Banco Popular
The regional bank Banco Popular opened its third branch in St. Croix on Dec. 20. Located at the Sunshine Mall on St. Croix, the branch will feature an ATM, drive-through lanes and loan services, according to a company press release. The bank also operates 193 branches in Puerto Rico and the greater Virgin Islands, including five on St. Thomas and one on Tortola.
Haiti
The Haitian economy grew by five percent in 2011 and should experience a “favourable” outlook in 2012 if the government remains stable and continues reconstruction efforts, according to the International Monetary Fund. An IMF team visited the impoverished country in mid-December. The team believes that the Haitian economy could benefit from a rebound in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors in 2012, the IMF said in a press release. Despite the favourable outlook, inflation – mainly caused by higher food prices – rose to 10.4 percent in October, according to the IMF.
Montserrat
A shortage of aviation fuel in Antigua caused a disruption in air service to Montserrat, the Montserratian government said. In a Dec. 20 statement, the territory’s Ministry of Communications, Works and Labour said that the shortage was “beyond the control of the airlines and the government.” According to the statement, the shortage affected FlyMontserrat and SVG Air, two airlines that regularly service the island.