Latest update April 3rd, 2026 12:35 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

CDB engages Caribbean bankers on upcoming trade guarantee programme

Nov 24, 2025 News

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) unveiled its new Trade Finance Guarantee Programme (TFGP) to regional banking leaders, marking a significant step toward enhancing access to trade finance for Caribbean enterprises, particularly Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

According to a CDB press release, speaking at the Caribbean Association of Banks Annual Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Isaac Solomon, Vice President (Operations) of CDB, introduced the initiative as a strategic tool to bridge risk and build access to global markets.

“This Guarantee Programme sits squarely in the middle of our transformation agenda – it is anchored on accelerating transformative financing, advancing opportunities for MSMEs to thrive, and scaling impact through partnerships,” said Dr. Solomon. The Trade Finance Guarantee Programme is designed to mitigate the risk exposure of confirming banks by providing partial guarantees against defaults by issuing banks within CDB’s 19 Borrowing Member Countries. This mechanism aims to strengthen correspondent banking relationships, unlock capital, and expand trade finance portfolios across the region.

“Adequate trade finance is not just a financial service; it is an enabler of growth, job creation, and regional resilience,” Dr. Solomon emphasised. “By enabling more transactions, this programme will directly support efforts to grow exports and increase foreign exchange earnings.”

The pilot phase of the programme will be launched in collaboration with JP Morgan and IDB Invest, covering 14 issuing and confirming banks across six Caribbean countries. CDB will also provide targeted capacity building to institutions with limited trade finance offerings, with the goal of establishing a long-term, self-sustaining platform for trade facilitation.

CDB also convened a dynamic panel on the future of trade finance in the Caribbean, exploring how greater access and affordability can drive enterprise growth. The discussion showcased how CDB’s Trade Finance Programme will expand regional access to trade finance products, featuring insights from Mr. Stephen Thomas, Head of the Financial Institutions Team for the Caribbean Region; Ms. Joanna Charles, General Manager, Antigua Commercial Bank; Mr. Bevon Alvarez, General Manager, Republic Bank; and Ms. Lisa Harding, Division Chief, Private Sector Development, CDB. At the event CDB also reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with regional financial institutions to ensure the success of the pilot and to position the programme as a flagship initiative for Caribbean trade development.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Similar Articles

Listen to the The Glenn Lall Show

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

Your children are starving, and you giving away their food to an already fat pussycat.

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Attention shifts to $10M Nitro Kart Clash

Attention shifts to $10M Nitro Kart Clash

Apr 03, 2026

Kaieteur Sports – All focus has now been shifted to the Jumbo Jet events sponsored Nitro Kart Clash, set for April 19 at the National Stadium, Providence Tarmac. With over $10M on offer for...
Read More

VIEW ALL SPORTS

Features/Columnists

Has the world lost its conscience?

Has the world lost its conscience?

Apr 03, 2026

(Kaieteur News) –The world today stands on the edge of an energy crisis. But this crisis did not appear out of nowhere. It has been building, quietly and steadily, alongside a deep and growing indifference to human suffering. As the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States intensifies,...
Read More

Sir. Ronald Sanders

The Cost of Silence: How the OAS is Undermining its Own Relevance

The Cost of Silence: How the OAS is Undermining its Own Relevance

Mar 29, 2026

By Sir Ronald Sanders (Kaieteur News) – The Organization of American States is approaching a defining test, not of its existence, but of its significance. It continues to meet, to commemorate events, but fails to tackle pressing political issues. At a time of global turmoil, economic strain, and...
Read More

The GHK Lall Column

It is Good Friday. What a day! Darkness prevailed.

It is Good Friday. What a day! Darkness prevailed.

Apr 03, 2026

(Kaieteur News) –There were those who turned to Judas, then turned him.  Then they turned into smooth representations of him.  They weren’t pandits and ayatollahs.  They were the powers of religious tradition in Jesus’ time.  Men immersed in Mosaic laws, the teachings of their...
Read More

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: glennlall2000@gmail.com / kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

> Berbice Bridge […]