By Vanessa Matos Tudela and Michelle Evans In the Caribbean, the year-round sunshine and extremely favorable insolation levels have not been enough to spur significant investments in renewable energy. Now, a year after the signature of the Paris Agreement, investments in solar energy seem more appealing than ever before, mainly due to four reasons: High vulnerability to … [Read more...] about Four reasons why the Caribbean private sector must invest in renewables
Economy & Investment
Fall from Grace: How Suriname’s Macroeconomic Fundamentals Have Changed After The “Perfect Economic Storm”
Suriname experienced a triple commodity shock in 2015. The price of gold declined by 30 percent relative to 2012, oil prices declined by 56 percent relative to 2012 and alumina production came to a halt (Figure 1). With these three commodities being the mainstay of Suriname’s economy, it was like a “perfect storm”. The result was a sharp drop in economic growth and rapid … [Read more...] about Fall from Grace: How Suriname’s Macroeconomic Fundamentals Have Changed After The “Perfect Economic Storm”
Brexit Effects after All? : The Case of Jamaica
The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union immediately led to anxiety in the Caribbean. Initially, critics pointed out that the Brexit vote might lead to a slowdown of the world economy, fallout of remittances and tourism, and the loss of a trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the Caribbean, potentially bringing renewed challenges to the already-weak … [Read more...] about Brexit Effects after All? : The Case of Jamaica
Are Governments Wasting Your Tax Money?
The fiscal and debt problem in the region has been engendered in part by weak fiscal institutions and frameworks that have perpetuated chronic fiscal procyclicality. Without binding rules geared towards budgetary discipline, can Caribbean countries successfully overcome their fiscal and debt challenges? In a recent working paper, issues surrounding the applicability, design … [Read more...] about Are Governments Wasting Your Tax Money?
5 Obstacles to Overcome for a more Productive Caribbean
Caribbean economies have hardly grown in the last 30 years. The last significant growth was in the 1980s when tourism and banana production expanded, but has since declined due to the loss of competitiveness in the bananas market and the emergence of other tourism destinations. To make matters worse, the Caribbean countries are severely indebted and have very limited options to … [Read more...] about 5 Obstacles to Overcome for a more Productive Caribbean