By Aabigayle McIntosh

Principal of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Professor C Justin Robinson is looking on in anticipation to the Budget Presentation to be delivered by Prime Minister Gaston Browne next Friday.

Professor Robinson told state TV Antigua has had a very strong, robust post-COVID recovery and as one would expect, that recovery is now beginning to cool off a bit.

Hence he is interested to see what are the new growth catalysts to sustain that high rate of economy, and more importantly, measures to reignite growth.

“One of the major challenges in Antigua has been, I guess, what economists call tax buoyancy, that as the economy grows, we don’t tend to see government revenues go in tandem. So again, what are the measures and policies  that have really improved the tax buoyancy, which really then improves the public finances, reduces the government deficit, and pushes us closer to that target of the 60% debt-to-GDP,” Robinson said.

“That really anchors fiscal and monetary policy within the Eastern Caribbean. And new opportunities, as we try to build a more climate-resilient economy, taking advantage of the blue economy in other areas.”

“So how are we building that new economy of the future?” he added.

The Budget will presented by the Prime Minister on December 5.