Caribbean economies have recovered from the pandemic-induced recession, but one legacy that lingers is public debt accumulation. This was an inevitable consequence of the sharp economic decline and social needs created by the pandemic, and with the recovery, progress has been made in lowering the burden of public debt. Yet, average debt levels remain elevated, and changing … [Read more...] about A New Year’s Fiscal Resolution: Deal with Debt in the Caribbean
Economy & Investment
Riding the economic waves: Trinidad and Tobago’s navigation through the headwinds
While 2022 represented a year of recovery for the Caribbean, following drastic economic contractions for many economies in 2020, exogenous economic shocks derailed anticipated progress. High fuel prices spurred increases in transportation and electricity costs across the region, contributing to rising headline inflation. The most recent edition of the IDB’s Caribbean Economics … [Read more...] about Riding the economic waves: Trinidad and Tobago’s navigation through the headwinds
Financial Challenges for Bahamian Firms
Financial institutions and markets are integral in enabling transactions, intermediating savings for businesses in need of financing, allocating scarce financial resources and facilitating risk diversification. Modern economies rely on these financial institutions and markets to finance private sector development. For economies like The Bahamas, the post-pandemic recovery will … [Read more...] about Financial Challenges for Bahamian Firms
Give Credit Where It Is Due: Firm Financing in a Post-Pandemic Caribbean
Joint research from the IDB’s Caribbean Department, IDB Invest, and the Complete Caribbean Partnership uses enterprise survey data to highlight that firms from across the Caribbean face challenges when it comes to access to finance, particularly given the depth and development of credit and capital markets. Findings suggest that the most pressing barriers to finance are … [Read more...] about Give Credit Where It Is Due: Firm Financing in a Post-Pandemic Caribbean
Barbados taking its Blue commitments ahead with innovative deal
A recent New York Times article declared, “Caribbean nations are trapped between the global financial system and a looming climate disaster. One country’s leader has been fighting to find a way out.” That country is Barbados, and the leader is Mia Motley, Prime Minister and climate innovator extraordinaire. As a small island developing state (SIDS), Barbados faces … [Read more...] about Barbados taking its Blue commitments ahead with innovative deal