Preliminary overview of the economies of the Caribbean 2019–2020

This overview examines the economic performance of economies of the Caribbean in 2019 and comprises four chapters. The first chapter provides a comparative analysis across Caribbean economies of the main macroeconomic variables, namely GDP growth, monetary indicators, as well as fiscal and external accounts. The second chapter looks at areas of focus in the Caribbean. The third chapter concludes, while the annex includes individual country briefs that give an overview of the economic situation for the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and a subregional assessment of the coun…

Green fiscal policies: An armoury of instruments to recover growth sustainably

The present study seeks to explore how fiscal policies can employed to deliver both socioeconomic and environmental dividends with a focus on Brazil as a case study. In the current context where the global economy in general and Brazil’s economy in particular are struggling to reinvigorate, whereas disregarding environmental concerns is a hazard for long-term economic development itself, the focus is thus on reviewing the recent literature that seeks to reconcile a stronger economic and social performance based on fiscal instruments that foster sustainable investments. An overview of the theor…

Economic Survey of the Caribbean 2019

This survey examines the economic performance of economies of the Caribbean in 2018 and comprises six chapters. The first chapter gives an overview of global, regional and subregional economic performance as well as unemployment in the Caribbean. The second provides an analysis of governments in the subregion’s fiscal performance and debt burden. The third looks at monetary policy and variables. The fourth is focused external sector and its factors. The fifth chapter concludes, while the final chapter includes individual country briefs that give an overview of the economic situation for the Ba…

Evento con países de América Latina y el Caribe enfatiza la importancia de garantizar un régimen de protección social universal

Reconstruir mejor implica hacerlo con igualdad y sostenibilidad, con un pacto social que incluya una nueva ecuación entre el Estado, el mercado y la sociedad, que permita alcanzar un régimen universal de protección social y de acceso a bienes públicos básicos, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). La máxima representante de la Comisión regional participó en un evento paralelo al Foro Político de Alto Nivel de las Naciones Unidas 2020 (HLPF, por sus siglas en inglés), que se desarrolla virtualmente este mes de julio, ti…

COVID-19 Pandemic Will Lead to the Biggest Contraction in Economic Activity in the Region’s History: A -5.3% Drop in 2020

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean through external and domestic factors, the combined effect of which will lead to the worst contraction that the region has ever undergone, exceeding those seen in 1914 and 1930. According to the latest estimates, an average regional contraction of -5.3% is forecast for 2020, ECLAC indicated today while launching a new report. The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, presented on this Tuesday, April 21, the COVID-19 Special Rep…

ECLAC Will Present its Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2020

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will present on Tuesday, October 6 its Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2020: Main conditioning factors of fiscal and monetary policies in the post-COVID-19 era, the institution’s flagship annual economic report, which takes stock of the region’s economies in the last year, with special emphasis on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and examines the prospects for the coming months. The latest edition of this document – published by the United Nations regional commission since 1948 – will present an analysis o…

Advancing the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean

ECLAC presents cases of transformative investments for a sustainable economy in Brazil

On May 26th, the ECLAC office in Brasilia, together with the Brazilian Global Compact Network, held a webinar about the Big Push for Sustainability , in which more than 60 case studies of investments for sustainable development in Brazil were presented.…

Financing for development in the era of COVID-19 and beyond: Urgent considerations for the Caribbean

New policy options for economic diversification in Trinidad and Tobago

According to ECLAC Caribbean's latest policy breif , there is room for T&T to expand productive capacity and diversify exports in the agro-processing industry to improve foreign exchange earnings. The Government of T&T has articulated in its National Development Strategy for 2016-2030 and in its 2018 Midyear Budget Review the intention to transition towards a more diversified economy, which produces a broad spectrum of export competitive, high-value products and services. In this context, the government has identified agro-processing as one of the seven economic areas for the establish…