RELEASE: The Media Institute of the Caribbean launches country reports on COVID expenditure

The Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) announces the launch of its COVID Hub series of country reports on transparent and accountable expenditure of externally financed pandemic support measures in 14 Caribbean states.

The MIC has assembled a team of journalists, researchers, and analysts to report on and make observations about the deployment of loans and grants received from countries, regional and international agencies and institutions, and other benefactors.

The team has been at work over recent months compiling information on financial inflows designed to bolster state activities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will continue to provide regular progress reports leading projects and programmes.

The MIC has, for this purpose, also secured the cooperation of several international and regional agencies to ensure access to timely, relevant updates together with official information flows at national levels.

The countries being covered are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The project is a collaborative effort supported by the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and will produce regular news and information bulletins and reports with emphasis on governmental best practice in the areas of procurement processes and efficiencies, transparency, and accountability in the state sector.

Team leaders are Kiran Maharaj, Wesley Gibbings, Nazima Raghubir and Aurora Herrera, with quarterly analyses from regional finance and governance experts, Dr Terrence Farrell, Marla Dukharan and Dr. Damien King.

President of MIC, Kiran Maharaj stated: “The MIC views this project as a vitally important activity in the overall promotion of sound regional governance. It provides tangible expression of our commitment to media audiences interested in keeping a close eye on expenditure of public funds and ensuring that the intended objectives are met.”

The first and subsequent installments are free for use, with attribution, and can be found at www.mediainstitutecaribbean.com