CIBC FirstCaribbean will once again partner with KPMG as the title sponsor of the Fifth Caribbean Infrastructure Forum – CARIF 2021 Virtual – starting tomorrow (March 24) and running until March 26.

The forum will see policymakers, technocrats and private sector experts bring their perspective and leadership to the critical issues impacting the future of infrastructure in the Caribbean.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, there is a new urgency around the need to finance and build economy-boosting, resilient infrastructure which can weather the storm. The CARIF 2021 agenda will feature public and private sector leaders exploring the need, the opportunity – and the price tag.

Infrastructure investment across the Caribbean is a priority as governments seek to bring momentum back to national economies.

Drawing on a deep pool of regional leaders, the CARIF 2021 agenda will tackle critical issues facing the region as it endeavours to accelerate revitalisation.

Presentations include:
1.  How to frame a comprehensive vision for tourism-related infrastructure?

2. How will airports address the financial and operational challenges created by the pandemic?

3. What is the new perspective on risk in the infrastructure space?

4. What does pandemic and climate resilient investment in health infrastructure look like?

5. What solutions are available for the Caribbean region’s thorn in the side, waste management?

6. In a post-COVID environment, will renewables finally take centrestage?

Colette Delaney, chief executive officer of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, will deliver welcome remarks tomorrow while other speakers include:

1. Daniel Best, director, Projects Department, Caribbean Development Bank
2. Therese Turner Jones, general manager, Caribbean Country Department, Inter-American Development Bank
3. Stephen Beatty, global chairman for infrastructure & chairman, Global Cities Center of Excellence, KPMG.

CIBC FirstCaribbean is sponsoring CARIF 2020 against a backdrop of its success regionally in brokering public and private sector cooperation in generating investment opportunities for, and increasing the availability of, capital for infrastructure development.

BANK MAKING MOVES IN INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING

Over the past four years, the bank has arranged in excess of US$2.3 billion in various financing transactions in the infrastructure sector, making us the leading regional financier.

The bank has also won two major awards for infrastructure financing – the 2016 IJGlobal award for ‘North America Port of the Year’ for the debt financing of expansion and privatisation of the Kingston Container Terminal; and the 2017 CREF award for ‘Best Project Financing’ for its project financing of Entropy Cayman Solar, Cayman’s inaugural solar PV commercial project.

The past few years have seen extremely active hurricane seasons, while some of the islands in the region have had increased cases of earthquakes, bringing into sharp focus the need for infrastructure development focused on resilience.

Hundreds of delegates from the government and private sector, investors, representatives of the banking, engineering, legal and other sectors, are confirmed to attend CARIF 2021.