The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a new 36-month precautionary Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Barbados providing critical insurance in the event shocks generate balance of payments needs, while continuing to help anchor macroeconomic stability and support reform implementation under the homegrown Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan 2026 (BERT 2026).
The IMF said that the US$257 million SBA allows the authorities immediate access to US$64 million.
The Washington-based financial institution said that having made significant progress in implementing its first two BERT plans, supported by previous IMF arrangements, Barbados enters the new SBA in a stronger macroeconomic position.
It said that the outlook remains stable but subject to significant downside risks, amid high global policy uncertainty, elevated commodity prices, and vulnerability to natural disasters.