• The U.S. government could fall behind on its bills next month - and even default on its debt - if Congress doesn't raise a $31.4 trillion cap on government borrowing, a failure that could trigger economic calamity and panic on global financial markets.
• What follows is a timeline showing how a cascade of missed payments could unfold, based on the U.S. Treasury's warning that it could run out of cash as early as June 1, and daily tax receipts and spending obligations projected by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank.
• On June 1, US Treasury’s cash would be depleted and the US $21Bn in tax revenues would not adequately cover the promised US $101Bn in spending obligations promised by Congress. With debt principal payments coming due - including more than $100 billion on June 1 - the Treasury would borrow just enough to cover what's due and stay under the debt limit. If investors declined to lend that money out of fear they wouldn't get paid back, America could start missing payments and enter default on its debt, rocking the global financial system.
• On June 2, even if Washington kept paying debts on time, stock markets would likely be swooning. That could put pressure on Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democratic President Joe Biden to act quickly.  Republicans, who control one chamber in Congress, are demanding steep spending cuts in exchange for their support for raising the debt ceiling.
• Without a deal, Pensioners and other Social Security beneficiaries wouldn't get the $25 billion owed them. States wouldn't receive the $2 billion they are owed for Medicaid health insurance subsidies for the poor.
• On June 9, more than a week into the crisis, it's possible some checks could finally go out. The U.S. Treasury would have collected about $105 billion in taxes since it stopped being able to add to the debt, enough to cover the bills from June 1. However, more bills would keep coming due, and schools expecting $1 billion in federal funding would have to do without.
• Things would get extra dicey on June 15 when the Treasury is due to pay investors about $2 billion in interest payments on the national debt. The Treasury said in 2014 - following another near-collision with the debt ceiling - that it is technically capable of prioritizing interest payments over other obligations. Provided that capability panned out, the day's inflow of business tax receipts would give the Treasury enough cash to make the debt payment. However, revenues wouldn't cover all the other bills due June 15, such as military salaries.

(Source: Reuters)

• Local businesses are encouraged to utilize the various trade agreements that are available under preferential terms to boost earnings and increase exports for the country.
• Industry, Investment, and Commerce Minister, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, in making the call, said that these agreements give local producers a competitive advantage in accessing regional and international markets. He encouraged businesses to study the many trade agreements to grow the country’s export exponentially and increase employment.
• Jamaica is a party to or beneficiary of arrangements, which enable local businesses to access international markets under preferential terms. Among these is the CARIFORUM/European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which enables the export of goods and services to the 28 countries of the EU. All goods from Jamaica enter the EU duty- and quota-free.
• There are also CARICOM bilateral agreements that give Jamaica duty-free entry for a wide range of goods to markets in Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Cuba, and the country is able to supply goods to Venezuela through specific terms and conditions under the PetroCaribe Trade compensation mechanism.
• Minister Hill said the Trade Board Limited and the Ministry’s affiliated agencies are working to increase public awareness about the use and benefits of trade agreements, as well as to understand those factors that impact exporters’ ability to access or understand the information related to market entry requirements, or how to meet them.
• He highlighted that the Step-Up Export with Trade Agreements seminar serves as a public awareness tool that is intended to support export-led growth. Organized by the Trade Board, the event aimed to highlight the results of a one-year project in which 100 exporters were trained. The project explored the qualifying criteria under nine trade agreements as a means of increasing the uptake of the benefits. This will ultimately contribute to the volume of locally manufactured or produced items that are exported.

(Source: JIS News)

• Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has launched a new online portal to provide companies with the information and resources needed to interact and do business with the government.
• The ‘Jamaica Business Gateway’ platform will enable members of the public and private sectors to easily access the essential services related to government processes required for business development.
• Speaking at the launch, held at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Kingston on May 17, President of JAMPRO, Shullette Cox, described the Gateway as one giant step closer to making digitized government services a reality.
• With the ever-changing needs of businesses and the fast-paced digital era in which people live, Ms Cox emphasized that the government must keep up the pace to fulfil those needs. The JAMPRO President explained that “the Gateway will give businesses the ability to find step-by-step information on various government processes and to complete applications online from the comfort of their own office or homes”.
• Regarding the platform’s key features, she highlighted that it has been designed to be accessible to all, regardless of geographical location or infrastructural limitations. The platform has also been designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices and operating systems, ensuring that businesses are not hindered by technological constraints. This will, in turn, will foster the ease of doing business, allow efficiency and cost savings for companies and also increase transparency in government processes.

(Source: JIS News)

• Fitch forecasts real GDP growth of 2.4% in the Cayman Islands in 2023, from an estimated 4.0% in 2022.
• According to data from the Economic and Statistics Office, real GDP growth came in at 3.8% y-o-y in Q1 2022 (latest available data). While more up-to-date data is largely not available for the Cayman Islands, Fitch estimates that real GDP will have come in at 4.0% for the full-year 2022. 
• The economy of the Cayman Islands will continue to recover from the main impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2023. The main growth driver will be the continued recovery of the tourism sector, which normally comprises around 35% of GDP, second behind only the financial services sector (55%) in terms of the market’s main industries.
• However, elevated inflation will weigh on real household incomes, denting consumer confidence and thus capping private consumption growth. Inflation came in at 5.9% y-o-y in Q4 2022. Although down from a recent peak of 12.1% y-o-y in Q2 2022, Fitch still forecasts inflation to average 4.0% in 2023. 
• Fitch then sees real GDP growth slowing further to 2.1% in 2024, owing to higher base effects and as the economy settles back towards its longer-term growth trajectory.
• Additionally, gains in the tourism sector will prove harder to come by, with capacity constraints in the sector emerging as arrivals trend closer towards pre-pandemic levels. 

(Source: Fitch Solutions)

• The Dominican Republic’s tourism industry has witnessed significant growth and enhancement in terms of diversification and quality of accommodations, due to the unwavering commitment of highly prestigious hotel brands.
• This development has allowed the country to position itself in a segment that caters to a more discerning and demanding clientele.
• While the country’s tourism authorities acknowledge the importance of maintaining their core offering of sun and beach tourism, they also recognize the need to promote further diversification.
• According to Minister of Tourism David Collado, it is crucial to ensure that public beaches match the quality and amenities found in private areas to continue attracting nature-loving visitors.
• By investing in the improvement and development of public beach areas, the Dominican Republic aims to offer a diverse and appealing range of tourist experiences which will help to bolster economic growth.
• Fitch forecasts that growth will ease in the Dominican Republic from 4.9% in 2022 to 3.5% in 2023, primarily due to a weakening US economy in H223. Nonetheless, the Dominican Republic is forecasted to remain one of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing economies over the next decade once rising commodity prices and inflation subside.

(Source: Dominican Today & Fitch Solutions)

• A meeting of the government's top economic council on Monday focused on whether recent rises in inflation and wage growth suggest Japan was approaching a sustained exit from deflation.
• With inflation accelerating globally and wage growth picking up in Japan, discussions also touched on the desirable timing to end the Bank of Japan's ultra-loose monetary policy, a government official told reporters.
• With inflation exceeding the BOJ's 2% target, markets are rife with speculation that the central bank will soon phase out its massive stimulus that combines huge asset purchases and a pledge to cap long-term interest rates around zero.
• However, data showing Japan's wholesale inflation slowed for a fourth straight month in April may ease pressure on the BOJ to seek an early exit from ultra-low interest rates. The top economic council occasionally holds a separate session on topics relevant at the time, to take their views into account in setting fiscal and monetary policy.

(Source: Reuters)

• U.S. House Republicans and President Joe Biden's Democratic administration on Friday paused talks on raising the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, rattling financial markets as the deadline to avoid default ticked closer.
• Republicans are pushing for sharp spending cuts in exchange for the increase in the government's self-imposed borrowing limit, a move needed regularly to cover costs of spending and tax cuts previously approved by lawmakers.
• Talks at the Capitol broke up around midday, and there was no immediate word on when they would resume. The Treasury Department has warned the government could be unable to pay all its bills a soon as June 1. This would trigger a default that would shake the world economy.
• "We've got to get movement from the White House and we don't have any movement yet," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in Congress, told reporters after his lead negotiator walked out of talks with Biden administration officials. "We can't be spending more money next year. We have to spend less than the year before."
• A White House official said: "There are real differences between the parties on budget issues and talks will be difficult. The President’s team is working hard towards a reasonable bipartisan solution that can pass the House and the Senate.

(Source: Reuters)

• Furniture Manufacturer, JFP Limited recorded a net loss of $14.87Mn for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023, relative to a profit of $34.91Mn in the corresponding period of 2022.
• Revenue for the quarter was down by 31.3% yoy to $75.77Mn, due to delays beyond the control of JFP’s production department. Two key factors included changes to the design/build process and the logistics required to return to the work environment inside a local international airport. Cost of sales increased by 1.2% which, when combined with the falloff in the topline, resulted in a 45.2% decline in gross profit. As a result, the gross margin shrunk from 70.1% to 55.9%.
• Administrative expenses increased by 18.5% in Q1, driven by higher staff costs due to a larger staff complement.
• Despite having a challenging first quarter, the company is expected to rebound in the coming quarters. The company inked a commercial deal with Total Office, a Trinidadian office supply company, in March 2023 that will create a regional distribution chain for JFP and a manufacturing arm for Total Office. The partnership will give JFP a foothold in the regional office furniture distribution trade.
• JFP stock price has increased by 4.60% since the start of the calendar year. The stock closed Thursday’s trading session at $1.80 and currently trades at a P/B of 11.4x which is above the Junior Market Manufacturing Sector Average of 2.9x.

(Sources: JSE and NCBCM Research)

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday, May 16, said it "strongly supports" Brazil's efforts to improve the country's fiscal position, while also commending the country's "ambitious agenda" to have a sustainable, inclusive, and green economy.
• "Enhancing Brazil's fiscal framework, broadening the tax base, and tackling spending rigidities would support sustainability and credibility," the leader of an annual mission to the country, Ana Corbacho, said in a statement after the Fund's visit.
• Brazil's finance ministry in late March unveiled new fiscal rules to balance limits on spending growth under the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has vowed to boost social programmes and public investment.
• The new rules limit spending growth to 70% of Brazil's revenue growth in the prior 12 months. The government's proposed fiscal framework also targets a zero primary deficit in 2024, from a deficit of 1.0% in 2023, followed by a primary surplus equal to 0.5% of GDP in 2025 and 1% of GDP in 2026. Additionally, Brazilian lawmaker Claudio Cajado on Monday presented a revised version of the government's bill to ensure the rules have penalties in case of non-compliance by the government.
• IMF "staff recommends a more ambitious fiscal effort that continues beyond 2026 to put debt on a firmly declining path while protecting social and investment spending," Corbacho added in the statement.

(Source: Reuters)

• Coverage, especially in rural areas, and affordability are some of the issues that need to be addressed to achieve an efficient digital economy within the region. This was revealed by Francisco Soto, Huawei’s chief expert in Wireless Solutions, Latin America, and the Caribbean, who said the digital economy brings with it several opportunities, but also new challenges and rules of the game in the global market.
• Soto pointed out that the positioning of the country on the global stage largely depends on its ability to adapt to new conditions. He noted that the digital economy brings a new set of benefits, which can make it possible to reduce the differences that exist between rich and poor nations.
• “Developing countries have the opportunity to transform their economy and to contribute to the development of the digital economy. Although these economies are characterised by high added value, faced with numerous obstacles, many developing countries cannot adequately respond to the demands of the digital economy,” Soto disclosed to the Express Business last week.
• Also, he said inadequate access to the latest technology, sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure, low computer literacy as well as numerous cultural and socio-economic factors are just some of the challenges that developing countries have to face.
• A report from Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) on Digital inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean which was published on its website a few years ago showed that Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest regional level of income inequality in the world.
• Affordability is a big barrier to Internet adoption for people at the bottom of the economic pyramid. For the bottom 40 per cent of the population, the cost of mobile ownership is on average 17 per cent of income. This the report said compares to just two per cent of income for the top 20 per cent of the population. The report identified that effective collaboration between the government and mobile operators is necessary to overcome the barriers to digital inclusion.

(Source: Trinidad Express Newspapers)