy their house spots at $2.50 per sq. ft.
100% mortgages to accelerate home ownership
Land tax abolished on properties valued $125 000 or less. This relieved the vast majority of owners of chattel houses from having to pay land tax
Land acquired for housing: Drax Hall Green, St. George; Work Hall, Hopeland and Marchfield, St. Philip; Tweedside Road, St. Michael; Four Hill Plantation and French Village, St. Peter
Housing for persons living with HIV and AIDS (PLWAs)
Housing Public/Private Partnership programme: Briar Hall, Christ Church; Cane Garden, St. Thomas; Barbarees Hill and Bank Hall, St. Michael
Wages Board
Labour Department
Female Training scheme for recruitment as domestics in Canada, thousands trained
Employment programme with the British government for work on British Rail, Army and Hospitals; thousands of Barbadians benefitted
Loans for thousands to facilitate travel to United Kingdom for employment in government sponsored programmes
The Stockton Report – feasibility study on National Insurance and Social Security scheme commissioned by Freddie Miller and financed by the Colonial Development and Welfare Department. (Draft legislation prepared for the implementation of the Scheme)
Employment: grown from 80,500 in 1976 to 105,600 by 1981
Barbados Workers Union, (BWU), housing project at Mangrove, St. Philip – lent $1 million
Unemployment Benefit Scheme
Project Oasis, specifically targetting unemployed “block” youth
Public workers removed from casual status and appointed – 5000 benefitted
Unemployment: reduced from 24% in 1994 to 7% in 2007
Trade Union Act
Workman’s Compensation Act
Shop Closing Act
Protection of Wages Act
Holiday with Pay Act – the first in the British Empire
Trade Union Act amendment to provide for peaceful picketing
Accidents and occupational diseases notification made compulsory
Quarry workers legislation to provide for safety
Public Employees Pension Act
Casual Employees Pension Act
Peasant Loan Bank Act amendment to provide for Peasant Small Holdings and the purchase of livestock
Family Reform Act
Termination of Pregnancy Act
Administrative Justice Act
Administrative Tribunal Act
Broadcast Act passed and licences granted to operate new broadcast stations
Occupation Training Act
Community Legal Service Act expanding free Legal Aid to persons charged with serious offences and in areas of Civil Law
Penal System Reform (Amendment) Act
Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Amendment) Act
Caribbean Court of Justice Act
Preservation of antiques and restriction of their export legislation
Centennial Honours Act
Arts and Sports Promotion Fund Act
Offshore Banking Act
Shipping Incentive Act
International Business Companies (Exemption from Taxes) Act
Exemption Insurance Companies Act
Energy Sales Corporation Act
Independent Immigration Service
Immigration Review Committee
Barbados interest in Barbados External Telecommunications (BET) legislated
Companies Act amendment to protect of shareholders
Money Laundering Prevention and Control (Amendment) Act
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
International Financial Services Act
Tourism Development Act
Liberalisation of the Telecommunications Sector
Anti-Terrorism Act
Repatriation of Prisoners Act
Forensic Procedures and DNA Identification Act
Government Headquarters, Bay Street, St. Michael
Deep Water Harbour
Seawell Airport (now customs area)
Ministry of Communication and Works headquarters, Pine, St. Michael
Grantley Adams International Airport, (GAIA)
Oistins redevelopment featuring Oistins Bay Gardens
Speightstown redevelopment featuring new boardwalks and esplanade
St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, redevelopment
Post Office Headquarters, Cheapside, St. Michael
Bridgetown Port, expansion and modernization
Arawak Cement Plant
Town centres: Six Roads, St. Philip and the Glebe, St. George
Lewis Wickham (Bridgetown) Boardwalk
Richard Haynes Boardwalk, Hastings, Christ Church
Jubilee Gardens redevelopment as green space
Tom Adams Financial Centre (the Central Bank Building)
Fairchild Street bus terminal
Cheapside Market redevelopment
Old Town Hall, Bridgetown, restoration
Old Spirit Bond, Bridgetown, conversion, to a mall
Parliament Buildings refurbishment
Cumberland Bridge (Swing Bridge) redesign
Princess Alice Highway multi-storey car
Independence Square transformed from a car park into a recreational and cultural square
National Heroes Square
Grantley Adams International Airport, (GAIA), expanded – to all intents and purposes a new airport
George Washington House restored
Spring Garden Highway
Adams, Barrow and Cummins (ABC) Highway
Duncan O’Neal Highway
Roads – 110 – funded by the Urban Development Commission, (UDC)
Roads – 153 – funded by the Rural Development Commission, (RDC)
Swan Street pedestrianisation
Community Centres: Gall Hill, St. John; Ellerton, St. George; Belleplaine, St. Andrew; Checker Hall, St. Lucy; Sargeants Village, Christ Church; Clapham Park, St. Michael; Rock Hall, St. Andrew; Murphy Pasture, Bridgetown
Sporting facilities: Parish Land, Christ Church and Murphy Pasture, Bridgetown
National Sports Council, (NSC)
Flood lights: Murphy Pasture, the City; Meadow Road and Princess Royal Avenue, the Pine; Fernihurst, St. Michael; Dover, Christ Church and Haynesville, St. James.
Fitts Village Esplanade, St. James
Garfield Sobers Gymnasium
Sporting facilities: Bagatelle, St. Thomas; Montgomery, Cave Hill; Boscobelle, St. Peter; Holders Hill, St. James (now Desmond Haynes); Dover, Christ Church (pavilion); Brereton, St. Philip (Wayne Daniel); Cnr. Passage Road, the City; Parish Land, Christ Church; Mapp Hill, St. Michael
Community centre and park, Clapham, St. Michael
Sporting facility: Chancery Lane, Christ Church
Community centre, Bonnetts, St. Michael
Vauxhall Senior Citizens Home, Vauxhall, Christ Church
Welfare to Work Programme
Community Technology Programme
Kensington Oval rebuilt
World Cup cricket finals hosted
Workers earning less than $115 removed from the tax bracket. When the BLP took office in 1976, people could begin to pay Income Tax if they worked for as little as $25 weekly.
Agricultural and Fisheries implements – duty removed
Credit Unions – tax allowance on savings leading the phenomenal growth of the Credit Union movement
Estate and Succession Duties abolition
Taxis allowed duty free entry
Income tax exemption on benefits realised for employees purchasing shares in the workplace at less than market value
Personal Income Tax allowances – increased to $25,000 along with reduction of the basic rate to 20%
Home Allowances reinstated for Income Tax and put at $10 000
Reverse Tax Credit
Small Business Development Act allowing Tax Rate at 25%
Corporation Tax reduced to 25%
Property Transfer Tax Vendor rate reduced to 7.5%
Historic houses Income Tax allowance – increased from 10% to 25%
Incentives for private investors to create retirement/vacation accommodation in Barbados
Pensioners $30,000 Personal Income Tax allowance
National Union of Public Workers, (NUPW), headquarters expansion – financially supported through loan guarantee
The first cornerstones of nation building were set firmly by the Barbados Labour Party, (BLP), with the establishment of the nation’s first political and workers’ institutions and the right to vote.
These have been followed by legendary accomplishments each and every time our Party has been the government, transforming every aspect of the nation in a comprehensive exercise that led to Barbados being regarded more of a developed state than a developing one and engendering a pride in country equally important to nation building.
In fact, even in Opposition our Party has fought – and won – a number of battles on behalf of the people; one of the most significant in its history being the securing of the so-called “sugar windfall” – a surplus in sugar profits at a time when sugar production was the dominant economic activity and most of the island involved in its
production.
This listing is by no means exhaustive, but includes the most influential and decisive steps taken by our Party, through legislation, taxation, other policies and projects, that have forever moved Barbados from abject poverty to a widely admired society.
Indeed, many have been giant leaps – crafted with such thought and executed so efficiently that decades after being introduced, they are still regarded as innovative and, essentially so, still affecting the lives of Barbadians for the better.