Chris Gibbs was today sworn in as the new Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance by the President of Barbados, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, at State House.
Gibbs succeeds Dwight Sutherland, who resigned from the post on Wednesday, but remains Member of Parliament for St George South.
In his first remarks as minister, Gibbs said he was honoured by the appointment and grateful for the confidence placed in him.
“I would like to thank God Almighty for giving me the strength and perseverance to be able to take this monumental step. I want to thank the Honourable Prime Minister [Mia Amor Mottley] for reposing the confidence in me for taking on such a consequential ministry that is so important to the lives of every Barbadian,” he said.
The St Michael West MP stressed that housing must not only be seen as shelter, but as a critical factor in addressing broader social issues, such as crime.
“As an urban MP, I am very aware of the challenges that housing can present to the people of this country, but I am the Minister for all of Barbados, and so the priority as set before by the Cabinet and the Honourable Prime Minister is to deal with the lower and middle, and most vulnerable in this country,” he said.
Gibbs also promised to build on the work of his predecessor, while ensuring that government programmes were realistic and accessible.
“I need to get my feet wet first. When I get into the ministry, I will be having meetings with the permanent secretary and all the ministry officials. We will look at the programmes, and we will see what realistically we can offer. I’m not going to go in there and make lofty promises that I can’t keep,” he explained.
One of his immediate priorities will be to improve transparency for applicants waiting for housing.
“People will know their status in terms of ‘where am I on the list’. I think a lot of people don’t know where they sit, and there is confusion… So that will be part of my mission as well,” he added.
The new minister said he intends to promote innovative housing solutions to speed up construction while also creating opportunities for small contractors to play a greater role in building development of the country.
Mottley, deputy prime Minister Santia Bradshaw and Senior Minister Dr William Duguid were among those at the ceremony. (AM)
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