Chief Executive Officer of the Small Business Association (SBA) Dr Lynette Holder agrees that should Government “hastily go down the road” of trying to achieve a certain fiscal surplus under a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the country’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) will not get much-needed assistance.She expressed concern as she described the sector as a vulnerable group and insisted that it was critical for the Government to continue providing support through its various agencies.In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Holder recalled that under the first Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme which was supported by a four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF), the Government was initially aiming for a six per cent primary surplus, which was later revised downwards.She said there could be “serious implications” for spending on the MSME sector should the Government commit to a similar target.
