The World Bank has announced an upcoming in-depth survey focusing on the business sector in Antigua and Barbuda, along with Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. These World Bank Enterprise Surveys (WBES) will be conducted over the next few months, with results expected in early 2025.
The surveys, which target small, medium, and large companies, aim to provide insights into access to finance, corruption, infrastructure, and business performance to help policymakers implement reforms that support economic activity in the private sector.
The last survey in Antigua and Barbuda was in 2010, highlighting issues such as losses due to theft and vandalism, security costs, the regulatory environment, and corporate corruption. The upcoming survey will also examine infrastructural challenges, including water and electricity outages.
To date, over 219,000 firms in 159 economies have been surveyed, with a focus on emerging economies. The survey in Antigua and Barbuda will be conducted by Panama-based Mercaplan and Hope Research.
