Presentation delivered by CDB President, Dr. William Warren Smith at the 2020 Annual News Conference on February 11, 2020 at CDB's Headquarters in Barbados.

1. 2020
Dr. Wm. Warren Smith
President
Caribbean Development Bank
ANNUAL NEWS
CONFERENCE

2. We are proud of our
contribution, over
the past 50 years, to
the Region’s
development and
the transformation
of peoples’ lives.
“

4. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
increase in economic
activity in the Region
in 2019
1%
Down from
1.6% in
2018

5. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
Sluggish
global
economy
US-China
trade
relations
Geopolitical
anxieties
Mounting
social and
environmental
protests
!

6. The fastest growing
economies were
Anguilla (10.9%) and
Dominica (5.7%).

7. Tourism performance
improved in nearly every
BMC.
Visitor arrivals
experienced double digit
growth in St. Kitts and
Nevis and the Cayman
Islands.

8. Despite hurricane
damage to Abaco and
Grand Bahama
islands, tourism in The
Bahamas recorded the
highest ever number of
visitors.

9. ECONOMIC SNAPSHOTS
GUYANA

10. ECONOMIC SNAPSHOTS
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

11. ECONOMIC SNAPSHOTS
BARBADOS

12. Debt-to-GDP ratio fell in 10 BMCs
Debt fell to
119.5% of
GDP.
Debt fell
below 60%
of GDP.
Debt fell
below 60%
of GDP.

13. USD347
million
Funding approved for capital
projects, policy based
operations and technical
assistance.
8% Increase in disbursements in
2019, which rose to USD305
million.

14. CDB launched
inaugural
borrowing in
German capital
market with a
EUR250 million,
20-year
registered bond.

15. • European Investment Bank -
Procurement Procedural
Framework Agreement
• Green Climate Fund -
Accreditation Master Agreement
PARTNERSHIPS
AND
AGREEMENTS

16. • Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit -
project preparation financing
• Adaptation Fund - USD8.5 million
grant for agricultural resilience in
Saint Lucia
PARTNERSHIPS
AND
AGREEMENTS

17. St. Vincent and the
Grenadines became
first GeoSmart
beneficiary.
Sustainable Energy
Facility for Eastern
Caribbean awarded
Best Financing
Programme

18. We are projecting
regional GDP
growth of 4.1%,
consistent with
expectations of
accelerated
global economic
activity.
“

19. Economic growth will
remain lop-sided,
below what’s needed
for long-term
resilience.
“

20. BMCs with home-grown
reform programmes
must stay on course.
Others are encouraged
to implement their own
adjustment programmes
with alacrity.
“

21. CDB will press on with its
transformation programme to
become a more effective
partner with its BMCs.