The Barbados Co-operative & Credit Union League Limited (BCCUL) has demonstrated its commitment to Barbados’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the related challenges when the League made a major financial injection to the National Vaccination Fund.
President of the BCCUL Mr Hally Haynes, joined General Manager Anthony Pilgrim, and League Secretary Mrs Susan Fitt in presenting $89 000 to Minister in the Ministry of Finance Mr Ryan Straughn on behalf of Government. The presentation took place at the Masonic Lodge, Salters, St George, which was also being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.
Since vaccines were approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this year, the Barbados Government has been on an aggressive campaign to secure vaccines for the population.
However, given the heavy global demand, supplies to the developing countries have been expensive and extremely difficult to source in sizeable quantities.
Haynes delivered his remarks during the presentation, which was witnessed by officials of Ministry of Health and Wellness including Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic, Co-coordinators of the vaccination programme, Major David Clarke, and Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand, as well as members of the public.
Haynes told those gathered: “We in the Credit Union movement in Barbados recognise that the tentacles of this pandemic have not remained in the health sector. The coronavirus has upended our economy and undermined almost every attempt at jumpstarting economic growth. It has been the precipitator of widespread unemployment, as our main foreign exchange earner – the tourism sector, is threatened by every wave of the disease.”
“We have witnessed first-hand the damage that has been done to the financial and personal goals of many credit union members by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Lauding the response of credit unions to their members’ special circumstances during the pandemic, Haynes said it was clear that the Barbados economy could not be shuttered.
According to the League President: “We fully appreciate the need to keep the Barbados economy going; to avoid further disabling lockdowns, while at the same time, keeping our communities and members safe.”
“It is for these reasons, and in line with Government’s national strategic effort to achieve herd immunity and promote economic stability during the pandemic, that we are pleased to make this presentation on behalf of the Credit Union Movement today to the National Vaccination Fund of $89, 000.”
Haynes stressed that the credit union movement remains an important partner of Government and will not allow the movement to be divorced from national issues.
The BCCUL head emphasised that credit unions will continue to play their part in national development matters.
In response, Minister Straughn thanked Barbados’ credit unions and the BCCUL for their financial support of the COVID vaccination programme.
The Minister said acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines was an expensive undertaking, with more than $7 million spent from the fund that had reached just over $10 million.
“We are still awaiting vaccines to arrive which has been perhaps the most critical factor in us being able to vaccinate as many Barbadians as possible . . . . It is our intention to ensure that every citizen and resident irrespective of immigration status can be vaccinated,” he pointed out.
Press Release on League Donation to Vaccine Fund