On March 12, 2024, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley gave the 2023–24 Budget Address in Parliament, alleviating fears of higher taxes and fewer government services. In her speech, Mottley denied that she would be the one to bring “bad news.”
PM Mottley assured her audience before making her address that “The good news is there is no bad news.”
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She said there won’t be any significant layoffs in the civil service but that state-owned businesses would undergo “adjustments” starting in 2019.
“There will be adjustments in the SOE [state-owned enterprises] sector, which we’ve already started to discuss with the public since 2019. On which my predecessor, the Honorable Chris Sinkler would have been adverted to 2010.”
“Wherever those [adjustments] happen, there will be adjustments to accommodate those persons in almost every possible way as far as we can,” she announced.
She said that between March 15 and September 15, 2023, the principal owing by individuals and businesses to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) will be lowered by 25%.
After addressing the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic with Mission Survival, Mottley said that the nation will now embark on Mission Transformation to establish Barbados as a recognized nation on a worldwide scale and to secure benefits for present and future generations.
“Barbados must become a center, a global center and hub. And indeed, Sir, Bajans must be world-class citizens with Bajan roots, global citizens, with Bajan roots. And these are not just words.”
PM Mottley further mentioned, “As a country, we must try by 2030 . . . to demonstrate in our personal lives, in our work lives, in our community lives, and whatever we do or whatever we say, and the way we engage each other and with where we engage with those who visit us a level of excellence that has been seen a few populations and countries. There are well-known examples of the extraordinary success of small states, Singapore, Japan, the name of Barbados must join that list, and Mr. Speaker, we can do it.”
