The Business Forum held on March 8th, 2024, during the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Annual Meetings in Punta Cana, showcased a remarkable assembly of leaders from the Americas Business Dialogue, including Citi, Google, the National Business Council of the Dominican Republic (CONEP), VISA, and Banco BHD. These members actively participated in discussions aimed at enhancing economic growth, investment and public-private collaboration in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
The forum began with an address by Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB, who outlined the vision for regional growth under the recently launched “BID for the Americas” program. This initiative seeks to foster business-friendly environments and encourage foreign direct investment in the region by leveraging innovative technologies and financial instruments.
One of the key panels, “Forging Prosperity: Catalyzing Economic Growth in LAC through Business-Friendly Environments and Foreign Direct Investment,” featured speakers like Steven Puig, President of Banco BHD, and Sofía Antor, Country Manager for the Dominican Republic at VISA. This session delved into strategies for expanding investment opportunities and the role of the private sector in the development of the region.
The forum also highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving sustainable economic development across the Americas. The panel “Charting Collaborative Pathways: Public-Private Partnerships to Boost Impact in LAC” included John Finnigan, Managing Director and Global Head of Development Organizations at Citi, and Eleonora Rabinovich, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Spanish-Speaking Latin America at Google, among others.
This discussion highlighted the pivotal importance of collaborative efforts between the private and public sector, emphasizing the significant contribution of the ABD, represented by an extensive network of over 400 companies and associations from across the Americas. The upcoming Summit of the Americas, to be hosted in the Dominican Republic in 2025, offers a prime opportunity to advance these partnerships and drive regional growth.
The participation of ABD members at the Business Forum was a testament to the collective commitment to driving economic growth and prosperity in in region through investment, innovation, and public-private collaboration.