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
Economy & Investment
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
A more robust financial sector would strengthen firms in Barbados
Are you a business owner who would like to expand operations but find it difficult to get a loan from a bank? Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative idea that has market value but finding someone to invest in your project seems an impossible task? If that is the case, you are not alone! The new issue of IDB’s Caribbean Economics Quarterly covers the topic of finance … [Read more...] about A more robust financial sector would strengthen firms in Barbados