Jamaica has recorded growth of 8.1% for Fiscal Year 2021/22 well within the range of 7.0% to 9.0% previously projected. According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the growth was supported by improved performances in all industries, except Mining & Quarrying which contracted by an estimat...

The Turks and Caicos Islands has seen a tremendous increase in visitor arrivals during the first quarter of 2022 and is on track to make a "full recovery”. According to preliminary data released by the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, 311,913 visitors arrived in the territory during the fi...

Barbados has met all quantitative targets for end-December 2021 and end-March 2022 under the IMF’s EFF making it eligible for a drawdown of US$23 million. According to the IMF’s Bert van Selm, “international reserves, which reached a low of US$220 million (5-6 weeks of imports) in May 2018, are n...

Seprod Limited is moving to acquire a 100 year-old Trinidad & Tobago company, A.S. Bryden & Sons Holdings, “to  create the leading integrated manufacturing and distribution group in the Caribbean," the companies said In a joint announcement. Their combined revenues is estimated at US...

For the period January to March 2022, Barbados experienced inflation of 4.2%, unemployment declined from 12.4% to 10.9% and net international reserves reaching US$3.019 B or 36.4 weeks of import cover. According to the Central Bank of Barbados in its quarterly review, the economy grew by 11.8% du...

The Government of the Bahamas will this year enable the access of Bahamians to digital assets using Bahamian dollars, and enable the payment of taxes using digital assets. In tabling a policy white paper on the future of $3 trillion digital of digital assets global market in The Bahamas, Prime Mi...

Global shipping costs are starting to trend downwards, nonetheless prices remain elevated considerably above pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, there is an approximate 50% reduction being experienced by Caribbean importers. According to Richard Pandohie, former President of the Jamaica Manufacturers &...

The Bank of Jamaica has given financial institutions 4 years to adapt as it co-ordinates Jamaica’s migration from the Swift Message Type (MT) standard to the ISO 20022 – ‘Universal Financial Industry Message Scheme’ format by end 2025. This in a bid to enhance end-to-end efficiency for payments. ...

The Jamaican economy grew by 6.7% during the 4th quarter of 2021 when compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. This was due to increases in both the Services Industries and the Goods Producing Industries of 9.0% and 0.5% respectively. Within the Goods Producing Industries, there were higher output...

The IMF Executive Board has completed the first review of the extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Suriname, allowing for an immediate disbursement equivalent to SDR 39.4 million (about US$55 million). According to the Fund, Suriname’s “homegrown economic recovery progr...