THE Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) president, Dr Gene Leon, will host the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, as his featured guest on the second edition of The President’s Chat , scheduled for this Friday, October 8, 2021 at 11:00 am (AST).

The President’s Chat is a discussion programme which the CDB launched earlier this year to promote high-level dialogue on issues of regional significance between the bank’s president, thought leaders and decision-makers. The upcoming edition, entitled Marshalling Finance for Development, will examine options for funding development priorities for the region with a view to enhancing macroeconomic stability and building more resilient and sustainable economies, especially in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Timothy Antoine will serve as moderator.

“The Caribbean continues to face significant development challenges including rising debt, limited fiscal space and declining exports which have stymied economic growth, with debilitating consequences for the people of the region. I believe the conversation between Prime Minister Mottley and myself will intensify the focus on concerns which must be addressed for the region to achieve sustainable development while providing practical solutions to a number of our challenges,” said the CDB president.

For her part, Prime Minister Mottley said, “As a region, our collective intellect and energies must now be focused on identifying the major economic, social and environmental development priorities for the post-COVID-19 era and to strategically reposition our countries to meet new and existing challenges. I welcome the discussion with Dr Leon, which will go beyond dialogue to propose prescriptive steps for the way forward as small island developing states (SIDS) have no fiscal space because of having to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, so there is a need for a scaling up of finance to address the serious challenges confronting the region, including on climate action.”

The 90-minute discussion will explore issues such as the need for innovative instruments and tailored financial solutions for the region, taking account of the geographic vulnerabilities of SIDS and the conundrum of achieving growth while contending with recovery from hazards and other impacts of climate change. The programme will be televised on UWI TV and streamed live on both the UWI TV and CDB social media channels.

The President’s Chat was introduced in June 2021 at the CDB’s 51st Annual Meeting. The first instalment featured a conversation between Dr Leon and Professor Compton Bourne, who served as CDB president from 2001-2011. The discussion, which was moderated by Professor Emeritus Andrew Downes, examined how SIDS can navigate the economic and social impacts of major developments in the global economy.