{"id":213697,"date":"2024-10-11T13:17:14","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T17:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=213697"},"modified":"2024-10-11T13:19:17","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T17:19:17","slug":"world-bank-report-overlooks-caribbean-realities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/world-bank-report-overlooks-caribbean-realities\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMENTARY: World Bank Report Overlooks Caribbean Realities"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-2112477458\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-3986484396\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Overlooked: World Bank\u2019s Report on equity and growth ignores Caribbean Realities<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"antig-3471574038\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:169\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:576\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:432\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:864\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>By Sir Ronald Sanders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Tuesday, October 8, I went to a meeting at the World Bank and listened with growing disappointment to a presentation on \u201cTaxing Wealth for Equity and Growth,\u201d supposedly focused on Latin America&nbsp;<strong><em>and<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;the Caribbean region.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1379905375\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-1972488601\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:169\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:576\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:432\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:864\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I was less disappointed about the lack of any attention on the Caribbean and the focus on Latin America.&nbsp;&nbsp; With great unhappiness I have come to expect this distortion from all global financial institutions.&nbsp; It seems that the Caribbean is too small to matter, except when strictures have to be placed on initiatives for achieving social stability through financial measures.&nbsp; But as the representative of a Caribbean government (Antigua and Barbuda) and as a regionalist, sensitive to the implications for every Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country on the situation of all others, I was more disturbed about the paucity of data presented about Caribbean countries and the lack of any analysis on the sub-region.<\/p><div id=\"antig-414781773\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ReggaeInTheParkAntigua\" aria-label=\"lucanio\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Neither the October 8 presentation nor the full report released on October 9 provided any reason for optimism that the World Bank is addressing the real challenges of promoting equity and growth in the Caribbean. The report, a precursor to discussions at the Bank\u2019s upcoming annual meeting, focused solely on &#8220;Taxing Wealth for Equity and Growth&#8221; and ignored the measures CARICOM states have long advocated as essential to achieving these goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report fails to mention critical measures, such as: adopting the multidimensional vulnerability index as a criterion for concessional financing\u2014a proposal actively advocated by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and CARICOM at various global forums but not yet fully integrated into global financial policies. Additionally, debt relief, through mechanisms such as forgiveness and restructuring, remains a critical issue for the region. While some debt relief efforts, like the IMF\u2019s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) and the G20\u2019s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), have helped developing nations during crises, these programs primarily benefited low-income countries outside the Caribbean\u200b. Caribbean nations continue to struggle with high debt burdens and need more targeted solutions from international financial institutions.<\/p><div id=\"antig-2766865570\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500 (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The report also overlooks the urgent need for improved recovery windows for climate-related disasters. Despite irrefutable evidence of accelerating climate change, including projections that the world is on track to exceed the 1.5\u00b0C threshold within the next decade, financial responses for vulnerable Caribbean nations remain inadequate\u200b. The Caribbean\u2019s vulnerability to extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, makes the lack of focused attention on these issues especially concerning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report highlights two potential wealth tax sources. The first, championed by the leaders of Brazil and France, proposes a 2% levy on the world\u2019s 3,000 wealthiest billionaires. However, as of 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean together have only 153 billionaires, with Brazil alone accounting for 68, and Mexico for 20. CARICOM countries likely have very few billionaires\u2014if any\u2014with most wealth in the region concentrated in larger Latin American economies. For instance, Carlos Slim of Mexico, with a fortune of $102 billion, and Eduardo Saverin of Brazil, with $28 billion, dominate the region\u2019s billionaire rankings\u200b.&nbsp; A 2% tax on such a small number of individuals would barely generate significant revenue, especially for smaller Caribbean countries. In small nations like Antigua and Barbuda, where there may be dozens of millionaires, it is unlikely that any billionaires exist.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1181554360\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"CM key_WEB 1300x300_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1301\/h:301\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1301\/h:301\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 1301w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:69\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:237\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:178\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1301\" height=\"301\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, as the report itself notes, taxing liquid assets is particularly challenging in countries with weak enforcement, where wealth can be easily moved offshore, a concern highlighted by the UNDP during its examination of wealth trends in Latin America and the Caribbean.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3713465893\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The report then shifts its focus to taxing property, claiming that it is \u201ca relatively fixed and easily identifiable asset\u201d and thus less prone to evasion. While this may be true, the Bank\u2019s statement reveals a disconnection from the historical, social, and cultural realities of Caribbean societies. A legacy of slavery, indentured labour and worker exploitation left the majority of people in the sub-region with little or no property, though owning \u201ca piece of the rock\u201d and a home remains a deeply ingrained aspiration. Since gaining independence, CARICOM governments have made it a priority to encourage land and home ownership. Increasing property taxes now would undermine this policy, potentially stripping many persons of the very properties they worked so hard to acquire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report notes that the low contribution of property taxes to total tax revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean (2%) stems from outdated and inaccurate property valuations, often far below market value. While this broad statement may not fully reflect the Caribbean\u2019s reality, it does raise an important point: improving property valuations and tax collection systems should be examined across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alarmingly, the report asserts that the Latin American and Caribbean region is \u201cclose to vanquishing inflation\u201d and that lower interest rates will ease stress on households and banking sectors, potentially spurring economic growth. While this may hold true for some Latin American countries, such as Brazil and Peru, it overlooks the unique causes of inflation in Caribbean nations. Most Caribbean inflation is imported from the region\u2019s largest trading partner, the United States, where competitive, subsidized agricultural production contrasts sharply with the high costs of small-scale farming in the Caribbean, including rising input costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, Caribbean countries, excluded from concessional financing from institutions like the World Bank, are forced to borrow on the international commercial market, where interest rates remain high. Although competition among banks and credit unions in the region has led to recent reductions in interest rates, government borrowing from local banks risks crowding out private sector investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The World Bank\u2019s report is useful in acknowledging that \u201cprogress on poverty and inequality remains slow\u201d in Latin America and the Caribbean. This growing issue lies at the heart of tensions both within and between states, particularly in smaller economies like those in the Caribbean, which are often overlooked in global financial discussions. It is something to which the Bank should formulate focussed solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries:&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sirronaldsanders.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.sirronaldsanders.com<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-3747591949\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overlooked: World Bank\u2019s Report on equity and growth ignores Caribbean Realities By Sir Ronald Sanders On Tuesday, October 8, I went to a meeting at the World Bank and listened with growing disappointment to a presentation on \u201cTaxing Wealth for Equity and Growth,\u201d supposedly focused on Latin America&nbsp;and&nbsp;the Caribbean region. I was less disappointed about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":136461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-213697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>COMMENTARY: World Bank Report Overlooks Caribbean Realities - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/world-bank-report-overlooks-caribbean-realities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"COMMENTARY: World Bank Report Overlooks Caribbean Realities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Overlooked: World Bank\u2019s Report on equity and growth ignores Caribbean Realities By Sir Ronald Sanders On Tuesday, October 8, I went to a meeting at the World Bank and listened with growing disappointment to a presentation on \u201cTaxing Wealth for Equity and Growth,\u201d supposedly focused on Latin America&nbsp;and&nbsp;the Caribbean region. 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