ECCB Governor Identifies Priority Areas for Increased Collaboration With the IMF Amid Global Uncertainty
2 May 2025, Basseterre, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis – Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Timothy N.J. Antoine has identified four priority areas for increased collaboration between the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This comes against the backdrop of high global economic uncertainty and weakened growth prospects.
During the Western Hemisphere Department Director’s Meeting with Caribbean Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors at the IMF last week, the ECCB Governor welcomed enhanced partnership in the following areas:
Macroeconomic Modelling related to shocks, with a view to understanding their impact on Tourism and Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) Programmes within the eight-member ECCU;
Debt Sustainability Analyses that are fit for purpose by adequately capturing climatic and other shocks on the member countries of the ECCU;
- Developing a Green Finance Market in the Currency Union; and
- Developing Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategies.
“Data is the new oil and, like oil, it has to be refined and processed to maximise its value,” Governor Antoine said. He added: “We think the Fund can help our Member Countries with respect to our data and AI strategies; that must, of course, include Big Data, as we try to make sense of the world we are in and as we make good policy decisions to meet those challenges.”
Last week’s gathering was held as part of the 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the IMF in Washington, DC.
The meeting aimed to further strengthen coordination and open dialogue between the IMF and the Caribbean, while discussing resilience-building strategies. The IMF has a strong tradition of partnership with the ECCU countries and the ECCB.
The other members of the ECCB’s delegation to the 2025 Spring Meetings were: Dr Emefa Sewordor, Director of Advisory Services in the Governor’s Office; and Karen Williams, Director of Projects and Technical Assistance in the Governor’s Office.
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About the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) was established in October 1983. The ECCB is the Monetary Authority for: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat,
Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
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