The Covid-19 pandemic has unleashed a health and economic crisis. Countries are providing exceptional support to families and firms and suffering significant losses in public revenues. Debt ratios are rising. Getting fiscal policy right and maintaining financial stability will be key to ensuring a return to growth and avoid a lost decade in Latin America and the Caribbean. A … [Read more...] about Avoiding a New Lost Decade for Latin America and the Caribbean
Macroeconomics and Finance
Digitizing Infrastructure Services Brings More Inclusive Growth
Part of our "behind the scenes" series of posts for our 2020 flagship publication From Structures to Services: The Path to Better Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean By their very nature, disruptive technological changes are difficult to predict. However, there is a consensus that the efficiency gains linked to increased digitalization of infrastructure … [Read more...] about Digitizing Infrastructure Services Brings More Inclusive Growth
Financial Literacy in the Caribbean: The Case of Barbados
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed households’ financial fragility. Prior to the pandemic, six out of ten people in Latin America and the Caribbean reported they lack the resources to cover an emergency, and among the poorest quintile, the figure was only two out of ten. As in the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 has revealed the need to advance a policy agenda aimed at … [Read more...] about Financial Literacy in the Caribbean: The Case of Barbados
The Importance of Good Regulations: When Investing Well Is Not Enough
Part of our "behind the scenes" series of posts for our 2020 flagship publication From Structures to Services: The Path to Better Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean Improving the quality, efficiency, and productivity of water, power, and transportation could have significant benefits for economic growth and income distribution. In a recent blog, we showed that … [Read more...] about The Importance of Good Regulations: When Investing Well Is Not Enough
Ensuring Financial Stability in the Battle against COVID-19
With a surging pandemic, income losses, and a deepening recession, Latin America and the Caribbean is facing a health and economic crisis that will test its financial systems like few events in modern times. The blow, however, can be softened. Banks as well as governments and central banks can play a crucial role, providing financing to lessen the impact on families and firms … [Read more...] about Ensuring Financial Stability in the Battle against COVID-19