BCSI

Author: Adrian Reid

  • The New Financial Landscape — What It Means for Emerging Market Economies

    The New Financial Landscape — What It Means for Emerging Market Economies

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    The New Financial Landscape: What It Means for Emerging Market Economies

    Authors: Otaviano Canuto, Catiana García-Kilroy, and Anderson Caputo Silva

    As the year 2012 unfolds, its main legacy will be its game changing impact on global financial markets. Waning global growth along with central banks’ bold monetary easing policies in advanced economies (AEs) to try to reverse it are changing market dynamics in unexpected ways, across both AEs and emerging market economies (EMEs). The combination of monetary stimulus, fiscal austerity and hesitant structural economic policy reforms in AEs, particularly in Europe, is taking the global financial system into increasingly uncharted territory. How the European Union will address the future of the eurozone, including uncertainties over its banking sector, as well as how the United States handles its Fiscal Cliff, will weigh heavily on economic balances across all economies worldwide. This seems to be a significant point of inflection on the speed of the rebalancing of economic relevance of AEs in favor of EMEs taking place over the last 12 years. Under this scenario, the ability of EMEs to handle their own fiscal, financial, and real economy weaknesses is critically tied to their ability to weather external shocks and take advantage of growing global savings while searching for yield and growth opportunities.

    The Economic Premise notes are produced by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Network Vice-Presidency of the World Bank. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the institution.

    To read previous Economic Premise notes, please click here: www.worldbank.org/economicpremise

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  • BCSI Launches Green Project

    BCSI Launches Green Project

    TO BRING LOCAL construction professionals into the green economy while creating a new construction services niche and generating export opportunities, Barbados Coalition of Service Industries Inc. (BCSI) has launched a new project.

    With support from the German Agency for International Cooperation and the Caribbean Export Development Agency, service providers ranging from architects, engineers, contractors, interior designers, urban planners, real estate developers and policymakers will benefit from support to gain their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate and Accredited Professional designation.

    BCSI executive director Lisa Cummins noted that as more countries embraced the conversion to a green economy, professionals involved in major building projects were required to have a LEED credential and to undertake construction in a sustainable way.

    “With very few professionals on island with the credential, we found that a large percentage of the market – both actual and potential – was closed off to our service providers.

    “Additionally, they were unable to bid on major and residential projects with large overseas firms because too few of our service providers had the certification. This project was developed to address that challenge, create new opportunities and enable our construction services providers to enter that green building market space confidently and competitively,” she said.

    The executive director further noted that “these are extremely difficult economic times and we have to look at innovative ways of securing our existing market share even while expanding our market base in order to stimulate economic growth, promote business development, and support exporting”.

    She said that BCSI was committed to doing its part, particularly in the non-traditional sectors where there is high growth potential, and was therefore appreciative of the unwavering support of its development partners who have continued to invest in efforts to promote private sector development.

    “Supporting our construction professionals to gain LEED certification is part of a much bigger process which will roll out later this year,” Cummins added.

    The entire CARIFORUM region has bought into the five-year project and the BCSI is leading not only Barbados, but also the region in developing a critical mass of professionals who can compete with their counterparts around the world on an equal footing.

    Thirty-five professionals from across the region will take the LEED Green Associate exam each year for three years and 35 more will take the specialized Accredited Professional programme.

    Participants will benefit from online preparation for the LEED exams, provision of all training materials, study guide and support for successful applicants to take the qualifying exam. Two years of the project will be dedicated to credential maintenance

  • A BCSI Professional Development Initiative Opportunity (LEED Online Training & Examination Program)

    A BCSI Professional Development Initiative Opportunity (LEED Online Training & Examination Program)

    As one of the follow up initiatives from last year’s Green Build Conference held in Toronto, Canada. The Barbados Coalition of Service Industries Inc. (BCSI) has developed a project proposal for regional building and construction professionals to gain their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate and Accredited Professional Designation.

    This credential provides an opportunity for construction professionals to bid on contracts, access markets and capitalize on business opportunities in the specialized area of green building. Without such a certifiable credential building professionals across the region will be excluded from entering such markets where this designation has been mandated.

    Coalitions from the CNSC are invited to extend this opportunity in their own countries and among their own members and coordinate submission of regional delegates to the BCSI.

    The participants who register to take part in the first phase of this regional project will have the opportunity to benefit from financial support provided in the areas of online training and examination for the LEED GA certification. Interested professionals who enroll in similar programs which provide on line training and move on to take the LEED examination pay a total out of pocket cost of over US$625.00 not including travel and accommodation.

    The support provided by the BCSI will allow for participants to engage in a one (1) day a week online training program for one (1) month in preparation for the examination. Participants enrolled in this regional project will benefit from resource materials and study kits which include;

    1. LEED Pre- Course Materials
    2. LEED Green Associate Comprehensive Study Guide
    3. LEED Study Score Card
    4. Green Step Practice Exam
    5. Definitions Worksheet

    Registered participants will also have the full cost of their examination fee covered, participants taking part in this program will only have to pay a minor contributory fee of US $175.00 which will go towards the online training and participant application fee. All building and construction professionals interested in taking part in this regional initiative are asked to read the attached documents carefully and sign and complete the Participant Agreement Form. All forms must be submitted to the BCSI Secretariat no later than Friday August 31, 2012 at 5:00 pm as this is a regional initiative and space is limited. Registration for this program will be on a first come first serve basis.

    All completed registration forms are to be returned to the BCSI Secretariat to Ms. Meshia Clarke at email address mclarke@bcsi.org.bbcopied to Ms. Sophie Clarke at email address sclarke@bcsi.org.bb or via fax (246) 429-5352. The BCSI looks forward to the active participation of the regional coalitions in this capacity building initiative.

    PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT- LEED GA Online and Exmination Program

    Administrative Note- LEED GA Online and Examination Program-(final revised)

  • Trade In Focus

    Trade In Focus

    This bulletin is presented as part of the Private Sector Trade Team’s efforts to deliver more current and succinct information to the business community in Barbados. Our articles will provide the latest information on trade and economic developments from around the world, and will focus on those that could impact favorably or negatively on Barbados and the CARICOM region.

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