World Bank to Conduct In-Depth Business Sector Survey in Antigua and Barbuda

The World Bank recently announced its plans to conduct an in-depth survey in Antigua and Barbuda, with a focus on the business sector.

This survey will also encompass Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The forthcoming World Bank Enterprise Surveys (WBES) are scheduled to take place over the upcoming months, and the findings are anticipated to be published in the first quarter of 2025.

These enterprise surveys are undertaken by the World Bank and its partners across diverse geographic regions globally.

They encompass small, medium, and large companies, aiming to offer valuable insights into several critical aspects such as access to finance, corruption, infrastructure, and business performance.

The goal is to help policymakers identify and implement policy reforms to support institutions and foster greater economic activity within the private sector.

The last Enterprise Survey for Antigua and Barbuda was conducted in 2010.

This previous survey highlighted significant factors such as the percentage of losses due to theft, robbery, vandalism, and arson when compared to sales within a business, security costs, the regulatory environment in the country, and the level of corporate corruption.

Moreover, the survey will investigate infrastructural challenges faced by the business sector in Antigua and Barbuda, including the number of water and electricity outages.

The World Bank has emphasized that, to date, over 219,000 firms in 159 economies have been surveyed, with a primary focus on emerging economies and a few developed economies surveyed for comparative purposes.

The survey in Antigua and Barbuda will be executed by Panama-based market research company, Mercaplan, in collaboration with Hope Research.