Caribbean Economic Forum Lauded

The Central Bank of Barbados’ 6th Caribbean Economic Forum, “In a World of Rising Debt, How Can Caribbean Countries Stay Afloat?” recently came in for praise from a local newspaper.

In its Monday, May 27, 2019 editorial, which called on economists and other academics to help the public better understand Barbados’ economic situation, the Daily Nation highlighted the forum as an event that was doing this:

“It is important for those with the knowledge, expertise and understanding of economic conditions to be prepared to speak publicly, if only for the benefit of the country.

“That is why the Caribbean Economic Forum public discussion held last Thursday night at the Courtney Blackman Grande Salle was so important.”

The editorial went on to note that the forum, now a fixture of the Central Bank’s public outreach efforts, was well-received by the public. It also commended its jargon free approach:

“It was not the first time we had the benefit of this forum, but based on the public’s participation, it is obvious people want to be better informed on the issues which have an impact on their lives.

“It was interesting that a business executive in Jamaica who called into the programme made the very interesting point that Distinguished Visiting Fellow Dr. Linda Tesar spoke in plain English, which meant all who listened to the presentation could grasp immediately what was being said during the 90-minute forum.

“Congratulations to the Central Bank of Barbados on this continuing initiative.”

The Caribbean Economic Forum is part of the Central Bank’s Distinguished Visiting Fellow programme. That programme gives Barbadians and people across the region access to some of the world’s leading economists. Previous fellows include Dr. C. Fred Bergsten, founding director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Dr. Patrick Honohan, former Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, who helped shepherd his country through its worst financial crisis in a generation.