BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Guardian - FINANCE and Economic Affairs Minister, Christopher Sinckler, has announced a freeze in hiring within the public service. There will be a “total freeze on all new hiring in the central public service and across all statutory entities”. This was the word coming from the Minister as he presented his Budget and Financial Measures in the House of Assembly yesterday. “As reported in the Growth and Development Strategy 2013-2020, a broad objective is to reduce the fiscal deficit to below 2.0 per cent by 2020/21,” the Minister said.