The Americas Economy

Conditions in T&T’s capital markets continue to be shaped by the central bank’s tightening of monetary policy. In line with the expectations of the financial sector, the central bank moved ahead with a fifth consecutive increase in its repo rate of 25 basis points to 4% in late May 2015. The increases have begun to have an impact on domestic money market rates, or commercial banks’ prime...

Discovered by the Spanish at the end of the 15th century, Trinidad was seized by the British 300 years later, while the smaller island of Tobago was fought over by the Spanish, British, French and Dutch. With uninterrupted democratic rule since independence in 1962, T&T is today characterised by strong democratic traditions, an ethnically diverse population, and a vibrant local cultural...

This chapter contains information on hotels, government agencies and other listings, as well as useful tips for visitors on a range of topics such as visa requirements, currency, communications, dress codes and business hours, among others.

With a hydrocarbons-based economy, T&T ranks highly on a number of economic indicators, despite its small size. According to estimates from the IMF, T&T’s per capita income was $21,310 in 2014, the third-highest level in the Americas, after the US and Canada. The World Bank categorises T&T as a high-income nation, while the World Economic Forum classifies it as an innovation-driven...

This chapter contains information on hotels, government agencies and other listings, as well as useful tips for visitors on a range of topics such as visa requirements, currency and communications.

Panama’s capital markets are highly internationalised, with the financial stability of a dollarised economy helping attract global firms looking to expand their Latin American footprint. Though the country has already established itself as a regional banking hub, Panama’s non-bank financial sector still has room to grow. While insurance sector assets nearly tripled in the decade to 2013, from...