World Bank2013-03-142013-03-142007-11https://hdl.handle.net/10986/12725The high levels of public debt and persistent fiscal deficits limit Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) governments' ability to pursue counter-cyclical fiscal policies during future economic downturns, leaving private investment as the key driver of future growth. This study on private sector financing in the OECS analyzes the issue of access to finance from three different angles: the demand side; the supply side; and the enabling environment. It is not possible to fully analyze problems of access to finance without a broad approach. Demand side, supply side and the enabling environment are jointly analyzed in this study to identify key measures that could be applied in order to improve the enabling environment, create better opportunities for business growth and innovation (diversification), and place financial sector institutions in a position to provide finance, especially to SMEs, in a sustainable way.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO CREDITACCESS TO FINANCEACCESS TO FINANCINGACCESS TO INFORMATIONAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTSALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FINANCEASSET QUALITYBANK LENDINGBANK LOANBANK LOANSBANKING SERVICESBANKING SYSTEMBANKRUPTCYBANKRUPTCY PROCEDURESBORROWERBORROWINGBUSINESS ASSOCIATIONSBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICESBUSINESS EXPERIENCEBUSINESS MANAGEMENTBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIESBUSINESS PLANBUSINESS PLANNINGBUSINESS PLANSBUSINESS STARTUPBUSINESS SUPPORTCAPITAL MARKETCASH FLOWCASH FLOWSCASH WITHDRAWALCENTRAL BANKCHAMBERS OF COMMERCECOLLATERALCOLLATERAL REGISTRATIONCOLLATERAL REQUIREMENTSCOMMERCIAL BANKCOMMERCIAL BANKSCOMMERCIAL LOANSCONSULTING SERVICESCONTRACT ENFORCEMENTCOOPERATIVESCREDIT ALLOCATIONCREDIT CARDSCREDIT GUARANTEECREDIT GUARANTEESCREDIT INFORMATIONCREDIT INFORMATION SYSTEMSCREDIT LINECREDIT NEEDSCREDIT REPORTINGCREDIT REPORTING SYSTEMSCREDIT REQUIREMENTSCREDIT RISKCREDIT UNIONCREDIT UNIONSCREDITORCREDITORSCURRENCYDEBTDEBT BURDENDEBT BURDENSDEBT COLLECTIONDEBT FINANCINGDEBT MANAGEMENTDEBTSDEPOSITDEPOSITSDEVELOPMENT BANKDEVELOPMENT BANKSDEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONDEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONSDIVERSIFICATIONEARNINGSECONOMIC ACTIVITIESECONOMIC ACTIVITYECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIES OF SCALEEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEMERGING MARKETEMERGING MARKET COUNTRIESEMPLOYERENABLING ENVIRONMENTENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENTENTREPRENEURSEQUITY FINANCEEQUITY FINANCINGEQUITY FUNDEQUITY FUNDINGEXCHANGE RATEEXPENDITUREEXPENDITURESEXTERNAL FINANCEEXTERNAL FINANCINGEXTERNAL FUNDSEXTERNAL SHOCKSFAMILIESFARMERFARMERSFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSFINANCIAL INSTRUMENTSFINANCIAL LITERACYFINANCIAL MARKETSFINANCIAL PRODUCTSFINANCIAL REGULATORSFINANCIAL RESOURCESFINANCIAL SECTOR ASSESSMENTFINANCIAL SERVICESFINANCIAL STRUCTUREFINANCIAL SYSTEMFINANCING NEEDSFISCAL DEFICITSFISCAL POLICIESFOREIGN FIRMSFOREIGN INVESTMENTFORM OF COLLATERALFORMAL CREDITFUNDING SOURCESGOVERNMENT INDEBTEDNESSGOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONGOVERNMENT SECURITIESGOVERNMENT SECURITIES MARKETGROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTGUARANTEE SCHEMESHOME MORTGAGEIMPORT DUTIESIMPORT DUTYINCOME TAXINDEBTEDNESSINFORMATION TECHNOLOGYINSURANCEINSURANCE SERVICESINTEREST PAYMENTSINTEREST RATEINTEREST RATESINTERNAL FINANCEINVESTMENT CAPITALINVESTMENT DECISIONSINVESTMENT FUNDISSUE OF ACCESSJOB CREATIONLABOR MARKETLACK OF CAPITALLACK OF INFORMATIONLAND OWNERSHIPLAND REGISTRATIONLEGAL RIGHTSLEGAL RIGHTS OF CREDITORSLENDERSLENDING DECISIONLENDING PORTFOLIOLINE OF CREDITLINES OF CREDITLIQUIDITYLOANLOAN APPLICATIONLOAN APPLICATIONSLOAN PORTFOLIOLONG TERM FINANCINGMARKET DEVELOPMENTMARKET ECONOMYMONETARY FUNDMONETARY POLICYMORTGAGE LENDINGMORTGAGE LOANSMORTGAGE MARKETMORTGAGESNEW MARKETOPEN MARKETOPERATING COSTSOVERDRAFTOVERDRAFTSPAYMENTS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTPERSONAL ASSETSPERSONAL SAVINGSPOOR CREDITPOOR CREDIT HISTORYPRIVATE EQUITYPRIVATE INVESTMENTPRIVATE SECTOR FINANCINGPROFIT MARGINPROVISION OF MORTGAGEPUBLIC DEBTPUBLIC SECTOR DEBTRATES OF RETURNREAL PROPERTYREGISTRATION PROCESSREMITTANCEREMITTANCESREPOSSESSIONRETAIL BANKINGRISK DIVERSIFICATIONRISK MANAGEMENTSAVINGSSECURITIESSECURITIES EXCHANGESMALL BUSINESSSMALL BUSINESSESSMALL ENTERPRISESOCIAL SECURITYSOURCES OF FINANCESTART-UPSSTUDENT LOANSSUPPLY CHAINST-BILLT-BILL RATETAX BURDENSTAX EXEMPTIONSTAX LEGISLATIONTAX SYSTEMTECHNICAL ASSISTANCETRADE CREDITTRANSACTION COSTSTRANSACTIONS COSTSTRANSPARENCYVENTURE CAPITALVENTURE FUNDINGWORKING CAPITALWorld Bank10.1596/12725