Are you a business owner who would like to expand operations but find it difficult to get a loan from a bank? Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative idea that has market value but finding someone to invest in your project seems an impossible task? If that is the case, you are not alone! The new issue of IDB’s Caribbean Economics Quarterly covers the topic of finance for firms and provides options for improving access and inclusion.
Jamaica’s successful and sustained reform efforts over the past decade have laid the foundation for more rapid financial development, but findings suggest that access to finance remains a major obstacle to investment, innovation, and development for firms across the region—particularly smaller enterprises and those led by women.
Entrepreneurship is the heartbeat of small business growth and innovation. Therefore, many initiatives attempt to improve entrepreneurs’ skill sets as a way of improving productivity in micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses, which would lead to faster growth.
Before joining the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), I was a journalist working in the Caribbean. The police were among the key stakeholders with whom I interacted almost daily. Even with this close ‘working relationship’ I realised that I had—until recently—very limited knowledge about the work of law enforcement. This may be true for most people who do not engage with police officers frequently. It can also give rise to dangerous misconceptions about this important group.
Access to adequate finance is critical to any business. For the most vulnerable - smaller firms and those owned and operated by women - finance is the lifeblood. Financing allows businesses to improve their services, expand to different markets, provide jobs in their communities, and contribute to the growth of the economy.
This series aims to explore how the digital grocery ecosystem will shape the future of retail in Trinidad & Tobago. In our previous case Accessing the Digital Shelf – The Small Vendor Reality, we explored the reality of most small businesses; that there are many obstacles preventing them from progressing or growing in a digital landscape.
Student performance on standardized tests is typically the main measure of school quality. Important decisions (such as school closures, the design of teacher performance pay schemes, and school accountability procedures) often rely on test-score metrics. These metrics may be simple test-score averages or more sophisticated measures of school effectiveness at improving test scores. The more sophisticated measures approximate the specific contribution of each school to the improvement of students’ outcomes and are often called value-added.
Engaging beneficiary communities in program planning and coordination is key for inclusive and sustainable development. In Guyana where urban and hinterland settlements scatter across 83,000 square miles, meaningful engagements require careful strategies that consider cultural and geographical diversities. Given that most indigenous peoples live in the sparsely populated hinterland, programs rely upon the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) policies and approaches for engaging indigenous peoples.
“Always prepare for the opportunity that never comes than be unprepared for the opportunity that arrives at your door.”
In a more-than-ever electronically connected world, sound digital infrastructure is of particular relevance as it provides a framework linking physical and virtual technologies in an effort to transform the digital environment through the greater use of digital channels by the government, individuals, and companies. Access to reliable and affordable internet and mobile connectivity is key to unlocking equitable growth opportunities.