Friday Comment: Barrow's Prophecy
“These fields and hills beyond recall are now are very own”
Barbados National Anthem.
Really?
Two or so decades ago, Barbadians could scrape up a few
thousand dollars, approach their bank or credit union and with pride, proceed
to purchase a piece of land. They refer to such an exercise as: “owning a piece
of the rock.”
The Mahogany Coconut Group has been in the forefront of
demanding that the collective BLP/DLP government, develops a land use policy,
that will ensure that the dream of Barbadians owning a piece of land does not
completely disappear.
Errol Barrow |
Far from even pretending to attempt a progressive land use
policy, the BLP/DLP politicians and their assortment of greedy lawyer friends,
have shamelessly become the main architects of ensuring that land is out of the
reach, of the average citizen. The real estate moguls and speculators are
reaping millions on a daily basis while others are paying as much as $600. Bds.
To rent a room in somebody’s house.
We are now convinced that the prophetic words of the late
Prime Minister, Mr. Errol Barrow, that one day Barbadians will wake up and
discover their country no longer belongs to them, are rapidly becoming a
revelation.
As a public service, we now list a sample of the exorbitant
land prices being offered in Barbados:
Parish Price BDS. Price per Square Foot
Christ Church
$240,000. (12,000 sq.ft) $20.00
St.Michael $ 315,000. (10,500 sq.ft) $30.00
St.George $ 520,000. (6,500 sq.ft) $80.00
St.Philip $ 525,000. (6,385 sq.ft) $82.00
Should this trend continue, we can safely predict, that
within another twenty years, the average Barbadian will be essentially
landless. Citizens will be at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords and even
slumlords. Barrow’s prophecy will be fulfilled.
We hope not!
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