The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) says monetary conditions within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), “remain accommodative”. “Monetary and credit conditions improved during the first half of 2022, with growth in private sector credit being positive,” the ECCB said, noting that t...

The unemployment rate for April 2022 decreased to 6.0%, 3.0 percentage points lower than in the same quarter of 2021. The male unemployment rate fell to 4.7% from 7.5%, while the unemployment rate for females declined to 7.6% from 10.8%. The unemployment rate for youth aged 14-24 was 15.5% in Apr...

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says investment flows to the Region reached US$134 billion last year, up from US$88 billion in 2020. According to UNCTAD’ World Investment Report 2022, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America and the Caribbean rebounded from...

The Department of Inland Revenue (DIR) in the Bahamas has collected $930.57 million in taxes from July 1, 2021 to end of May, exceeding current FYprojections by $100 million. According to Acting Comptroller of the Department of Inland Revenue Shunda Strachan $136 million came from real property t...

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...