yesterday said economic activity in the Caribbean is still projected to pick up in 2019-20, mainly due to robust tourism from the United States and reconstruction from the devastating hurricanes of 2017.

Figures released by the Washington-based financial institution note that real gross domestic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean will increase from 1.1 per cent last year to two per cent in 2019 and 2.5 per cent the following year.

It said in the Caribbean’s tourism-dependent countries, the growth will move from 1.4 per cent last year to 1.8 this year and 2020.

For those Caribbean commodity exports the growth will be much higher, moving from 1.5 per cent last year to 1.6 per cent in 2019 and increasing to as much as 5.5 per cent in 2020.

“Economic activity in the Caribbean is still projected to pick up in 2019-20, thanks to robust tourism from the U S, reconstruction from the devastating hurricanes of 2017 in some tourism-dependent countries, and higher commodity production in some commodity exporters,” the IMF said.

It said, however, that even as growth in Latin America and the Caribbean continues to strengthen, it remains well below other peer countries.

Director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the IMF, Alejandro Werner said several risks could further harm the outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/imf-predicts-moderate-expansion-in-economic-growth-for-latin-america-caribbean_155590