Mottley urges new regional security and fiscal model

-as GCCI marks year of expansion at annual awards

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley last night outlined the critical pillars on which Caribbean stability and economic resilience must now be built: security, climate and disaster readiness and fiscal reform warning that the region can no longer rely on outdated concepts of national protection or economic planning.

She made a virtual presentation as the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) celebrated a year marked by “rapid expansion, strengthened partnerships, and sustained advocacy for the private sector” and hosted its 136th Annual Awards Presentation at the Marriott Hotel.

“There was a time when we were treating security and economic policy as separate lines on a budget,” Mottley said. “We saw security as a necessary cost and growth as an eventual reward. I say to you, this mindset is outdated and, in fact, possibly dangerous.” She told the Guyanese business community that “security is not a cost. It is the greatest investment we can make in our economic future and the well-being of our citizens, because without stability, prosperity is a mirage.” Mottley said the Caribbean must “redefine what regional security truly looks like,” urging that modern threats of climate devastation, instability and economic shocks are interlinked challenges requiring unified responses.