Caribbean Prime Ministers to Discuss the Way Forward for the Region

Two regional Prime Ministers will be among the panellists at the final edition of the Central Bank of Barbados’ 2020 Caribbean Economic Forum series, “Repositioning Caribbean Economies: Lessons from 2020”, which will be broadcast live on CBC TV8, and livestreamed on the Bank’s website, Facebook page and YouTube channel on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. They are the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados and the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who is also the current Chairman of CARICOM. Alejandro Werner, Director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Western Hemisphere Department will join them on this occasion.

“Over the past six months, our forum has tackled many of the issues confronting the region, including the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of work, and digital transformation,” commented Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes. “For the final episode, we will bring it all together and get a wholistic view from the chief policymakers. Given the global impact of the crisis, we felt it would be useful to also have the perspective of the IMF which is responsible for global economic surveillance.”

The Governor revealed that the final instalment of the forum would be longer than previous editions. “We’ve decided to make it a two-hour programme so that the panellists can cover a wider range of topics and go more in depth as they discuss the issues. It will also give us the opportunity to field more questions from viewers from across the region, so I encourage everyone to tune in and send us your questions.”

Viewers can submit their questions via email at questions@centralbank.org.bb, on Facebook, or via WhatsApp to (246) 266-8830.

The Caribbean Economic Forum is an annual event hosted by the Central Bank of Barbados. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was re-envisioned as a monthly online event with panellists ranging from regional central bank governors to Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation. Past editions of the 2020 forum include “COVID and Economic Policy: Protecting Jobs, Businesses, and the Economy”, “Reviving Caribbean Tourism”, “The Future of Work is Here”, “Adjusting to the Post-COVID-19 Economy”, and “How to Digitise an Economy”.