The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is calling on Antigua and Barbuda to pursue a range of long-term structural reforms designed to sharpen the country's economic competitiveness, strengthen financial oversight and build greater resilience against global and climate-related risks.
According to Antigua News Room, the recommendations were outlined in the IMF's latest Article IV consultation, in which directors urged the government to intensify efforts to improve connectivity in support of trade, tourism and overall economic performance. Directors also encouraged authorities to streamline port and customs procedures while carefully prioritising infrastructure investment.
The Fund highlighted skills shortages as another pressing concern, warning that failure to address the gap could act as a drag on long-term economic growth.
The IMF placed particular emphasis on strengthening oversight of the financial sector, especially credit unions. Directors called for a transition toward risk-based supervision and urged improvements to provisioning and capital positions within the sector.
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks were also flagged as priority areas, alongside enhanced oversight of the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
The IMF further stressed the need to upgrade the country's national data systems, arguing that stronger, more reliable data would underpin more effective evidence-based policymaking.
The consultation report arrives as Antigua and Barbuda continues to register economic growth. The IMF estimates real GDP growth at 3 percent in 2025, driven largely by construction activity, even as tourism performance has remained softer than expected.
