It is not often that one comes across an industry that constantly self-introspects for growth; that recognizing that it is evolving, seeks to have a clear vision of where it is going. The growth of a sector, in most cases, is seen to be the responsibility of governments. But in reality, it depends on the ecosystem in which it operates.
When aiming to bring government into the internet age, the first question to ask is no longer why, nor what - but who.
We know our governments need digital transformation, and that they needed it yesterday. They need to do more with less, deliver services faster, more equitably and in a personalized way, and in a way that prevents corruption. By now, we’re also familiar with the tools that can get us there: cloud, interoperability, digital ID, digital signature, digital services, and more. Furthermore, we’ve identified a common enemy: paper.
In this blog, guest contributor and medical doctor, David Walcott explores issues surrounding Covid-19 vaccination in the Caribbean.
The Bahamas is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. The country has been hit by 25 hurricanes over the past 25 years and between 1963 and 2019, the 14 most devastating hurricanes affected over 29,600 people. Due to climate change, the average strength and frequency of tropical cyclones will likely increase as water temperature in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean rises.
For more than a year, the Caribbean economics team at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has focused on the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for lives and livelihoods across the region. The pandemic is still with us, and the emergence of new and more virulent strains of COVID-19 has also increased uncertainty regarding the time horizon for normalization.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world’s way of doing business for many sectors, including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The importance of being able to access and use Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has grown exponentially and continues to be critical for remote working and person-to-person interaction.
The International Day for Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women is celebrated across the hemisphere every July 25th. The day commemorates the first Summit of Afro-Latina and Afro-Caribbean Women. The Summit, which was launched in 1992, was a crucial moment for women of African descent to gain greater visibility and recognition for their contributions to culture and society.
When I arrived in Jamaica in 2018 to take over the IDB State Modernization portfolio of projects I expected that most of my time and attention would have been devoted to three new digital government loan operations. I was of course aware of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), which had spanned almost 20 years – one of the longest-running IDB projects in the citizen security and justice area. I thought my role was to accompany the project to its upcoming closure.
Pension systems in the Caribbean countries have room for improvement. In our chapter, Pension Systems in the Caribbean: The Challenges Ahead, published in Economic Institutions for a Resilient Caribbean, we assess some pressing issues that will require attention to ensure the functionality and financial sustainability of pension systems in six Caribbean countries (The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago).
Thanks to the implementation of new policies and processes, residents of Barbados are enjoying the direct benefits of significant institutional reform. For example, routine tasks such as renewing a drivers’ license, filing tax returns and paying taxes, or obtaining a police certificate of character are done more easily. The institutional reforms gained renewed strength with the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) program, introduced in October 2018.