In recent times, Caribbean central banks have had to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic immediately followed by the Ukraine/Russian war and the consequential impact of rising inflation and interest rates.

Financial institutions have taken huge hits as unrealised losses have to be taken on to their profit and loss statements (P&Ls).

Now comes Israel’s war on Hamas and the prospect of the entire Middle East erupting in a conflagration that will see energy prices go through the roof.

It has been one crisis immediately followed by another. How do Caribbean Central Banks ameliorate these crises?

How do our Central Banks anticipate and react to these crises?

This was the subject discussed at last week’s 54th Annual Studies Conference hosted by the Bank of Jamaica at its Nethersole Place headquarters in Kingston.

The panelists were:

• Richard Byles – Governor, Bank of Jamaica (moderator)
• Dr Kevin Greenidge – Governor, Central Bank of Barbados
• Kareem Michael – Governor, Central Bank of Belize
• Timothy Antoine – Governor, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

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