The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $600 million program to support Colombia's integration into global and regional value chains and boost its economic growth. The program is the second operation in a programmatic series launched in 2022, supporting a set of reforms aimed at improving the business climate, reducing trade costs, and boosting the productivity of export-focused micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to attract productive and sustainable investment. The policies promoted by the second program will benefit more than 43,000 exporting companies and over
IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is partnering with 19Labs to pilot the use of drone technology for delivering critical medical supplies to some of Guyana's remote hinterland communities. This initiative enhances the country's expanding telemedicine and digital health network by providing a cost-effective, long-range, two-way drone-delivery system that can transport medical supplies in remote and geographically isolated regions. The pilot is expected to benefit over 20,000 residents served by 15 telemedicine centers in most remote
As prepared for delivery Introduction Good morning. The Honorable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Minister Halkitis, Distinguished Governors, Heads of Delegation and Members of the Delegations; Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank and IDB Invest, Ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to be here. The Bahamas offers us an ideal venue for our meetings and our discussions on how we can foster sustainable development and growth for our region. These principles of respect for the environment and its people are rooted in the ancestry of these
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$100 million project to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of social policies and ensure the sustainability of social security in Barbados. The program, approved by the IDB's Board of Executive Directors, also aims to improve the coverage and quality of policies that promote gender equality, the inclusion of people with disabilities, and the protection of vulnerable groups in Barbados. In the short term, the project will directly benefit 49,000 pensioners, 133,000 contributors to the National Insurance and Social Security Service
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $150 million loan to implement PRODIGITAL, a joint program with the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) to advance digital transformation in Brazilian states and municipalities and enhance public services for citizens. The BNDES will contribute an additional $30 million to this financing, which has been approved by the IDB’s Board of Executive Directors. The Federal Program for Digital Government and Infrastructure (PRODIGITAL) will co-finance a credit line for the BNDES for digital transformation projects in municipalities with more than
The commitment was made in Barcelona, Spain, at the first Europe-Latin America and Caribbean Silver Economy Forum, which brought together over 200 global leaders, aging experts and representatives from key sectors. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest and IDB Lab, along with ”la Caixa” Foundation and key international partners, committed to working together on a joint development agenda to address challenges and opportunities arising from the rapid aging of societies, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. The commitment comes as the population of Latin America and
Most Caribbean businesses are either innovative or potentially innovative but still face challenges, according to a new report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This edition delves into the critical role of innovation in driving economic growth and productivity in the Caribbean region. Innovative businesses in the Caribbean have 26% to 35% higher levels of productivity and 21% to 81% higher sales per worker than non-innovative firms, depending on the type of innovation, according to the report titled "Innovation for Faster Economic Growth in the Caribbean: Are We There Yet?". The