Country Report Curaçao March 2011

Summary
Basic data
Political structure
Economic structure: Annual indicators
Economic structure: Quarterly indicators
Outlook for 2011-12: Political stability
Outlook for 2011-12: International relations
Outlook for 2011-12: Policy trends
Outlook for 2011-12: Economic growth
Outlook for 2011-12: External sector
The political scene: The government works to implement its agenda
Economic policy: Central Bank urges policies of fiscal and monetary stabili
Economic policy: Moves to strengthen Curacao as international finance centr
Economic policy: Discussion of adopting the US dollar continues
Economic policy: Government publishes analysis on refinery's future
The domestic economy: Inflation remains steady in Curacao
The domestic economy: Second-quarter Federation GDP declines marginally
Foreign trade and payments: The third-quarter current account deteriorates
The region: Summary
The region: Weak economic growth will result in volatility
The region: Crime will remain a destabilising force
The region: Regional integration will remain an elusive goal
The region: Public-sector debt levels will remain worryingly high
The region: Weak US and UK demand will continue to affect tourism
The region: Resource-based investments will recover only slowly
The region: Loss of preferences will hurt the region's agriculture sector
The region: Financial sector performance will vary across the region
The region: Caricom financial challenges worsening
The region: "Banana wars" end with deal
The region: Tourism performance continues to be mixed