Growing up in The Bahamas, I remember my grandmother’s asue. There weren’t any banks where she lived on the island of Inagua, and even if there had been, it wasn’t customary for women to frequent them. To adapt, women (and sometimes men) formed their own informal savings groups, known as asues. As her group’s custodian, my grandmother collected a weekly contribution from … [Read more...] about Three ways the Caribbean can strengthen financing for private companies
No more false starts—reforming public finance in Jamaica
by Therese Turner-Jones Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips (seated left), in conversation with Inter-American Development bank (IDB) Representative in Jamaica, Therese Turner-Jones (seated right), before signing copies of Public Sector Efficiency Programme agreements on Tuesday (February 18) for the provision of US$31.65 million by the IDB, People’s … [Read more...] about No more false starts—reforming public finance in Jamaica
Jamaica Launches Authorized Economic Operator
The Jamaica Customs Department recently launched its Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program, a certification issued by customs authorities that can give companies a competitive edge, enhanced security, and reduced delivery times. Jamaica is the first English speaking Caribbean country to achieve this milestone. … [Read more...] about Jamaica Launches Authorized Economic Operator
Parade Gardens Community Center opens in downtown Kingston, Jamaica
On June 18th, the traditionally fractious neighborhood of Parade Gardens got a new lease on life. A new, refurbished building was opened as a Community Center, to breathe life into an area better known for gang warfare built on tribal politics. The building located in the South Central section of the Kingston Metropolitan area, has a community base of two districts, Southside … [Read more...] about Parade Gardens Community Center opens in downtown Kingston, Jamaica
Dog, Cockroaches and White Elephants
Yesterday, Day 1 of a conference on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs, 3Ps or P3s) in the Caribbean, I heard references to these animals and creepy crawlers. As a new dog owner I took offense, as did several others. Speakers were trying to explain that a badly designed PPP turns out to be a dog, or a cockroach or a white elephant. Whichever is more palatable as a … [Read more...] about Dog, Cockroaches and White Elephants