Prime Minister Mia Mottley Monday declared she has no concerns about Barbados’ economy heading into the New Year.
On the same day that she revealed January 19, 2022, as the date for the next general elections, Mottley said there were a plethora of projects scheduled to get underway at the start of the New Year.
She said she expected those projects to significantly jumpstart economic activity which has been severely dampened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve not been speaking publicly about everything that we’ve been doing, but I’m telling you my friends the horizon is bright for the startup of the major projects in 2022. Within the last month I’ve met with the principals or representatives of a number of firms who are undertaking major projects in our country,” Mottley said during a national address this evening.
“We expect the Royalton Hotel in Holetown where the old Discovery Bay was to break ground within the first two months of 2022. We expect Hyatt finally to break ground as well. We expect the Pierhead project within the first six months in Bridgetown to break ground. We expect a new townhouse project next year at Porters in St James. We expect a very large Cineplex and commercial centre at Welches in St James and you see the work digging out there for it. We expect a green energy park at Vaucluse, subject now only to the tariffs that will be applicable to get that project off the ground and going.”
Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
Additionally, Mottley disclosed there was also the current redevelopment project at Apes Hill, the completion of Sam Lord’s Castle and a new civic complex and hotel complex to be built in Holetown.
The Prime Minister said all of them had given startup dates for the most part between January and June of next year.
“This is not Mia Mottley saying this for political gain…So believe you me, I am not worried about the economic revival as we go into 2022, that is not my major concern going into next year.
“We have worked hard to bring back tourism. Almost 90 per cent of the airlift that we had in December 2019, has returned in December 2021, and we will continue to work hard with the partners to make tourism thrive in spite of the ongoing threat of COVID because the world over we are learning to live with it because it is truly a marathon,” Mottley said. ( randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)
