“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24-26 As I review my journey through life which began in 1941, I benefited from many blessings which laid the foundation and …
“It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” – Luke 13:19 Even though the business world is replete with successful business ventures, it is useful to remember that these businesses …
“The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.” – Psalms 115:16 The third column in this three-part “Taxation and Caribbean Tourism” series concludes with a two-part proposal to (1) optimize our tourism taxation strategy to maximize total tourism spend and; (2) couple it with effective public relations tactics …
“The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.” – Psalms 115:16 In my previous column, we delved into the detrimental impact of taxation on Caribbean tourism growth, examining two specific examples. We explored the tax on intra-Caribbean airline travel, which results in higher ticket prices that stifle demand …
The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.” – Psalms 115:16 This week I pause to reflect on the 30-year uninterrupted history of this weekly column. I have been able to sustain this journey thanks to the positive engagement and feedback from global readers over the years and …
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” – Proverbs 16:3 The U.S. National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, in its report on “Demand-driven Education: Merging Work and Learning to Develop the Human Skills that Matter”, …
“You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” – Psalm 18:28 In my column of April 6, 2015, entitled “Illuminate our minds”, I concluded “Let us encourage new ideas and may peace wash over us as our paths become clear. May we be guided by the light of God as …
“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 As I go about my day-to-day activities, I am constantly reminded …
“A component of stewardship, and getting serious about finances, is managing money wisely so that we can invest in the future of our children. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” – Proverbs 13:22 Investing in our youth is an investment in the future of our nations, it is analogous to how …
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law”. – Galatians 5:22-23 As I get older, the frequency of deaths increases and regrettably the deceased are often younger than I am. I recall a year ago that the death of a friend …
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12. The family is widely recognized as the fundamental building block of society. As I contemplate my own family, considering our lineage, life experiences, and the legacy we leave behind, …
“Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead, I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face” – 2 John 12 I recently had the privilege of attending the 41st Caribbean Hotel and Tourism (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace, held in my native …
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 Last week I wrote about poor restaurant customer service and received several responses in support of my theme. (1) Excellent, fully relevant article – The range of service …
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.” – Luke 12:35 While in Barbados over Easter I had a disappointing restaurant experience, where I was left wondering whether enough attention had been paid to exposing the supervisory and customer service representatives to the basic tenet of good customer service. A week before the event, …
“Moreover, Abraham became the father of generations who live by faith, those who hope against the odds.” – Romans 4:19 I reported in this column on January 16, 2023, that my morning “winter” walk buddies around the Club Rockley are primarily Bowen Wells, a former British MP and a former consultant to the Commonwealth Development …
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 15:5-6 “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the …
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 Throughout my professional life in an attempt at problem solving, I have seen firsthand the …
“And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.” – Nehemiah 2:18 The Caribbean region is a land of abundant culture, history, talent, and natural resources, but it has struggled with economic development. To promote economic growth, the governments of the Caribbean need to place greater …
“If you give some of your own food to those who are hungry and to satisfy those who are humble, then your light will rise in the dark, and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun.” – Isaiah 58:10 As a Caribbean business columnist, I cannot stress enough the importance of food …
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:2 Although we go through life not knowing exactly how long we shall live, I think that it is safe to say that, given my age, I am probably well into the final quarter of my life and am planning as such. …
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” – James 1:19 Crime and other antisocial behaviors are destroying lives and the quality of life of residents in the Caribbean. If left unchecked this could negatively impact our bread-and-butter tourism industry. …
“Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.” – Proverbs 3:23 The economies of the Caribbean are heavily dependent on tourism. Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) economy, unlike that of most of the English-speaking Caribbean countries, has been led by growth in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. The major …
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” – Psalm 23:1 One role of a central bank is to be innovative in stimulating the growth of the economy. What if a central bank can initiate and nurture a project which can significantly reduce a high five-year startup business failure rate and grow the economy? …
“If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.” – Deuteronomy 23:19. The appalling global startup failure rate of 90 percent in the first five years of operation would suggest that they are weaknesses in the …
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”- 2 Corinthians 9:6 Caribbean tourism is a business where the value proposition clearly communicates the product and services our warm weather destinations can deliver to our “customers”. It has the potential to be exploited as an even stronger …
“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.”- Psalm 143:5 I am linked to the influence of Errol Barrow from my father’s and mother’s side of the family. My father was Charles Reginald Courtenay Springer (1914-1995). My father’s second brother, The Right …
“He restores my soul. He leads me on paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:3-4 Judy and I are privileged to have …
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12 Our vacation in Barbados has been a visit with a difference. First, we were motivated to spend a Bajan rather than a Trini Christmas this year when Rick Andrews, a …
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” – 3 John 2 When one conjures up a visit to Barbados, thoughts of an idyllic paradise spring to mind. Barbados, at Christmas or other times of the year, certainly delivers on that promise time and …
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:30-31 Whatever lens through which we view life whether …
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” – Proverbs 16:3 At this time of the year there is much reflection on annual performance, and introspection about plans for the new year, since the calendar year represents the financial year for many. Government’s financial year varies from country to country and …
“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” – Proverbs 14:23 Former West Indies cricket captain Carl Hooper was known by the sobriquet “Sir Carl” as he elegantly stroked the ball around Kensington Oval in a manner which reminded Barbadian fans of Sir Frank Worrell and later Lawrence Rowe in …
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12 God is love, and Christmas is about God’s gift to mankind. Indeed, Christmas is about love and family! The basic family unit is the nucleus around which society is …
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” – Matthew 11:15 On November 21, Zimbabwean billionaire businessman and philanthropist Strive Masiyiwa delivered the Barbados Central Bank’s 47th Sir Winston Scott annual memorial lecture. It has been reported that he believes Barbados can lead the region in creating a venture capital ecosystem to help grow entrepreneurship. Masiyiwa cautioned …
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29 As human beings we have a responsibility to communicate wholesome thoughts for the betterment of all. Let us focus in turn …
“And the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.’” – Habakkuk 2:2 The Caribbean has been positioned as one of the most desirable year-round, warm weather destinations and the Caribbean tourism sector has contributed significantly to economic development over the past …
“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” – Proverbs 10:4 Somehow or another my previous attempts to share my travelling experiences in this column have tickled the fancy of and resulted in positive feedback from many readers. Two other experiences with strong messages of business success have recently come to mind. It …
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3 In a recent MPE Caribbean Tourism Authority dispatch, I echoed the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s (FCCA) call to develop attractions and activities to respond to the influx of cruise visitors expected to the region this winter season and beyond. We …
“And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” – Mark 2:22 The 42-year-old British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg while running …
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – I Corinthians 13:13 We must exhibit a proliferation of faith, exude positive vibes of hope and, above all, infuse a deep feeling of love for all around us and in all that we do. What is love? “Love is …
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” – John 13:34 The current Barbadian population distribution is Caucasian (White) from the United Kingdom and Ireland (2.7 percent); South Asian (1.3 percent); with the majority being mixed and of …
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13 Welcome to Guyana, the land of six peoples – Chinese, African, East Indian, Amerindian, Brazilian Portuguese and European. British Guiana (BG), the size of England but with 1.25 percent of England’s population, was known as the land of many waters. The whole …
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2 Over the past 65 years, more than 30 warm-weather tourism destinations in the Caribbean archipelago of islands …
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 The British Empire started in the U.K. in the 16th century and eventually spanned North America, India, Asia, Australasia, Africa, the Caribbean and …
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:17 The body sizes of the elephant and ant species, because of their respective DNAs, are different, even though they both play a part in the natural ecology process. Micro, small, medium and large business enterprises all …
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” – 1 Peter 4:9 Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) during her 70-year reign symbolized British Commonwealth unity. May she rest in eternal peace. Long live King Charles III. I did meet the Queen and it was an event of unforgettable hospitality. National Hero The Right Excellent Sir Hugh Worrell …
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31 Many years ago, I was asked by a regular reader of my column “when you sit down to write your column every week which comes first the biblical verse, the story you want …
“This God – His way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” – Psalm 18:30 This week I was moved to revisit my column that was published almost nine years ago on Monday October 21, 2013, entitled “Soul of Leadership”. This took …
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” – Proverbs 3:24 Guyanese Derrice Deane, a respected Caribbean-American Washington DC-based journalist, responded to a recent column, by commenting: “Dear Basil: I agree with your prescription for ageing gracefully. I think we would all do better if …
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 My son Bevan recently wrote a piece in his new series “FROM THE HEART”, where he reflected: “Despite my daily telephonic communication with my father, Basil, on every manner of topic, …
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 The end of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival in 2020 signaled the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first in over 100 years. How do we …
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:2-3 On the heels of last week’s column “Travel benefits galore”, I had a wonderful weekend at the celebration of the wedding of the daughter …