Wednesday 11 March 2009

The Caribbean and the Financial Crisis

I was in the Caribbean last week preparing for our Business Forum to be held in Trinidad alongside CHOGM later this year, so was meeting with government and business leaders, 2 main concerns seem to be affecting the islands’ leadership.

Firstly that the financial crisis is having a direct impact on the islands economy as the level of tourism drops off as potential visitors in the US and UK chose not to travel or to stay closer to home for their holidays. I hope that the various stimulus packages proposed around the world shorten the duration of the Recession and allow growth and prosperity to resume as soon as possible as a drop in the level of tourism is a serious threat to smaller states.

Secondly, there is an indirect consequence that may potential have a bigger impact on some of the island states. The current trend of viewing tax heavens as separate from the rest of the globalised economy and as singularly bad, the focus should be inclusive and on the greater involvement of small states as part of global competition and as useful elements of the global economy.

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