THE EDITOR: The many devotees of Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley in our midst seem to be oblivious to the fact that she was sworn in as Prime Minister for the first time on May 25, 2018, a little over three years ago.

Accordingly, much of what has been achieved in Barbados in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency was under her predecessors over several decades by following a relatively consistent policy. She has not yet really had the opportunity to place her own stamp on the issue, apart from following up on what had been achieved in the past.

Mottley is a very intelligent, articulate and charismatic figure who is passionate about everything she says and does. The many accolades heaped on her following her address at the COP26 climate summit is testament to her outstanding personality and her immense intellect. She made us all feel proud to be from the Caribbean.

I am quite impressed with her and I do think that going forward she has the potential to be one of the truly great Caribbean heads of government.

Nonetheless, recently she has been found wanting with respect to her understanding of monetary economics in respect of certain issues concerning the regulations governing commercial banks in the Caribbean and the difference between a commercial bank and a development bank.

I am confident that given her unquestionable intellect she will do whatever is required to address that deficiency in her knowledge and experience. She is relatively new to the job of Prime Minister, although not to politics, and still has a lot to learn on a variety of issues, especially from a practical point of view.

Mottley is facing an unabated economic crisis in Barbados with a debt to GDP ratio of approximately 144 per cent. Some of her critics have been suggesting that her high profile on the international stage was a deliberate attempt by her to distract from the calamitous economic situation she faces at home. How she is able to navigate Barbados out of its economic crisis will be the true test of her mettle.

I look forward to the day when the Barbadian economy is back on solid ground, and I do hope that with Prime Minister Mottley at the helm Barbados will soon see the light.

LOUIS W WILLIAMS

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