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
Finance
The Online Operation: Small Grocer Opportunity in a Digital World
This series aims to explore how the digital grocery ecosystem will shape the future of retail in Trinidad & Tobago. In our previous case Accessing the Digital Shelf – The Small Vendor Reality, we explored the reality of most small businesses; that there are many obstacles preventing them from progressing or growing in a digital landscape. This gap is one of the reasons why … [Read more...] about The Online Operation: Small Grocer Opportunity in a Digital World
Exploring the potential of Finclusion in Suriname
Finclusion is a combination of the words Financial Inclusion and FinTech. It is used to describe FinTech-driven financial inclusion. In this blog, we summarize the main findings of our paper on Financial Inclusion and FinTech in Suriname. What is financial inclusion? Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to financial products and services … [Read more...] about Exploring the potential of Finclusion in Suriname
Six Recommendations to Ensure Guyana’s Oil Wealth is More Financially Inclusive
Guyana’s economy is on the verge of a historic transformation following recent oil discoveries. Financial sector development and inclusion will be crucial to maximize the benefits of faster growth and increased revenues. However, financial access and inclusion in the country are lagging, which hinders firms’ productivity and performance. A new publication from IDB economists … [Read more...] about Six Recommendations to Ensure Guyana’s Oil Wealth is More Financially Inclusive
Barriers to Financial Access in Barbados—Key Challenges and Focal Areas for Reform
The mobilization of domestic financial resources is increasingly recognized as an important development challenge for countries around the world—this is also true for Barbados. Barriers to financial access act as a brake on private sector investment and growth, with adverse implications for broader economic development objectives. In order to shed light on this issue, our … [Read more...] about Barriers to Financial Access in Barbados—Key Challenges and Focal Areas for Reform