On September 17th, 2019, the Small Business Association of Barbados hosted a conference as part of Small Business Week 2019 under the theme Small Size, Big Thinking-Changing the Mindset for Global Engagement. One of the key takeaways of the event was the importance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as drivers of economic growth and job creation. In Barbados, the … [Read more...] about Crying out for credit: improving access to finance in Barbados
Kimberly Waithe
Kimberly Waithe, a citizen of Barbados, is an economics consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank, Barbados country office since July 2014. Her responsibilities include monitoring and reporting on economic performances and prospects in Barbados and the OECS. Previously, she was a senior economist in the Ministry of Finance and Economics Affairs in the government of Barbados, from 2011 to 2014. She started her career there in 2008 as an economist. There she monitored and evaluated key planning and strategic documents for Barbados and reported on specific aspects of the economy. In addition, she assisted in the preparation of the annual Barbados economic and social reports along with the journal of public sector policy analysis. She has also published several research papers in international and local journals. Her research interest includes public finance and public policy, economic development, and energy economics. Ms. Waithe holds a Master’s degree in Financial and Business Economics and a Bachelor degree in Economics and Management (First Class Honors) from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
Four key reforms to bring back economic growth to Barbados
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
Avoiding A Debt Disaster
Preservation of life and property is the most pressing instinct when faced with the threat of a natural disaster. But after survival, the next phase – recovery – can be the more arduous and complex feat. Since 2010, the Caribbean region[1] incurred an estimated US$3.2 billion in damage to housing, crops, and infrastructure while total deaths amounted to nearly 180 persons. At … [Read more...] about Avoiding A Debt Disaster
‘Daunting, but doable’ – Barbados takes a path towards sustainable economic growth
The May 24, 2018 General Elections in Barbados were historic in many respects. For the first time, the Parliament of Barbados was allowed to automatically dissolve on March 6, 2018, without the setting of a date for elections. It was the first time in the history of Barbados that a political party won all of the parliamentary seats in the House of Assembly. This emphatic … [Read more...] about ‘Daunting, but doable’ – Barbados takes a path towards sustainable economic growth
Surviving the Storm
Do you know that the smallest U.S. state has a similar land area to all of the OECS countries combined? The six independent countries in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Now, try to imagine that these small islands being hit by a hurricane … [Read more...] about Surviving the Storm