Economic studies in Developing, Frontier and Emerging Nations are more than computers can handle. Coefficients are inefficient and inaccurate. Subsistence incomes and black-market incomes are often outside the parameters of economic big data, yet these incomes can be the largest source of real GDP in certain nations. Human Intelligence and Expansive thought are needed to put the pieces together. Obscure, abstract, opaque, conflicting, confusing data is a thriving commodity for the best human money managers.
Barbados can get labelled as having dependent capitalism, but dependent capitalism is simply capitalism. The aftermath of the 2008 crisis revealed the multiplicity of powerful transnational channels of dependence chains throughout the U.S. 1,2
In an article from July 26th, 2018, the present hub of the information age, it ended with “No indication was given of Barbados’ current trade statistics.” It had information from 2015 and an estimated “projection” for 2016.3
Following a corporate strategy can shed more light on missing information. Hilton which has been doing very well recently, moved one of their main GM’s from thriving Toronto to Barbados. A few years ago, Hilton transitioned to an asset light strategy converting some of their holdings into REITS that are separate from the common stock. Sugar Bay Barbados Event Planning seems to have weddings booked all the way through to early November. Tourism, Real Estate and Hospitality data are easier to analyze and therefore, some positive leading, dependent indicators for Barbados emerge from some of the murk. 4,5,6,7
+ These expansive points of reference are intended to enhance neuroplasticity, positive thinking, empathy and situational awareness – to supplement the mainstream with some upstream.
Geoffrey Hill
Raisonné & Hammer Price Corporation
1. “The Economic Development of Barbados”, Howard.
