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International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Cybersecurity risk is embedded in the CBB’s supervisory framework, but additional enhancements are needed to formalize guidance and develop more intensive supervisory practices. Supervisory expectations on cybersecurity are presented in an informal guidance note, which should be formalized into regulation to ensure enforceability; and an IT/cybersecurity supervisory manual should be developed to promote effective and consistent practices. With its principle-based guidance note, the CBB highlights its priorities in strengthening the cybersecurity posture of Belizean financial institutions. The principles are an appropriate interpretation of international best practices on incident prevention, detection, response, and recovery measures, adapted to the cyber maturity of the Belizean financial institutions, and can be used as a foundation for the formalized guidelines. The manual could emphasize the review of cybersecurity strategies, policies, and responsibility specifications and should address obtaining assurance on the effectiveness of the financial institutions’ processes for cyber risk identification, assessment, and mitigation.
Abdullah Al-Hassan
,
Mary E. Burfisher
,
Mr. Julian T Chow
,
Ding Ding
,
Fabio Di Vittorio
,
Dmitriy Kovtun
,
Arnold McIntyre
,
Ms. Inci Ötker
,
Marika Santoro
,
Lulu Shui
, and
Karim Youssef
Deeper economic integration within the Caribbean has been a regional policy priority since the establishment of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the decision to create the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). Implementation of integration initiatives has, however, been slow, despite the stated commitment of political leaders. The “implementation deficit” has led to skepticism about completing the CSME and controversy regarding its benefits. This paper analyzes how Caribbean integration has evolved, discusses the obstacles to progress, and explores the potential benefits from greater integration. It argues that further economic integration through liberalization of trade and labor mobility can generate significant macroeconomic benefits, but slow progress in completing the institutional arrangements has hindered implementation of the essential components of the CSME and progress in economic integration. Advancing institutional integration through harmonization and rationalization of key institutions and processes can reduce the fixed costs of institutions, providing the needed scale and boost to regional integration. Greater cooperation in several functional policy areas where the region is facing common challenges can also provide low-hanging fruit, creating momentum toward full integration as the Community continues to address the obstacles to full economic integration.
Mr. Sanjaya P Panth
,
Mr. Paul Cashin
, and
Mr. W. A Bauer
The Caribbean has made substantial progress in recent years in implementing economic reforms, both at the national and regional level. The Caribbean: Enhancing Economic Integration examines the product of the efforts made by Caribbean policymakers to strengthen regional cooperation and integration, which has yielded economic transformation and tighter integration with the global economy. This volume discusses regional financial integration as a means of deepening financial systems and raising regional growth; the relationship between tax incentives and investment, where harmonized regional action is important in seeking to overcome collective actions problems; and the consequences for the Caribbean of the erosion of trade preferences in key export markets. The book is based on empirical research carried out as part of the IMF's regional surveillance work in the Caribbean.
International Monetary Fund
Belize should reduce debt ratios to comfortable levels for smooth market access, and reduce liquidity risks by stabilizing debt service. Streamlined management of the oil fund should be considered. Fiscal measures should compensate for the loss of oil revenues in the budget and avoid new borrowing. This note explores alternative measures of reserves adequacy and concludes that a reserves target of three months of imports is a reasonable benchmark. Reforms enabling more effective liquidity management involve removing the ceilings and moving to market-based interest rates.
International Monetary Fund
This Selected Issues paper on Belize reviews the external competitiveness, balance sheet currency mismatch, and public sector debt. Belize is a small, open economy and highly dependent on external trade. Real wages in the private sector have increased only slightly. Belize’s exports of commodities grew strongly in volume terms during the last 10 years. The currency mismatch and liquidity pressures point to a growing exchange rate risk. Belize would have to maintain a significant primary fiscal surplus to reduce indebtedness over the medium term.
International Monetary Fund
In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.
International Monetary Fund
This paper provides background information and analysis of recent economic developments and relevant issues in Belize. The main differences between the high growth experiences in the late 1980s and during 1999–2000 are also discussed. The following statistical data are presented in detail: savings and accounts, main agricultural crops, acreage, and production; industrial production, operations of the central government, interest rates, treasury securities, consumer price index, principal domestic exports, sugar exports by destination, direction of trade, terms of trade, summary of tax system, and so on.
International Monetary Fund
This paper describes economic developments in Belize during the 1990s. Economic activity slackened in 1993–97, with a sharp slowdown in domestic investment and a sluggish performance of services following the withdrawal in 1994 of the United Kingdom garrison that had been stationed in Belize. Investment fell from its peak of 32 percent of GDP in 1993 to 23¾ percent of GDP in 1997 as both public and private capital formation declined, and national savings fell from 23 percent of GDP in 1993 to 18 percent of GDP in 1997.
International Monetary Fund
This paper describes economic developments in Belize during the 1990s. Following a strong performance in the late 1980s, Belize’s economy weakened in 1991–93, mainly because of a substantial deterioration in the fiscal position. The overall deficit of the nonfinancial public sector increased from ½ percent of GDP in FY1990/91 to about 7½ percent in FY1992/93 owing to a substantial increase in the government wage bill and in domestically financed capital outlays. The net domestic assets of the financial system increased by about 20 percent a year during 1991–93.
International Monetary Fund
In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.