End of preview - This article contains approximately 909 words.
Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article
Not a Subscriber?
Choose from one of the following options
Back
Caribbean & Central America - 19 October 2004
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Strong growth
On 8 October, Trinidad & Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning presented the 2004/05 budget against the welcome background of high energy prices and a strongly growing economy.
According to the latest survey of Caribbean economies by Eclac (the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), Trinidad's economy grew by 2.7% in 2002 and by 4.1% in 2003 (the T&T government gives a figure of 13.2% in 2003 due to some rebasing of the national accounts series). The driving force for this acceleration in growth has been the energy sector (which grew by 11.4% in 2003 compared with 1.8% for the non-energy sector), particularly the natural gas subsector. In contrast, the agricultural sector declined by 15.1% in 2003. The manufacturing sector did improve in 2003 (by 2%) after a 0.9% decline in 2002, however this was still well below the 6.7% growth rate recorded by this sector in 2000 and the 3.1% in 2001.
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Fernández shocked by surge in violent crime
- CUBA: Bush and Kerry compete for Cuban vote
- TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Strong growth
- CARIBBEAN: Discrepancies in forecasts
- NICARAGUA: Hostile opposition seeks to unseat Bolaños
- EL SALVADOR: FMLN goes its own way
- COSTA RICA: PUSC in disgrace
- PANAMA: Torrijos faces first protest
- GUATEMALA: UN mission leaves but violence still major problem
- HONDURAS: Pastor heads early presidential poll
- Violence flares up in Haiti
- What next for the OAS?
- Quotes of the month