Search Result for: social policy

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Is Jamaica on the Right Track?

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor OVER the past few weeks, I have been approached by many persons who ask the questions: What is happening to the economy? Is Jamaica headed in the right direction? Is it time for me to […]

Trust and Development in Jamaica

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor IN my article last week, I looked at the role that behaviour plays in economic growth. This week I will focus on the critical nature of trust, or confidence. As I have stated on many […]

Tourism and the Caribbean Economy

By Michael W Edghill CJ Contributor A TRENDING topic amongst foreign policy wonks as of late is that of the “resource curse.” The theory, which has it that nations which are “blessed” with an abundance of natural resources (oil is […]

“A New Haiti Emerges”

Above: Haiti PM Laurent Lamothe at the UN on Thursday (UN Photo/Sarah Fretwell) By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti has seen its share of significant setbacks since the 2010 earthquake, but a new country is starting to emerge, Haiti Prime […]

The Caribbean’s Incarceration Problem

By Michael W Edghill CJ Contributor Every now and again, a report or statistic comes along that presents something genuinely surprising. A few weeks ago, that statistic came by way of a graphic shared through social media. The graphic showed the […]

Jamaica Off to Strong Start on IMF Reforms, But Economy Remains Sluggish

Above: Kingston By the Caribbean Journal staff Jamaica is off to a strong start under its new programme with the International Monetary Fund, but the country’s economy remains less than productive. The IMF concluded a staff mission to Jamaica last […]

The Jamaican Economy’s Biggest Problem

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor ON Wednesday I attended the presentation of a report by Professor Vanus James that examined the foreign exchange policy, and what is most appropriate. The study was initiated by Edward Seaga, and is a very […]

Dennis Chung: Private Sector Growth and Jamaican Development

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor LAST week I wrote about what the pillars of growth are. Today I want to answer a question, often asked in a roundabout way, by persons who say that the private sector has not done […]

Paul Hay: CARICOM and Caribbean Economic Development

By Paul Hay CJ Contributor In 1963, the Centre for Developing-Area Studies (CDAS) was established at the McGill University in Canada. William G. Demas – then Head of the Economic Planning Division of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, served […]

Jamaica’s Pillars for Growth

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor MY last article looked at how Jamaica can increase competitiveness in the tourism industry, which is critical for Jamaica because tourism is our highest foreign exchange earner, and the area in which we have always […]

CARICOM is 40, But Who is Celebrating?

By Zhivargo Laing CJ Contributor The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is celebrating 40 years of existence. But who is really celebrating? Certainly not the masses of Caribbean peoples, plagued with high levels of unemployment, crime, debt and anxiety about the future. […]

Op-Ed: World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on Opportunity in Latin America

By Jim Yong Kim Op-Ed Contributor LATIN AMERICA has had a good decade. Over the last 10 years, economic growth averaged 4.2 percent, and 70 million people escaped poverty. Macroeconomic stability, open trade policies and pro-business investment climates have supported […]

Antigua and Barbuda to Receive $10 Million World Bank Loan

Above: Antigua (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Antigua and Barbuda will receive a $10 million loan from the World Bank, following approval by the bank’s Board of Directors. The loan will support the government’s efforts to “improve public […]

IDB, CDB Sign $20M Agreement For Projects in Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia

Above: Dominica (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff The Inter-American Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank have signed a $20 million agreement for a global loan programme for projects in four Organization of Eastern Caribbean States countries. The loan […]

Forbes: The Business of Sport in Jamaica

By Marcia Forbes, PhD CJ Contributor A FEW DAYS AGO I attended a conference called “The Business of Sport.” Several representatives from various sporting bodies, including the Olympics Association, ESPN, NFL and West Indies Cricket, were in attendance alongside government […]

Op-Ed: The Caribbean’s “Depth” Crisis

By Zhivargo S. Laing Op-Ed Contributor WHILE GOVERNMENT DEBT remains worrisome for many Caribbean and Latin American countries, socio-economic depth may be the more serious worry for sustainable growth and development in the future. Socio-economic depth here refers to the […]

IMF Approves $932 Million Jamaica Deal

Above: Kingston (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell The International Monetary Fund’s Executive Board has approved a $932.3 million Extended Fund Facility arrangement for Jamaica, it announced Wednesday. The four-year EFF represents the equivalent of 225 percent of Jamaica’s quota in […]

Moody’s Upgrades Belize Credit Rating, Warns of “Debt Overhang”

Above: Parliament in Belmopan By the Caribbean Journal staff New York-based Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating on Belize’s government bonds, the firm announced Monday. The rating has been lifted to Caa2 from Ca, with a “stable” outlook. The move […]

Bureaucracy and Jamaican Growth

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor FINALLY WE CAN celebrate that we have an IMF agreement again in Jamaica. The real importance of the agreement is that it will bring with it a certain amount of confidence and multilateral support for […]

From Cayman to Turks and Caicos, Caribbean Politicians Remember Thatcher

Above: Margaret Thatcher By the Caribbean Journal staff A number of Caribbean leaders expressed their condolences Monday over the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher, the United Kingdom’s first (and thus far only) female Prime Minister, died […]

Women and the Jamaican Work Force

By Marcia Forbes, PhD CJ Contributor We Waan Jostice! Who Cares? “We waan jostice.” This is the cry of many Jamaicans regularly shown on national television during nightly newscasts. This demand for justice (jostice in local parlance) is usually accompanied […]

Dennis Chung: Why Devaluation Is Not Good for Jamaica

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor OVER RECENT WEEKS there have been utterances from several quarters in Jamaica — including economists, analysts, and technocrats — about the benefits of devaluation for the country. The argument being made, is based on the […]

In Nicaragua, Looking at the Future of Sustainable Tourism in the Caribbean

Above: Nicaragua (Photo: NT) By the Caribbean Journal staff A group of regional agencies focusing on sustainable tourism in the Caribbean held their first-ever joint meeting this week, focusing on the challenges facing the wider Caribbean region. The first-ever Meeting […]

Premier Rufus Ewing Warns of Potential for “Chaos” in Turks and Caicos

Above: the Karibe Convention Centre in Haiti (CJ Photo) By Alexander Britell PORT-AU-PRINCE — The current state of the affairs in the Turks and Caicos Islands has the potential to throw the territory “into chaos,” Premier Dr Rufus Ewing said […]

Chung: Fixing Jamaica’s Structural Deficiencies to See Growth

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor THERE were two occurrences within the past week that reminded me that Jamaica still has a lot to do in order to see long-term sustainable development. There was an announcement that an International Monetary Fund […]

Martelly: Haiti Has “Strong Assets Just Waiting to be Uncovered”

Above: Haiti President Michel Martelly (centre) By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti has “strong potential just waiting to be uncovered,” in areas like agriculture, tourism and construction, President Michel Martelly told attendees this weekend at the CELAC-EU Summit in Chile. […]

Jamaica Signs Off on IMF Measures; Talks Heading Toward “Final Round”

Above: Minister Peter Phillips (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Jamaica’s Cabinet has signed off on a series of measures required to advance the country’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips said at a […]

Dennis Chung: Jamaica Without the IMF

By Dennis Chung CJ Contributor AS I READ the Dec. 29, 2012 statement, issued by Jamaica’s Finance Minister concerning the status of the International Monetary Fund negotiations, I thought to myself that it is not clear when Jamaica is […]

Rum Journal: Forget Iced Tea. In The Bahamas, It’s Long Island Rum Punch.