New Cabinet Sworn In

The Government of Barbados has pledged to uphold the highest standards of accountability, transparency, fairness, discipline and unity.

Prime Minister the Hon. Mia Mottley, Q.C., gave this assurance to the people of this country yesterday evening, during the swearing in of the new Cabinet under the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Administration, just three days after the historic election win.

Governor General, Dame Sandra Mason, administered the Oath of Office to the 24 Ministers and two Parliamentary Secretaries in a public ceremony at the Bay Street Esplanade, which also saw in attendance Prime Minister of Grenada Dr. the Hon. Keith Mitchell; Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Hon. Allen Chastanet; Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon Ralph Gonsalves; and Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts, the Hon. Shawn Richards.

According to Ms. Mottley, the composition of the Cabinet reflects a careful balance between experience and youth.

“Its size, as I have indicated previously and upfront, responds directly to the enormity of the task we face in rebuilding Barbados and the urgency with which the Cabinet must now act in leading the national response to and the prompt resolution of, the mission critical issues outlined in our manifesto. Since its publication, three more matters have been added to it, leading to 20 mission critical matters that require our urgent attention in the days and weeks ahead,” the PM stated.

“There will be deadlines for action and constant follow up and revaluation and I have made it clear and do so again, that I will be holding the Ministers of the Crown of Barbados to the highest standards of efficiency and productivity. The people of Barbados will accept nothing less, neither will I,” she stressed.

The Prime Minister also shared that all Cabinet Ministers and all Members of Parliament will subscribe to a Code of Ethics that will guide them in the performance of their duties and pending the enactment of the Integrity Legislation and the establishment of an Integrity Commission, all Ministers will submit a declaration of their assets to be held in confidence by the Cabinet Secretary until the establishment of the Integrity Commission.

“We do not and will not subscribe to the notion of government by stealth as we declared in our Covenant of Hope, ‘You shall always have the confidence of knowing how we as a government will take decisions and how we will act in your name.’ No ministers will be signing important deals or contracts on your behalf, behind your back or behind indeed the back of Cabinet, or without the mandatory advice or opinion of the relevant public service professionals and legal professionals. That is not how a responsible government behaves,” she insisted.

“In all things we pledge to act diligently and responsibly and to make decisions not on the basis of people’s wants, but first and foremost on the basis of the needs of our people… Let’s be real, sometimes we will make mistakes, sometimes we will need to change course, but when this happens I give you the assurance that we will always level with you,” she also pointed out.

Ready and raring to get to work, Prime Minister Mottley further revealed that this morning, her Administration will meet with the Social Partnership, while in the afternoon they will meet to discuss the issues of debt and foreign reserves.

Just hours after winning all 30 seats in the May 24, General Election, the Governor General administered the Oath of Office to Prime Minister Mottley, who will also take up the portfolio of Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs and Investment, as well as to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Dale Marshall at Government House. (TL)