In June 1994, Barbados’ Labor Party withdrew its support for the Prime Minister and even won the election, which took place on September 7. The new Prime Minister, the economist Owen Arthur, canceled the projected cut in wages, which was later confirmed by the introduction of a law in February 1995.
In April, Arthur proposed a budget deficit with a budget deficit, arguing that spending was needed to combat unemployment, which reached 21.2%. The IMF had suggested caution in managing public funds, but Arthur chose not to listen to the advice.
The island’s Governor General, Dame Nita Barrow, sister of former Prime Minister Errol Barrow, died on December 19, 1995. She had held office since June 1990, where she had been deployed by Elisabeth on the 2nd. After a brief intermezzo with Denys Williams, the office went to Clifford Husbands, which has been in charge of it since June 1, 1996.
In February 1996, the Consultative Assembly voted to increase the salaries of civil servants over a period of two years. It was Barbados’ Workers’ Party response to the wage cuts introduced in 1994 by the Democratic Workers’ Party.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: What does BB stand for? In the field of geography, this two letter acronym means Barbados. Check this to see its other meanings in English and other 35 languages.
In May, the government signed a two-year contract with a North American company to explore the possibilities of starting oil extraction in the seas around Barbados.
In 1997, tourism continued to represent the primary source of foreign exchange. The government was trying to increase this revenue even more, although it was evident that the island’s infrastructure did not exactly support such a sharp expansion.
At the US Presidents meeting in Santiago de Chile in April 1998, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur declared himself a proponent of Cuba’s participation in the upcoming meeting.
In the January 1999 elections, the Barbados Labor Party won a major victory with 26 of the seats in parliament. The Democratic Labor Party had to settle for the remaining 2. Owen Arthur continued in the post of Prime Minister.
The government created the Financial Investigation Unit with the purpose of combating money laundering in the country. The unit is supported by the United Nations International Drug Control Program.
Population 1996
According to Countryaah.com, the population of Barbados in 1996 was 265,844, ranking number 178 in the world. The population growth rate was 0.380% yearly, and the population density was 618.5000 people per km2.
