The Prime Minister has declared there’s tremendous interest in the new 12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp which would allow visitors to work remotely in Barbados for a year at a time.
Mottley underscored the new initiative in a live interview today with British television news channel Sky News.
She told anchor Dermot Murnaghan: “COVID-19 has presented tremendous challenges to those countries that are tourism and travel dependent and we have reached a position where we recognize that part of the challenge relates to short term travel.
“If we can have a mechanism that allows people who want to… take advantage of being in a different part of the world, of the sun, sea and sand, and… a stable society; one that functions well, then Barbados is a perfect place for you to come.
“Rather than coming for the usual week, or three weeks or a month, why not plan out your business, given the fact that all we have gotten from COVID-19 is uncertainty. So, we can give you certainty for the next 12 months… and you can work from here.”
Noting that Barbados was a mature tourism destination, the Prime Minister said that allowing visitors to work here for at least one year in the first instance was a new “ high-value proposition” which would interest more people in light of the difficulties posed by the virus across the globe.
She stressed that those working from Barbados would have all the amenities visitors have so they could continue to earn.
They would be accommodated in villas, condominiums, hotel rooms and rental houses, she told Sky News. In addition, she explained that workspaces would also be available.
Touting the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, Mottley said: “In terms of the broadband, we have two major telecommunications companies, and at the same time we are looking to see how we can continue to boost our national television station and move it from being a broadcasting entity to digital services.”
The Prime Minister also disclosed Barbados was considering a managed migration programme in a bid to increase the population amid a long-time decline in the birth rate.
She told Sky News: “We established a National Population Commission shortly after assuming office two years ago, because we have not had much population growth since 1980 and we have about 80,000 fewer people than we need to keep our population constant.
“We know the UK and Canada have had similar programmes in place for some time now, and we will manage ours to ensure it does not impinge on our quality of life in any way.”
