If there is one thing about Minister of Energy and Business Mr. Kerrie Symmonds is that there is not much space between his mouth and his heart. He tends to shoot from the hip with little ambiguity about his position on issues.And so, it was heartening but not surprising, some of the sentiments he expressed to attendees at the Luncheon Seminar hosted by BIBA, the Association for Global Business at the Savannah Hotel earlier this week.The Senior Minister was candid, informative, and addressed several pressing issues facing the country’s global business sector, its corporate participants, and the raft of professionals who work in it. He also had some tough words for agencies that complement and support the role of the sector.The seminar titled The Road Ahead for Global Business in Barbados was fitting, given the magnitude of challenges confronting the sector that has become a critical pillar and economic driver.He outlined his own fears, articulating that he viewed financial derisking and the loss of correspondent banking relations as an existential threat to our livelihood because it could leave so many citizens without the ability to undertake even simple financial transactions.
