A few days ago the International Monetary Fund (IMF) hosted an economic growth forum in the Bahamas. The meeting coincided with an encounter between Cariforum and the European Commission in Georgetown to discuss future development assistance, and a Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad to consider how to revive the regional economy.
The three events provided yet one more opportunity for Caribbean politicians and officials to meet; to discuss once again what might create sustainable growth in the region; to listen to increasingly more direct remarks from foreign officials; and for media commentators to wonder what if anything might cause the region to emerge from indebtedness, its growing mendacity, and a declining ability to deliver social or other programmes.
The Georgetown meeting marked a more prescriptive approach on the part of Europe in relation to future development assistance, its prioritisation and delivery; the Trinidad meeting resulted in yet more bodies to study the previously studied, namely the regional economy, growth and transport; and the IMF meeting, the best publicly documented of the three, resulted in
