Mom•Economist•Advisor•#TedSpeaker•Passionate about the Caribbean•BLACKLISTING•Poverty & Inequality•Gender•Fiscal & Climate Resilience• https://t.co/8eZcG1edNZ
Oct 1, 2020 • 14 tweets • 8 min read
What does this list of countries represent?
Afghanistan
The Bahamas
Barbados
Botswana
Cambodia
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Ghana
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Mauritius
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nicaragua
Pakistan
Panama
Syria
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Vanuatu
Yemen
Zimbabwe
As of today, October 1st, these countries are classified by the European Union as “High Risk”
When will my country ever get a Minister of Finance like Minister McTaggert in Cayman, Lord?
Cayman was the only country in the Caribbean experiencing positive and steady growth over 2% for so long, before Covid. And this was alongside fiscal surpluses, which means they have strong buffers to support their people during the current tourism shutdown.
Apr 22, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
I’ve updated my Caribbean Economic Outlook for 2020 with the latest growth numbers from the IMF & various Govts. Every country in the Caribbean will contract this year, except maybe Guyana. Many will contract in the double digits. I include 2009 as a floor
These 2020 GDP numbers are all estimates. But the one thing we know is that this year, each country’s economic performance will be worse than 2009. I think the most vulnerable to Balance of Payments crises are Suriname, T&T, & the Bahamas. Guyana also has weak reserves
Apr 12, 2020 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
What is your Easter Sunday tradition? For me, kite flying is a big part of Easter. This epic handmade, customized kite brought us so much joy & treasured memories three years ago in Guyana. Flying this kite with my dad & kids is for me, one of the most special moments of my life.
This was the roadside kite vendor’s display
Mar 26, 2020 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
My understanding is that the Bill is a done deal, giving the Min of Fin access the HSF “in exceptional circumstances” up to 1.5 billion (presumably TTD - it was not specified in the Bill). It’s unclear whether this is one-off, once per fiscal year, or once per crisis. #SaveOurHSF
This is the section of the Bill pertaining to the HSF. Even if you are not a lawmaker, one can see that there is scope for subjectivity, interpretation, & abuse, given the wording. I don’t expect that anyone in the Govt will now prioritize the safeguarding of the HSF. #SaveOurHSF
Mar 20, 2020 • 6 tweets • 7 min read
Where is the international cooperation to address #COVID19?
