Barbados: At a Glance
- Current IMF membership: 190 countries
- Barbados joined the Fund on December 29, 1970
- Quota: SDR 94.5 million (0.02 percent of total)
- Number of arrangements since membership: 3
- Outstanding Purchases and Loans (SDR): 206 million (September 24, 2020)
- Latest Article IV/Country Report: December 18, 2019
- Current IMF arrangement: Latest Report: June 8, 2020
Office Activities
What we do
The IMF office in Barbados is a central point of contact between with the IMF and the Government of Barbados with a primary focus to support the implementation of Barbados’ Economic Reform and Transformation (BERT) priorities set forth in the Fund’s Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Barbados. In that capacity, the office follows economic developments and policies in Barbados, liaises between the Barbadian authorities and IMF staff in Washington, and coordinates IMF technical assistance. It is also a source of information about IMF views for the public, local and foreign analysts, investors, academic and research institutions, and Barbados’ international partners and their diplomatic missions.
Who we are
The office in Barbados was opened in 2019 with Mr. Christopher Faircloth as the inaugural Resident Representative.
IMF's Work on Barbados
-
December 11, 2020
Author/Editor:International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
Series:Country Report No. 2020/314 -
December 11, 2020
Author/Editor:International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
Series:Country Report No. 2020/314 -
December 9, 2020
-
October 30, 2020
-
IMF Staff Concludes Virtual Visit to Barbados
August 28, 2020
Regional Economic Outlook
Western Hemisphere
Regional Economic Outlook: Pandemic Persistence Clouds the Recovery
October 2020The pandemic continues to spread in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), but economic activity is picking up. After a deep contraction in April, activity started recovering in May, as lockdowns were gradually eased, consumers and firms adapted to social distancing, some countries introduced sizable policy support, and global activity strengthened. Real GDP is projected to contract by 8.1 percent in 2020, followed by a mild recovery in 2021 reflecting persistent spread of the virus and associated social distancing and scarring. Risks to the outlook remain tilted to the downside, and uncertainty about the pandemic’s evolution is a key source of risk. Containing the spread of the virus and addressing the health crisis remain the key policy priorities. In countries where lockdowns still hamper activity, policies should focus on ensuring that firms have sufficient liquidity, and on protecting employment and income, while developing medium-term fiscal consolidation plans to safeguard debt sustainability. In countries that are easing lockdowns, efforts should focus on supporting the recovery, including through structural reforms. Once the pandemic is under control, and the recovery is on a strong footing, fiscal policy will need to focus on rebuilding buffers. Monetary policy should remain accommodative as long as inflation stays within the target range and inflation expectations are well anchored.