A deliberate effort must be made to reposition Barbados as a knowledge-based economy, says Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Senator Chad Blackman.Addressing the Global Tax Update Seminar hosted by the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) on Monday, he advised members of BRA, the public sector and other stakeholders to remain positive although the current business environment and future can be viewed as gloomy in light of various happenings around the world.“....We must see the future as ripe [and] never waste a good crisis. Therefore, notwithstanding the challenges that are on the global horizon, the question is ‘how do we reposition ourselves whilst looking ahead to ensure that we can see those crises as opportunities for Barbados to tap into?’ Despite our size, this country ought to reposition itself as a knowledge-based economy, an economy underscored by a strong educational system, and therefore looking at the international market to see what are the challenges and how can we ensure that our business community, our young people, our entrepreneurs can use our intellectual muscle to find solutions that the world needs,” he told those gathered for the high-level session on Corporation Tax Reform – Pillar II at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.Senator Blackman pointed to the need for a strong realignment and collaboration among all stakeholders in order to move forward.
