Latin America and the Caribbean rang in World Environment Day June 5th with much to celebrate. Home to the world’s largest expanse of tropical forest, its greatest species diversity, and some of its most abundant renewable energy resources, the region is ever more conscious of the importance of the environment to its future. Moreover, that awareness is spurring new initiatives … [Read more...] about Help the Economy, Save the Environment
Social Issues
The Policy Conundrum in Latin America and the Caribbean: Let’s Revisit the Trade Agenda!
The IDB’s 2016 Macro Report Time to Act outlines the tough policy conundrum facing the region: low growth to 2020, monetary policy—where it exists—limited by higher inflation and many countries being forced into pro-cyclical fiscal adjustment. What can countries do to boost economic activity, lower the risks of a high debt-low growth spiral and defend the social gains made in … [Read more...] about The Policy Conundrum in Latin America and the Caribbean: Let’s Revisit the Trade Agenda!
Trade and Regional Integration: What We Don’t Have To Worry About
The policy recommendations of the IDB’s 2016 Macro Report Time to Act include deepening regional trade integration, a long-sought but still largely elusive goal. A casual observer may wonder why that goal matters. Even though the Free Trade Area of the Americas process failed to produce an agreement, Latin America and the Caribbean have fared well until relatively recently and … [Read more...] about Trade and Regional Integration: What We Don’t Have To Worry About
When Emergency Spending is Impossible
Would you be able to come up with the equivalent of US$400 in an emergency? Many people can’t. A recent survey by the United States Federal Reserve Board reveals that 47% of people in the United States can’t come up with that $400 without selling something or borrowing. That means they may be unable to fix their car or visit a hospital emergency room. They may struggle to pay … [Read more...] about When Emergency Spending is Impossible
A New Tool to Help Boost Incomes
Colombian Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas once posed a question in an international meeting that has resounded as among the most significant for government planners. A finance minister has limited resources and a narrow window of reform. In which sectors will reform pay off most in terms of increasing per capita incomes? As countries in Latin America and the Caribbean—and … [Read more...] about A New Tool to Help Boost Incomes