The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an uncertain and stressful period that impacts not only our physical, but also our psychological and emotional wellbeing. Although the world is better prepared to deal with disaster, the area that is still lacking is gender differential and also guidelines to take care of our emotional well-being. Most of the advice from officials on … [Read more...] about Caring for our Children during the COVID-19 pandemic
Podcast
COVID-19: Tourism-Based Shock Scenarios for Caribbean Countries
The COVID-19 outbreak could have considerable implications for Caribbean citizens and their economies. The magnitude of this impact will depend crucially on the spread of the virus, the duration of the outbreak, and measures countries in the region and elsewhere undertake to insulate themselves. It will also have much to do with country economic structures—particularly tourism … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Tourism-Based Shock Scenarios for Caribbean Countries
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
Four key reforms to bring back economic growth to Barbados
It has often been said that times of crisis can often lead to opportunity for change. Barbados is no stranger to this concept, having faced macroeconomic challenges during the past decade, including low growth, high government spending compared to revenue collection, elevated debt levels and declining international reserves (see Figures 1 to 4). This has led to an ambitious set … [Read more...] about Four key reforms to bring back economic growth to Barbados
Wait No More: Improving Government Services in the Caribbean
It’s not unusual for Caribbean citizens or firms to expect that renewing a passport or registering a new vehicle will require them to spend a full day at a government office. That is, for those fortunate enough to complete their transactions in a single visit. On average, Caribbean citizens spent over 4 hours to complete their last government transaction. And this does not … [Read more...] about Wait No More: Improving Government Services in the Caribbean