It has often been said that times of crisis can often lead to opportunity for change. Barbados is no stranger to this concept, having faced macroeconomic challenges during the past decade, including low growth, high government spending compared to revenue collection, elevated debt levels and declining international reserves (see Figures 1 to 4). This has led to an ambitious set … [Read more...] about Four key reforms to bring back economic growth to Barbados
Wait No More: Improving Government Services in the Caribbean
It’s not unusual for Caribbean citizens or firms to expect that renewing a passport or registering a new vehicle will require them to spend a full day at a government office. That is, for those fortunate enough to complete their transactions in a single visit. On average, Caribbean citizens spent over 4 hours to complete their last government transaction. And this does not … [Read more...] about Wait No More: Improving Government Services in the Caribbean
Suriname’s electricity company transitions to a digital and intelligent utility
Not many years ago, EBS, the state-owned electric utility in Suriname, used to operate the power system in a manual way. If more energy from the grid was needed, the system operator called the power plant to increase the generation. In the case of a failure in a transmission line, an emergency plan was activated to adjust the system and recover the grid stability. With … [Read more...] about Suriname’s electricity company transitions to a digital and intelligent utility
Supporting technology adoption through Sector Skills Councils
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds, companies have begun to harness new and emerging technologies to reach higher levels of efficiency of production and consumption, expand into new markets, and compete for a global consumer base. These changes are causing huge shifts in the existing skill requirements for workers; and the demand for higher cognitive, technological, … [Read more...] about Supporting technology adoption through Sector Skills Councils
Road traffic deaths disproportionately affecting developing countries: Could technology help with speed enforcement?
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (#WDoR) is commemorated on the third Sunday in November. In the years since the day was first observed after being initiated by the UK’s RoadPeace Founder more than two decades ago, the number of countries formally recognizing the 3rd Sunday in November has increased, but so too has the number of crash victims who have lost … [Read more...] about Road traffic deaths disproportionately affecting developing countries: Could technology help with speed enforcement?