Barbados: Sectoral Balance Sheet Mismatches and Macroeconomic Vulnerabilities

Charles Amo Yartey

No 2012/031, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: This paper uses the balance sheet approach to analyze macroeconomic vulnerabilities in Barbados between 2006 and 2009. It discusses the financial position of the economy and its main sectors and the sectors' exposure to changes in exchange rates. The main finding of the analysis is that the balance sheet of the aggregate economy has been weakened by the recent deterioration in the balance sheet of the nonfinancial public sector. Macroeconomic vulnerabilities have increased in Barbados since 2006 due to the high public debt and the deterioration in the net financial position with nonresidents. The private sector, however, maintained a healthy position and seems resilient to shocks. The paper also finds the balance sheet of the nonfinancial public sector has deteriorated significantly reflecting weak fiscal performance. While the central government is highly vulnerable to exchange rate shock, debt rollover risks are likely to be limited since most of external liabilities are long term and most domestic liabilities are held by the National Insurance System.

Keywords: WP; net foreign currency position; balance sheet weakness; banking system; aggregate balance sheet; balance sheet matrices; Net financial position; Barbados; foreign currency position; position of the sector; net effect; position of the CBB; FX position; foreign currency assets; position of the public sector; balance sheet information; foreign currency mismatch; foreign currency position of the sector; foreign currency position of the CBB; Financial statements; Foreign currency exposure; Public sector; Financial sector; Global (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29
Date: 2012-01-01
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=25679 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2012/031

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/pubs/ord_info.htm

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC USA. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Akshay Modi ().