Caribbean Development Bank News Release — October 5, 2021
The Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) President Dr. Gene Leon will host Barbados Prime Minister Hon. Mia Amor Mottley as his featured guest on ‘The President’s Chat’ on Friday October 8, 2021. The discussion, entitled “Marshalling Finance for Development,” will examine options for funding development priorities with a view to enhancing macroeconomic stability and building more resilient and sustainable economies, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine will serve as moderator.
“The Caribbean continues to face significant development challenges including rising debt, limited fiscal space and declining exports which have stymied economic growth with debilitating consequences for the people of the region. I believe the conversation between Prime Minister Mottley and myself will intensify the focus on concerns which must be addressed for the region to achieve sustainable development while providing practical solutions to a number of our challenges,” said Dr. Leon. PM Mottley said: “As a region, our collective intellect and energies must now be focused on identifying the major economic, social and environmental development priorities for the post-COVID-19 era and to strategically reposition our countries to meet new and existing challenges. Small Island Developing States have no fiscal space because of having to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, so there is a need for a scaling up of finance to address the serious challenges confronting the region, including on climate action.” The 90-minute discussion will be streamed live on UWI TV and CDB’s social media channels.