Barbados Today

A Government Senator today suggested that members of the incumbent Democratic Labour Party (DLP) were as anxious as anyone to get the upcoming general elections out of the way.

Patrick Todd, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, also told the Senate that the Freundel Stuart administration was certain of a fresh and enhanced mandate to continue its “tremendous track record” in Government since 2008.

Speaking on a resolution to borrow US$13.9 million to refinance the restructuring of the sugar cane industry, Todd described Government’s contribution to the sector as a work in progress that needed to be continued.

“I wish to take this opportunity to reassure the public that this Democratic Labour Party, as we move towards our third time in office, with the will of the Almighty and the support of the public . . . we are very anxious as an administration to get the elections out of the way, so that with a renewed mandate . . . and indeed an enhanced mandate, I am confident we will be able to continue this tremendous track record we have been able to pursue since assuming office since 2008,” he told the Upper Chamber.

Todd also said that Government was still banking on a renewed sugar industry as part of its economic diversification programme.

“I am very excited about this . . . as we seek to increase the acreage of land under sugar production in this revitalized sugar sector, because then we can have an increase in the root crop production to increase the level of import substitution,” he said.

“Local entrepreneurs are now delving into this root crop production to such an extent that we are not just producing the primary products of the sweet potatoes to be sold at the supermarkets, but actually doing some level of processing in terms of the production of sweet potato chips,” Todd added.

During his contribution to the debate, Todd also expressed confidence that a court injunction which is currently standing in the way of the proposed multi-purpose sugar factory, would soon be lifted.

In the meantime, he said preparatory work was continuing apace.