Prime Minister Mia Mottley Swears in New Ministers and Senator, Addresses Barbados' Economic and Innovation Priorities

By Ryan Gilkes

Prime Minister Mia Mottley trumpeted the roles of two new government ministers and a government senator in addressing the island’s economic, innovation, and investment priorities as they were sworn in at State House on Monday.

Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science, and Technology Marsha Caddle, Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Senator Chad Blackman and Senator Reverend Charles Morris officially assumed their roles, with the prime minister stressing their added value in contributing significantly to Barbados’ progress.

During the ceremony, she underscored the challenges posed by the current global environment marked by instability and climate-related issues affecting Barbados and the region. She emphasised the need for discipline at both the government and national levels, calling for continuous conversations to build partnerships across Barbados.

“We’re laser like in our focus because we’re operating in a global environment that is highly unstable…. Therefore, this is going to require us to be exceedingly disciplined not just as a government but as a nation,” Mottley declared.

Acknowledging the difficult conversations ahead, the prime minister expressed confidence in finding solutions and defended her decision to appoint two spiritual advisors. She highlighted the toll that public life can take on the families of those in government, emphasising the importance of support systems for ministers and MPs.

She said: “Very often, we see the Minister, we see an MP and we don’t understand the toll it takes on the family. When you expect that person to be home, they are elsewhere helping others. I have also asked the families to be there for their ministers and their MPs in the same way that we have taken a conscious decision to have the spiritual advisors there too, so that we bolster people.

“Everybody is still human and, therefore, they have good days and bad days and they too will need to be bolstered and that anchoring.”

Caddle expressed her enthusiasm for the new opportunity and stressed the importance of uncovering and supporting emerging areas in industry, identifying high-growth companies to drive economic development, and continuing the government’s commitment to innovation.

She said: “I know that they will have a lot to share about what they’ve been working on. I know that with respect to industry, we have to be able to uncover and support some new and emerging areas and be able to identify high-growth companies that will be able to add economic growth and development for all.

“With respect to innovation, you know, this government when we came to service in 2018, had a very clear agenda of bringing innovation to all of what government does. I believe that we’ve been able to do a lot of that and there is a lot more scope for that to be put in place.”

Senator Blackman shared optimism about his role and highlighted the critical moment in Barbados’ history. Blackman stressed the need for both foreign and domestic investments to create a sustainable and prosperous economy, considering the challenges posed by climate change. He emphasised attracting high-quality investments while preserving core values.

Senator Blackman, who returned home after serving as a key aide to the head of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said he was looking forward to being briefed on “the lay of the land” by his ministry officials to see how what currently exists “fits into the model which the country was trying to attract”, not only in terms of investments but also in terms of prosperity.

“We are in a very critical moment in our history and I think when we look at building out an economy and are trying to create an economy that is sustainable and prosperous, we also have to look at foreign investments,” he said. “But equally, domestic investment must be a part of the mix and, therefore, how can we ensure that Barbados becomes a country that attracts high-quality investment [from] around the world but at the same time still allows us to do so in a way that treats to our core values?

“Over the years, Barbados has been a country that continues to punch above its weight, but there are some challenges. When you talk about climate change, you talk about ensuring that you can provide the quality of life for people.…I will be looking, with the broader team… to see how we can streamline those economic priorities.”

Reverend Morris also took the oath of senator along with Blackman, completing the trio of government officials sworn in. (RG)