Mottley urges swift overhaul of land transaction system

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has called for an urgent overhaul of Barbados’ outdated land transaction payment system, urging newly appointed Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science, and Technology, Jonathan Reid, to prioritise modernisation as one of his key tasks in office.

She made the call while chairing the second Housing Colloquium on Transforming the Land Transaction Process at the Hilton on Wednesday.

Mottley criticised the existing system, where cashiers at the Land Registry stop processing payments at 3 p.m. calling it outdated and inefficient.

“This notion of 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. is an anachronism and has to stop in this country, and that’s one of the things that is a priority for the government,” she said.

“The land transactions that we do cannot continue to resemble the 19th century when we are in the 21st century.”

She stressed that improving the efficiency, speed, and affordability of land transactions is essential to modernising the country’s public service.

Reid, who was appointed to the post following the recent resignation of Marsha Caddle, has been tasked with leading public sector reforms aimed at increasing efficiency.

The former chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office is expected to address several critical issues as he takes over the ministry, with land transaction reforms now high on the government’s agenda, according to the head of government. (SM)