Commentary

Each letter covers a single topic in economic performance, economic policy or economic structures in Barbados and other small modern economies that are very open to the world of international trade and finance. Topics covered have included the potential of renewable energy, how to secure competitive advantage, Barbados’ economic prospects, means testing, and the future of small international financial centres. The series was started when the author was Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados.

2024 Nov Modest Foreign Investment Limits the Caribbean Economic Outlook
2024 Oct The Other Side of the Interest Rate Debate
2024 Sep Mastery of Maths and English is Key to Development
2024 Aug Has National Independence Benefitted Caribbean Economies?
2024 Jul The Search for Meaningful Work
2024 Jun Guyana is Now the Third Largest English Speaking Caribbean Economy
2024 May Central American and Caribbean Countries Suffer High Inequality Levels
2024 Apr The Caribbean Enjoys Comparatively High Levels of Human Development
2024 Mar Ending the Fear of Devaluation
2024 Feb Foreign Exchange is How We Pay for Imports
2024 Jan The Migration of Skilled Workers is Essential for the Development of Any Small Economy
2023 Dec Policy Loans Are Not a Productive Form of Borrowing
2023 Nov The Caribbean Should Set New and Achievable Targets for Renewable Energy
2023 Oct An Epitaph to Caribbean Business News
2023 Sep Podcast - Why the Caribbean Should Invest in State-of-the-art Public Health Care
2023 Sep Why the Caribbean Should Invest in State-of-the-art Public Health Care
2023 Aug The Caribbean is More Integrated Than Ever, Caricom Notwithstanding
2023 Jul The Caribbean Cultural Industry Depends for its Success on the International Market
2023 Jun Savings, Housing and Development in the Small Open Economy
2023 May The Price of Chicken Feet
2023 Apr What is a Small Economy?
2023 Mar What Really Matters for Caribbean Tourism Growth
2023 Feb Beyond Caricom - Re-imagining the Caribbean Nation and Economy
2023 Feb Good and Bad Debt
2023 Jan Foreign Currency - What Comes in, Goes Back Out
2022 Dec Why Devaluation Harms Caribbean Economies
2022 Nov China's Economic Impact in the Caribbean
2022 Nov The Covid Pandemic Depressed Life Expectancy in Central America and the Caribbean
2022 Oct How Did Covid-19 Affect Well-being in Central America and the Caribbean?
2022 Sep What Should Government Do to Stimulate Development?
2022 Aug Imports Are the Reason Small Economies Need Foreign Exchange
2022 Aug Central Bank Digital Currencies
2022 Jul Economic Maps of the Caribbean and Central America
2022 Jul The Human Development Index is the Best Measure of Economic Success
2022 Jun Covid in Barbados: The Winter Season Surge
2022 Jun Tourism is a Powerful Engine of Development in Small Economies
2022 May There Isn't Much Government Can Do About Inflation
2022 Apr Increasing Earnings from Tourism
2022 Mar Competing by Offering Best Value for Money
2022 Feb The Origin of Caribbean Currency Problems
2022 Jan The Uncertain Future of Caribbean Currencies
2021 Dec COP 26 Was a Wake-up Call Heard Around the World
2021 Nov Empowering the IMF and United Nations
2021 Oct Looking Ahead in Order to Tame Covid-19
2021 Sep Emigration and Immigration are Both Very Beneficial, if Managed Well
2021 Aug Tourist Economies Must Test Everyone, Regularly
2021 Jul How Public and Private Sectors Should Cooperate to Attain National Aspirations
2021 Jun The International Business Sector Faces an Uncertain Future
2021 May Renewable Energy: How Much Progress?
2021 Mar We Have Not Yet Turned the Corner on Public Sector Performance
2021 Mar Are Planes as Covid-safe as the Airlines Say?
2021 Feb Eating What You Grow Won’t Increase Food Security
2021 Jan International Travel in the Covid Era
2020 Dec Ensuring That Government Revenues Are Well Spent
2020 Nov Foreign Finance for Future Development
2020 Oct Why a Current Account Deficit with China is a Good Thing
2020 Sep Resuscitating Tourism
2020 Aug Strengthening Health Systems to Tame Pandemics
2020 May International Guidelines are Needed for Caribbean Tourism
2020 May What May be Done to Revive Caribbean Tourism
2020 Apr COVID-19: Saving Lives and Securing Livelihoods
2020 Mar The US Dollar is Caricom's Common Currency
2020 Feb Avoiding Policy Hiccups
2020 Jan Prosperity May Be Restored, With the Right Policy Mix
2019 Dec A Practical, Consistent Strategy for Renewables is Urgently Needed
2019 Nov Investment, Inequality and Coordination Between Governments and Central Banks
2019 Oct You Need US Dollars, not Barbados Dollar Savings, in Order to Invest
2019 Sep No change at IMF under Lagarde’s watch
2019 Sep Barbados Needs a Road Map and Action Plan for Renewables
2019 Aug Public Sector Reform Begins With the Timely Publication of Annual Reports
2019 Jul Sovereignty and the US Dollar
2019 Jun The Time Has Come to Permanently Retire All Our Caribbean Currencies
2019 May China is Our Friend
2019 Apr IMF Spring Meetings 2019: Is This the Beginning of the End for Central Bank Independence?
2019 Apr The US Dollar Fuels the Barbados Economy
2019 Mar We Need a Comprehensive Action Plan to Fix Government
2019 Feb Releasing Potential Investment Inflows
2019 Jan More Cuts in Government Spending May be Expected in 2019
2018 Dec The Threat of Barbados Dollar Devaluation Remains
2018 Nov The Barbados Government's Assets Exceed its Debt
2018 Oct There is a Second Opinion on the Health of the Barbadian Economy
2018 Sep A Public Sector That is Capably Led and Able to Get Things Done Will Spur Eco
2018 Aug Leases of the Port and Airport Would be a Filip to the Barbados Economy
2018 Jul How the Retrenchment of Public Servants Benefits the Economy
2018 Jun Media Release: Report on Macroeconomic Seminar for Policy Makers and Opinion Lead
2018 Jun Restoring Economic Prosperity
2018 May The Renewal of the Barbados Public Sector
2018 Apr Barbados' Problem of Deficit Financing
2018 Mar Barbados' Foreign Reserves Drain Worsened in 2017
2018 Feb Public Sector Inefficiency Stifles Growth
2018 Jan 2018: The Outlook for the Barbados Economy
2018 Jan 2017 Year-end Letter
2017 Dec Benefits of Removing the Minimum Saving Rate
2017 Nov Publication Announcement - The Barbados Economy: The Road to Prosperity
2017 Nov Investors Value Predictability
2017 Oct Distinguishing Between Good and Bad External Debt
2017 Sep Barbadians must work more productively in order to better our standard of living
2017 Aug Barbados' Competitiveness in a Global Context
2017 Jul The Fiscal Challenges of Barbados and Jamaica Have Different Causes
2017 Jun Economic Adjustment in Barbados: Examples from Successful Countries
2017 May Productivity Lessons from Singapore
2017 May It's Worth the Effort to Save our Dollar Peg
2017 Feb Reducing Government's Interest Costs
2017 Jan We are the Craftsmen of Our Economic Fate
2016 Dec Barbados Commits to 100% Renewables
2016 Nov A Commitment to Excellence Guarantees Competitiveness
2016 Oct The Relationship Between Barbados and the IBFS Sector is Mutually Beneficial
2016 Sep Economic Growth does not Mean a Return to Business as Usual
2016 Aug Ensuring the Sustainability of our Social Services
2016 Jul The Value of a Fixed Exchange Rate
2016 Jun The Way Forward
2016 May Avoiding Economic Relapse
2016 Apr How the Wind and the Sun Could Save Us Millions
2016 Mar The Prospect of Free Electricity
2016 Feb Adaptability is Key
2016 Jan The Future of the Barbadian Economy
2015 Dec Scott Lectures Expose Barbadians to the Powerhouses of the World
2015 Nov Keeping the Economy Stable and Achieving Growth
2015 Oct Barbados is Ahead in Innovation, But Much Remains to be Done
2015 Sep Tourism: Why Barbados is No 1 in the Caribbean, and How to Stay Ahead of the Competition
2015 Aug Social Partnership Must Devise Strategies to Address Barbados
2015 Jul More Foreign Reserves are not Necessarily Better
2015 May We Must Increase Our Productivity
2015 Apr April Economic Letter
2015 Mar March Economic Letter
2015 Jan Barbadians alone remain in the driver’s seat of economic policy
2014 Dec The Economic Importance of the Food and Rum and Wine and Rum Festival
2014 Nov Address by Governor, Dr. DeLisle Worrell at a Discussion on the Energy Sector in Barbados
2014 Oct October Economic Letter
2014 Sep Bank Reiterates that Barbados has the Right Economic Strategy for its Circumstances
2014 Aug Governor Dr.DeLisle Worrell Tells Business People That Barbados Remains Committed to Fiscal
2014 Jun International Investors Welcome Barbados Government Efforts to Address Fiscal Issues

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Commentary