IMF shifts strategy on Caribbean economies

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - In an apparent shift of emphasis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is advocating that economic growth be placed at the centre of the recovery of Caribbean islands, many of which have been battered by the impact of the global financial crisis.
In presenting the luncheon feature address on the second day of a two-day forum in The Bahamas, IMF deputy managing director Nemat Shafik said given the centrality of growth to sustainability, ensuring that programme design meets small states’ needs must translate into more focus on growth in the institution’s programmes.