Caribbean Business Review

Joseph Cox

Caribbean Business Review is the Caribbean's leading weekly business and applied economics programme. Hosted by Applied Economist Joseph Cox, Caribbean Business Review features policymakers, CEOs, investors and regional leaders examining the forces shaping Caribbean economies, financial markets, trade, innovation, technology and public policy. New episodes premiere every Sunday. Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. 6 days ago

    GREAT IDEAS. NO FUNDING. THE CARIBBEAN'S INVESTMENT GAP.

    Caribbean entrepreneurs generate promising business ideas, yet too few become investment-ready projects capableof attracting financing. Is the problem a shortage of capital, weak project preparation, the wrong financing structures — or something more fundamental in the region’s investment architecture? In Season 4, Episode 16 of Caribbean Business Review, host Joseph Cox speaks with Dr Damie Sinanan, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, about why somany good ideas never become bankable or investible projects. They discuss: Alternative financing and the state of regional capital marketsFinancing creative industries and valuing intellectual propertyWhether the Caribbean’s approach to “bankability” is overlooking viable opportunitiesCaribbean Export’s work with banks and SMEs — and how much of it is actually translating into financingDoes the Caribbean need its own Marshall Plan for investment? Also in this episode CBR Opening Commentary |Digitalisation: Efficiency at What Economic Cost?As the UK considers higher taxes on online sales to protect high streets, Caribbean economies are rapidly shifting commerce online. Could policies pushed in the name of efficiency undermine local businesses, jobs and communitylinkages? CBR Briefing | Jamaica’s Water Crisis: Rewarding Indolence, Punishing Diligence?Jamaica’s National Water Commission wants a 51% tariff increase over five years while non-revenue water sits at up to 73% and audited financial statements have been missing for four years. Are paying customers subsidising institutionalinefficiency? Market Brief & Market WatchKey economic, financial and business developments across the Caribbean. Global PulseSignificant international economic and energy market developments and their implications for the region. The PlaybookKey lessons and strategic takeaways from this week’s developments. Caribbean Business Review delivers independent economic analysis, business intelligence and informed conversationson the forces shaping the Caribbean’s economic future.Hosted by Joseph Cox, Applied Economist and Strategic Adviser. Website: https://cbrcaribbean.comCaribbean Financial Dispatch: https://caribbeanfinancialdispatch.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cbr20251 Knowledge is Strength. Information is Power.

    GREAT IDEAS. NO FUNDING. THE CARIBBEAN'S INVESTMENT GAP.

  2. 18 Oct

    Trinidad’s FY2027 Budget: Ambitious Plan or Overpromise? | Dr Marlene Attzs

    A smaller deficit. Higher spending. Uncertain energyrevenues. Can Trinidad and Tobago make the numbers—and the economy—work? Trinidad and Tobago's FY2027 Budget promises to reduce thefiscal deficit from TT$7 billion to TT$3.6 billion while increasing expenditure and public investment. But is this a credible recovery strategy—or another case of fiscal ambition exceeding the country's capacity to deliver? On Caribbean Business Review, host Joseph Coxis joined by Dr Marlene Attzs, economist and Independent Senator, for a probing examination of the budget's assumptions, the proposed Petrotrin refinery restart, institutional weaknesses and the elusive promise of economicdiversification. Beyond the Trinidad budget, two questions withfar-reaching Caribbean implications: Is Washington rewriting the rules of development finance?The US is pressing for an IMF–World Bank mandate reset. Could greater scrutiny of currency pegs, tighter lending conditions and reduced climate-financing priorities constrain Caribbean economic policy? Are Caribbean taxpayers subsidising investment—orinefficiency? Our CBR Briefing challenges the effectiveness of longstanding investment incentives and examines their fiscal costs, economic distortions and questionable additionality. Plus, Market Watch and Global Pulse examine theeconomic, financial and geopolitical developments shaping the region and the wider world. Fiscal arithmetic is not economic strategy. Andexpenditure allocations are not economic outcomes. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Welcome to Caribbean Business Review01:58 — Redefining the IMF & World Bank04:17 — This Week's Headlines04:55 — CBR Briefing | What exactly are we incentivising?10:29 — Market Brief | 90 Seconds12:51 — Dr Marlene Attzs | Interview Preview13:26 — Trinidad FY 2027 Budget: Ambitious Plan or Overpromise 49:11 — Market Watch52:33 — Global Pulse56:02 — The Playbook & Closing  Explore our independent research: https://cbrcaribbean.com Read the Caribbean Financial Dispatch: https://caribbeanfinancialdispatch.substack.com Follow Caribbean Business Review on Spotify. Knowledge is Strength. Information is Power.

    Trinidad’s FY2027 Budget: Ambitious Plan or Overpromise? | Dr Marlene Attzs

  3. 11 Oct

    Takes Cash to Care? — The Access to Finance Myth

    Most Caribbean businesses that seek financing never clear due diligence. The reason is rarely a pure shortage of capital. Is the region’s biggest challenge a financing gap — or a shortage of investment-ready enterprises? Joseph Cox speaks with Dr Vishnu Doerga, Chairman of ActionINVEST Caribbean, about the structural weaknesses that keep too many micro and small businesses stuck in survival mode. Drawing on years of assessing enterprises for financing, he explains why capital alone cannot fix gaps in financial records, governance, management systems and business models. What actually makes a business bankable? Why do promising firms fail basic due diligence? And what must change if Caribbean enterprises are to generate the margins needed to grow and compete? Also in this episode: Jamaica’s planned phase-out of cheques by 2028, questions over Jamaica’s continued shareholding in Caribbean Airlines, and the latest economic signals from across the region and global markets. ⏱️ CHAPTERS   00:00   Welcome to Caribbean Business Review 02:13   Opening Commentary | The CAL Audit Fiasco 04:30   This Week's Headlines 05:07   CBR Briefing | Jamaica’s Cheque Phase-Out 11:10   Market Brief | 90 Seconds 12:42   Dr Vishnu Doerga | Interview Preview 13:12   Takes Cash to Care – Why Access to Finance May not be the Real Problem                   49:38   Market Watch 52:46   Global Pulse 55:52   The Playbook & Closing Caribbean Business Review — independent analysis of theeconomic and business developments shaping the Caribbean.

    Takes Cash to Care? — The Access to Finance Myth

  4. 27 Sept

    Who Controls the Audience? The Battle for Caribbean Media | Kiran Maharaj

    Who controls what Caribbean audiences see—and whocaptures the value when they watch? The Caribbean media landscape is being transformed.Broadcasting once meant reaching the widest possible audience. Today, algorithms, streaming platforms, social media and increasingly sophisticated targeting allow content and advertising to find particular consumers withextraordinary precision. But greater precision raises a bigger question: asCaribbean media becomes better at finding consumers, is it becoming less effective at reaching citizens? This week on Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Coxsits down with Kiran Maharaj, President and Co-Founder of the Media Institute of the Caribbean and Managing Director of Caribbean Lifestyle Communications, for a wide-ranging conversation about the struggle for control of the Caribbean audience. They examine the shift from broadcasting to narrowcasting,the growing influence of algorithms and artificial intelligence, changing advertising models, audience fragmentation and the increasing power of global technology platforms over how Caribbean content is discovered and distributed. But this is also a conversation about money and survival. If Caribbean media organisations create the content, employthe journalists and finance the production—but global platforms increasingly control distribution and capture advertising value—who really owns therelationship with the audience? And as traditional media business models come underpressure, can subscriptions, specialist content and smaller but more valuable audiences provide a sustainable alternative? Or does the commercial logic ofnarrowcasting risk weakening the common information space that broadcasting historically provided? Maharaj also brings the perspective of a media entrepreneur and Caribbean business leader to a deeper question: what must Caribbean media become if it is to remain commercially viable without surrendering its public-interest role? Also in this episode: US Diesel Export Curbs — Another Caribbean Energy Shock?The Caribbean remains heavily exposed to imported fuel, particularly supplies originating from the US Gulf Coast. With US diesel export restrictions being discussed, CBR examines what even a reduction in available supply could meanfor electricity, transportation, tourism, agriculture and production costs across the region. Sandals × Royal Caribbean — Investment or GreaterLeakage?A proposed US$3 billion investment for a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches could bring together two of the Caribbean's most powerful tourism ecosystems:cruise and resort. But greater integration also raises a fundamental development question—will more tourism investment translate into greater Caribbean value capture, or could vertically integrated tourism increaseeconomic leakage? From who controls the audience, to who controlsenergy supply, to who captures the value from Caribbean tourism, Episode 13 examines how changing structures of power are reshaping the region's economic landscape. ⏱️ CHAPTERS   00:00   Welcome to Caribbean Business Review 02:30   Opening Commentary | Sandals × Royal Caribbean: What Does the Deal Mean? 03:56   This Week's Headlines 04:33   CBR Briefing | US Diesel Export Curbs: The Caribbean Exposure 09:58   Market Brief | 90 Seconds 12:15   Kiran Maharaj | Interview Preview 12:48   Who Controls what the Caribbean Sees? The Future of Caribbean Media                      51:19   Market Watch 54:26   Global Pulse 57:47   The Playbook & Closing   Knowledge is Strength. Information is Power. Caribbean Business Review — independent analysis of theforces shaping Caribbean business, economics, policy and risk.

    Who Controls the Audience? The Battle for Caribbean Media | Kiran Maharaj

  5. 20 Sept

    Jamaica’s Industrial Challenge: From Transshipment to Transformation | Anthony Hylton

    Can Jamaica move beyond transshipment and enclave production to build an economy that creates more value at home? In this episode of Caribbean Business Review, former Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton makes the case for a National Industrial Policy for Jamaica and examines what genuine industrial transformation would require. The conversation goes beyond manufacturing. We explore how logistics, special economic zones, foreign investment, energy, skills, technology, tourism, agro-processing and global services could be connected to a deeper domestic production strategy. We also examine a critical constraint: policy continuity. Industrial transformation takes longer than an electoral cycle. Can Jamaica build a national production strategy durable enough to survive changes of government and deliver measurable results? Also in this episode: Market Watch — Jamaica inflation, fiscal execution and BPO fraud; Guyana’s 33.3% growth; Caribbean tourism, remittances and investment. Global Pulse — US$100-plus oil, global interest rates, China’s economy, US-Canada trade tensions and Europe’s widening climate-insurance gap. CBR Briefing — Is Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Melissa recovery really demonstrating a reconstruction multiplier? Caribbean Business Review — independent analysis of the markets, policies and economic forces shaping the Caribbean. Knowledge is Strength. Information is Power.

    Jamaica’s Industrial Challenge: From Transshipment to Transformation | Anthony Hylton

  6. 13 Sept

    Stuck at Start-Up: Why Caribbean Businesses Struggle to Scale | Harold Davis

    The Caribbean has no shortage of entrepreneurs. But why do so few businesses make the transition from start-up to scalable enterprise? In this episode of Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Cox sits down with Harold Davis, Deputy CEO of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), to examine one of the Caribbean's most persistent development challenges: turning entrepreneurial activity into durable, productive and scalable businesses. The conversation challenges the assumption that every small business must grow to be successful. But where entrepreneurs do want to scale, Davis explains why ambition alone is not enough. They explore why access to finance is often really a financing-match problem; why start-ups need capital appropriate to their stage of development; and why governance, financial records, compliance and repeatable operating systems become the hidden infrastructure of business growth. The discussion also examines why export readiness begins long before a business enters an overseas market, whether Caribbean economies have developed a stronger start-up culture than scale-up ecosystem, and what policymakers and business-support institutions must do differently if more firms are to grow beyond their founders. Also in Episode 11: Another CARICOM unforced error? Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt says Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett “will continue,” raising a deeper question about whether Trinidad and Tobago's objection can carry meaningful consequence if the political outcome has effectively been determined before the agreed CCJ advisory opinion has even been sought. CBI diplomatic blunder? With the European Union's September assessment of five OECS Citizenship by Investment programmes now upon the region, CBR asks whether CARICOM has allowed a critical diplomatic window to narrow. Three different issues. One underlying question: are Caribbean systems and institutions delivering the outcomes we need? Caribbean Business Review — Season 4, Episode 11 Topics: Caribbean business, entrepreneurship, MSMEs, small business growth, business scaling, start-ups, enterprise development, SME finance, export readiness, JBDC, Jamaica business, Caribbean economy, CARICOM, regional integration, Citizenship by Investment, CBI, European Union.

    Stuck at Start-Up: Why Caribbean Businesses Struggle to Scale | Harold Davis

  7. 6 Sept

    The Caribbean Needs a New Trade Strategy | Alicia Nicholls

    Is market access enough to transform Caribbean trade? As tariffs, geopolitical tensions and a weakening multilateral trading system reshape global commerce, the Caribbean faces a deeper challenge: building the productive capacity to compete. International trade expert Alicia Nicholls, Founder of Caribbean Trade Law and Development and Fellow at the Shridath Ramphal Centre, UWI, joins Joseph Cox to examine the future of Caribbean trade policy, CARICOM and regional economic integration. The discussion explores why decades of trade preferences have not produced their full potential; how persistent intra-regional non-tariff barriers constrain Caribbean commerce; and why production, services, industrial policy, AI, green technology and stronger regional trade must become central to the Caribbean's economic strategy. At its core is the question of economic agency: can small Caribbean states build the productive capacity and regional cohesion needed to exercise greater influence in an increasingly fragmented and transactional global economy? Also in this episode: CBR Briefing — Disinformation, Free Expression and the Caribbean's Legislative Dilemma. As AI makes fabricated content increasingly convincing and scalable, we examine how Caribbean governments can confront deliberate disinformation through education, enforcement, platform accountability and targeted legislation—without undermining legitimate expression. The Cost of Getting Here. Rising airfares, constrained airline capacity and volatile jet-fuel prices are creating another potential vulnerability for tourism-dependent Caribbean economies. We examine why the cost of reaching the Caribbean is not simply a tourism issue, but increasingly a question of competitiveness and macroeconomic resilience. Market Brief tracks Jamaica's widening fiscal deficit and 18% decline in tourism earnings, record Cayman stay-over tourism, Bahamas inflation and import growth, Trinidad and Tobago's improved Moody's outlook, Grenada's additional public spending, Guyana's expanding role in regional food security and developments across Caribbean financial markets. Global Pulse examines rising oil and gas prices, diverging US and Canadian labour markets, widening trade imbalances, resilient Asian growth, China's accelerating solar transition and changing global monetary and financial conditions. Caribbean Business Review delivers independent analysis of Caribbean economics, business, markets, trade, public policy, governance and strategic risk. Knowledge is Strength. Information is Power.

    The Caribbean Needs a New Trade Strategy | Alicia Nicholls

  8. 30 Aug

    When Your Workplace Turns Toxic: How to Recognise the Signs & Protect Your Career

    When does a difficult workplace become a toxic one—and how do you know when it’s time to walk? In this episode of Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Cox sits down with Jacquie Abram, Workplace Discrimination Consultant and author, for a candid conversation about how workplace toxicity develops—and why the earliest warning signs can be surprisingly easy to explain away. The training that never comes. Exclusion from meetings. Responsibilities that quietly change. Scrutiny that intensifies. Individually, each may seem insignificant. Collectively, they may reveal a pattern. Abram discusses the personal and professional consequences of a toxic workplace, why documentation can change the balance of power, what employees need to understand about HR when things go wrong, and how to protect your career before the damage becomes lasting. Also in Episode 9: → Concentrated Banking, Constrained Competition — Caribbean banks may be stable and profitable, but are concentrated markets, opaque pricing and high switching costs weakening competition? → CARICOM: Clarity or Conflict? — as questions continue over the Secretary-General's reappointment process, CBR examines why a request for procedural certainty should not become another source of regional division. Plus Market Watch and Global Pulse, with the developments shaping Caribbean markets, policy and the global economy. Caribbean Business Review — executive analysis of the forces shaping Caribbean business, markets, policy and institutions.

    When Your Workplace Turns Toxic: How to Recognise the Signs & Protect Your Career
See All (65)

About

Caribbean Business Review is the Caribbean's leading weekly business and applied economics programme. Hosted by Applied Economist Joseph Cox, Caribbean Business Review features policymakers, CEOs, investors and regional leaders examining the forces shaping Caribbean economies, financial markets, trade, innovation, technology and public policy. New episodes premiere every Sunday. Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

Information