Prime minister defends socio-economic policies

BRIDGETOWN, (CMC):

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has again defended the policies of his ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government and is promising Barbadians that the projects outlined in the 2013 national budget will be implemented despite the ongoing economic situation in the country.

Addressing DLP supporters at the party's annual conference on Sunday, Stuart said that his administration is also moving to decrease the 'implementation deficit' over which his administration had been criticised in the past.

"The minister of finance has put in place a set of programmes and policies to be pursued and, as prime minister, I will ensure that the phrase 'implementation deficit' will become something of the distant past because people will do what they are supposed to do."

Confidence

He told delegates to the conference, the first since the party was re-elected in the February general election, that he had full confidence in Finance Minister Chris Sinckler.

He said the situation confronting the island requires strong leadership and that his government was dealing with the matter against the background where the population felt that things would always be easy.